This past Thursday night, September 17th, we kicked off our Stronger at Home series. These meetings are being held on alternating Thursday nights at 8pm, via Zoom. In hindsight, we realize the title might be misleading. Stronger at Home isn’t about “Safer At Home”, pandemic-related mandates. Stronger at Home is about growing in faith while also working through the specific challenges we face from living in a pandemic. We are not meant to be at home and isolated. We are not “stronger” this way. Yet even during these times, our walk with Jesus continues. Stronger at Home aims to equip homes of all kinds to build a toolbox of strategies that allow them to remain strong in their faith, regardless of life’s circumstances, while providing a space to connect. On Thursday night, we spent time exploring the expectations we cling to. We all have expectations: For how our children should respond or behave; for how our spouse or friends should show love; for how school should look, church should look, our home life should look, good leadership should look … We also have expectations we place on ourselves - what makes us good parents, how we should be helping our friends, what we should do to manage stress, and so on. For many of us, 2020 has intensified these expectations. The more that life is disrupted, the more we tightly cling to our expectations. Our need to control and create ideal environments and relationships becomes the way we address uncertainty, fear and isolation. Our actions and reactions often are driven by the expectations that we have set for ourselves and others. Whether we are aware of them or not, these expectations influence our relationships, how we experience joy, how we see our identity, and our awareness of God’s work in our lives. What if, instead of clinging to those expectations, we adopted a spirit of expectancy? To be expectant is to wait with anticipation. We can be expectant for what God can and will do in our lives. “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” -Psalm 27:13-14 We can release our expectations with the confidence that God can do an even greater work in our lives and the lives of others. When we adopt a spirit of expectancy, we become partners with God in our homes. How do we shift from expectations to expectancy? First, we have to identify the expectations that are driving our attitudes, behaviors and responses. What expectations are keeping us from experiencing joy and allowing room for God to work? Then, we confess and release those expectations to God. We recognize that we are approved by God and that we are in need of God. Finally, we reframe our expectations in anticipatory statements of what God can and will do. God can fill in the gaps of my parenting. God will comfort me in my loneliness. God can teach me to appreciate my spouse. God will be constant and faithful regardless of leadership. God can put a worshipful spirit in my heart regardless of where that worship happens. What expectations will you reframe today? Where can you begin to wait on the Lord? “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”  -Psalm 5:3 We invite you to join us on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. for our next Stronger at Home discussion. We will meet via Zoom to discuss the topic, “It’s OK to not be OK.”

By design, every year we need to replace board members for our Church’s Leadership Board. We have seven board members who serve 3-year terms. Only two consecutive terms are permitted, thus a member may serve for a maximum total of six years. Rich Frohmader has served his first 3-year term and is seeking reelection for another 3-year term. Dannie Jaeger’s term is up at the end of this calendar year and needs to be replaced. Given that background one can see that we need one new board member starting Jan 1, 2021. The existing Board has formed a Nominating Committee and is looking for qualified candidates to volunteer for this position. If you are interested in nominating yourself, or just want to know more about the Board, please contact any of the names below. Our bylaws require that qualified candidates be communicant members of our church for at least 2 full years and cannot be ministry staff members or paid employees of the Church. They must practice personal spiritual disciplines for the development of their own faith life and endeavor to lead exemplary spiritual lives. Our Policy Manual also specifies that we seek those who are visionary and are good communicators. Board members need to be willing and able to represent the Owners of the Congregation and understand and support our vision. Our bylaws require us to hold an annual congregational meeting in the 4^th quarter of each year to elect board members, among other matters. This year’s congregational meeting is scheduled for Dec 13, 2020, so we are giving you plenty of advanced notice. So what is the Nominating Committee’s role? We are in process of putting together a list of candidates, both self-nominated members and names selected by the Leadership Board. We will then review qualifications. After seeking God’s will, we start making phone calls soliciting new board members. Once we find a candidate who is qualified and willing to serve, that candidate will be on the ballot for the voter’s meeting on Dec. 13. We are required to nominate just one name per each open position. This is designed to avoid campaigning for the position and the bad feelings that can come from such a process, as well as the bad feelings that come with a defeat. We will present our ballot to the congregation by Nov. 22, 2020. Connecting People to Life in Jesus, Nominating Committee: Rich Frohmader, Laura Potter, Steve Racchini

