Monday of the Week of Advent I …And how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. — I Thessalonians 1:1-10 Paul writes today full of gratitude

Sunday of the Week of Advent I And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I say to you, I

Zechariah 14:12-21; Philippians 2:1-11; Luke 19:41-48 Receive God’s Word implanted which is able to save your soul (James 1:21). If you will not humbly receive his Word, there will be nothing left for God to do but weep over you. He has warned us; he has revealed his salvation in Christ Jesus; he has waited

Zechariah 14:1-11; Romans 15:7-13; Luke 19:28-40 When God fills a person with the joy and peace that comes from believing, even stoney hearts want to cry out to the King of heaven. Because the Holy Spirit emboldens believers with hope that God will save them, they already begin to be that New Jerusalem coming down

Zechariah 13:1-9; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 19:12-27 What has the Lord given you to do? What has he put in front of you? “Thy will be done” begins with the person who prays those words. It is best to do God’s will, rather than what you have been doing or what you want to do. If

Zechariah 12:1-10; Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 19:1-10 “The Lord will give salvation.” God pours out his mercy and grace upon the least likely of people. Lowly Jerusalem and Judah, supposedly easy pickings for all of the surrounding countries, received God’s salvation. Zacchaeus, a detestable tax collector for the empire who had conquered all of those countries,

Zechariah 11:4-17; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23; Luke 18:31-43 It is folly to build a foundation other than Jesus Christ. Yet that is what many do, building a foundation on good works or social piety or even religious rituals. These things will fail because such so-called wisdom is not spiritual; it is the wisdom of this world.

Zechariah 10:1-12; Galatians 6:1-10; Luke 18:15-30 Ask of the Lord and he will shower down blessings. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). And he has given the very best gift, a gift that could only be sent from above. God’s great gift