A Sanctuary in Our Midst: Christmas Reflections on Jesus

A Sanctuary in Our Midst: Christmas Reflections on Jesus PDF Author: Karen L. Straszheim
Publisher: Ambassador International
ISBN: 1620207397
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 69

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Book Description
Amidst the checklists and social engagements for the Christmas season, Karen Straszheim writes for the weary Christian who gets lost in the holiday madness. By placing a strong emphasis on spiritual rest, Straszheim's Christmas devotional is divided into eleven chapters that collectively call for the Christian to put their shopping bags down and just rest in the Scriptures. A Sanctuary in Our Midst: Christmas Reflections on Jesus is deeply enriched with Scripture references throughout to exemplify how the Old and New Testament compliment each other, and how we can understand the Bible. A Sanctuary in Our Midst is perfect for studying within a group or individually, to talk through Strazheim's discussion questions altogether over hot cocoa or to quietly reflect in one's own time. Either way, this devotional is a sanctuary in and of itself. Endorsements “Karen Straszheim’s A Sanctuary in Our Midst will help you prepare for the Christmas season. She presents the Scriptures in a way that both refreshes the believer in Jesus and answers many questions of those who are seeking the true meaning of Christmas. Karen helps the reader understand the importance of preparing the heart for Christmas. It is refreshing in application and focuses upon God’s Word. Most of all, A Sanctuary in Our Midst will help you see, “Believing in Jesus is different than being religious.” -Pastor Earl Korhonen, World Missions Director, Association of Free, Lutheran Congregations “When I was young I fondly remember the church we attended did something that made quite an impression on me. Each year, after Christmas they removed the lights, decorations and all the branches from the beautiful large tree that stood in the front. At Easter time the trunk from that same Christmas tree became the symbol for the Cross of Christ's Crucifixion. When Christmas came each year I began to anticipate this transformation - looking not just at the outward beauty but past the branches to the very center of the tree. The author has done the same thing in this devotional. The daily readings and questions point to the incredible connection between Christmas and Easter making the Gospel of Christ the very heart of it all. It is a wonderful way to anticipate the holidays. 'Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!' (2 Cor. 9:15).” -Jennifer Voss-White, Student of the Word, Servant of Christ, Women's Ministry Leader “Looking for ways to better prepare your heart for the coming of Christ? This devotional is full of inspiration. Karen does an excellent job of using Scripture to lead the reader through prophesies and their fulfillment. Everyday testimonies help to apply these truths to our lives today.” -Jan McDermott, Retired Bible Camp Director, Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp, Story City, Iowa “Karen Straszheim’s . . . use of Scripture is an essential point in the Gospel: Jesus’ nativity is the fulfillment of our prophesied Messiah. Karen leads the student to a deep understanding of the Advent message and restores the real message of Christmas. I wish the reader could see her in action when leading non-believers to the centrality of the Scripture, the preeminence of Jesus as our sin bearer, and hear the loving care in her voice. Karen is a true and competent evangelist . . . intelligent, gentle, and forthright. I hope you will experience her evangelical gift here in her devotional.” -Curt Mobley, Teacher of English at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Prague, Czech Republic, and Missionary with ReachGlobal

A Sanctuary in Our Midst: Christmas Reflections on Jesus

A Sanctuary in Our Midst: Christmas Reflections on Jesus PDF Author: Karen L. Straszheim
Publisher: Ambassador International
ISBN: 1620207397
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 69

Get Book Here

Book Description
Amidst the checklists and social engagements for the Christmas season, Karen Straszheim writes for the weary Christian who gets lost in the holiday madness. By placing a strong emphasis on spiritual rest, Straszheim's Christmas devotional is divided into eleven chapters that collectively call for the Christian to put their shopping bags down and just rest in the Scriptures. A Sanctuary in Our Midst: Christmas Reflections on Jesus is deeply enriched with Scripture references throughout to exemplify how the Old and New Testament compliment each other, and how we can understand the Bible. A Sanctuary in Our Midst is perfect for studying within a group or individually, to talk through Strazheim's discussion questions altogether over hot cocoa or to quietly reflect in one's own time. Either way, this devotional is a sanctuary in and of itself. Endorsements “Karen Straszheim’s A Sanctuary in Our Midst will help you prepare for the Christmas season. She presents the Scriptures in a way that both refreshes the believer in Jesus and answers many questions of those who are seeking the true meaning of Christmas. Karen helps the reader understand the importance of preparing the heart for Christmas. It is refreshing in application and focuses upon God’s Word. Most of all, A Sanctuary in Our Midst will help you see, “Believing in Jesus is different than being religious.” -Pastor Earl Korhonen, World Missions Director, Association of Free, Lutheran Congregations “When I was young I fondly remember the church we attended did something that made quite an impression on me. Each year, after Christmas they removed the lights, decorations and all the branches from the beautiful large tree that stood in the front. At Easter time the trunk from that same Christmas tree became the symbol for the Cross of Christ's Crucifixion. When Christmas came each year I began to anticipate this transformation - looking not just at the outward beauty but past the branches to the very center of the tree. The author has done the same thing in this devotional. The daily readings and questions point to the incredible connection between Christmas and Easter making the Gospel of Christ the very heart of it all. It is a wonderful way to anticipate the holidays. 'Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!' (2 Cor. 9:15).” -Jennifer Voss-White, Student of the Word, Servant of Christ, Women's Ministry Leader “Looking for ways to better prepare your heart for the coming of Christ? This devotional is full of inspiration. Karen does an excellent job of using Scripture to lead the reader through prophesies and their fulfillment. Everyday testimonies help to apply these truths to our lives today.” -Jan McDermott, Retired Bible Camp Director, Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp, Story City, Iowa “Karen Straszheim’s . . . use of Scripture is an essential point in the Gospel: Jesus’ nativity is the fulfillment of our prophesied Messiah. Karen leads the student to a deep understanding of the Advent message and restores the real message of Christmas. I wish the reader could see her in action when leading non-believers to the centrality of the Scripture, the preeminence of Jesus as our sin bearer, and hear the loving care in her voice. Karen is a true and competent evangelist . . . intelligent, gentle, and forthright. I hope you will experience her evangelical gift here in her devotional.” -Curt Mobley, Teacher of English at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Prague, Czech Republic, and Missionary with ReachGlobal

