Podcasts about Advent

Judge faith by the neighbor who gets help, not the hype of our politics. Episcopal deacon Gerri Endicott shows how preaching turns into rides, meals, and quiet care. She explains why she leads with “I follow Jesus,” a simple line that lowers walls and points to a Person, not a brand. Judge faith by the neighbor who gets help, not the volume of our politics.  Craig and Gerri test faith by its fruit. They sort out what happens when Christianity gets pulled into national politics. Gratitude for a country is good; loyalty belongs to Jesus. Gerri also names a pre-Advent practice from her church's calendar that helps her community rehearse that loyalty (Christ the King). Not every church observes it, but the posture fits anywhere. Try this week: serve one neighbor, tell the truth with kindness, pray for an enemy by name, choose presence over outrage. If you want a public faith that looks like Jesus, start here. Their conversation digs into: What a deacon does: service over stage, church facing outward. “I follow Jesus” language that lowers walls. Christian nationalism vs. the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5–7). Christ the King (her practice): a simple loyalty reset. Nations (peoples) vs. modern countries—why words matter. Presence over outrage: small acts, kept promises, steady love.

Mary's Magnificat reveals a God who topples the powerful and lifts the lowly. This is Exodus again, oppressive systems overturned and dignity restored. Advent isn't sentimental; it's a radical reordering of power. In this episode, we explore the holy reversal at the heart of Mary's song.

Student Ministry Lead Adam Jensen calls us to see that the Living God has drawn near to us and ask how will we approach Him?

Our world tells us that love should always be easy and stress-free, but is it possible that God's love for us—true love—could lead to disruption and discomfort? In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses love, the theme of Advent's fourth week. We have a variety of mistaken notions about love, but we can go to God's Word to understand the truth about this topic. Pastor Allen teaches from three stories—humanity's fall in the Garden of Eden, Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, and Jesus' death on the cross—to show how our Lord's best for us can often look like boundaries, disappointment, and hardship. But through our obedience and by His love, God will faithfully transform us into something better.

The mystery of Advent speaks to that waiting. Not just the waiting for a holiday, but that longing for something more, something better than this we currently inhabit. A world made new. The good news of the gospel is that we can wait with confidence, because that's the world promised in Jesus Christ.   Throughout the season, we explore the Servant Songs of the Book of Isaiah and the unique way they point us to the Messiah who has come in Jesus and is coming again to make all things new, fulfilling the deepest longing of our hearts.   Our prayer is that as we do, Jesus will meet us in our weakness and our waiting – our longing! — and together we will discover afresh the God who is both with us and for us.   Recorded December 24, 2025 Lead Pastor Caleb Click Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

The mystery of Advent speaks to that waiting. Not just the waiting for a holiday, but that longing for something more, something better than this we currently inhabit. A world made new. The good news of the gospel is that we can wait with confidence, because that's the world promised in Jesus Christ.   Throughout the season, we explore the Servant Songs of the Book of Isaiah and the unique way they point us to the Messiah who has come in Jesus and is coming again to make all things new, fulfilling the deepest longing of our hearts.   Our prayer is that as we do, Jesus will meet us in our weakness and our waiting – our longing! — and together we will discover afresh the God who is both with us and for us.   Sermon recorded December 21, 2025 Lead Pastor Caleb Click Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

In this episode, we finish our Advent journey in Jonah 4:1-11. In this chapter, we have an opportunity to see Jonah's response to God's mercy on Nineveh. Together we discuss Jonah's feelings of resentment towards both Nineveh and God, and how God uses the circumstances around Jonah to hold up a mirror to Jonah, functioning to expose Jonah's heart and working towards transformation into God's likeness. From this we identified that when we direct our focus and attention to Jesus, in the midst of our pain and hurt, He can help us move beyond that pain as we open up the space for Jesus to fill us with His hope, peace, joy, and love, regardless of what has happened to us.

