He Hears

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day seven)

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard… vs 13a

Do not be afraid. Easier said than done. This isn’t a pale winged man holding a harp, nor a flying baby with a bow and arrow. The angel of the Lord strikes fear into the soul of every person that comes into contact with him (as we will see throughout this series). This is a representative of the King of the Universe, a manifestation of the power of the Living God. We should be afraid. Just as Isaiah repented as he came into the presence of the Lord, we recognize how insignificant we are when we are compared to heavenly grandeur.

Yet, the angel says, “Your prayer has been heard.” The power of the universe on display before our eyes as this manifestation reaches into the deepest chasm of our soul to provide the validation we so desperately need, God hears you! How long have you prayed? How long have you waited? The prayer is not unanswered, nor unheard, but the King of the Universe is working us into His plan through our prayers. Like Zacharias, we pray, we wait, we enter His presence humbly and faithfully, and we will see how powerful our God really is. That is a promise.

In The Spirit of John the Baptist

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day six)

John the Baptist’s story isn’t just an announcement about the coming Messiah; it’s a picture of the kind of people God forms by His Spirit. When Gabriel speaks to Zechariah, he describes a child who would be filled with the Holy Spirit even in the womb and sent as a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repentance and renewed allegiance to God’s Kingdom. John’s whole life pointed away from himself and toward the One who was coming.

And here’s what has been stirring in me: isn’t that also what the Spirit does in us?

Every follower of Jesus is reborn by the Spirit, brought into a new identity, and empowered to bear witness to the King. We live between two great moments, looking back to the first coming of Jesus and pointing forward to His return. Our lives, our words, our hospitality, our faithfulness become small but real reminders that the Kingdom of God is here and the King is coming again.

Rhythms and Disciplines

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day five)

“Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,”

I spent over twenty five years serving churches in youth ministry. One of my favorite sayings to those students was, “be in your place (on Sundays).”  What I had hoped the students would discover was that God (who  is at work and present with us at all times) is particularly visible, particularly verbal, and particularly nearer to us as we practice godly rhythms and disciplines. Private and corporate worship. Regular scripture reading and study. Praying. Serving. Christian community. We often see and sense the Lord clearer as we faithfully follow Christ in these ways. That’s what happened to Zachariah. Obedient. Righteous. Walking with the Lord in and through His commandments. Where are your “places” this advent season?  Will you faithfully follow Christ through godly rhythms and disciplines?  May He be particularly verbal and near to you!!

Shame

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day four)

Zacharias and Elizabeth lived righteous lives, but they still wrestled with the realities of a broken world. Their inability to bear children was a point of hurt and shame in their lives, one they had dealt with for a long time. When the Lord confronts Zacharias in the temple, he gives him a promise that ministers to his deepest wound. This passage is meant to remind us of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel. Throughout our lineage of ancestors in the Kingdom of God, the Lord meets people in their hurt and shame and brings beauty out of that place. He not only gives Zacharias and Elizabeth a child, but he uses that child to prepare the way of the Lord and advance the Kingdom of God on the earth.

The Lord continues to work in this way today. He ministers to our hurt and shame in a variety of ways, but when we submit those things to the Lord, he is willing to not only heal us in that area, but use it to advance the Kingdom.

Ready

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day three)

He will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The description the angel gives of the boy’s future life and work appears congruent with the oath-taking, asceticism-valuing, solitude-pursuing men and women called Nazarites. Samson is perhaps the most sensational example of this religious class, famous (or infamous) as much for his lapses from his vows as for his status as a Nazarite in the first place. St. Paul also took a Nazarite oath, referencing his vows and the cutting of his long hair at the end of his oath period. But John would be a Nazarite among Nazarites. Jesus called him the greatest among those born of women. John experienced the full sound and fury and loneliness of holy living – believing, doubting, praying, preaching, wondering. His life’s message: get yourself ready to receive the Christ.