Circle of Grace

Circle of Grace PDF Author: Jan Richardson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780977816279
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"Within the struggle, joy, pain, and delight that attend our life, there is an invisible circle of grace that enfolds and encompasses us in every moment. Blessings help us to perceive this circle of grace, to find our place of belonging within it, and to receive the strength the circle holds for us." -from the Introduction Beginning in Advent and moving through the sacred seasons of the Christian year, Circle of Grace offers Jan's distinctive and poetic blessings that illuminate the treasures each season offers to us.

A Promise Kept at Christmas

A Promise Kept at Christmas PDF Author: Robert G. McCreight
Publisher: CSS Publishing
ISBN: 0788000969
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 10

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Book Description
We approach the worship of God this evening with a hushed awareness of Christ's presence in our midst. God again breaks through the calm and darkness to reveal himself to us in the stillness of our hearts. -- from the order of worship Light and darkness is a powerful biblical metaphor to talk about God's compelling activity in the world. This Christmas Eve resource focuses on this metaphor. A Promise Kept At Christmas offers congregations a complete order of service with suggested carols, lighting of Advent candles, and scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments using a narrator and lay readers. Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Robert G. McCreight, Toledo, Ohio, is pastor of the Covenant Presbyterian Church. He received academic preparation at Muskingum College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the University of Detroit. He has also been active in hospital chaplainry.

In the Sanctuary of Women

In the Sanctuary of Women PDF Author: Jan L. Richardson
Publisher: Upper Room Books
ISBN: 0835811492
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Come spend some time in the sanctuary of women, an often-ignored space in Jewish and Christian history. This devotional book for women highlights six women from around the world and across the centuries, inviting us to discover what their lives tell us about God. Jan Richardson, a gifted poet, artist, and author, believes it is essential for women to listen to one another's wisdom and bring the fullness of their lives, with all the wonders and messiness, into their prayer life. In the Sanctuary of Women gathers together these women from scripture and history: Eve Brigid of Kildare The desert mothers Hildegard of Bingen Harriet Powers The Woman of the Song of Songs Each chapter becomes its own sanctuary, with one of the women serving as a companion as you contemplate the theme that her life offers. Throughout the readings Richardson weaves her own stories, poetry, prayers, and blessings. Midway through each chapter, a section called "The Secret Room" gives you a chance to pause and reflect on unexpected insights. Reading the book daily will carry you through six months, or you can dip into the readings as you wish. An invitation into reflection and prayer alone or in the company of others, In the Sanctuary of Women is a book to treasure and to share with the women and the men in your life.

God with Us

God with Us PDF Author: Dennis Phillips
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0741435462
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Book Description


A Christmas Quartet

A Christmas Quartet PDF Author: William G. Carter
Publisher: CSS Publishing
ISBN: 0788018442
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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Book Description
An outstanding writer and preacher shares with readers a different approach to the season: four verse sermons on characters from the Christmas narrative (Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men), each accompanied by a chapter providing relevant background material on the featured character. It's an intriguing combination that lends itself equally well to preaching or to Bible studies -- for example, you can build a four-week Advent program around the poems. And there are four suggested orders of service provided that emphasize the message of the sermons. In a "lessons and carols" format, they're perfect for Christmas Eve -- but they also work well for Advent gatherings or potluck dinners. You'll find a variety of ways to use these creative and thoughtful meditations that portray familiar characters in a fresh, new way. Carter's sermons are an eruption of ingenious images, powerful experiences, and inventive connections. The result of interplay between creativity and fidelity, they are a splash of wildflowers growing in rich and loamy soil. Thomas G. Long Bandy Professor of Preaching Candler School of Theology, Emory University I appreciated your last book of sermons. Iola and I have been reading the chapters as we travel on the road. They give us great comfort and inspiration. Thanks Dave Brubeck Here's a preacher who knows how to swing, and a musician who says something every time he plays. Eugene L. Lowry McElvaney Professor Emeritus of Preaching St. Paul School of Theology This preacher is about as creative as they come. Thomas H. Troeger Peck Professor of Preaching and Communication Iliff School of Theology The senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, William G. Carter has received national recognition for his preaching and writing, with sermons and articles appearing in Journal for Preachers, Presbyterian Survey, Preaching, Lectionary Homiletics, The Christian Ministry, and Best Sermons 7. In 1999 and 2000, he was selected to preach on The Protestant Hour, an international radio ministry that reaches over two million listeners each week. He frequently leads workshops for pastors on homiletical themes and practices. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and the State University of New York at Binghamton (B.A.), Rev. Carter is also a highly regarded jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who has studied and performed with such noted artists as Dave Brubeck, Phil Woods, and Bob Brookmeyer. He is the pianist and leader of the Presbybop Quartet, which has recorded two CDs of original material plus jazz versions of favorite hymns. Carter has traveled widely presenting contemporary worship services and frequently weaves his music into his ministry. This is his fourth CSS book.