Part of the “Embracing the Unknown” seasonNew Year's Eve reflection: closing Advent with “fear not,” hope in the waiting, and fearless faith for 2026.  Holly unpacks Luke 1:37, the centuries of anticipation before the manger, and how God meets us in the in-between — turning long waits into deeper trust in His goodness and sovereignty.Key moments:  - The “Even If / Even When” list for hard seasons  - Hopeful expectation as the bridge between promise and fulfillment  - A gentle “fear not” for every heart stepping into the unknown of a new year  Plus: the top struggles Christian women are facing in 2026 and an invitation to share what's on your heart for the year ahead.Here's your Fearless Faith Tip as we turn the page:Tonight, before the ball drops or the clock strikes midnight, write down one “fear not” promise you're carrying into 2026.Mine is Luke 1:37 — “For nothing will be impossible with God.”Put it on your phone lock screen, your mirror, your planner.Let it be the first thing you see every morning of the new year.And hey — stick around to the very end of this episode.I've got some exciting news to share about what's coming in 2026.You're going to want to hear it.

In this encore of our first ever podcast episode, Susie Larson shares personal stories and practical encouragement from her Advent devotional Prepare Him Room, including how intentional practices like fasting can reorient our hearts during Advent, the importance of stewarding our perspective in a noisy culture, and how seasons of suffering and health challenges have shaped her understanding of what it means to truly prepare room for Jesus. With honesty, humor (including a memorable Christmas tree mishap), and hope, Susie offers a final word of encouragement for anyone longing to experience the deeper joy of Christmas—not by doing more, but by making room for the One who comes to meet us.

The world wants Christmas without Christ.Noise without silence.Consumption without conversion.In this episode of The Manly Catholic, James is joined by Fr. Dom for a direct, unapologetic conversation on Advent, Christmas, and why Catholic men must reclaim the liturgical calendar from a culture that hijacks it every year.Advent was never meant to be sentimental. It was penitential. It demanded prayer, fasting, discipline, and preparation. Historically, it was forty days for a reason. In this episode, Fr. Dominic breaks down what Advent actually is, why it was shortened, and how consumerism has stripped Catholic men of spiritual readiness.The discussion moves straight to the battlefield. The manger is not a decoration. It is a sermon. The wood of the trough points to the wood of the Cross. The swaddling clothes point to the tomb. The shepherds reveal the power of simple faith. Christmas is not comfort. It is confrontation.St. Joseph is held up as the model Catholic man. Silent. Obedient. Strong. Disciplined. A guardian who moves when God commands and protects his family without hesitation. This episode makes it clear: families collapse when men abdicate leadership, and cultures rot when fathers refuse to lead.This is not nostalgia. This is formation.Men are challenged to reject the secular calendar, slow down, embrace prayer and fasting, and intentionally lead their homes through Advent and Christmas the way the Church intended. Satan thrives on distraction, disorder, and passivity. The antidote is disciplined, obedient, sacrificial masculinity.If you are tired of shallow faith, distracted homes, and soft leadership, this episode is your call to act.Challenge Issued in the EpisodeReclaim Advent. Strip your life down. Reject consumerism. Commit to prayer, fasting, and discipline. Lead your household intentionally through the liturgical calendar, not the secular one.Products, Sponsors, and References MentionedMystic Monk CoffeeHarmel Academy of the TradesSt. Joseph as the model of masculine leadershipSt. Francis of Assisi and the first NativityThe Advent wreath and the liturgical calendarEarly Church teaching on Advent and Christmas3 Powerful Quotes from the Episode“Christmas doesn't start until Christmas Day. If you miss Advent, you miss the grace God wants to give you once a year.”“Satan does not want you to remember who you are, where you come from, or the traditions that keep families strong.”“If men lived disciplined virtue like St. Joseph, the culture would collapse overnight and rebuild itself rightly.”1 Immediate Takeaway for MenCreate order through discipline. Choose one concrete act of Advent penance or fasting and lead your home in it without negotiation. Masculine leadership begins with obedience to God.

In this final week of Advent on Christmas Eve, we light the center "Christ Candle" symbolizing the light that has come into the world through Jesus Christ! Jesus has gone to the Father to prepare a home for us. Will we now receive Him?