Waiting and Waffles

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day two)

They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. v. 6

This is the perfect story to begin our Advent journey together. Israel was waiting and expecting for deliverance to come in the form of a savior. It had been hundreds of years. Zacharias and Elizabeth were faithful, but they were waiting as well. We don’t know the inner dialogue they had within themselves and each other; but they wanted a child, and it appeared they would not conceive. Yet, they remained faithful.

Fast forward two millennia. My daughter Jessica wanted to make waffles this morning, but realized that the mixing bowl was in the dishwasher. She said she could wait until the cycle was complete to make them, but then realized there was an hour and forty-nine minutes left. She quickly declared that she didn’t have time to wait for them to be clean.

Wanting a child and wanting waffles aren’t even close to being the same; but as I sat down to write this morning, I was reminded of how little patience any of us have to wait on the Lord for things big or small. There are even times when the Lord has a completely different plan for us than we hope or desire, and in the waiting we can learn to want what he wants more than what we want. This is often a painful lesson.

Each Advent season,  we remind ourselves that waiting is part of the journey. God is working out his perfect will among us, and we often are left in a place that doesn’t feel like it is ever going to move. God wasn’t asleep with the nation of Israel, and he is not asleep in your life.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were able to get the desire of their hearts. Jessica, also found a clean bowl and got the waffles she desired.

 

Monday Re:Vlog – 11/24/25

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Luke 1:5-17 in our Advent Re:Verse Series: “Luke: Long-Expected.”

Will it float?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:10-18 (day seven)

be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness. vs 17

Will it float? The question we will not forget from this series. Thank you Pastor Jimmy for bringing an illustration that challenges even us adults to test everything we hear against the word of God. Just like the world that Peter was living in when he wrote this letter, we are in a battle against false teachers and false doctrines. Our world is at a severe risk due to the platform that has been created for these doctrines to perpetuate (i.e. the internet/social media). That is why it is of the utmost importance to test everything we hear against the Word of God.  Also, test it against church history. Has it been taught faithfully in the church over time? There is no such thing as new doctrine. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He may reveal new insights to us. His mercies are new every morning, but His nature will never change.

How have you been encouraged by this series?

Good Theology

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:10-18 (day six)

When Peter tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18), he’s inviting us to practice good theology, not as academics, but as disciples who want to know God truly. The reality is, we’re all doing theology all the time. Every prayer we pray, every worship song we sing, every moment we try to make sense of life through Scripture, we’re already thinking and speaking about God. That’s theology.

Some say, “Don’t give me theology, just give me Jesus.” But the moment we open the Bible and describe who Jesus is, we’re doing theology. The real question isn’t whether we do theology, but whether we do it well. Doing good theology is more than the accumulation of knowledge; it shapes how we live in the world.

As Basil the Great said, “True theology isn’t curiosity; it’s devotion in the service of God.” (4th century)

Grow

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:10-18 (day five)

Pastor Peter’s final instruction and encouragement to these believers is one word- grow. “Make progress.” “Get forward.” “Become more and more like Jesus.” In a microwave and air fryer culture where we demand results in seconds or minutes, this is not the picture. It’s more like a smoker- taking hours upon hours to produce a finished product. “Low and slow” is the mantra for most who cook this way. So, how do you know when growth is happening?  With a smoker you use an internal temperature probe (see the temp increasing). How do you measure christian growth? Let me suggest like a smoker, mostly it happens slowly and internally. There are two primary probes- scripture (Hebrews 4:12) and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). But like a smoker there is  visible tangible evidence. Miguel Nunez offers the following questions to help discern and reveal growth:  Am I growing in my ability to love others? How much joy do I experience in my daily life? Is inner peace something I experience? How much have I grown in patience toward others and, especially, toward those who have sinned against me? How gentle or kind have I been today in dealing with others? Have I grown in humility or meekness? How often do I look at others and think they are proud? How am I doing with self control? Am I in control of my sinful impulses? How well am I controlling my anger? How do I speak to others?

“Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