[Sunday] Await the Christmas Ham
Questions for the week
Describe a time when you messed up preparing a holiday dinner.
Read Isaiah 19:16-25. What do you find surprising about Egypt and Assyria? Why would they be able to worship just like Israel?
Think of a group of people that you dislike; how would it make you feel if they were part of God’s promise?
Through Christ, how does God make all the nations part of his promise? In regards to Christ, how are you no different than all the other nations?
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Our masks aren’t just signs of embarrassment; they’re declarations of independence from God.
We traced Revelation 21–22 as the climactic reunification of heaven and earth, connecting its temple/tabernacle imagery, priestly stones, and the Bride/City to Eden’s river and tree of life, contrasting Babylon’s coercive economy with God’s freely given water of life and the Lamb’s healing light for the nations.
Overturning the common belief that grace is reluctantly earned, the freely given reality of the Gospel is that God's salvation flows from His eager delight to love and forgive us.
We are the recipients of God's overflowing grace and boundless love. This gift transforms our very identity, compelling us toward a life of radical gratitude and contagious generosity. Let's fully embrace this joyful way to live by sharing our time, talents, and resources.
Shifting focus from the temple as a static building, the freely shared reality is that God desires to dwell among us, using our diverse and imperfect gifts as the very means to make His presence known for the benefit of all.