Join us today for a morning of reflection on the past year and intention-setting for the year ahead. Our Burning Bowl and White Stone Service takes place December 28 from 10:00–11:30 a.m., featuring Nicole De Kozan with The Soul Notes Band. Youth Village will be closed, so children are welcome in the service, with a kid-friendly release activity and intention paper provided.Website: http://www.theunitycenter.net Download Our New App: https://theunitycenter.churchcenter.com/setupAsk Yourself This: https://www.amazon.com/Ask-Yourself-This-Questions-Expand/dp/087159336XSubscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/2hBqp7F Purchase Lesson Series Packages: https://theunitycenter.net/sunday-series-packagesListen to our Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YJWcAhQUnkEHFqBXQmz1G

Today we conclude the Advent journey by exploring how God's love is revealed through incarnation in John 1:14. The Word became flesh, demonstrating that love does not stay distant but comes near. God's response to a broken world is presence, not distance. Jesus embodies both grace and truth, showing that authentic love is honest yet compassionate. When love draws near, it cannot ignore need, which is why Jesus consistently moves toward the margins. The gathered church worships our God who came near, then scatters to embody that same love through presence and faithful action in everyday relationships.

This Sunday we will explore how joy enters ordinary and unexpected places through the stories of shepherds and Joseph. The shepherds experience sudden, loud joy when angels announce Christ's birth in their fields, demonstrating that joy doesn't wait for perfect conditions or qualified people. Joseph's experience reveals a different kind of joy: slow, quiet, emerging through confusion and obedience. Both journeys lead to the same Savior. The gathered church hears the good news of great joy, then scatters to carry that joy into workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods. Joy finds us in ordinary places because Christ meets us where we are.

Our attitudes and outlooks can impact our lives significantly, so maintaining our God-given joy is essential. But how do we maintain joy? In this sermon covering the third week of Advent, Pastor Allen Jackson shares three steps we can take to keep our joy intact, and he teaches about the impacts joy has on perseverance, especially through suffering. Like hope that needs a foundation to rest on, joy requires upkeep, and we can practice that through familiarity with God's Word, listening to God's voice, and being in godly community. Holidays can be painful, but we can have lasting joy even through suffering, because our joy is made complete through our willingness to persevere in faith.

Today’s Topics: 1) Here are the meanings of 11 common Advent and Christmas terms that you might not already know! https://www.churchpop.com/meanings-of-christmas-words-you-never-understood/ 2) The ox and the ass on Christmas 3) Christmas was our “D” day: Christ came to save us and take back that which was stolen by the devil https://jesseromero.com/blog/my-reflection-christmas 4) The untold story of the Pope behind the Christmas Truce of 1914 https://www.churchpop.com/the-untold-story-of-the-pope-behind-the-famous-christmas-truce-of-1914/

In Week Five of our Advent to Epiphany series, we focus on Saint Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, and the reality of responding to God when life feels anything but calm. Using the story of the Flight into Egypt, this episode explores what it looks like to hear God's voice in the middle of fear, disruption, and uncertainty—and still move forward.We talk honestly about the tension between wanting peace and feeling overwhelmed, the discomfort of prayer, and the challenge of trusting God when we don't feel ready or capable. Saint Joseph doesn't say much in Scripture, but his actions show us how to lead, protect, and surrender—one faithful step at a time.If you've ever felt like you're not enough, unsure of the next move, or stretched beyond your comfort zone, this conversation is for you.Scripture Focus Matthew 2:13–15, 19–23HighlightsResponding to God instead of the noise around usWhy discomfort might be a sign we're actually listeningTrusting God with what He's placed in front of us—family, faith, and daily responsibilities..............................

Today’s Topics: 1) Here are the meanings of 11 common Advent and Christmas terms that you might not already know! https://www.churchpop.com/meanings-of-christmas-words-you-never-understood/ 2) The ox and the ass on Christmas 3) Christmas was our “D” day: Christ came to save us and take back that which was stolen by the devil https://jesseromero.com/blog/my-reflection-christmas 4) The untold story of the Pope behind the Christmas Truce of 1914 https://www.churchpop.com/the-untold-story-of-the-pope-behind-the-famous-christmas-truce-of-1914/

