1/8/2026
Matthew 3:7 – 10
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
How many today would fall into the category of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Those people that profess their faith in public while worshipping at the altar of money and power. They are under the false belief that going to church and serving on the right committees will be their salvation. Just as John the Baptist said to the Pharisees not to rely on their heritage as a Jew to save them, we must not feel that saying we are followers of Christ is sufficient as well.
If we are to be Christians then it needs to be in heart and deed not in words alone. When we choose to follow Jesus then we are to repent, change our ways, and follow him. Loving neighbors as ourselves. Knowing that it is God's grace that has saved but showing that faith in that grace through action as is said in James 2:18.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
Matthew 3:7 – 10
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
How many today would fall into the category of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Those people that profess their faith in public while worshipping at the altar of money and power. They are under the false belief that going to church and serving on the right committees will be their salvation. Just as John the Baptist said to the Pharisees not to rely on their heritage as a Jew to save them, we must not feel that saying we are followers of Christ is sufficient as well.
If we are to be Christians then it needs to be in heart and deed not in words alone. When we choose to follow Jesus then we are to repent, change our ways, and follow him. Loving neighbors as ourselves. Knowing that it is God's grace that has saved but showing that faith in that grace through action as is said in James 2:18.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟑:𝟏 – 𝟔
𝟑 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝟐 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, “𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫.” 𝟑 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡:
“𝐀 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,
‘𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝,
𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦.’”
𝟒 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧’𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝟓 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧. 𝟔 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫,
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭.
John the Baptist is quite a character. To many of his time it was thought that possibly he was the messiah but as we know he was just announcing the Messiah’s coming. But one thing is for sure, the people knew that there was something different about John. The people went to him and after hearing him they knew that they had not been living in a way that would be pleasing to God. And that through John’s message they were committed to live better.
I want us all today to consider in what ways you are falling short in your service to your loving God. Meditate on them and then in prayer ask God through the Holy Spirit to guide you on a path towards righteousness. We all need to be honest with ourselves. Celebrating those times when we get it right. But just as important, recognizing when we fall short. Only by acknowledging both can we work our way towards our personal sanctification by God’s grace and love. Remembering all along that God’s grace is all we need to be carried through.
𝟑 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝟐 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, “𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫.” 𝟑 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡:
“𝐀 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,
‘𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝,
𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦.’”
𝟒 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧’𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝟓 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧. 𝟔 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫,
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭.
John the Baptist is quite a character. To many of his time it was thought that possibly he was the messiah but as we know he was just announcing the Messiah’s coming. But one thing is for sure, the people knew that there was something different about John. The people went to him and after hearing him they knew that they had not been living in a way that would be pleasing to God. And that through John’s message they were committed to live better.
I want us all today to consider in what ways you are falling short in your service to your loving God. Meditate on them and then in prayer ask God through the Holy Spirit to guide you on a path towards righteousness. We all need to be honest with ourselves. Celebrating those times when we get it right. But just as important, recognizing when we fall short. Only by acknowledging both can we work our way towards our personal sanctification by God’s grace and love. Remembering all along that God’s grace is all we need to be carried through.
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟏𝟗:𝟐𝟔
𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, “𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞.”
Happy New year to you all. I want to start this new year off by reminding myself and others of what and who we should put our faith in. Too often in today’s world we rely on ourselves or man-made gods like money, power, and government. But all of these will fail us. If we put our faith in things made of man, then we will always be disappointed.
But when you put your faith in God all things are possible. But in this we must trust that our loving God has our best in mind. We then will be happy with the yes, content with the no and patient with the not yet answers to those prayers. Knowing that God's love for us will never fail. Keeping us centered in that place of peace, joy and hope that only comes from God.
𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, “𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞.”
Happy New year to you all. I want to start this new year off by reminding myself and others of what and who we should put our faith in. Too often in today’s world we rely on ourselves or man-made gods like money, power, and government. But all of these will fail us. If we put our faith in things made of man, then we will always be disappointed.
But when you put your faith in God all things are possible. But in this we must trust that our loving God has our best in mind. We then will be happy with the yes, content with the no and patient with the not yet answers to those prayers. Knowing that God's love for us will never fail. Keeping us centered in that place of peace, joy and hope that only comes from God.
1𝟐/𝟑𝟎/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝟑:𝟓 – 𝟔
𝟓 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠;
𝟔 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦,
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
As we prepare for a new year let us remember where true wisdom and understanding comes from. If we listen and follow his commands of love and forgiveness, we will know the joy and peace promised through Jesus.
As we start the new year let us resolve to work both individually and collectively to be more Christ like each day. Taking on Christ’s yoke so it might guide us towards our own sanctification.
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝟑:𝟓 – 𝟔
𝟓 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠;
𝟔 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦,
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
As we prepare for a new year let us remember where true wisdom and understanding comes from. If we listen and follow his commands of love and forgiveness, we will know the joy and peace promised through Jesus.
As we start the new year let us resolve to work both individually and collectively to be more Christ like each day. Taking on Christ’s yoke so it might guide us towards our own sanctification.
Day 27 of Advent, New Richmond United Methodist Church
Day 26 of Advent, New Richmond United Methodist Church
Day 25 of Advent - Christmas Day
Day 24 of Advent, New Richmond United Methodist Church
Day 23 of Advent, New Richmond United Methodist Church
Day 22 of Advent, New Richmond United Methodist Church
