The Christ of Christmas is a ruler who would shepherd Israel (see Isaiah 40:11). But he would also appeal to faithful seekers from all over the world. The Bible cites many reasons why Jesus came—to save the lost (Luke 19:10), to serve and die as a ransom (Mark 10:45), to destroy the works of the […]
We call them Magi, but they weren’t magicians. We associate them with the first noel, but they weren’t the first to see the baby Jesus. Carolers sing “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” but the Bible doesn’t call them kings and “the east” probably doesn’t mean the Orient as we know it. We call them […]
Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. This is a season of gift giving. What motivates your gift giving? Include both positive and negative motivations. 2. How much thought goes into gift giving for you? How do you decide what would be a perfect gift for a loved one? Read […]
In November, 1963, at the age of two, I left the bitter cold of Illinois to travel with my family to the bush of southern Africa, as my parents accepted the call to be missionaries. In the 54 years since then, the world of missions has changed so rapidly and dramatically it is mind-boggling. Technology, […]
The more I see the great cosmic battle between good and evil play out in our culture, the more I realize the power and the evil that reside in Satan, the great tempter. One of the greatest struggles contemporary culture faces today is the realization of evil. Genesis 3 recounts a conversation that took place […]