Can joy be anything but denial in a rage-filled public life? Michael Wear joins Mark Labberton to reframe politics through the kingdom logic of hope, agency, and practices of silence and solitude. As 2025 closes amid political discord, we might all ask whether joy can be real in public life—without denial, escapism, or contempt. "… Joy is a pervasive and constant sense of wellbeing." In this conversation, Michael Wear and Mark Labberton reflect on joy, hope, responsibility, and agency amid a reaction-driven politics. Together they discuss the realism of Advent; the limits of our control; how kingdom imagination reframes anger; hope beyond outcomes, dignity under threat, and practices (including silence and solitude) that restore clarity. Episode Highlights "Joy is a pervasive and constant sense of wellbeing. … Joy is not a technique to then get people to do what you want them to do." "God's Kingdom is the range of his effective will." " Someone whose hope is rightly placed sees that a dignity denying culture does not have the final say." "Our will is effective and those things in which our will is not effective." "The pattern of domination and violence is an old one." About Michael Wear Michael Wear is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan nonprofit that contends for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. He has served for more than a decade as a trusted advisor to civic and religious leaders on faith and public life, including as a presidential campaign and White House staffer. He is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life and Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America. Learn more and follow at https://www.michaelwear.com. Helpful Links and Resources Michael Wear, The Spirit of Our Politics https://www.zondervan.com/9780310367239/the-spirit-of-our-politics/ Michael Wear, Reclaiming Hope https://www.thomasnelson.com/9780718082338/reclaiming-hope/ Center for Christianity and Public Life https://www.ccpubliclife.org/ A National Call to Silence and Solitude https://www.silenceandsolitude.org/ Dallas Willard: "Personal Soul Care" https://dwillard.org/resources/articles/personal-soul-care Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited https://www.beacon.org/Jesus-and-the-Disinherited-P1781.aspx Show Notes End of 2025, cusp of Christmas; fraught public moment; joy as the lynchpin for faithful presence in politics and public life Joy held with pain, suffering, complexity Refusing denial while trusting a God who relentlessly pursues the world in love and hope Joy intertwined with hope, responsibility, agency Where does responsibility end and faithful agency begin? "Willard would say joy is a pervasive and constant sense of wellbeing." " It is very difficult to have joy if you are taking responsibility for things that are not your responsibility." Public life as joyless space; lacking imagination for joy amid provocation, antagonism, and constant political showmanship "If there are places in our life where we can't conceive of joy, it's a problem with our view of God." Misplaced responsibility, misplaced hope; joy collapses when taking on burdens that aren't ours and treating agency as ultimate "God's kingdom is the range of his effective will." "We each have our own little kingdoms … where what we say to be done is done." Politics reveals limits; a clarity about what we can do, what we can't do, and what we must import into the rest of life "Our will is effective, and there are things in which our will is not effective." "Faithfulness is not the ability to determine a righteous outcome … to everything in which our lives touch." False responsibility, obscured agency Are we taking charge of what isn't ours while ignoring the real choices we do have? "That's a recipe for joylessness." Poked and prodded by provocations; entertainment, antagonisms, and helplessness normalize reaction and justify complicity Anger as political fuel Many assume that raising your voice is the only faithful posture inside the public arena. "I've had people respond to me: 'How am I going to get anything done in politics without anger?'" "Political imagination has been taken over by a political logic as opposed to a kingdom logic." Relearning responsibility and agency; hope not grounded in our effectiveness, but in what God is doing beyond our reach. "Ultimate hope lies outside of the range of our effective will." "It is in that realm in which we are perfectly safe." Hope is for a life that pervades all things. "So when your hope is in the right place, you can hope for a whole range of things." " Someone whose hope is rightly placed sees that a dignity denying culture does not have the final say." Hope and joy "when your back is against the wall" Allen Temple Baptist Church: Joy at the margins of culture Fannie Lou Hamer Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited First Presbyterian Church in Evanston, IL Michael Wear, The Spirit of Our Politics Psalm 23 as distress-psalm: Enemies are still present, yet God leads beside still waters and cares most in greatest distress. "Take off the old self with its practices and put on the new self." "Put on Christ now in a way that will affect everything around us." Herod: The paranoid leader Advent into Christmastide—what it means to dwelling in Emmanuel "This is why the incarnation is such an extraordinarily important cornerstone: It's that God enters in through Jesus into our world, in a world in which, yes, there may be great praises in heaven and on earth from those who understand something at least of who he is and what he's there to do. But it also lands him in a world of immediate physical and familial vulnerability of political and social, if not military, violence." Are we protected from vulnerability, or living in precarity? The pattern of domination and violence Refusing forgetfulness as 2026 approaches with fresh pressures and fresh calling. National call to silence and solitude; disinvesting from reactionary instincts to engage the world with renewed vision and clarity. silenceandsolitude.org "Silence and solitude… can infuse your public activity with right vision and right clarity." #MichaelWear #MarkLabberton #ChristianPublicLife #ChristianPolitics #SpiritualFormation #Joy #Advent #SilenceAndSolitude #Hope #PublicWitness Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.  

