Even though there are hints of a coming Messiah, the first real prophecy about His coming is found in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 which was written around the 7th century B.C. If you read Job, which was written hundreds of years previously, you will find three references to a coming Redeemer, but the prophecy from Deuteronomy seems to be the most definitive promise of a coming Messiah. Folks, that’s a long, long time ago. 

I was thinking about this waiting and longing time we’ve referred to each week of our Advent observance. It’s one thing to talk about waiting. It’s another thing, entirely, to wait for something you’ve been promised when you haven’t been given a timeline.

The Apostle Paul assures us of God’s sovereign plan and purpose when he writes about Jesus as the Messiah in Galatians 4:4-5: But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

That time may have been set by God, but He had given no indication as to when the Messiah would come. All He did was say “WAIT.” Waiting is such a key element in the Advent cycle we’ve been going through as a church. Each week we focus on an aspect of becoming better at waiting by slowing down, spending less, giving more, worshiping fully, and loving all, which is our message on Christmas Eve.

I’ve talked a lot about waiting in my cancer classroom/journey over the past few months. And I want to say from first-hand experience that waiting is never easy. It requires faith, trust, perseverance, and stamina. I can also assure you God gave me everything I needed at each pivotal crisis point along the way where I might have been tempted to turn my back on Him, and refuse to wait on His promises. I think that’s true for all of us at Christmas time. We have been waiting. Some of us have waited for a spouse or a child to return home, or financial security, etc. And I want to encourage you that according to Scripture, blessed are those who wait on the Lord. 

I look forward to jumping into 2022 with you, to witness God’s provision and favor, even though our waiting may not be over. Let me encourage you with the verses I am clinging to from Psalm 27, when the psalmist wrote, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” And he goes on to say these words that we have to take to heart, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” 

One exercise you might engage in as we look forward to 2022 is to ask God to show you what it might look like in your life to experience His goodness and His presence in the land of the living, right now, today. I look forward to walking with you and experiencing all God has for us.

Merry Christmas!!!

Here are some upcoming opportunities to SHARE LIFE and SPREAD HOPE to our family and community. 

HOLIDAY SERVE OPPS – It’s still not too late to engage in serving our community. Please check our website to find out more about how you can serve our community this holiday season. Just like I was blessed at a drive-through window today when someone paid for my order, you might be surprised at what your small or large gifts of compassion can do to help someone else.

It’s YEAR-END GIFT time and I want to encourage you to give a special gift to our church as an act of worship and appreciation to God for how He has used TCC in your life over the past year. The beauty of this giving opportunity is that it allows us to serve even more people throughout the year generously. You can get more information on our website. 

LOVE ALL is the theme for our Christmas services this year. Some of you came to the service on Thursday, but many of you are waiting until today. It’s still a perfect time to invite your friends and family to attend with you. 

People resonated with John Lennon when he sang, “All You Need Is Love” because we live in a day where love seems to be in short supply. Though catchy, John’s lyrics and tune are only wishful thinking or sentimentality unless we receive love from above and share it with others. The service will feature a family to guide us to light the white Christ candle. Then, we’ll sing some fun Christmas carols and listen to a short message about love. We will end with a special candle lighting moment as we thank God for His work in 2021, or memorialize a person who has passed away, or a moment we don’t want to forget, or express our hope that we will see the land of God’s goodness – all while we sing Silent Night. 

THIS SUNDAY, we wrap up our Advent series by focusing on what we’ve been praying will be the fruit of this series. Now that we have experienced Jesus, we want to take the same love that we’ve been given and SPREAD HOPE to our world. If we remember, Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Will you make it your goal to become a blessed giver? 

Here are the links you’ll need to prepare for Sunday’s Service: 

• Message Notes and Study Guide
• Weekly Spotify Playlist
• Children's Ministry
• Student Ministry 

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,

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