John

illustration

Should We Trust the Virgin Birth?

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 18:10-14 , Isaiah 7:14 , Exodus 4:1-5, Psalm 139:13-16 , Luke 1:26-38, John 20:24-29, Matthew 1:22-25

To a twentieth-century mind the notion of a virgin birth is intrinsically and preposterously inconceivable. If a woman claims–such claims are made from time to time–to have become pregnant without sex...

illustration

Dying for Jesus or Socrates?

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:1-3, John 3:1-5, Matthew 1:25-27, John 3:16-17, Psalm 145:8-9

Justin Martyr (ca. 100–165), the most renowned apologist of the second century, dedicated his life to defending Christianity as the one true philosophy. Engaging the Greek philosophers and intellectua...

liturgy

God's Redemption Through His Son

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:14, Matthew 1:20-23, Luke 19:1-10 , Romans 5:8-11, Ephesians 1:7-10 , 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Colossians 1:13-20

O God, who looked on fallen humanity and planned to redeem us by the coming of your only-begotten Son, we ask that you ensure that all who confess his glorious incarnation will have fellowship with hi...

liturgy

Go now in Advent Joy. The God who created the universe dwells

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Advent

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 1:18-25, Micah 5:2, John 1:1-14

Pastor: Go now in Advent Joy. The God who created the universe dwells with you as you keep watch for the King whose Advent is promised. People: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit re...

liturgy

In the midst of darkness, candles have shone.

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 11:1-10, John 1:1-14, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 1:39-45, Matthew 1:18-25, Micah 5:2

Pastor: In the midst of darkness, candles have shone. Congregation: Glory to God in the highest! Pastor:: In the midst of darkness, we have seen the light of Christ. Congregation: ...

liturgy

Father, in this holy night Your Son our Savior

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-25, Romans 8:38-39, Hebrews 1:3, Galatians 4:4-5, Matthew 1:23, John 1:14

Pastor: Father, in this holy night Your Son our Savior was born in human flesh. Renew Your Church as the Body of Christ. People: Holy God, hear our prayer. Pastor: In this holy night...

liturgy

A Christmas Creed (2)

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-25, John 1:1-15, Romans 8:14-16, Acts 1:8

Pastor: As the shepherds told everyone what had happened in Bethlehem on that first Christmas, we declare what we know and believe about God. People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,...

liturgy

On this Christmas morning, let us pray to our incarnate Lord

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-5, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-25

Pastor: On this Christmas morning, let us pray to our incarnate Lord, who has brought us out of darkness and into His own marvelous light. Christ born for us, Son of God given for us: People: ...

liturgy

Our God is not only for us

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:31-39, Matthew 1:23, John 14:2-3, 1 Peter 1:3-4, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Philippians 2:13

Leader: Our God is not only for us, People: He is also with us. Leader: Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, People: God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has secured our home in eternity. L...

liturgy

Leader: God of HOPE, Your message calls us to let go of our fears

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:1-20, John 1:1-14, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 11:1-10

Leader : God of HOPE, Your message calls us to let go of our fears and place our trust in You. Sustain us in Your hope as we await Your coming. We ask for hearts to worship You fully, not only i...

liturgy

A Christmas Creed

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:22-35, Romans 8:14-16, John 14:26, Acts 1:8, Matthew 1:23, John 1:14

Leader: Today, we declare what we know and believe about God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the words of a special creed, known as the Christmas Creed. People: I believe in God, the Fat...

liturgy

Prayer of Confession for Christmas

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 2:22-35, Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 2:1-12, John 1:14, Matthew 1:18-25

Leader: Today, we celebrate that Jesus has come, and that He promises to come again! We know He came to bring light and hope, People: but our hearts are often shrouded by darkness and despair. ...

liturgy

The Nicene Creed (Contemporary)

Author

Unknown

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 10:9-10, Luke 1:26-38, Romans 8:11, Matthew 1:20-23, Philippians 2:6-11, John 1:1-3, Genesis 1:1

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally b...

liturgy

The Nicene Creed (Traditional)

Author

Unknown

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 10:9-10, Luke 1:26-38, Romans 8:11, Matthew 1:20-23, Philippians 2:6-11, John 1:1-3

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Romans 16:25-27, 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 19-26, Luke 1:26-38, Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:46, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:19, Revelation 11:15, Luke 1:46-48, John 8:41, Luke 1:29, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Advent 2023: Make Some Noise! AIM commentary Ancient lens What's the historical context? Couldn’t See That Coming Powerful parents with a family pedigree derived from Judah and the David...

liturgy

Dear Heavenly Father, We confess that

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Christmas

Scripture

Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-14, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:46-56, Luke 2:1-21