The most important word in salvation is little and easy to miss. What could happen if we lived it?

Mary knows! Her Son, the Key of David is coming. Does He have permission to unlock you into new freedom?

He comes to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their father.

Host: Steve Macchia Co-Host: Matt Scott As we step into a new year, this episode invites us to resist the urge to sprint and instead begin 2026 with deliberate, unhurried intentionality. In this final episode of Season 37, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott offer a thoughtful conversation about the gift of slowing down and embracing inefficiency. They explore how slowness creates space for the deeper formation our souls long for—an invitation for each of us to lay down demands, hustle, and urgency as we embrace practices that make room for God's transforming work. Also, here's the Year End Examen to assist you in slowing down as you conclude 2025 and begin 2026. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Luke 2:1-20, John 1 Part V of the Advent Sermon Series "Once Upon an Advent" Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, Lance Roberts is joined by longtime friend and veteran television reporter Tom Zizka to discuss how media, markets, and economic reality have fundamentally changed over the past two decades. The discussion begins with the evolution of modern media—from the rise of social platforms and the "small screen" revolution to the growing pressures of monetization, speed, and narrative framing. Lance and Tom explore how storytelling has shifted from context-driven reporting to image-driven headlines, and what that means for public perception, trust, and accountability. From there, the conversation moves into markets and policy. Topics include the economic implications of Trump's re-election, why falling oil prices were driven more by markets than politics, and the disconnect between calls for expanded drilling and the reality of global oil gluts. The episode also examines farm subsidies, the critical role of farming and trucking in the U.S. economy, and why inflation—while unpopular—is often necessary for economic growth. The discussion extends to immigration, contrasting legal versus undocumented impacts on the economy, the power of imagery and narrative in shaping public opinion, and the widening wealth gap that continues to distort economic expectations. Lance and Tom also touch on cultural shifts, including the growing debate over college versus skilled trades, the rise of short-form video, and the increasingly complex checklist required for modern publication and media compliance. Blending humor, real-world reporting experience, and market insight, this episode offers a grounded look at how media narratives influence economic understanding—and why reality often looks very different once the headlines fade. 0:00 - INTRO 0:19 - The Tables are Turned 2:22 - Changes in the Media - the necessary evolution 4:30 - Media Monetization and The News 8:29 - The Advent of the Small Screen - Facebook 2010 11:12 - Dead People in Houston Bayous - the Bayou Butcher? 13:40 - Lance is a Cereal Killer 14:46- The Trump Re-election - What Did it Mean? 15:17 - Bringing Down Oil Prices - Markets Did That; Ending Restrictions on Drilling vs the Glut of Oil 19:50 - Texas Beef Production & Cow Tipping 21:46 - Immigration Methodology - Pictures & Narrative on Social Media, 24:13 - Immigration Impact on Economy - Legal vs Undocumented 29:45 - The Big Beautiful Bill or Big and Ugly 31:11 - Farm Aid Package - Farm Subsidies 35:07 - The Criticality of Farming & Trucking to the Economy 36:33 - Economic Reality & The Wealth Gap 41:30 - People Expect Prices to Go Down 42:35 - Why We Want Inflation - Economic Growth 45:27 - The Cycling Story - Criterion Racing - Lucas Bourgoyne 48:22 - Social Media Videos & In-Laws 50:09 - College vs Trades 52:58 - The Ever-growing Checklist for Publication Watch the Video of this interview on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/tsurGgQO88w #MediaAndMarkets #EconomicReality #FinancialMedia #OilPrices #WealthGap

*During Advent, our gatherings look a bit different and feature more music, readings, and other seasonal liturgies, with shortened 'sermonettes.' Isaiah 40 From our annual Advent series. Sermon Notes & Liturgy Sunday December 21st, 2025 Christ City Church

In this sermon, Pastor Kody emphasizes this main point: Recalling God's steadfast love moves you to bless Him.

