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The angels announced to the shepherds...

Illustration
The Nativity of our Lord - C
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Mark J. Molldrem
The angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus is the savior. There is only one other place in the New Testament gospels where Jesus is identified as the savior (John 4:42). In that instance, it was an unlikely group of Samaritans who announced it. Angels... Samaritans: both sources of this knowledge were outside the normal experiences of daily Jewish life. Would the average people of God in those days not even recognize Jesus as the savior had it not been told to them? What about us? Would we see in Jesus the savior of the world if it had not been announced to us?
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John Jamison
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me... (v. 34)

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For February 28, 2021:

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Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

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John E. Sumwalt
Frank Ramirez
Contents
“Breaking Jesus’ Heart” by John Sumwalt
“Wade In the Water” by Frank Ramirez


Breaking Jesus’ Heart
by John Sumwalt
Psalm 22:23-31

For he did not despise or abhor
    the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
    but heard when I cried to him. (Psalm 22:24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
"Have you seen it?" whispered the Barbie doll to her next door neighbour.

The next Barbie doll in line was instantly alert. There were five different Barbie dolls, who lived jumbled together in the toy cupboard but who were so jealous of each other that they rarely spoke. "Seen what?" asked the second Barbie doll, blue eyes darting all round the room.

"The Princess," replied the first Barbie with glee. "Caitlin's done her hair and it looks terrible!"

SermonStudio

Russell F. Anderson
Theme For The Day: The road to God's kingdom is the way of obedience, suffering and death, the way of the cross. Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him.


BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Genesis 17:1--7, 15--16 (C)
John W. Clarke
These verses from Mark's gospel are a call to commitment, a call to sacrifice, and a call to give up everything of earthly value in life. To say these are difficult verses is truly an understatement. It is pretty clear that the disciples are not at all ready for what Jesus is saying. They are not ready for Jesus to die and they certainly are not ready to die themselves.

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