Author: Aaron Hufty

Aaron Hufty is the Associate Pastor for Worship and Music at FBCSA.

Leap in to Action Mode

Fourteenth Day of Advent

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭15-18‬ NASB)‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Put your money where your mouth is.”
Cambridge Dictionary says about this phrase “to show by your actions, and not just your words, that you support or believe in something”.
James is saying the same thing about a Christian’s faith. Statements about faith in the Gospel message are important and good, but what evidence is there to support those words of belief? Are there actions to back up what is said?
In the movie “Batman Begins”, at the climax of the story, Rachel Dawes asks Batman, “Wait! You could die. At least tell me your name.” Batman replies, “It’s not who I am underneath (the mask), but what I DO that defines me.” And as Rachel realizes that Batman is her friend Bruce Wayne, Batman turns and leaps off the roof to go into action mode.
Now James does not say our works define us, but they do give substance to our professed faith.
James is saying in effect to us “you say you have faith? Good, put your works where your faith is..take a leap in your faith and go into action mode.”

Tony Gerloff

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Be still…

Thirteenth Day of Advent

Psalm 46:10-11 (ESV)

10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The current culture has conditioned us to think and believe that waiting or being still is unproductive. There is an immense demand to always be on task and shortening the “to-do list”. We feel this tension in restaurants, traffic jams, and grocery stores. To a degree, we all “hate to wait”. We have come to believe that waiting is a waste of time.

Scripture teaches that waiting is not wasting when we are still (waiting) before the Lord. Why? When we are still and quiet before the Lord, we begin to discover and understand more about Him. We become aware of His Deity and Authority. The scope of His Rule and His Reign becomes clearer and larger. Finally, we are convinced of His Goodness (He is near and present) and His Strength (we are safe and secure). “Be still, and …”

Scott Lane

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Forever Family

Twelfth Day of Advent

Galatians 4:4-7 The Message (MSG)

4-7 But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.

Two years ago, my daughter Kate and I had the privilege to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa and work with an organization called the Door of Hope, a group dedicated to taking in abandoned children and loving them until they are placed with a “forever family.” Each time a child is adopted, a celebration takes place. Photo displays of happy children and excited families cover the walls in the baby houses. The process is a beautiful illustration of God’s love—the kind of love Paul is addressing in this passage. Paul is explaining that the Gentiles, because of the arrival and work of Christ, no longer needed to wait for someone to find them a forever family. The rights and privileges of being called a child of God were extended to all, despite the conditions of their birth. The same is true for all of us today: once we accept this gift of grace, the Savior of the world calls us His child, and we can intimately call him Abba, Father, Papa, Daddy. As in Johannesburg, there are millions today who have been abandoned by either an earthly parent, or the world in general. As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity, let us pray that we, as believers, will serve to be a Door of Hope, introducing those in need to an eternal parent and forever family.

Laura Aten

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Just Believe

Eleventh Day of Advent

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 NASB)

It has always been easy for me to define myself by my works. If you perform well one day, you have done well; if you perform poorly another day, you have not done well. This works-based thinking easily pours over into our spiritual lives if we aren’t careful. Have you ever felt further or nearer to God based on your works? I do, quite often. The gospel seeks to destroy a works-based lifestyle. John 3:16 will utterly ruin a legalist. Think about how the Pharisees (exemplary legalists) felt in John 6 when they simply wanted to know how to perfectly perform the works of God. To their inquiry Jesus essentially replies: “Believe.” That’s it?! All I have to do is believe? Reliance on your works will only get you so far. Reliance on His work will get you to heaven. It’s no longer about how faithful you can gather yourself to be; it’s about how faithful He is. It’s no longer about how hard you try to know Him, but about how much He knows you. If you change your perspective, then your entire life will change. You will find more freedom than you have ever found. Jesus’ answer is: just believe.

Chris Butler

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Attributes of God

Tenth Day of Advent

1 TIMOTHY 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Attributes, qualities, characteristics. When you read the Word of God do you look to see who God is in the passage or do you get caught up in “What is God trying to say to me?” and fail to see WHO GOD IS? In the above passage, you could get caught up in thinking about sin and how you have sinned against God. But look closer into this passage. Do you see Christ … Jesus … Savior …mercy … patience … eternal life … King … immortal … invisible … the ONLY God?! In focusing on the attributes of God, you will find yourself in worship, immersed in the presence of Holy God. You will acknowledge your great need for mercy … salvation … eternal life. You will find yourself in a state of gratefulness and humility, knowing the great provision of an eternal home with Holy God. The next time you open up the Word of God, look for WHO GOD IS and see how through worship he will speak clearly to you about who you are to Him.

Larry L. Boggs

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Blessings Overflowing

Ninth Day of Advent

Psalm 40:1-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

God Sustains His Servant.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

It is not a Christmas hymn, but it is appropriate to sing anytime…Count Your Many Blessings. It can be a tricky trail through life as we await the coming return of our Savior. When we trust in God rather that the falsehoods of the world, we are blessed beyond measure. Others are blessed when they see His blessings in our lives. By counting our blessings, we are proclaiming God’s goodness to the world. At the time of year that we celebrate the birth of the Savior, the hearts of the lost are tuned most to Him. By demonstrating the wonders of God through our joy and gratefulness, many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. Jesus is coming again…will He find us faithfully waiting and proclaiming His blessings? Will He find us singing Joy to the world, the Savior is come?

