1. What the gospel promises is not escape from our humanity, but resurrection from the dead.
  2. I want the beginning of my funeral to be focused on Jesus, as well as the middle, the end, and every point in between.
  3. False holiness is always a possession and achievement of the individual in isolation from the good of others. And so it isn’t holiness at all.
  4. This is the patient love of God. He is stubborn about the salvation of sinners. He will not be rushed even if his name is mocked, and the trustworthiness of his promises are called into question.
  5. I finally watched the film “Encanto” with my kids. I had heard many people say the subtext of this movie was deeper than most. So, we snuggled up on the couch and watched it to see what everyone was talking about.
  6. Faith should later again flow forth from our heart’s depths to our neighbor freely and unhindered in good works; not that we wish to rest our salvation in them; for God will not have that, but wishes the conscience to rest in himself alone.
  7. What we are asked to believe as we ponder the birth of this child is that in his coming, a new creation has dawned.
  8. The Advents of Christ (past, present, and future) elicit faith in the word of Christ, confirmed by his presence.
  9. Getting ready for Christ’s coming is a practice in humility.
  10. Each week during this year’s Advent series, we will take a look at a specific implication of Christ’s incarnation. This week, we will discover how God reaffirms the goodness of his creation by making all things new in the incarnation.
  11. “The days are coming,” and God said it. God, who kept his promise that Christ would come at Christmas.
  12. If Jesus is indeed the same yesterday, today, and forever, everything his enfleshment brings is already assured: life, salvation, and forgiveness.