Dear Heavenly Father, We confess that we have not sat quietly with You and listened for Your voice Through the hustle of Christmastime and navigating our world, we have given up the quiet space alloca...

liturgy

Gracious and faithful God–our Creator,

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Psalm 25:4-5, Matthew 1:23, James 5:14-15, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Luke 2:10-11, Isaiah 9:6, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 25:35-36, Proverbs 21:1, Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 28:19-20, John 14:13, Luke 2:1-20, Mark 5:25-34, John 11:17-44

Gracious and faithful God–our Creator, Redeemer and Comforter: When we don’t know the way–You show us the way; and when we can’t find a way–You make a way. Thank you! Thank you for Your gift of a Sav...

liturgy

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a call to worship for Advent

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25, John 1:1-14, Isaiah 9:6-7

O Come, O Come Emmanuel You who are flesh Vulnerable and Lowly and Small Come, O Come Emmanuel You who are Great Holy and Powerful and Forever Come, O Come Emmanuel The Fullness of God with us Make ...

liturgy

Jesus, Immanuel, Child of Wonder, Lord

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Advent

Scripture

Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25, John 1:1-14, Isaiah 9:6-7

Jesus, Immanuel, Child of Wonder, Lord of Life: As our celebration of your coming is near, we give ourselves to You who first gave Yourself for us; and we place in your strong and loving hands all we...

liturgy

Lord—we’re so anxious we can’t

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14, Romans 12:2, Matthew 1:23, John 11:25-26, Hebrews 13:3

Lord—we’re so anxious we can’t wait! Some of us can’t wait for Christmas to come, while (honestly) some others of us can’t wait for it to be over. We’re not proud of it—but that’s just the way it is ...

liturgy

Jesus … Immanuel – our God come in the flesh

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 1:23, John 1:14, Psalm 34:8, Isaiah 30:21, Micah 6:8, Romans 3:23-24, Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer of Adoration Jesus—Immanuel—our God come in the flesh so that we might know You and that You might save us: Thankfully, You watch out for us—help us to watch for You. Give us eyes to see You ...

Quote

Author

David Brainerd

Keywords

Dependence on God

Scripture

Psalm 18:1-2, Isaiah 12:2, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 4:12, John 14:6, Matthew 1:21, Jonah 2:9

We are a long time in learning that all our strength and salvation is in God.

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Luke 1:26-38

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:46, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:19, Revelation 11:15, Luke 1:46-48, John 8:41, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Ancient lens What's the historical context? Couldn’t See That Coming Powerful parents with a family pedigree derived from Judah and the Davidic line was the common narrative for how most peop...

Quote

Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-15, Isaiah 9:2, Luke 1:78-79, Philippians 2:6-7, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Micah 5:2, Matthew 1:23

Just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil an...

lectionary

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Revelation 22:12-14, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, Acts 16:16-34, John 17:20-26, Psalm 97:, Mark 12:35-37, Psalm 110:1, Matthew 1:1, 6, Matthew 24:36-44, Acts 1:7

Preaching Commentary Introduction to Revelation 21-22 The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a “pulling back of the curtain” to reveal both the unseen realities of the present (what is really going on i...

Quote

Author

Christopher L. Webber

Keywords

Advent

Scripture

John 3:16, Matthew 1:23, John 1:1-10, Luke 1:68-69, Isaiah 61:1

Advent is a coming, not our coming to God, but his to us. We cannot come to God, he is beyond our reach; but he can come to us, for we are not beneath his mercy.

Quote

Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 4:18, John 8:36, Matthew 1:21, Galatians 4:4-5

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.

Quote

Author

Karl Rahner

Keywords

Advent

Scripture

Matthew 1:23, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16

Every year we celebrate the holy season of Advent, O God. Every year we pray those beautiful prayers of longing and waiting, and sing those lovely songs of hope and promise. Every year we roll up all ...

Quote

Author

Michelle Blake

Keywords

Scripture

John 14:16-17, Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 40:31

One of the essential paradoxes of Advent: that while we wait for God, we are with God all along, that while we need to be reassured of God’s arrival, or the arrival of our homecoming, we are already a...

Quote

Author

Thomas Aquinas

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 1:18-19, Acts 9:1-19, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38, Romans 11:33-34, John 1:14

Human salvation demands the divine disclosure of truths surpassing reason.

john from matthew 1

illustration

illustration

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

lectionary

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

liturgy

scripture guide

lectionary

A

B

C

D

E

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

P

R

S

T

V

W

Exodus

2 Samuel

Psalm

Proverbs

Isaiah

Ezekiel

Jonah

Micah

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

Hebrews

Revelation