Church Family,
Yesterday was a glorious day of reflecting upon God’s grace that is so evident in our individual lives and certainly in our life together here at Light in the Desert Church. From our Sunday Gathering (listen here) to our Thanksgiving Meal, the Lord truly encouraged us all! I often think of Philippians 1:3-6 when I think about LITDC. I am confident the Lord will continue to do great work in our midst.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Advent
We will begin this coming Sunday, December 1, a season of reflection called “Advent.” With that said, perhaps it would be wise to explain what the purpose of Advent is and why we are participating.
As a church family, we want to leverage the month of December, which can quickly turn hectic, to think and reflect on the coming of Christ. That is what “Advent” means; to come. So Advent is the season, taken up by the four Sundays before Christmas, we reflect upon Christ’s first coming and anticipate his second coming. So as we wait, we prepare our hearts and become thankful for his coming in a manger and anticipate his coming on the clouds.
Each Sunday will take up a theme (see schedule below) that defines the people of God that is only possible through the God-man’s birth. Along with our Sunday gathering, we are encouraging daily readings together with your families that will center your thoughts on Christ. If you did not receive that resource this past Sunday, we have a few more, but here is a link to a free downloadable PDF. Advent will build each Sunday and culminate at our Christmas Eve Gathering. Imagine what the Lord can do when his people center their affections upon Christ and give him an undivided devotion.
- December 1 – Hope | Matt 1-4, 2:13-14
- December 8 – Peace | Luke 1:26-38
- December 15 – Joy | Luke 1:39-55
- December 22 – Love | Luke 2:1-7
- December 24 – Christ | Luke 2:8-20 (Christmas Eve Gathering 4pm-5pm)
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan