Advent at Mountain

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."  (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV) We often hear these words spoken as a bride and groom stand before their family on their wedding day. But what on earth does a scripture infamously associated with weddings have to do with Christmas? Well, scripture isn't intended to be "boxed in" by one occasion. It's meant to be something that brings meaning to every season of our lives. If advent really is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming Savior who, by definition, is love, shouldn't we know what love is? Luckily this scripture tells us what love is and reminds us how we can put love into action. There is no greater way to learn how to love than to look to Jesus. You see, love was patient when Jesus was interrupted by a woman desperate for his healing touch. It was kind ...

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)  God’s love for us through Jesus is not conditioned on our performance. We don’t earn it. It’s a love completely unattached to anything we can do or offer in return. While we were sinners, enemies of God, spiritual failures, Jesus loved us so much that he sacrificed his life to save us.  Jesus says, "Now love each other like this." Let’s be people that truly reflect Christ and are known by our love for one another. A church that loves one another well is a sign and testimony to the world of the reality of Jesus. This is the kind of church we are called to be.  But we can only love as we have been loved. In order to become more loving toward one another, we must completely allow ourselves to be loved by God. We may not feel worthy of his love, but that is the whole point. We're not. His love is ours if we receive it by faith. Let God love you comp...

"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV) We know that it was God’s great love for us that compelled him to send his one and only son, Jesus, to earth as a baby at Christmas. This passage references God as a “Mighty Warrior,” and in other translations we see “a mighty one who will save” (ESV) and “a mighty savior” (NLT).  In all of those, we see the common theme of Jesus, being the strong one who will save. But we also see Jesus fulfilling the name the angel gives in the book of Matthew, “Immanuel,” which means “God with us,” just as Zephaniah reminds us in the beginning of this passage. In order to save us all, God chose to show his vast love for us, by sending his own Son to be “God with us,” not a far off God, but a mighty one who is coming to save his people. It’s moments like these where we draw back to the Gospel ...

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7 NIV) Let me state the obvious: All of us were born. From the passing of DNA, we share qualities of our biological parents, whether that be the same color eyes or a personality trait, like a quiet demeanor.  Furthermore, we all are born from God and are of God. That means in the same way that we share DNA with our biological parents, we share the same DNA with God. We were created in the image of God and have a genetic and spiritual predisposition to act and look like God here on earth. If we have any capacity to love, which we all do, then we have been born of God. And the more time we spend with God, the greater our love grows and God pours more love in us. Be encouraged that you were made on purpose to be good and full of love. As we prepare for the coming of our Savior, rest in the presence of God and let his Spirit fill you with his goodne...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV) Take a moment to reread John 3:16 and let these words sink in. The Creator, God, who spoke the world into being and whose voice brings forth life is the same all-powerful God who is ultimately full of love. This love, which has been there since the beginning, compelled God to become flesh. Jesus came as a vulnerable infant, grew alongside his fellow image bearers, and made a way for God’s love to reconcile us all back to the Father through his life, teachings, death, and resurrection. For God loved the world – that’s you and me. All humanity and creation in all of our brokenness – that he gave his one and only beloved Son, Jesus the Christ, so that whoever believes will not perish, but have eternal life. What beautiful, unconditional, and holy love God shares with us through Jesus! Do you know and truly believe how deeply you’re...

“Advent” means arrival or coming , and it’s a season of the year that Christians have observed for centuries as a time of anticipating the birth of Jesus. For many of us, however, this season flies by with a flurry of activities that can leave us worn out and feeling just glad that it’s over at the end of the month. It can be the most stressful time of the year—and, as we’ve experienced, this year has been particularly challenging. But what if “the Christmas season” actually brought us closer to Christ? What if we were able to create some space to really feel the longing for Jesus to arrive, to be born anew in our lives? What if there was time for reflection and refocusing, such that we could truly receive and experience the gifts that Jesus brings—love, peace, joy, and hope?   This collection of daily reflections is offered as one simple tool to help each of us connect with Christ more deeply in the days leading up to Christmas. Daily reflections will be centered on the core...