Connecting with each other isn’t as easy as it… Connecting with each other isn’t as automatic as it… Our Intentionally series seems especially appropriate these days given how intentional we have to be about everything we do.  I don’t just run into people I know like I used to.  Many kids aren’t around their classmates and friends every day like they used to be.  We don’t bump into each other at church like we used to.  In fact, bumping into someone now seems like a bad thing. We have to be intentional about connecting with each other.  And we have to double down on our intentionality when our normal patterns of connecting are disrupted. For some of us, our lifeGroups are a huge part of our connectedness, and are even more so now. But many of us are not in a lifeGroup. Some of us have family close by. But many of us don’t. We’ve tried a few things to help the whole church be more connected, but it still requires a bunch of effort. I get it, I’m tired of being in front of a computer, or on the phone.  It’s easier to just bleed Netflix dry.  And when I think about calling someone I don’t regularly connect with (for me, even those I do regularly connect with) I don’t know what I’ll say, or what I’ll ask, or if it will just be an annoyance to them that I’m calling. So far Netflix hasn’t acted as if I’m an annoyance, just the periodic “are you still watching?” But we are missing out on seeing each other, and running into each other at church.  And so we’re missing the chance to have changes in another person’s life (a newly lost tooth, an injury, or even a new child) slap us in the faces (Ok, maybe the rest of you are naturally more observant than I am).  And so we’re also missing the chance to ask, “what happened” and “how can I help” or “how can we celebrate?” So, if you’re missing some of that community that I am, or if you just think that there might be others in the church who are (hint, there are), I want to give you an easy way to call, and hopefully sprinkle in a little fun.  And no, this isn’t the same thing we’re asking lifeGroups to do.  This is another way to try 🙂 Pick someone from the church who you don’t know, or don’t know that well, especially someone who you used to run into at church, or who you just feel led to reach out to, and call them. You can simply say, “Hi _____, this is _____.  I go to the Church with you.  We’re all trying to connect a bit better since we don’t run into people at church right now.  So I just wanted to see how you are doing?” (here’s where you wait for them to respond, and then ask follow up questions)  You might also ask, “Is there anything going on that you would like prayers for?”  If you’re feeling up to it, you can ask to pray right then and there on the phone with them.  It’s easier than you might think.  And when you’re done, you can say something like, “I had a nice time talking to you, feel free to call me if you ever want to chat.” Easy peasy pumpkin squeezy. In addition, every week in our weekly email I’ll include a fun question you can ask.  The first fun/bonus question is, “Have you ever dressed a pet up?” (And do you have any pets and what are their names) I hope that helps make it easy enough to try.  If you need phone numbers, you can use the church App, an old directory, or you can email (or call) me and I’ll get you some numbers. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. -1 Thessalonians 2:8 If you are surprised in any way, and have a story to tell, please email it to [email protected] or add it to our website at https://livelifetogether.com/stories And if you have any ideas for fun ways we can be intentionally connecting as a church family, please call, text, or email me. Teammates, Matthew Wipperman [email protected] Pastor and D.M.M. the Church

