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December 20, 2024 | ||
Dear Church Family, Have you ever missed an important detail? Something that, when you look back, was plain to see, but somehow you missed it at the time? As we draw near to Christmas, we remember Jesus coming to earth to save us from our sins. It’s a reminder of God’s amazing love for all the world. When the Gospel first started going out, the Jewish believers had a hard time wrapping their minds around the truth that the Gospel wasn’t just for them, but for all the nations of the world. Somehow they missed that important detail, even though it was sprinkled throughout the Old Testament. Today I was reading in Acts 15, where the apostles and elders in Jerusalem try to settle a debate about Gentiles coming to faith. After Peter shares his experience seeing Gentiles come to faith, and hearing amazing testimonies from Paul and Barnabas, James gets up to speak and quotes from the Old Testament prophets:
James reminds us that it was always God’s plan to bring His good news to the nations. Not only would He restore and rebuild David’s tent, but He would also reach out to the Gentiles. When you start looking for it, you see that it was there all along. This is amazing news for us, that God had us in His heart and in His plan. He sent Jesus to earth to save, not only the Jews, but people from every nation, including you and me. We saw last Sunday that it was God’s plan to bring His blessing to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). I love the line from “Joy to the World” that states, “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.” In Luke 2, the angel declared to the shepherds, “‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people’” (Luke 2:10). Today, take some time to thank God for bringing His good news to all the families of the earth, both Jew and Gentile. Thank Him for grafting you into His great plan of redemption. Thank Him for sending His Son to be the Savior of the world. Listen to these words spoken by God the Father to God the Son, recorded by the prophet Isaiah:
What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Christmas Eve Service: Join us as we celebrate our Savior’s birth as a church family on December 24th at 6 pm at Columbia High School (301 S Happy Valley Rd, Nampa, ID 83687). After the service we’ll have a short time of fellowship and snacks. You’re welcome to bring a snack to share. Elder Training: Our next Elder Training is Tuesday, January 7th at 7 pm at the Bronleewes’ house. We’ll continue our study in 1 Timothy 6. Please contact Pastor Dave if you have any questions or need a copy of the homework. Upcoming Date: No Youth Group (Dec. 22nd & 29th) Life Groups: If you’re interested in joining a life group, we have several to choose from. You can check them out here: Request Prayer: It’s important for us to be praying for each other as a church! If you ever need prayer, we would love to come alongside you. You can always turn in a prayer request on Sundays using the Connection Card, but you can also submit a prayer request online at any time: This Coming Sunday: They Shall Call His Name Immanuel – This Sunday we’ll continue in Matthew 1. In addition to the name of Jesus, another name is associated with the birth of God’s Son: Immanuel (God with us). https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | ||
Light for all the nations
