Parenting the Perfect Child, Part 1
If you have kids, you know full well that there's no such thing as a perfect parent. But you also know that there's no such thing as a perfect child! Mistakes are made all along the way - on both sides - and that's just part of being human. But that wasn't true for Mary and Joseph. Their child never sinned, never disobeyed, and never stole from the cookie jar. Did that mean that Joseph and Mary had it easy? Did that mean that parenting for them was a walk in the park? Not quite. In this message, Stephen reminds us that as hard as it is for us to raise an imperfect child, it was even harder for them to raise a perfect one.
Missing!
If you've ever lost a child before - even for a moment - you know a little of how Joseph and Mary felt upon realizing they had left young Jesus in Jerusalem. But as Stephen pulls back the curtain of this well-known event in Luke 2:41-51, he shows us that it is far more than a sentimental lost-and-found story . . . it is an early Messianic demonstration as pivotal to the Gospel as Jesus' miracles, His crucifixion, and His resurrection! Join Stephen now as he tells us why.
Israel's Most Wanted, Part 2
It's easy for us to look back with a smile upon the events surrounding the Christmas drama because we are looking back from the perspective of the cross and the empty tomb. But imagine what Mary and Joseph must have been experiencing during the drama! For them the nativity was a scene of confusion, insecurity, and fear as they literally found themselves running for their lives. Here is the Christmas story through their eyes.Â
Israel's Most Wanted, Part 1
It's easy for us to look back with a smile upon the events surrounding the Christmas drama because we are looking back from the perspective of the cross and the empty tomb. But imagine what Mary and Joseph must have been experiencing during the drama! For them the nativity was a scene of confusion, insecurity, and fear as they literally found themselves running for their lives. Here is the Christmas story through their eyes.Â
The Presentation of the Lamb
Much of our celebration of Christmas is derived from those well-known facts about Jesus’ birth -- i.e. that He was born in a manger in Bethlehem, his mother was a virgin, and He was worshipped by onlooking shepherds. As a result, both our knowledge and worship sometimes ends there. But in this new series “Beyond Bethlehem,†Stephen takes us on an investigation of the boyhood of Jesus to broaden our understanding of His life and, consequently, increase our reasons to worship Him.
After the Angels Sang
The Temple, the Old Testament Law, the priestly duties, the sacrifices, the showbread, the lampstands, the incense, the Holy of Holies; all of it finds meaning in Jesus. Without Him, we're just decorating empty space.
The Reveal
On the eve of the most significant birth in world history, a glorious song reverberated through the heavens. Two thousand years later, that song is reverberating still.
The Paradox, Part 2
How is it that no man can see God’s face and yet people saw Christ? This is the paradox of the incarnation. Although we can perceive the mystery, it will take all of eternity for us to understand it.
The Paradox, Part 1
How is it that no man can see God’s face and yet people saw Christ? This is the paradox of the incarnation. Although we can perceive the mystery, it will take all of eternity for us to understand it.
The Pedigree, Part 2
Genealogies are often a bore to sift through, but that isn't the case with Christ’s genealogy. The deeper we delve into the names which comprise that divinely orchestrated list, the more we understand the nature of God’s tremendous grace.