Immanuel Church Wilmington Delaware

This brief mid-week sermon guides us through some potential dangers that can arise during this unique season of Covid as we try to continue Christian community at Immanuel Church

James 1:1-4 The apostle James challenges the early church to understand that the trials in life develop spiritual maturity, if we persevere in faith. We can rejoice in God, because the testing of our faith becomes a means to grow in our understanding of God and His purposes. As we see Him move in each trial, we're better able to face the future.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 Paul's exhortation to Timothy applies to all of us. We should be ready at any time to minister God's Word. It's important to believe and live sound doctrine, so we don't get swept into deception and false doctrine. The basics of sound doctrine involve sacrifice, humility, and endurance.

Luke 9:20-36 Stephen begins by explaining the circumstances before the Transfiguration, then shows how the response of the disciples can be a lesson to all of us. When we set our minds on the things of man and not the ways of God, we can miss the fullness of the glory of Jesus. We need to listen, to see the bigger picture. 

Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-23 Sometimes Joseph's role in the birth and early life of Jesus is overlooked. Elder Joel Porter shows the important lessons we can learn from him. As a righteous man, he wrestled with how to handle Mary's divine pregnancy, but once the angel explained it, he obeyed. As Joseph continued to discern and obey God's direction for their lives, so we too should learn to hear and obey God's voice.

Luke 2:1-21 On Christmas Eve, Pastor Dan spoke about sacredness. Sacred moments of life are gifts from God to show us His awesome presence. In the midst of a sinful world, they offer a glimpse of a new way of living. In the darkness of 2020, light can still be found. Will you allow the sacredness of this time to be a source of hope for 2021?

Matthew 2:1-12 In seeking to explain further the circumstances surrounding the journey that the Magi took to find baby Jesus, Pastor Dan explains it in modern day terms. Jesus was born in an unexpected place and worshipped first by unexpected people. Where are you searching for the Prince of Peace? Do you need to be redirected to where this humble and lowly Savior can be found? Also, are you generous with your love and gifts, as you serve the King of kings?

Luke 2:21-39 This week we explore the hope of Anna and Simeon, two aged individuals who were faithfully devoted to the Lord. That devotion enabled them to recognize baby Jesus as the promised Messiah. Like them, we must always be embracing God's plan, and prepared to submit to His purposes, so we're ready for the new thing that he does in our lives.

Many of us will be struggling with Christmas season with fewer family and friends around our dinning room tables and in our living room.  How are we going to cope with the challenges ahead?  In this devotional, we take a quick look at Elijah's story as we discuss mental health and the incarnation, and we look ahead to the next episode when we will look at the need to develop life-giving habits with our minds "set on things above" (Colossians 3:1) this Christmas season and beyond.  

Today we are going to talk about isolation and Advent.  Since we are in this pandemic, and since isolation has been more of a part of lives than perhaps we would have liked in 2020, I figured that an Advent devotional that deals exactly with this topic would be helpful.  Most of our family Christmases will be smaller as our Thanksgiving already was.  I am anticipating the sadness of that time to really hit us hard in the coming weeks, and what better way to prepare to face this than to take a deep look at Scripture, at its story, and try to face the coming holiday isolation from events that we are very accustomed to every Christmas.  Just last year, I took my daughter Lydia for her December birthday to Charles Dickens land at the Macy's in Philadelphia, took her afterwards to enjoy an authentic Philly cheese steak, to top it off with seeing a play at the Arden Theatre in old city. This year, there was no ability to have a daddy daughter date.  I’m sure you have a story that you can look back on from last year

Luke 1:26-56 When Mary came to Elizabeth, she shared in song her hope and joy in knowing she would bear the Son of God. She prophetically declared that God would give grace to the humble, working mightily through ordinary people, and God fulfilling all the prophecies through the weak. We too should pursue humility, seeing that simple things have great value.

Luke 1:5-24, 57-80 We begin our Christmas series looking at the life of Zechariah. He and Elizabeth received a miracle from God in the birth of their son, John. We see his struggle with believing it initially, but his faith later in the fulfillment of God's promises. His son would become the prophetic forerunner to the promised Messiah, Jesus, the hope of the world.

Mark 4:1-20 God works in His people through the Word, Jesus Christ, by His Spirit. In this parable, we see 3 ways that the Word can be robbed from us, and a 4th way it can take root and bear fruit. We learn how we should respond to the Word that God sows in us, as well as what we should expect when the Word is sown deep in our life.

1 Peter 1:3-9 The message of the resurrection is more than just a message. It is our living hope, because the church is supernaturally equipped with an ability to live the resurrection life:  a life of love, of generosity, of meekness, of humility, as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ. As a result, our attachments should be to Him, not to people, ideas, or things.

Lamentations 5 As we conclude the study of Lamentations, we see the author recounting again the tragedies that befell the Hebrew people. Yet, as he made clear earlier, they had hope in God's faithfulness to His promises. We must remember that God's story is forever. Our story makes sense if we see it interwoven with His story. Don't get overwhelmed with the moment, but allow the past to give hope for the future.

Lamentations 4 Idolatry involves making something or someone who is not God like they are God. In our desire to be fulfilled, we place other loves before the One who can truly meet our need. Wrongly ordered loves include 1) wealth, success, and progress, 2) people and leaders, 3) governments and nations. May we make worship of God our priority.

Lamentations 3 As the author of Lamentations wrestles with his own story of trials and disappointments, he looks to God's story of mercy and faithfulness. He recognizes that God is committed to us, to draw us closer to Himself. God is in the process of making all things new. In the midst of our story, we must hope in God's faithfulness.

Lamentations 2 The nature of "lament" is not the exploration of the reasons for suffering, but more so, giving room for asking the questions and learning to cling to faith, even in the absence of answers. We must remember that we are the creation, not the Creator. We must learn to say," God I truly don't understand, but if I cannot hope in You, I indeed have no hope at all."

Lamentations 1 Pastor Dan begins a series on learning to lament. When rough circumstances happen to us as individuals, as a church, or as a nation, we must allow ourselves, and others, to express grief and sadness. It is not despair, but is girded with hope in the Lord. As David did many times in the Psalms, we must be willing to address our feelings, and yet rejoice in God's love and mercy.

The Bible is one long unified story of redemption, with Christ at the center. As Pastor Dan takes us from Genesis to Revelation to see God's plan, we revisit Israel's role in it. We cultivate our knowledge of God's divine perspective for the nations, and His heart for the world.