Check out KINDLE's Advent Devotional series, highlighting portions of Holden's Evening Prayer and strands, practices and outcomes that help us live as Christ-like Servant Leaders.Rebekah Freed shares her reflection of the Cultivating Faith practice of Pray Unceasingly through Hebrews 4:16, Genesis 32 and Luke 8.  Check out all KINDLE practices here.  Check out all the devotions on KINDLE's Youtube Channel.Merry Christmastide!Connect with us! Instagram: @emilyphoenix or @kindle_social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KINDLEServantLeaders If you have a question to ask or story to share about one of this season's topics, we would love to hear from you. Send an email to emily.phoenix@kindleservantsleaders.org and we will share it along the way! Download episode discussion guides at: https://www.kindleservantleaders.org/podcast/

As we now come to the actual birth of Christ, the Anointed One, we light the final candle of Advent. The White candle, signifying that He is the Light of the world and His light is the LIFE of all humanity. In our Christmas Eve service we will explore the meaning and significance of this.———————————————————————————————Gather your church essentials here for notes, prayer, events, etc:https://nbcc.com/church-essentialsConnect with us on Social Media:Instagram: instagram.com/nbccnorcoTikTok: tiktok.com/@nbccnorcoFacebook: facebook.com/nbccnorcoYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6S-3n9PVnXm8zSPHAYVyGwWebsite: https://www.nbcc.com/----------------------------------------If you have any prayer requests or questions, please message us on our social media or send us an email at nbcc@nbcc.com. Don't forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast!----------------------------------------Join us in person, Sunday's at 8:30am, 10am, & 11:30amhttps://goo.gl/maps/PEe1rzXWKBv

The Advent Shadow is a four-week teaching series where we address real mental health struggles—depression, anxiety, and the heaviness many carry into the holiday season. Through the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, we look to Christ as the light that breaks through our darkest shadows.Join us in person on Sunday mornings at Church on the Rock as we walk this journey together.

This week at our Perdido Key Campus, Senior Pastor Kyle Valaer concludes our Advent series- “Cradle to Crown.”  We hope this resource is a blessing to you. For more information about The Point Church, please visit us online at www.tothepoint.church.Takeaways:No matter how strong and able the opposition to God appears to be, the Lord never feels threatened.Just as God can use opposition, so He can use apprehension.Jesus came to stand in the place of the rejected and despised.No one has ever been more humble, and therefore, no one has ever been more worthy.

This week at our Jackson Campus, Next Gen Pastor Nic Talley concludes our Advent series, “Cradle to Crown.”  We hope this resource is a blessing to you. For more information about The Point Church, please visit us online at www.tothepoint.church.Takeaways:Surrender your power to Jesus' power.Search for Jesus throughout all of God's word.Serve Jesus humbly with your entire life.

— A House Built for Him — Visit Abidechurchfl.com for more info.———If you would like to give, you can go tohttps://www.Abidechurchfl.com/give or you can text any amount to 8432125

In this final message of the Advent series, Pastor Billy Driver preaches from Matthew 2:1-12 about how people respond to the coming of Christ. He identifies three distinct responses to Jesus's birth: King Herod responded with hostility because he felt threatened and wanted to maintain his own power and throne; the chief priests and scribes responded with indifference, knowing the Scriptures intellectually but showing no interest in actually seeking the newborn Messiah just five miles away in Bethlehem; and the Magi responded with worship, traveling over a thousand miles to fall down and adore Christ with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Pastor Driver emphasizes that the birth of Christ should shape our worship throughout the entire year, not just during the Christmas season. He challenges the congregation to avoid both hostility and indifference, instead responding like the Magi with faith that results in joyful worship. The sermon concludes with a call to repent and receive Christ as King, believe and trust Him by faith, and worship Him with exceeding great joy, followed by an invitation to the Lord's Supper as a response of remembrance and renewal.   WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you.   ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION. Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614 Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613   SERVICE TIMES Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM)!   CONTACT www.bayleaf.org (919) 847-4477 #BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

Pastor Jay Ewing reflects on Jesus as I Am, the eternal God who dwells with His people. This episode invites listeners to recognize Christ's presence in every season of life and rejoice in the God who was, is, and always will be.

