Christmas Eve – December 24, 2026
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet.” 
- Matthew 1:22 -
God’s Faithfulness
Ahaz was king of Judah when the nation was threatened by enemies. He turned to earthly allies when threatened rather than trusting in God. God promised to guard Judah and offered a sign to prove His faithfulness. Ahaz self-righteously claimed that he wouldn’t test God because he really didn’t trust God. He wanted to do things his own way. God sent the sign anyway, and in the end, Ahaz failed.
The sign for Ahaz was a foreshadowing of the promise fulfilled in Matthew. God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father. Just like Ahaz, Joseph faced a dilemma: was Mary the virgin who was chosen to bear the Son of God, the Messiah Immanuel? Joseph chose to believe. He did all that the Lord commanded. He took Mary as his wife and cared for her. Joseph had the legal right to set Mary aside, but he chose to become the earthly father of the Savior of the world. The story of Jesus’ Nativity seems ridiculous, just as facing an enemy without allies seemed ridiculous to Ahaz. Joseph chose to believe and obey.
Whatever the circumstances, God calls us to trust Him and obey His Word even if it seems ridiculous because He is faithful to all His promises. He makes His plans succeed whether we trust Him or not, but ours will fail if we go our own way. We think we know better than God, but we always discover that we don’t know much. We try to do things our own way, but we are truly blessed when we trust God. Thankfully, God does not leave us to our own faithlessness. He chose to come and dwell among us. He sent Jesus, His Son, our Lord. It is this Immanuel that we welcome this holy night. It is for this Messiah that we have watched throughout Advent. He will be all that God has promised, all rolled up in a tiny baby born in a stable in Bethlehem.

Christmas Eve – December 24, 2026
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet.” 
- Matthew 1:22 -
God’s Faithfulness
Ahaz was king of Judah when the nation was threatened by enemies. He turned to earthly allies when threatened rather than trusting in God. God promised to guard Judah and offered a sign to prove His faithfulness. Ahaz self-righteously claimed that he wouldn’t test God because he really didn’t trust God. He wanted to do things his own way. God sent the sign anyway, and in the end, Ahaz failed.
The sign for Ahaz was a foreshadowing of the promise fulfilled in Matthew. God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father. Just like Ahaz, Joseph faced a dilemma: was Mary the virgin who was chosen to bear the Son of God, the Messiah Immanuel? Joseph chose to believe. He did all that the Lord commanded. He took Mary as his wife and cared for her. Joseph had the legal right to set Mary aside, but he chose to become the earthly father of the Savior of the world. The story of Jesus’ Nativity seems ridiculous, just as facing an enemy without allies seemed ridiculous to Ahaz. Joseph chose to believe and obey.
Whatever the circumstances, God calls us to trust Him and obey His Word even if it seems ridiculous because He is faithful to all His promises. He makes His plans succeed whether we trust Him or not, but ours will fail if we go our own way. We think we know better than God, but we always discover that we don’t know much. We try to do things our own way, but we are truly blessed when we trust God. Thankfully, God does not leave us to our own faithlessness. He chose to come and dwell among us. He sent Jesus, His Son, our Lord. It is this Immanuel that we welcome this holy night. It is for this Messiah that we have watched throughout Advent. He will be all that God has promised, all rolled up in a tiny baby born in a stable in Bethlehem.

Christmas Day – December 25, 2026
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”
- Isaiah 52:7 -
It is not as common these days, but there was a time when many people went Christmas door to door during the Christmas season, sharing the joy of the holiday with their neighbors by singing carols. These were unplanned, spur of the moment events by children just for fun. Carols are still a part of the Christmas season. Our community does a fellowship with other churches, singing from church to church, sharing hospitality and fellowship. Children sing carols in pageants. Many of our favorite songs during worship at this time of year are carols created as communal festival songs to be shared by Christian congregations. 
The first Christmas songs were written to counter the heresies of Arian and others, about the same time as the development of the Nicene Creed. They weren’t very popular in those days because they were theological hymns written in Latin. St. Francis of Assisi popularized singing sacred songs in the language of the people for Christmas. Francis believed music was a powerful way to teach people about Jesus's birth, using carols during Nativity plays. St. Augustine said, “He who sings prays twice,” and that’s the joy of the Christmas carols we sing at this time of year.
Isaiah spoke about the hope Israel had in God’s promises as if they had already been fulfilled. We still have that hope, although we have seen it fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Though we continue to long for the final fulfillment of God’s promises when our King comes again at the end of the ages, we are called to share the Good News with all we meet. We do this with our favorite Christmas carols that tell the story of Jesus and the salvation that He won for us from the manger to the cross. He is the King that reigns now and will reign forever. Our carols honor the Son and share the blessing of His grace. They remind us that every promise has been fulfilled in Him, and in Him we will have peace forever.