“Connecting People to Life in Jesus” is our Mission Statement at the Church. It’s our Mission, our purpose, the answer to “What are we doing?” Our Vision Frame has 4 sides, as most picture frames do, and the picture in the middle is where we are going, our Vision.  Those four sides are Mission, Values, Strategy, and Life Marks (Measures). Our Values are the reasons “Why?” we are Connecting People to Life in Jesus. Our Strategy is “How?” we are Connecting People to Life in Jesus. And our Life Marks help us to measure “When?” we are Connecting People to Life in Jesus. At a very basic level, then, our Vision is a future where people are connected to life in Jesus. I’ve heard people question our values, not want to participate in parts of our strategy, even wonder about the vision.  But I can’t remember hearing anyone question our Mission Statement. Connecting People to Life in Jesus It’s so basic, so fundamental.  And it’s hard to argue with Jesus’ commands. “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20 We all seem to be able to agree on this.  But are we doing it? Our current sermon series is titled “Intentionally.”  In it we’re exploring how Paul and others Intentionally acted, based on the mission, and God’s sending and leading.  There’s a lot we can learn as we see the decisions they make, the ones they wait for, and what they do while they are waiting. How are you Intentionally Connecting People to Life in Jesus?  This isn’t the mission just of our corporate church, as if it’s up to the staff and the board and the rest are just along for the ride.  It’s the mission of each of us.  Each of us has been commanded to make disciples.  It is the mission of each of us to Connect People to Life in Jesus.  So, how are YOU Intentionally doing it? This isn’t finger pointing.  I want us to take a couple of minutes to think about our answers.  If your mission is to make disciples, to Connect People to Life in Jesus, how are you intentionally doing it? Another way to get at this is to ask yourself what you are connecting people to?  We connect people to other people and things all the time. When we talk about the latest Netflix show we’ve watched or the latest podcast we’ve listened to When we invite people to read a book When we have people over for dinner or to try a new drink When we introduce friends to each other We almost can’t help but connect people to the things we’re intentionally connecting to. So when it comes to Intentionally Connecting People to Life in Jesus, an easy place to start is by being intentional about our own Life in Jesus.  He is the one who has connected us, and He invites us to continue connecting with Him in many ways.  What habit of connecting with Jesus would you like to see in your own life, or in your family?  Pick one thing that takes less than 5 minutes, and commit to doing it every day until Thanksgiving. Be intentional about your connection to Life in Jesus, and then, share with other people your joy, what’s fun, interesting, what you’re learning, how it makes you feel. We’re going to continue a review of our Vision Frame in upcoming Spiel articles.  The whole Vision Frame simply helps us be intentional about the Mission God has us on.  It’s all about living and connecting people to life in Jesus as we live life together. Check out the whole Vision Frame at www.livelifetogether.com/who-we-are If you would be willing to share with me what your 5-minute practice is, and how it goes and/or if you have any questions, email me at [email protected]

Now more than ever you may be feeling disconnected.  You aren’t able to gather with friends and family and your church like you used to.  You might even be feeling like the Psalmist who said in Psalm 42:4-5: “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be; I walked among the crowds of worshippers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?  I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again- my Savior and my God.” Things are certainly different right now. However, we can still be intentional about how we are connecting with others through lifeGroup, lifeWorship and lifeServe, and living out a connecting lifestyle.  Not only can we be intentional about those ways of growing in our relationship with Jesus and growing in our relationships with others, being intentional is the only way it is going to happen. We can make it top priority in our life to build connections with those who do not know Jesus and help them to experience life change. We can make it top priority to be a part of a group of people who discuss what God is teaching them in His word and how they are going to respond to what He is saying. To build those relationships and care for one another and pray for each other. We can make it a top priority to engage in worship, not just watch the service, but interact and invite others to worship with you (even if you are apart). We can make it a top priority to serve others with the gifts that God has given us.  What do you enjoy doing, what are you good at, how could you help someone else with those gifts. Don’t keep it to yourself, give your life away by serving others in love. Our purpose, our mission, is to connect people to life in Jesus and that happens through each and every one of us. The ways in which you can be a part of doing that are through lifeGroup, lifeWorship and lifeServe.  It may look different, but it is still vitally important. Are you missing one of these areas currently in your life? Do you want to learn more about connecting to a lifeGroup?  Have you taken a break from lifeGroup and now you are ready to jump back in? Send me an email: [email protected]  Are you missing someone you used to see? Invite them to your lifeGroup. Are you interested in meeting 1:1 with someone or in a small group of 3 to grow in following Jesus?  Email or call me.  608.217.9967  or 608.271.2811 x11 Do you want some tips on how to stay connected with worship opportunities? Reach out to me. Are you looking for ways to use your gifts? Wanting to know more about opportunities to serve in the community or even with our ministry?  Or even in discovering what your gifts are? Again… let me know I would love to help you make those discoveries. One thing I know for sure, it won’t just happen.  It will take you making it a priority and being intentional with following through.  Put it on your calendar. Schedule it. Pray for God to show you what next step to take, and then take it.