Pastor Dustin Maddox concludes our Advent series with a special Christmas Eve sermon. Sermon originally recorded on December 24th, 2025.

Advent 2025 God is Our Rest Matthew 11:28-30 Christ Church Kingwood December 28, 2025 Preacher: Cary Apel

In this Advent Week 3 message on Joy, Elder Ken leads us beyond seasonal sentiment and into something far deeper: joy as an intentional infusion of the Kingdom of God. Beginning with the Lord's Prayer as a way to prepare our hearts, Elder Ken reminds us that the Kingdom is not just words—it is power. Advent isn't accidental. It's intentional. Hope isn't merely an idea; it's a continual infusion. Peace isn't a personality trait; it's the presence of Jesus without limits. And in week three, we're invited to receive joy the same way—not as a mood, but as a Spirit-given reality. Tracing the Christmas story, Elder Ken shows how joy surrounds the arrival of Jesus at every turn: John the Baptist leaping in the womb, angels announcing "good news of great joy," shepherds beholding the Savior, wise men rejoicing exceedingly, and the disciples returning with great joy at Jesus' ascension. Jesus' earthly life is bracketed with joy—and that's not just a detail about Him. It's a prophetic picture of what our lives are meant to look like as we're conformed into His image. Along the way, Elder Ken paints joy through the lens of destiny: the joy of seeing a baby and sensing what God has written over their future, the joy of salvation as heaven celebrates new life in Christ, and the joy set before Jesus that carried Him to the cross—us. This message calls us to see one another with Heaven's eyes: "Hi, my joy," and to recognize the intentional, ongoing work of God in our lives. Through powerful testimony—his own encounter with Jesus, a lifetime of God's favor and family legacy, and the story of Reinhard Bonnke's "yes" that impacted millions—Elder Ken makes the invitation clear: joy isn't lukewarm, occasional, or shallow. It's infused by the Holy Spirit, anchored in the Gospel, and strengthened by the destiny God has spoken over His people. As you listen, receive a fresh infusion of joy. Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken destiny again. And let Advent do what it was designed to do—fill your life with Kingdom power, beginning from the inside out.

Worship with us live online at ExploreGracePoint.com/church-onlineGracePoint Church2351 Rice Creek RdNew Brighton, MN 55112

As we celebrate Christmas Eve, we will reflect on Jesus as our Light. He brings warmth to our lives. He brings hope to our lives. He came as the Light of God's Welcome to us. And He stays as the Light of God's Guidance to us. To a people who are prone to wander, He is the Light that shows the way.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent. What if God doesn't come through perfection, but through protection? On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we encounter the often-overlooked courage of Joseph, a man who chose mercy over fear and sanctuary over shame. As Mary and Joseph face public judgment and social risk, we discover a God who enters the world not through moral policing, but through brave compassion. In a culture still addicted to shaming, Advent reminds us that Emmanuel means God is with us, offering shelter, not condemnation.

