Daily Dose of the Word of God - 1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13 Artwork

Elmhurst CRC

Welcome to Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church! Here you will find the audio version of the messages from the weekend services taught by Pastor Gregg DeMey and Pastor Jeff Klein with occasional guest pastors, as well as our weekday devotionals. We hope you enjoy the messages and are encouraged by God’s Word.

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Elmhurst CRC

Daily Dose of the Word of God - 1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13

November 29, 2024 • Erin Pacheco • Season 1 • Episode 752

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Erin Pacheco 0:11

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Friday, November 29, and Sunday is coming! I’m Erin Pacheco, director of worship here at ECRC. Today is the day after Thanksgiving, a day when many of us quickly set our sights toward Christmas. In my house, we’ll be setting up our Christmas tree today. And on Sunday, when we gather for worship, we’ll be kicking off the season of Advent.

Erin Pacheco 0:42

Advent is probably my favorite part of the church year. The word “advent” simply means “coming.” An Advent calendar is usually some kind of countdown to Christmas. In the church, the season of Advent is set aside as a time of waiting and anticipation for the coming of Christ — both his first coming as a baby and his second coming as the King of kings and Lord of lords, whose kingdom will have no end. And while the culture around us blares about Christmas cheer and pushes us to consume more and spend more, the church in Advent quietly takes a different approach. Advent makes space for us to acknowledge that yes, God has given us Jesus, the perfect gift and the promise of peace. But we also acknowledge that sometimes God takes a long time to fulfill his promises, and sometimes waiting is hard, and sometimes it’s hard to see what God sees. We still long for the day when there truly is peace on earth — and peace in our hearts.

Erin Pacheco 2:07

Theologians sometimes talk about this tension as “already/not yet.” Jesus has already defeated sin on the cross and opened the way to new life, but we do not yet live in the fullness of that defeat. We still live with a lot of brokenness and sin. We are still waiting for Jesus to come again to make all things new. I love the simple realism of Advent. Life is hard. God is good. Jesus is coming. Advent gets to remind us that all of these things are true. So whatever your Advent season looks like this year, as you turn your eyes toward Jesus, I’d like to pray this prayer over you from 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13.

Erin Pacheco 3:11

May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. And may he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all his holy people. Amen.