How would you describe the Christian life? What kinds of attitudes, characteristics, behaviors would you identify as evidence of the life of Jesus in a person?  The old adage warns us “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” That’s an indictment of contemporary Christian discipleship. We have assumed that if a church provides consistent events, biblical information and appealing programs for people, and the people consume these offerings, then the users will grow. But we rarely stop to figure out in practical terms what God expects of us, or to assess what we must do to improve our performance with respect to those desired outcomes. Why is it even important to decide and define the marks of a life lived in Jesus?  I can think of at least three. Reason #1: We don’t want to settle for shallow descriptions of the Christian life. Lacking a clear notion of what we’re trying to become as believers, we often settle for something less than the biblical standard, and certainly less than we are capable of becoming. How instructive is it to discover that when pressed to do so, not only have most Christians and most church leaders failed to specify what  “spiritual success” means, but they do not feel compelled to work out a definition of such an endpoint or destination. The result has been that believers and churches embrace a cheap facsimile of spiritual success with remorse or, in many cases, the realization that they have “dumbed down” Christianity. Or, even worse, many have left the definition of life in Jesus up for grabs. This is precisely why we have taken the time to define our understanding of biblical measures of life in Jesus. We call them lifeMarks. Reason #2: We don’t want to settle for head knowledge rather than complete transformation. Talk to church leaders about their discipleship programs and you usually hear about teaching events and programs. Sunday school, small groups, Christian education classes, seminary courses, study groups, reading groups, video curriculum, VBS—countless ways of communicating empirical information based on Scripture. This is laudable and certainly needed. But filling people’s heads with Bible verses and principles alone, is inadequate. Discipleship, defined as becoming spiritually mature in our imitation of Christ, demands that we give both the head and the heart sufficient opportunity to grow and to make a difference in our lives and the world. Settling for information leads us to be puffed up busy bodies, not life-bearing representatives of the Lord of Life. This is precisely why we have taken the time to define our understanding of biblical measures of life in Jesus. We call them lifeMarks. Reason #3: We don’t want to settle for random, disconnected activities rather than intentional and purposeful growth experiences. Most churches are content to provide their people with biblical substance. The problem is not that the content in itself is bad, but that the content is not provided in a purposeful, systematic manner. Ultimately, believers become well-versed in knowing characters, stories, ideas and verses from the Bible, but remain clueless as to the importance of each. Think of the way we teach people about life in Jesus as a massive game of “Connect the Dots.” The problem is, in our version of the game, we do not put the numbers next to the dots, rendering players incapable of connecting the dots in the fashion intended. All of the dots are provided and are pictured in exactly the right place, but without a sense of direction or the big picture, failure is inevitable. Few churches intentionally guide their people through a strategic learning and developmental process that has been customized for the student. We push everyone through the same generic journey, expecting everyone to “get it” at the same time and in the same way, simultaneously developing mature believers. It doesn’t work that way. Until we assume a more strategic approach to delivering insights and outcomes within a viable mental and experiential framework, we will continue to be frustrated by the results of our well-intended but poorly conceptualized efforts to grow disciples. This is precisely why we have taken the time to define our understanding of biblical measures of life in Jesus. We call them lifeMarks. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our lifeMarks are expressed in a four-by-four framework. We have four major lifeMarks, each consisting of four foundational areas. Those foundational areas have personal reflection questions. We hope you will use these questions to assess your own spiritual growth. I use these questions throughout the year to help me discover where I sense God is leading me to grow. For example, I am the missional heartbeat of God: Teach led me to commit to a 1:1 discipling relationship with two brothers in Christ this year. We are helping each other live life in Jesus!

I AM Sustained by the Word.

I AM Dependent on Christ.

I AM a Visible Reflection of Jesus.

I AM the Missional Heartbeat of God.