In our next-to-last episode of 2025, Tim, Jon, and BibleProject CEO, Steve Atkinson, review all the resources we released this year, while reflecting on the bigger worldwide movement of people reading the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus. The guys then share about some of what's coming up next for BibleProject in 2026.TIMESTAMPSGratitude for Our Mission (0:00-4:08)New “One Story That Leads to Jesus” Reading Plan (4:08-9:01)A Year Studying Themes From Exodus (9:01-16:15)How the Bible Was Formed and the Deuterocanon / Apocrypha (16:15-17:53)The Bigger Movement of Reading the Bible as One Story (17:53-27:34)2025 Classroom Releases (27:34-30:02)2025 Updates to the BibleProject App (30:02-31:58)Ten Years of the BibleProject Podcast (31:58-33:09)What Are We Releasing in 2026? (33:09-38:38)Gratitude for Our Volunteers, Prayer Team, and Patrons (38:38-45:01)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESSubscribe to the “One Story That Leads to Jesus” annual reading plan on The Bible App by YouVersion.Check out our 2025 collections of resources! Each has a video, podcast series, scholar-written guide, reading plan, and group study.The MountainThe Exodus WayRedemptionThe WildernessListen to the 2025 podcast series How the Bible Was Formed.Watch the 2025 overview video series on The Deuterocanon / Apocrypha.Listen to the 2025 Advent podcast series.Check out OneStory, a creative nonprofit that develops free Bible studies, lessons, and homeschool curricula—all featuring BibleProject resources.See how Streetlights has localized BibleProject videos for their audience.Watch or listen to the final installment of our Genesis Classroom series, Joseph. Also check out the second installment of the Gospel of Matthew Classroom series, The Messianic Torah, which focuses on the Sermon on the Mount.Download the BibleProject App from the iOS App Store or Android Google Play Store.SHOW MUSICBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Special thanks to our guest, Steve Atkinson.Powered and distributed by Simplecast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's the last episode of 2025! Join Raechel and Amanda as they reflect on the final week of our Advent 2025 study and the whole of 2025. What a year it's been, and we are so grateful you've been along for the journey!Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 5 of She Reads Truth's Advent 2025 reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Advent 2025: Tidings of Comfort and Joy printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Today, we continue our Advent journey by stepping into Anna's quiet yet powerful moment of worship in Luke 2:36–38. As a widow shaped by years of loss, prayer, fasting, and devotion, Anna's eyes had been trained to recognize Jesus when He appeared in the temple. Her story invites us to consider how a life turned toward God forms our ability to truly see Him. Drawing from Bette Dickinson's devotional Making Room in Advent, this episode explores what it means to make room for worship — to offer our grief, longing, and faithfulness to God. Through Anna's witness, we're invited to see how worship clarifies our spiritual vision so that when God shows up in our own stories, we'll recognize Him — and help others see Him too. I hope you'll listen in. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: Advent season, spiritual formation, vulnerability, listening, creativity, emotions, curiosity, presence, process, courage, self-awareness, emotional health, personal growth, waiting, hope, connection, worship

In this season of Advent as we approach Christmas, you might imagine reading this while sitting by a fireplace, sipping a hot cup of cocoa, with Christmas carolers singing in the neighborhood.Wait—that's not happening for you? Your last name isn't Hallmark? Yeah, me neither.For many of us, this season leaves us feeling rushed and pulled in countless directions. If we're honest, it can be deeply stressful and fill our hearts with anxiety. Others may experience a sense of emptiness or loneliness that feels especially heavy this time of year—bringing its own kind of anxiety, even if for different reasons.In the midst of feeling peace-less, Scripture reminds us that Jesus offers us His peace. Join us on this message from B.J. Van Kalsbeek as we continue our series, The Arrival. We consider how we can experience peace from the Prince of Peace—not only this Christmas, but all year long, even when life feels far from perfect.--WebsiteFacebookInstagramSunday SetlistConnect with us!How can we prayer for you? Let us know.

The True Story Behind Zurvan - The Demon From The Novel, "Advent of Evil"In Persian Mithraism, there was a deity associated with time and fate. His followers celebrated him during mid-winter festivals — festivals that reached their peak on December 24th. In the novel Advent of Evil, that deity appears as a demon who operates through a cursed advent calendar, enforcing strict rules: one door opened every day, no skipping, no ignoring. Break the rules, and there are consequences. Researchers tracing the object's history in the novel found it connected to a spirit board, a serial killer, a Christmas Eve fire, and thirty years of patient waiting. How much of the demon Zurvan has any basis in actual ancient mythology — and was there ever a real entity behind the fiction? We'll examine what archaeologists found on clay tablets dating back over three thousand years.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Demon In The Advent Calendar00:05:13.171 = Show Open00:06:33.462 = A Thousand Years of Sacrifice00:18:20.446 = *** The Lion-Headed God In The Vatican00:41:40.408 = *** Kill Them All01:05:08.640 = *** The God Who Doesn't Care01:12:21.326 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakPRINT VERSION to READ or SHARE (Includes Sources):https://weirddarkness.com/zurvan=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: December 27, 2025EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/zurvanABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness #AncientMythology #PersianMythology #Zoroastrianism #ChristmasOrigins #OccultHistory #AncientDemons #DarkHistory #MysteryReligions #WinterSolstice #Zurvan #AdventOfEvil