Ever watch a potter center a lump of clay on the potter’s wheel? It’s crucial for the clay to be centered or the entire vessel will be lopsided or fall apart. In one of the most beautiful poems written about Jesus, Colossians 1:15-23 has a centering effect on all who read it. We need to be centered again and again so we will treasure Jesus more and more. We’re all tempted to try and earn, add to or pursue something beyond him. When we begin to believe he isn’t enough, will we allow this breathtaking description of Jesus to re-center us?

Why did Jesus come into the world? Who did he come for? Luke 2 answers with an unexpected announcement to the despised of society – to lowly shepherds just trying to make it through the night. And with an anticipated gift to the forgotten of society - to a dying man and elderly widow holding onto old promises and refusing to let go. What does a story involving the despised and forgotten have to do with Jesus’ birth? Everything. It’s what Christmas is all about.

Do you ever feel spiritually exhausted? Like you’re living in a desert wasteland?
It could be due to devastating news, unexpected conflict, unrelenting sorrow or just the weightiness of life’s circumstances. It’s from that place of weariness that Psalm 63 was written. The heartbeat of this song isn’t a change of circumstances but a declaration of confidence in God’s extravagant, self-giving love. A love that satisfies and sustains, so much so the psalmist says it’s better than life itself. He wants you to say it too.

Pastor Daryn shares an exciting update on the Pastoral Residency.

In this life, trouble is unavoidable. Challenges come that wear us down and situations arise that can frustrate us endlessly. If we aren’t careful, these struggles can steal our joy and leave us bitter. That’s why we must intentionally choose to delight in God. Psalm 16 is both a prayer and a declaration of confidence, reminding us that God faithfully preserves us in both life and death.

What do you do when your whole world is caving in, when circumstances are spiraling out of control and some of your worst fears are beginning to come true? Where do you go when you feel alone, scared and unsure about the way forward? That is where Psalm 46 meets us. It’s a song of peace in the chaos, reminding us what is true about God and inviting us to take hold of it – especially when life is falling apart.

Have you ever felt spiritually dry - prayer feels hollow, worship becomes noise, and God seems distant? Psalm 42 and 43 give voice to that feeling. These two chapters form one song that expresses a heart divided, a voice singing of sorrow and hope. This song teaches us what to do when our heart aches for God and we can’t seem to find Him.

Are you feeling alone, forgotten, judged or misunderstood? Maybe someone who once stood by your side isn’t around anymore and you feel abandoned? 2 Timothy 4:9-22 is a refreshingly honest picture of the apostle Paul, at the end of his life, going through all of that and more. It’s in the chaos of circumstances he can’t control that he celebrates his deepest confidence - the presence and power of Jesus. He’s been pointing us to it the entire letter but now he holds it up one last time as if to say, “Jesus is why you can stand firm.”