Christmas Day – December 25, 2026
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”
- Isaiah 52:7 -
It is not as common these days, but there was a time when many people went Christmas door to door during the Christmas season, sharing the joy of the holiday with their neighbors by singing carols. These were unplanned, spur of the moment events by children just for fun. Carols are still a part of the Christmas season. Our community does a fellowship with other churches, singing from church to church, sharing hospitality and fellowship. Children sing carols in pageants. Many of our favorite songs during worship at this time of year are carols created as communal festival songs to be shared by Christian congregations. 
The first Christmas songs were written to counter the heresies of Arian and others, about the same time as the development of the Nicene Creed. They weren’t very popular in those days because they were theological hymns written in Latin. St. Francis of Assisi popularized singing sacred songs in the language of the people for Christmas. Francis believed music was a powerful way to teach people about Jesus's birth, using carols during Nativity plays. St. Augustine said, “He who sings prays twice,” and that’s the joy of the Christmas carols we sing at this time of year.
Isaiah spoke about the hope Israel had in God’s promises as if they had already been fulfilled. We still have that hope, although we have seen it fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Though we continue to long for the final fulfillment of God’s promises when our King comes again at the end of the ages, we are called to share the Good News with all we meet. We do this with our favorite Christmas carols that tell the story of Jesus and the salvation that He won for us from the manger to the cross. He is the King that reigns now and will reign forever. Our carols honor the Son and share the blessing of His grace. They remind us that every promise has been fulfilled in Him, and in Him we will have peace forever.