(Check them out at: http://lifemarks.livelifetogether.com/)

Here are just a few blessings of identifying and defining lifeMarks. They can... Help you be more intentional. Help you identify the next step in your growth. Provide a clear description of the Christian life. My hope is that you could articulate these lifeMarks when you are trying to describe the Christian life to a friend who is curious about Jesus. Perhaps you can detail a time when you lived out one of these 16 marks and were blessed as a result. And, maybe, when you are looking for ways to help a friend learn how to follow Jesus you could pull one of these 16 marks and see where your friend might want to grow and join her in that exciting journey.

I have great excitement and anticipation as this holiday season approaches. It will certainly be different than other years. However, as always, I am eager to share this time of year with my family. It is also the time of year when we pay a little more attention to the idea of generosity and generous living. But what does true generosity in a home look like? I’ll admit I am easily lured into the idea that generosity means money and things. Already I am thinking about what presents to buy for the kids and how we can shower our love on them in that way.  (A bigger lego set? Yes! More doll accessories? Of course! The largest stuffed unicorn ever made? Sold!)  God calls us to generous living. And, if our homes, centered on Jesus, are the epicenters of an active faith life, then that generous living should begin in our homes. How then, might we begin to live with great generosity in our homes? Is there a way for me to be abundantly generous with my kids without buying out Target? How did Jesus model a generous lifestyle? Here are some of the things that I noticed as Jesus lived life with generosity:

• Jesus was generous with his TIME.
• Jesus showed GRACE abundantly.
• Jesus allowed ACCESS to himself and his whole life.
• Jesus left a LEGACY of faith.
• Jesus eagerly MET NEEDS.

As I reflect on those things, I am left to ask myself the following:

• Am I generous with the time (undistracted, fully present time) that I give my family? Or, do I let material things and the busyness of life take the place of the time I should be investing in them?
• Am I quick to show grace to the others in my home?
• Do I allow Micah and the kids full access to myself, or do I let other things have more priority?
• What legacy am I leaving Oliver and Eliza? Am I generous with how I teach and equip my children to follow Jesus? Am I pursuing a faith life that I want my son and daughter to replicate?
• Do I seek to know my community and the needs of others? Am I ready to help meet those needs as God prompts? Do I invite my children to participate alongside of me as I care for others in my community?

Jesus’ generosity was an investment in others and in the Kingdom. His wasn’t an investment in earthly things that are broken and destroyed, but instead it was generosity that allowed for the growth and blessing of His people and God’s Kingdom. This Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am eager to let Jesus guide my generosity. How are you practicing generous living in your home? What creative ways are you finding to invest in those in your home and in God’s Kingdom? Share your stories with me at [email protected].

his year has been nothing but full of hardships. Looking back earlier this year, who could have imagined that we would reach the Advent season being physically-distant from our friends and loved ones, not to mention the many difficulties we have faced and continue to face up to this day due to quarantine and isolation. 2020, for a lot of people, is a year of uncertainties. However, for us as Christians, one thing remains certain and we can be confident of: that God’s Love for us is for sure. Luke, in his letter to Theophilus, tells us that we can have certainty concerning the things we have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4). But how exactly can we be confident and certain of God’s Love for us?   Knowing that our faith is essential In verses 5 to 24 of Luke chapter 1, we see Zechariah’s story of how he doubted Gabriel’s message about him and his wife’s ability to conceive. The narrative can tell us of the two tendencies we may have concerning our faith: One is our casual disregard for the evidential basis of the Christian message. The second is basing our convictions solely on evidence and logic. The first tendency we may have is leaning on our convictions in inherited tradition or personal experience. Zechariah’s story warns us that this is wrong because without faith being founded on evidence and truth, we will be easily swayed by the enemy. The second tendency is when we base our convictions solely on logic. We must remember that our logic can sometimes be relative to what we choose to see or not see. When we doubt the Word of God because we lack the evidence, we’re probably wrong. If we believe the Gospel because we think we have sufficient evidence, we’re probably wrong as well. This tells us that our intelligence, no matter how broad and deep it may be, cannot save us. When we have faith, then logic and evidence can move us from being puzzled to being absolutely certain. Our faith is essential, and it is a gift of God.   Listening to what Luke is telling us (through Theophilus) In verse 3, Luke tells Theophilus that he wrote an orderly account for him. Luke was accurate in his narrative, and that he assures the integrity of his accounts. In essence, Luke is gifting Theophilus this knowledge (Luke & Acts) to bolster his confidence in God in the midst of other voices and skeptics. An awesome realization to this is that God, through Luke, has given us the same gifts. Luke wrote to affirm that our faith is not just a new belief system. His letters offer us the evidence-based knowledge that God’s promises to Israel are being fulfilled —that the Messiah will come. His accounts aim to strengthen our confidence in the Love of God by sharing with us that God sent His Son to our world to die for our sins. The death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus not only gave the Israelites Hope, but it was given to us, too.   Conclusion The message from Luke’s letters not only brings us the truth and certainty that we, as human beings, always long for. It also brings us the Good News of salvation. Amidst all that’s happening in the world today, we can be sure that God truly loves us because He sent Jesus to seek and to save that which was lost. So this Advent season, let’s continue to be confident in our faith and reach to all those we love and bring them the Good News, too.

