As we continue our series on the season of Advent, Pastor Brent explores what it means to have joy even in periods of uncertainty.
This message invites us into a deeper exploration of joy during the Advent season by challenging the filters through which we view our lives. Drawing from the shepherds’ encounter in Luke 2, we’re reminded that true joy is not dependent on our circumstances but on our perspective. The shepherds were living humble, difficult lives, watching sheep in the fields and dealing with the ordinary and challenging realities of their work, when an angel suddenly appeared with news of great joy. Their experience teaches us something transformative. We are called to shift from 'looking at' our problems, pain, pressure, and difficult people to 'looking up' to God. This is not simply positive thinking but a fundamental reorientation of what we believe. Science tells us we are wired with mirror neurons that reflect what we focus on, and Scripture tells us we are created in God’s image to reflect His glory. When we fix our attention on our circumstances or constantly look down at our devices, we tend to mirror anxiety and discontent. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, as Hebrews 12 encourages us to do, we begin to reflect His joy even in the midst of trials. This Christmas season offers us the opportunity to replace negative filters with God’s perspective and allow Him, not our circumstances, to define our reality. The shepherds’ first response after encountering Jesus was to spread the good news, reminding us that true joy naturally overflows into witness.
This Advent message invites us to rediscover peace by looking closely at three responses to the birth of Jesus in Matthew 2:1-12. King Herod opposed Him, the religious leaders overlooked Him, and the Magi opened their hearts in worship. What makes the story so striking is that the ones who traveled farthest, both physically and spiritually, were the ones who truly found Him. These Magi were outsiders, coming from a place the Bible often associates with darkness, yet they were the ones searching for light. Their gifts carried deep meaning: gold for the King, frankincense for the High Priest, and myrrh pointing to His sacrificial death. Through their example we see that biblical peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of Christ in the middle of whatever we face. Following Jesus may bring opposition, but it also brings the promise that no matter how far we feel from God, He is drawing us near. The question this Advent is simple but profound: how will we respond to the gift of the Prince of Peace?
Today we explore the Advent theme of peace through the story of the Magi, reminding us that biblical peace—shalom—is more than calm moments; it is wholeness, restoration, and the presence of Jesus entering our broken world. In seasons of waiting, we can resist Him, overlook Him, or open our hearts like the Magi, who responded with worship and surrender. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, offers His own peace as a gift, inviting us to receive it and become peacemakers in the world around us.
As Advent begins, we’re reminded that this season isn’t about passive waiting. It’s about active, confident hope rooted in God’s faithfulness. This teaching unpacks the difference between wishful thinking and the kind of biblical hope Isaiah points us to in chapter 9. Into 700 years of darkness, God promised a child who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. His arrival wasn’t optimism; it was certainty based on who God is. The lighting of the hope candle points us back to every promise God has already fulfilled and forward to the reality that we live between two Advents. Christ has come, and Christ will come again. When life feels dark, when prayers seem unanswered, and when shadows feel heavy, we’re invited to look for glimpses of light that remind us our stories fit within God’s larger story. The darkness is real, but it isn't final. True hope rests not in our feelings but in God’s character, trusting that the One who stepped into our world will finish what He began.
As Advent begins, we’re reminded that this season isn’t about passive waiting. It’s about active, confident hope rooted in God’s faithfulness. This teaching unpacks the difference between wishful thinking and the kind of biblical hope Isaiah points us to in chapter 9. Into 700 years of darkness, God promised a child who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. His arrival wasn’t optimism; it was certainty based on who God is. The lighting of the hope candle points us back to every promise God has already fulfilled and forward to the reality that we live between two Advents. Christ has come, and Christ will come again. When life feels dark, when prayers seem unanswered, and when shadows feel heavy, we’re invited to look for glimpses of light that remind us our stories fit within God’s larger story. The darkness is real, but it isn't final. True hope rests not in our feelings but in God’s character, trusting that the One who stepped into our world will finish what He began.
This powerful conclusion to the Fire & Cloud series brings us to the mountaintop for a panoramic look at God’s redemptive plan. Through the seven promises in Exodus 6:6-8, we see that God’s salvation is not only about escaping bondage but about entering into relationship, purpose, and destiny. Each “I will” statement reveals a different part of God’s heart as He offers rescue, freedom, redemption, family, presence, inheritance, and the fulfillment of His promises. This message connects the journey of ancient Israel to our own modern faith walk and reminds us that God does not just save us from something but for something greater. It challenges us to see the difference between what we are paid for and what we are made for, inviting us to discover our calling and step boldly into the purpose God has redeemed us to live out.
After the golden calf disaster, Israel is left wondering what comes next, and Moses responds by going straight to prayer, wrestling honestly with God, and interceding for the people. In this moment, God reveals His true character—compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love—and invites His people back into relationship with Him. The message reminds us that after failure, we move forward not by hiding, but by turning toward God, asking honest questions, and remembering who He is rather than what we’ve done.
The golden calf in Exodus 32 is not just an ancient misstep; it is a mirror showing how easily we reshape God when waiting feels unbearable. When Moses delayed, the Israelites did not try to replace God; they tried to redefine Him on their terms. This message explores how seasons of waiting expose our spiritual amnesia and lure us toward modern idols like comfort, approval, control, and power that promise freedom but lead us into deeper slavery. At the core of the sermon is this truth: Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Whether you are waiting for healing, direction, restoration, or breakthrough, the call is to identify the idols we have formed, fix our eyes on Jesus, and stay faithful even in the silence. You might be closer to breakthrough than you think, maybe even on day 39 of a 40-day trial. Do not give up. God is still working, still speaking, and still standing in the gap for you.
The story of the golden calf shows how quickly our hearts drift when we get tired of waiting on God. Israel tried to worship God on their own terms, creating a substitute that led them into chaos, broken trust, and consequences. Yet through Moses’ intercession, we see a God who is just, jealous for our hearts, and still full of mercy—calling us back into faithful relationship with Him.