First Sunday after Christmas – December 27, 2027
“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son 
into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
- Galatians 4:6 -
Today, Tomorrow, and Always
The Christmas season is a time to gather, for homecomings and remembering. It is also a time when relationships are put to the test; the pressure of holiday gatherings is sometimes too much to bear. Old grudges bubble to the top and bitter rivalries explode. Some experience resentment because of family expectations, while others have unreasonable demands about the time together. Relationships are strained, and peace seems impossible in the midst of the brokenness. 
Our brokenness extends to our relationship with God our Father. We are experiencing the joy Christmas, but we have lingering doubts about His story. Paul’s letter brings these doubts to light; we wonder about our relationship with the God who is faithful to His promises. Is that relationship strained and uncomfortable like those around our holiday dinner tables? One of Paul’s analogies throughout his letters is that we are slaves, but he reminds us in this letter that though we were sinners, we have been set free to be sons of God. Sadly, we hold on to our sins, continuing to be slaves to all that keeps us from knowing and loving God fully and freely, just as happens in our earthly families.
Jesus Christ came to make us sons, healing our brokenness, and adopting us to be His children. The Kingdom of God belongs to us, and we are called to live and laugh and love as heirs of His Kingdom, doing all we do for God’s glory. We live in an incredible promise.
That promise began at Christmas and in these days following the glorious event, we ponder the story more deeply. We are called to praise Him for the beauty of His creation and for the goodness of His dealings with His people. He is our Father, and we are heirs to His Kingdom thanks to the baby that was named Jesus who was the fulfillment of all His promises. We delight in God because He has done this great thing, and our praise is our witness to the faithfulness of the God who has kept His promises for His people today, tomorrow, and always.
First Sunday after Christmas – December 27, 2027
“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son 
into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
- Galatians 4:6 -
Today, Tomorrow, and Always
The Christmas season is a time to gather, for homecomings and remembering. It is also a time when relationships are put to the test; the pressure of holiday gatherings is sometimes too much to bear. Old grudges bubble to the top and bitter rivalries explode. Some experience resentment because of family expectations, while others have unreasonable demands about the time together. Relationships are strained, and peace seems impossible in the midst of the brokenness. 
Our brokenness extends to our relationship with God our Father. We are experiencing the joy Christmas, but we have lingering doubts about His story. Paul’s letter brings these doubts to light; we wonder about our relationship with the God who is faithful to His promises. Is that relationship strained and uncomfortable like those around our holiday dinner tables? One of Paul’s analogies throughout his letters is that we are slaves, but he reminds us in this letter that though we were sinners, we have been set free to be sons of God. Sadly, we hold on to our sins, continuing to be slaves to all that keeps us from knowing and loving God fully and freely, just as happens in our earthly families.
Jesus Christ came to make us sons, healing our brokenness, and adopting us to be His children. The Kingdom of God belongs to us, and we are called to live and laugh and love as heirs of His Kingdom, doing all we do for God’s glory. We live in an incredible promise.
That promise began at Christmas and in these days following the glorious event, we ponder the story more deeply. We are called to praise Him for the beauty of His creation and for the goodness of His dealings with His people. He is our Father, and we are heirs to His Kingdom thanks to the baby that was named Jesus who was the fulfillment of all His promises. We delight in God because He has done this great thing, and our praise is our witness to the faithfulness of the God who has kept His promises for His people today, tomorrow, and always.
Second Sunday after Christmas – January 3, 2027
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
- John 1:5 –
Shine His Light
The world seems so different during the holiday season. The world is filled with twinkle lights and presents. People celebrate with family and friends. We are kinder to our neighbors and generous with our resources. There is a special spirit during the season. We leave behind the stress of the “real world” for a time. Sadly, the party is over, Christmas is being packed away until next year, and we are returning to normal. It does not take long before we forget the spirit of Christmas; we are overcome by the cares of the world as we set aside the spirit of Christmas and enter into a new year. We aren’t as generous because we have debts to pay. The joy fades as darkness surrounds us again. 
We are reminded, however, that Jesus was not born for a season to be packed away in a box for the rest of the year. He came to save the world. He is the Light. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our Redeemer. He is our hope and peace. He is our joy. Most of all, He is our Savior, born to die for our salvation. He is Emmanuel, the Lord who is with us always.
What will you do now that Christmas is over? Will you pack Jesus away like the rest of the world, or will you remember His mercy every morning? We need not linger at the manger to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts. As a matter of fact, Jesus calls us to leave to manger to look toward the cross where our salvation was won forever. We don’t need the season of Christmas to live in His Light. We may miss the Christmas lights as the darkness surrounds us, but the things that make the holiday season special can remain with us as we remember that Jesus is the Light. Don’t let the cares of the world keep you from shining His light so that others will see Him and believe in His promises.

Second Sunday after Christmas – January 3, 2027
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
- John 1:5 –
Shine His Light
The world seems so different during the holiday season. The world is filled with twinkle lights and presents. People celebrate with family and friends. We are kinder to our neighbors and generous with our resources. There is a special spirit during the season. We leave behind the stress of the “real world” for a time. Sadly, the party is over, Christmas is being packed away until next year, and we are returning to normal. It does not take long before we forget the spirit of Christmas; we are overcome by the cares of the world as we set aside the spirit of Christmas and enter into a new year. We aren’t as generous because we have debts to pay. The joy fades as darkness surrounds us again. 
We are reminded, however, that Jesus was not born for a season to be packed away in a box for the rest of the year. He came to save the world. He is the Light. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our Redeemer. He is our hope and peace. He is our joy. Most of all, He is our Savior, born to die for our salvation. He is Emmanuel, the Lord who is with us always.
What will you do now that Christmas is over? Will you pack Jesus away like the rest of the world, or will you remember His mercy every morning? We need not linger at the manger to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts. As a matter of fact, Jesus calls us to leave to manger to look toward the cross where our salvation was won forever. We don’t need the season of Christmas to live in His Light. We may miss the Christmas lights as the darkness surrounds us, but the things that make the holiday season special can remain with us as we remember that Jesus is the Light. Don’t let the cares of the world keep you from shining His light so that others will see Him and believe in His promises.