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Preparing for Advent

Bible Text: John 11:17-27 | Preacher: Matthew Trexler

Jesus enters into our anger and sadness that he might bring light into the darkness
 
John 11:17-27
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Waiting for a New Home

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-3; 9-11 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: What Are We Waiting For?

The fault lines in the family become more obvious around the holidays. We anticipate the arguments around the table, the patterns that get reinforced, and the fights over which side of the family we are going to see. Others go home alone, dreading the insensitive questions from family. During the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of community and civil life that has lasted for almost 2 years and left many of us weary, isolated, and lonely. What does Advent have to do with our longings for home and community?

Waiting for New Creation

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-5; 22:1-3 | Preacher: Johnathan Keenan | Series: Advent: What Are We Waiting For?

Take one look at the world around you and you’ll come to the conclusion that something is wrong. Things don’t work they way they are supposed to. Machines break down, promises fall apart, goals fail to be reached, plans get thwarted. It appears that there is a force in the world working against even the best intentions and strategies we employ. The result is a sense of futility in every human enterprise. What would it be like if things were different? If things didn’t fall apart? Join us this Sunday as we continue our Advent series from the last pages of the Bible.

Waiting for New Communion

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-7 | Preacher: Reed Jolley | Series: Advent: What Are We Waiting For?

Around the holidays we try really hard to make things special for our children and ourselves. Even the most secular person among us wants to feel something bigger than herself. Billionaires fly to space looking for transcendence; the rest of us take up hobbies or consume art. We have a deep longing for transcendence because we were made to be in relationship with God. When Christ returns, we will see our savior face to face. Join us this Sunday as we begin our Advent series “What Are We Waiting For?”

Rejoice in Expectation

Bible Text: Philippians 4:1–7 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: Living with Expectation

We hear the words to the famous Christmas carol at coffee shops and retail stores this time of year—joy to the world, the Lord has come! Yet in reality, joy seems elusive and fleeting to most of us. Is it possible to have joy even in the midst of dark and painful seasons? Is there anything we can do to produce joy? This Sunday we celebrate Advent and learn to wait for Christ with joy.

Be Patient in Expectation

Bible Text: James 5:7–11 | Preacher: Joshua Burdette | Series: Advent: Living with Expectation

We don’t like to wait. For anything. If you have an appetite for something, chances are there’s an app that promises to deliver it to your doorstep within 48 hours. In an age of instant gratification, patience can seem like a relic of the past—almost quaint. Yet this year has forced all of us to wait for the end of the COVID crisis. How can we wait for patience, especially when we’re out of control? This Sunday we celebrate Advent and learn to cultivate the virtue of patience.

When He Appears: You Can Only Imagine

Bible Text: Revelation 21:1-4; 9-14; 21:22 – 22:7 | Preacher: Kyle Wells | Series: Quarantine Services

Sermon from 12/7/14 service.
See full service liturgy at https://www.cpcgallery.com/03-29-2020/