"Hark the Herald Angel Sing!" These lyrics are familiar to us during this time of year and constantly remind us of Jesus' miraculous birth. Charles Wesley, the author of this hymn, wrote over 6,000 songs during his ministry. His mission was to transform profound theological truths into musical pieces for the poor and uneducated, reflecting his heart of servitude.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

John is, for sure, a different sort of gospel: both in tone and content. You can tell from the first chapter (where John launches into a breathtaking, poetic prologue that starts before creation and previews the incarnation, rejection, mission, and triumph of Jesus) that this is going to be something distinctive…

When is the last time you were thankful for hard things?

Have you ever been a part of the Thanksgiving tradition of sitting around the table and taking turns saying something that you are thankful for? Let’s try it out! Right now - go. Think for a second, what are you thankful for this year?

Something I have struggled with all of my life is fear. From when I was a child I was always afraid something bad would happen to my family. When I was a teenager I was afraid that I would not be good enough at sports or smart enough in school or liked enough to be popular…

Today I’m going to be telling you the story about how God changed my life. How he has always been pursuing me and leading me towards His grace and mercy…

Well, it depends on who you ask.

If you ask friends from school or your soccer team, you may get a variety of answers. Some will say people are born that way and have no control over it. Others may answer that everyone deserves to love whoever they choose.

Do you ever find yourself judging those whose appearance/job/background/etc. may be different than yours? Who would you say are the “despised ones” of our generation?

I want to share a few thoughts about friendship (and a few hot takes) to encourage you and hopefully challenge you on your journey of finding friends and being a good one. I’ll be honest - I’m going to say somethings that might not sit well with you at first, but stick with me!