Celebrating the Wrath of God

Celebrating the Wrath of God PDF Author: Jim McGuiggan
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0307565165
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Is There a Purpose to Suffering And Loss? We only have to live to see or experience how agonizing life can be. We are surrounded by child abuse and neglect, starving families, premature deaths of those we love, natural disasters and global disease. How could a God worthy of respect and worship allow such a world to exist? There are no simple answers. But there is hope. For, claims author Jim McGuiggan, suffering may in fact be the last thing we expect–an expression of God’s wrath, which in turn is nothing other than his relentless, loving pursuit of us. If this is true, then suffering is a vital part of God’s work to redeem his creation. Give this claim a hearing, and you just might see the suffering world in a new way–a world shot through with glory and hope and assurance.

Jesus Listens--for Advent and Christmas, with Full Scriptures

Jesus Listens--for Advent and Christmas, with Full Scriptures PDF Author: Sarah Young
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400244250
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
This devotional collection of prayers and reflections from Sarah Young's bestselling Jesus Listens and Jesus Calling prepares your spirit for the Savior's coming, helps you spend the days of Advent and Christmas with intentionality, and carries you into the New Year with your heart and mind fixed on Jesus. Enjoy more peaceful moments this holiday season with Jesus Listens—for Advent and Christmas. This inspirational holiday devotional also includes Scripture verses, and words of hope from God's heart to yours. Jesus Listens—for Advent and Christmas is ideal for: Anyone longing to draw closer to Jesus during the Advent and Christmas season. Those who are looking for comfort, calm, and peace in place of the holiday bustle. Families who want to cultivate a tradition of Advent prayers and devotions together. This full-color prayer book includes: Prayers, reflections, and Bible verses based on the Christmas story and prophecies of Jesus' birth. Stunning seasonal illustrations, making this holiday treasure a beautiful gift or keepsake. As you pray Scripture throughout this holiday season, you'll experience not only God's answers, but also how prayer connects you to God, changes your heart, and brings peace and joy to one of the greatest celebrations of the year. Enjoy Sarah Young's other Christmas books: Jesus Calling for Christmas Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas (picture book) Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas (board book) Jesus Calling Advent and Christmas Prayers

He Will Be Enough

He Will Be Enough PDF Author: Katie Faris
Publisher: The Good Book Company
ISBN: 1784987603
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Biblical reflections helping you to have faith and to trust God in hard times. Life doesn’t always go the way we hoped, and sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we’d like. Challenging circumstances, especially ones with no immediate end in sight, can cause us to question God’s character, his purpose and his ways. Each of these 20 biblical reflections examines a truth about God and shows how it provides an anchor for the soul in hard times. Author Katie Faris writes with warmth and compassion, weaving in stories of her own family’s struggles with complex medical conditions. She encourages readers to entrust their confusing circumstances and unanswered questions to the Lord and place their hope in his promises. In so doing, they will be sustained in their suffering and enabled to live joyfully and fruitfully, loving and serving God and others, in the midst of their struggles. This beautiful hardback book will help you if you are going through hard times, or walking alongside those who are. It is also a great gift for a brother or sister in Christ who is struggling.

Connie Willis’s Science Fiction

Connie Willis’s Science Fiction PDF Author: Carissa Turner Smith
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000728455
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
In spite of Connie Willis’s numerous science fiction awards and her groundbreaking history as a woman in the field, there is a surprising dearth of critical publication surrounding her work. Taking Doomsday Book as its cue, this collection argues that Connie Willis’s most famous novel, along with the rest of her oeuvre, performs science fiction’s task of cognitive estrangement by highlighting our human inability to read the times correctly—and yet also affirming the ethical imperative to attempt to truly observe and record our temporal location. Willis’s fiction emphasizes that doomsdays happen every day, and they risk being forgotten by some, even as their trauma repeats for others. However, disasters also have the potential to upend accepted knowledge and transform the social order for the better, and this collection considers the ways that Willis pairs comic and tragic modes to reflect these uncertainties.