Things will go back to normal, or so they say. We’ve been waiting and longing for the day when we finally gather with friends, eat at a packed restaurant with our family, and worship and have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh, how good it is to think about the moment when we finally break from this year of impermanence and see some semblance of normalcy. We’ve never felt more vulnerable to the changing of times. Even Mary and all the Jews were anxious about the lack of permanence after the dynasty of David ended. However, one thing became abundantly clear: God has prepared a way for David’s line to be restored forever. That in the middle of fleeting peace and prolonged chaos, Mary, the Jews, and Gentiles like us can rejoice and be comforted by the fact that there is a source of goodness, joy, peace, and love that’s never ending. That there is a Kingdom everlasting. Luke 1:33 The circumstances we are currently experiencing are nothing when we think about what God has prepared for us in His eternal reign. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:9, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.   What kind of normalcy and restoration are we after? When we talk about getting back to our normal routine --our normal life-- post-pandemic, we can’t help but think of ourselves in the center of it. It’s about the convenience and comfort that were taken from us by the current crisis that we want restored. These fleeting delights are not supposed to be in our hearts and minds. It may not come as a surprise to you, but let me remind us all that everything in this world is just as ephemeral as the troubles we’re going through. Every good thing that we can think of on this earth is temporary. Even sin, shame, pain are all temporary. The kind of normalcy and restoration that we should be after is with God above. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth, as Paul puts it. Colossians 3:2 After all, the center of the story of restoration is not us. It is God. He’s the protagonist. He is the source of goodness. He’s the One bringing about the joyous forever ending that will never be lost.   Our Creator became flesh to give us true restoration Jesus was sent to us to complete the redemptive narrative of salvation. Luke 1:31 and Matthew 1:21 are in harmony in telling us that our Messiah will surely come and that we shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. However, knowing this Truth and the real meaning of restoration is not to be kept only to ourselves. God has specifically commanded us to go and share it with everyone. Matthew 28:16-20 This is supposed to be the definition of going back to normal. This is supposed to be what we are expecting. God’s plan does not include starting a cycle of short-lived joy and impermanent grace in our lives. His plan is for us to be with Him in His everlasting Kingdom. Our only call to action is to spread the Hope we have in Him. To proclaim the true restoration and normalcy only found in Him. As we endure the troubles of the current world, let’s look through the temporary state of things and set our sight to what God has prepared for us. For what God has already given us through Jesus: the Kingdom that is forever. The joy, peace, love that endure forever.

