Proverbs 24:3-4  By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

A house is filled with stuff, but a home is filled with security, warmth and comfort. It's where relationships are nurtured through meaningful conversation and shared meals. It's where mistakes are made and forgiveness is practiced. It's where we can be ourselves and be loved for who we are. It's a place of vulnerability and trust, of being present for each other. This type of presence is much more valuable than the presents under the tree, especially if it is modeled after the presence of Christ - always there, always listening, always loving, always forgiving.

This Advent, promise yourself that every person who sets foot in your house will, above all else, feel at home in Christ's love.

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,
 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The proverbial fixer-upper. Sometimes a house needs renovation because of age or neglect, or maybe it is no longer functional. First on the list is to find a contractor, hopefully one who sees possibilities and potential. If the foundation is stable, amazing transformations can happen.

There's a parallel here to us and Christ. Sin took the perfectly designed world God created and thrust it into disrepair. God promised to send a Savior who would bring the ultimate renovation through restoration and reconciliation. That Savior is Jesus Christ. He was born for us, gave his life for us and rose for us. Through Him we are made new, full of possibilities and potential. We can barely believe the transformation.

This Advent let's give thanks for God's amazing work in us as we resolve to live a life that brings honor and glory to him and him alone.

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

 

1 Corinthians 3:11  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Water leaks that go unnoticed, monster tree roots that crowd the foundation, scorching heat that the soil and makes it settle. These problems and others can lead to shifting foundations, and shifting foundations lead to cracks, and the cracks will only get worse if you do not find the right fix. Can you relate?

Shifts happen. Medical diagnosis, a lost job, a failing relationship, fear for the future. This season of the year seems to magnify shifts that already exist. Tensions heighten, schedules overwhelm, expectations are replaced with disappointments, spending goes into overdrive, and soon the cracks begin to show. The Currier and Ives Christmas is simply not going to happen.

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells the parable of two builders: one who builds his house upon the rock; the other who builds his house on the sand. Which one remained intact when the rain fell, and the floods came, and the wind blew? Take a deep breath, and shift your focus back to Jesus, your refuge, your rock, your foundation.

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

 

1 Samuel 16:7  For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

Curb appeal. It refers to giving attention to how others perceive your home. From lawn and landscaping to paint color and the style of your front door, curb appeal serves to set the mood and creates an expectation for what you might see and feel when you step inside.

Imagine a beautiful nativity scene adorns the front year of a home. You walk inside but find no hint of Christ. Christmas carols play, but no "O Come All Ye Faithful." There's an elf on the shelf, but no angel on the tree. "Twas the Night Before Christmas is set out, but no Bible is in sight. It's not at all what you expected.

That sounds like me, focused too much on appearance and not enough on what's inside. God's Law serves as a curb - its boundaries reveal our sin. But thank be to God for the Gospel - the Good News that we are forgiven through Christ. That is the greatest appeal of all.

-- Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

 

1 Peter 4:8,10  Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

Welcome home, you belong here. That's what the welcome home hug or handshake or pat on the back conveys. When you are away, we miss you. When you come home, we treasure our time together. The Christmas lights, the array of treats, the stories told, the laughter shared and the presents under the tree serve as reminders of what anchors us to home. The sights, the tastes, the smells, the sounds of home.

What are the living reminders that our home is in Christ? The baptism font where the Holy Spirit plants faith in our hearts through water and the Word. The bread and wine of the Eucharist, where we receive the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Joining voices to sing "Silent Night' and "Joy to the World." Knowing that praises and prayers are being lifted across the world.

Nothing, however, compares to the welcome home we will receive when God calls us to himself. Christ has come, and he is coming again.

-- 

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,


 

Matthew 6:21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Can't you just picture Dorothy tapping the heels of her ruby slippers together, yearning for home? Why did she want to leave the wonders of Oz? The answer lies in the sense of belonging, something for which we all yearn.

Home is where we can be ourselves and still be loved. Where we can hurt and be forgiven and be hurt and forgive. Where we can cry and pout and laugh and dance. Where we know we are loved unconditionally. Home is where we feel a sense of belonging, foibles and all.

Our homes aren't perfect, because we aren't perfect. Christ came to live the perfect life we cannot and to take the punishment we deserve. As believers, we now belong to the family of Christ and yearn for our eternal home in heaven. After all, Christ came to call us home.

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,


 

Ephesians 2:4-5  "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved.

You've heard the question, "What's in a name?" Today I ask, "What's in a home?" Is it just the basics - the rooms, the furniture, the appliances, the food in the fridge? Or is it all that and more? Let's look beyond the basics.

Our desire is to place God at the center of our home. Yet, how do we - and others - know he is present? God the Father has bestowed upon us his mercy, grace and forgiveness through Christ. In response, we show mercy, grace and forgiveness within our home and to those who consider us their home.

Even as we prepare to come face-to-face with God's gift of grace, expectations of the "perfect Christmas" create pressure. When patience snaps and frustrations flare, may grace, mercy and forgiveness be in your home this Christmas.

-- Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,