“‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Matthew 3:11
Do you know someone who counts down the days until Christmas all year? Children always seem to be excited about Christmas. My girls begin their countdown as soon as summer is over. I have one friend who keeps track of how many days until Christmas for the entire year. If you ask her on any day, she can tell you exactly how many more days until December 25.
In this season of waiting, we celebrate with expectancy the coming of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. Imagine the feeling of first century Jews when they heard these words of John the Baptist on the bank of the Jordan River: “…but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me.” This nation of people had waited hundreds of years for the long awaited Messiah, and now the time had come! Can you sense the excitement?
Today, we wait for the coming of Jesus. Not the birth in the manger, but we wait for Jesus to return so that we can live eternally with Jesus. We believe in faith that when Jesus returns, the old will made new, the broken will be healed, and the world will be restored. The hope and expectancy is real. Jesus is coming…and it’s going to be better than Christmas!
This Sunday, we will continue our series, He Shall Be Called, as we talk about Jesus our mighty God. On Sunday afternoon, you are invited to join us on the front lawn of the church for hot chocolate and to watch the Royston Christmas Parade. We will begin gathering at 2 PM (the parade starts at 3 PM). Have an amazing weekend and I look forward to being with you in worship this Sunday at 8:45 and 11:00!
Come, Lord Jesus,
Matt
P.S. I read in an article this past week that more unchurched people will go to church at Christmas than any other time of the year — including Easter. That means this is THE BEST TIME to invite someone to be with you in worship at Royston First! I hope you will prayerfully consider who you will share Christmas with this year. You can find out more about what’s happening this month on our website at roystonfirstumc.org/christmas.
Royston First United Methodist Church 