Advent is the season that we prepare for the arrival of our Savior Jesus - when we celebrate his birth, and that he came to earth at the just the right time, to fulfill all the prophecies and promises of God. And to remember that we are waiting for him to come again, this time not as a babe born in Bethlehem, but as the King of Kings! This year I believe we have experienced grief upon grief.   What if we could look for grace upon grace? The truth is we have a God who does the unexpected! We see it all throughout scripture, and we even see it in our own lives.   God used a shepherd boy to kill a giant with a couple of stones and a slingshot. He fed the children of Israel with bread that fell from the sky. God does the unexpected. He chose a teenage virgin girl to be the mother of His son. He had an ordinary carpenter be his earthly father and not divorce his betrothed. He had his son be born in a feeding trough. His first visitors were the lowest in society, lowly shepherds.  He turned water into wine. He fed over 5,000 people with a little boy's lunch, 5 loaves and 2 fish. He walked on water. He healed a woman who barely touched the hem of his robe. God works in the unexpected. And this Messiah, the one sent to save the world, did the most unexpected thing ever, he died on a cross to take our place, to pay our penalty for sin. And then… he rose again!! The empty tomb, unexpected grace! You can be expectant, and full of hope.  What if, instead of clinging to expectations, we adopted a spirit of expectancy? To be expectant is to wait with anticipation. We can be expectant for what God can and will do in our lives. How do we shift from expectations to expectancy? First, we have to identify the expectations that are driving our attitudes, behaviors and responses. What expectations are keeping us from experiencing joy and allowing room for God to work? Then, we confess and release those expectations to God. We recognize that we are approved by God, loved by God and that we are in need of God. He wants us in a place of dependency on him, trusting him. Finally, we reframe our expectations into anticipatory statements of what God can and will do. Reframing looks like this. Release expectations - surrender to God who can, and who will.   God can fill in the gaps of my parenting. God will comfort me in my loneliness. God can teach me to appreciate those who think differently than I do. God will be constant and faithful regardless of my circumstance. God can put a worshipful spirit in my heart regardless of where that worship happens. God can bring peace into chaos. God can turn hurt into healing. God will never leave me or forsake me.   The truth is God can and God will and God did!  All of his promises came true the night when Christ was born. And no matter what your expectations are for this Advent season, this Christmas that may look so different than any in the past, you can be expectant and full of hope for Christ was born in Bethlehem, the Savior, born for you. Grace upon Grace -- gift given and received. A gift we have the privilege to share with others. A truth we can be certain of even in the midst of uncertainty. Release expectations… Surrender to God who can and who will.

If we are searching for a verifiable and objective track record of God keeping His promises, the coming of our Messiah has never been more glaring in handing this to us. As we yearn for comfort, clarity, and control in this dying world, we cling to the promises offered to us by that very world. We are promised to be successful if we do this. We are promised to be prosperous if we do that. We’ve heard a lot of promises only to be disappointed either by their short-sightedness at best or lack of consummation at worst. We often forget the one promise kept by God that we can hang onto even in the direst, darkest moments of life. God, who is already gracious with His loving mercy, delivered on His ultimate promise of salvation. This thought alone should give us hope and confidence to press on through every season of our life.   The power of God’s promise When we think of God’s promises, we are reminded of the covenant He made with Abraham and his offsprings in Genesis 17:4; His promise to deliver the people of Israel from the Egyptian rule (Exodus 2:24-25); His guarantee to Joshua that He is with him and the people of Israel wherever they went (Joshua 1:9); or His promise in the book of Isaiah, that only if we trusted and waited on the Him, the Lord will renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31). These are just some of the examples of God’s promises to His people. We read in Hebrews 6:13 that God is an ultimate authority of His promises. The certainty of His promises stood the test of time. For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself. We can rest knowing that when He makes a covenant to us, He will deliver with resounding assurance. This is the power of God’s promise.   The fulfillment of the promise As we look through Luke’s account in the first chapter of his book, we can see the deliverance of God’s ultimate promise unfold in front of us. God sent His Son to save us, sinners. He demonstrated the conclusive evidence of His love toward us by allowing His only begotten Son to die on the cross at Calvary. Romans 5:8   Our response to God’s promise  Standing on the platform of where we are right now, humbly gazing in the ravine of our deeply-flawed nature, we realize that we can do nothing to deserve the slightest grace, let alone the promise of God. But still, He is welcoming us to His everlasting Kingdom. He offered us the Hope of salvation —a promise delivered through His Son. We can only think of an acceptable response. Philippians 1:27 Paul tells us that Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. While we are here on earth, God asks us to be His witness and bear ourselves to the standard of His Word. Let’s be mindful of the fact that we are saved by grace alone and are washed by the blood of Christ, therefore it is our call to strive for holiness that can be achieved from the strength that is only found in Him.