Larry Soape

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Is God Ever Late?

Eighth Day of Advent

2 Peter 3:8-16 (The Message)

The Day the Sky Will Collapse
8-9 Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
10 But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.
11-13 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
14-16 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don’t know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it.

Is God Ever Late?
We celebrate Advent as the first coming of Christ, with Christmas ballads and tinsel. Peter
describes a very different Coming of Christ—this time to bring final judgment.
Our time unravels in minutes, days, months, years. We have limitations of time and space.
How different with God. I can’t imagine Him looking at the clock. He thinks of a day as a
thousand years. Yet God’s timing is perfect.
Mary and Martha (John 11:25) were frantic—trying to reach Jesus to come and heal their
sick brother, Lazarus. Jesus eventually arrived. However, for the sisters, Jesus was late—too late.
Lazarus was dead.
Mary and Martha wept to Jesus—“If only you would have been here.”
You know the story. Jesus went to the tomb and shouted to Lazarus—who came from the
gravesite, still wrapped in burial shrouds.
The sisters learned something about Jesus. Lazarus had died, but Jesus miraculously gave
him back his life. Jesus wasn’t late at all!
God is beyond time and space. We often wonder—does He sometimes come too late? We
wring our hands, wishing and crying for God to do something—now!
Is God ever late?
Is He ever too late? Never!

Joe Musser

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

Waiting

Seventh Day of Advent

Isaiah 40:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV)
Comfort for God’s People
40
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

After 39 chapters of warning and woe, Isaiah received a message of redemption and restoration that would offer encouragement to the Jews in exile as they waited.
Centuries later John the Baptist called people back to the Lord using the same message to a people still waiting.
Today, this call to action challenges us to get ready for the coming Messiah. While they were waiting for the Promised One, preparation was necessary. As we wait especially during this Advent Season, there are things we can do to get ready, not only to celebrate His first coming as a baby, but also to anticipate His ultimate coming as Conquering King.

Straighten the road of our hearts and lives in preparation for spiritual renewal.

Knock down the mountains by repenting of sins, busyness, and distractions.

Smooth and level the soil of our hearts so that nothing will hinder God’s work in and through us.

Isaiah foresaw the day when God would say, “your sin is paid for, I’ve accepted your sacrifice, it’s time to go home.” This is the good news of the Gospel; our just God is full of mercy and grace for those who wait on Him.

Jane Witcher

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

Remember

Sixth Day of Advent

Isaiah 46:9-11, New American Standard Version

9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

When my children were small, Christmas Eve at my parents’ home was all-out. Two glowing trees, mistletoe, candles, music, and a formal turkey dinner, followed by flaming plum pudding, shiny crackers popped and paper crowns worn. Then into the living room to read Luke 2 and exchange our gifts. Later, we told stories by firelight.

The Advent season often triggers memories of former things long past…childhood homes, deceased loved ones, traditions no longer observed, our own former wide-eyed wonder. Nostalgia makes us mourn for what seems forever lost.

Do you think of your relationship to God that way, too? Do you only vaguely recall a time when He seemed very near, when you had a strong sense of His direction and comfort?

Unlike our shifting experiences and perspectives, God’s character remains unchanged. He is sovereign and has a plan, ordaining world leaders and future events. God stands outside time, observing and orchestrating the past, present, and future simultaneously. Mind-boggling, scary—and at the same time, reassuring. The God you know and love can be trusted with your future. And what a future: Advent remembers awaiting the Messiah’s birth and anticipates His return. God will surely bring it to pass!

Susan Spoon

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

He Never Fails

Fifth Day of Advent

Isaiah 40:27-31 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 Jacob, why do you say,
and Israel, why do you assert:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my claim is ignored by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
31 but those who trust in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.

We are prone to spiritual weakness. We are prone to stumble in our faith. Isaiah 40:29-31 gives us a picture of our weakness and the strength and endurance that we lack as human beings. There are times that we all come upon that challenge in our faith. There are times that we find out just how weak we are. We face an unrelenting enemy that seeks to devour us at every turn.

This text uses the analogy of a “youth”; i.e. someone in the prime of his or her life. This is usually a time when someone is at his or her greatest prowess. Yet, there is a certainty of stumbling and falling in the text. It is the same for us spiritually. At our strongest point, we are weak. The idea is that even the strongest of us will surely fall. We are prone to weakness. Even the greatest theologian in the world is going to fail in faith.

There is a promise within this text, though. Verses 28 and 29 give us a base of understanding for verse 31. God will never fail. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Though our faith fails sometimes, God does not. He never faints. He never gets weary. We need strength, and God gives that to us. There are times that we will grow weary. There are times that we will faint and we will be weak. But the Lord renews us. He gives us the strength that we need to rise back up and begin running again.

Our prayer for you today is that you would rely on the Lord for your strength. May you hope in the Lord and in the strength, renewal, and redemption that He brings as we think of the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Jimmy Gunn

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18