Dear Family,

Bill Hybels.

Mark Driscoll.

Tony Evans.

Steve Lawson.

James McDonald

Carl Lentz.

Bruxy Cavey.

Brian Houston.

Ravi Zacharias.

Maybe you know their names.

Famous pastors, speakers, apologists who did not live what they preached.

And every time one of them falls, the internet goes wild.

“Christian hypocrites!”

We all remember Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert. We remember Robert Tilton. Christians have been giving Jesus a bad name for as long as any of us can remember.

But it’s not just them.

It’s us. We have been invited into a new life and far too often we refuse it. We are hypocrites. We are treasonous.

But there is hope once we admit it. We can take a step closer to the abundant life we are offered. Read Matthew 6:1 and try to prepare yourself to hear what God might want to say to you.

​

Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,

I have a job for you. I want you to find someone to tell you the 3-minute version of the Christmas story. Get them to throw in all the details they know. What was the king's name, what did they wrap the baby in, how many animals in the stable? If you have children in the home, ask them together and let them work on the story together. If you can’t find anyone to ask, then try the experiment yourself. Then read the actual story in Luke 2. Maybe read some from Matthew 1 and 2. Notice how far off the story you have in your mind is from the story in the Bible.

Now ignore your mistakes and realize that your story is really good, too. The question is, why is this story told? What is our takeaway? What should we do? I think the answer might surprise you.

Dear St Andrews Family,

You know that moment when everything seems hopeless? Of course you do.

• The medicine isn’t doing its job.

• Your marriage has no meaning.

• Your job is in jeopardy.

• Your children are suffering.

Maybe you are feeling this now.

Israel felt this. Their world had been crushed. The temple didn’t have the power it once did. God felt more than a little distant.

And then . . .

Suddenly!

Let’s talk about “suddenly” this week from Malachi 3:1. Suddenly, he whom you desire, will come. It’s a story we all remember—when HE came. And it’s a story that empowers us through all the hopelessness of our circumstances and points us to his perhaps “sudden” coming to rescue us again.

Pastor Jace