My Heroes
Posted December 18, 2017 by Linda Gardner in Advent
Heroes and superheroes abound in popular culture today. Spider Man, Wonder Woman, and a variety of beings with ever more fantastic powers fill our movie and television screens. There are many heroes in the Christmas story as well. Mary was certainly brave to say to God's angel "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Joseph, likewise, risked possible…
Suffering. Death. Love.
Posted December 17, 2017 by Larissa Fletcher in Advent
These three words are not typically what people think about when they think about Christmas, but I do. Last Christmas was a mere two months since my husband, John, died. I was simply surviving at that point and taking the first steps as a "widow" and an "only parent."
God's Grilled Cheese
Posted December 16, 2017 by Brad Jernberg in Discipleship
These days, life for Margaret and me is at times both crazy and calm, hectic and hushed. The ups and downs of raising our two toddlers—William and Jack—mirror the frenetic pace of the Christmas season. But every once in a while, amid the sights and sounds of the season, a simple message speaks a complex truth. A few weeks ago I made grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Margaret and I had…
Advent Devotional December 16: Photographs of Living
Posted December 16, 2017 by SMBC in All Articles
And he said,?These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb? For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.? Revelation 7:14, 16-17
The Parenting Stake through the Heart
Posted December 15, 2017 by Dolores Rader in Family Ministry
What parent isn't filled with dread and instantly inflicted with sweaty palms at the very thought of the day when the question inevitably comes... "Why did you lie to me?" Oh, Santa why must parenting be so challenging? Before we talk about how to respond to the gut-wrenching question, let's detour for a moment for a bigger picture take on the topic (elevation almost always help when we get…
Girl Talk
Posted December 15, 2017 by Jessie Horton in Advent
In the jolly time of Advent, I always look towards celebration with my real friends the most. During Youth Camp at the YMCA of the Rockies, I made those real, true, and best friends. These are the kind of people who I know will forever be consistent even when the rest of the world is inconsistent. In them I find support, laughs, open ears, and the time to listen. I think listening is the best way…
An Ever Present Help
Posted December 14, 2017 by Jane Jefferies in Advent
During Christmas of 2015 my daughter-in-law, Alison, was in the midst of her battle with cancer, and I was filled with fear. I was afraid for Alison, of course, but also for my son and their precious children. That wonderful admonition of the angels to "fear not" just wasn't getting through to me.
End-of-Year Need: $891,796
Posted December 13, 2017 by Steve Wells in Discipleship, Pastor
We all saw a great picture of giving in worship in each of the last two weeks. On Sunday, December 3, we had 160 singers—75 in the adult choir and 85 in the children, tribe, and youth choirs—all join together to make a beautiful offering to God. Some sang louder, some sang more quietly. Some followed the person beside them, others led the way—but all together, they gave a beautiful gift to God…
The Hope of Advent
Posted December 13, 2017 by Dan Masterson in Advent
I was one who lived in hopelessness for many years of my life. Gaining a sense of hope was instrumental to my finding faith. Now the faith I have found continues to give back to me new hope, joy, and love. Advent never meant much to me in my younger years, but as I have grown in many ways here at South Main, Advent has taken on new meaning for me. My heart is warmed by the Sunday morning Advent…
Advent Devotional December 12: God Speaks in Many Ways
Posted December 12, 2017 by SMBC in All Articles
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9By Cindy Hippel
How do we know God is with us in the midst of heartbreaking, challenging, gut-wrenching troubles? Look around. Sometimes He speaks to us in unexpected ways.
How Glorious!
Posted December 11, 2017 by Charlie Reynolds in Advent
Perhaps one of the most joyous times of the year is when Christians celebrate Christ coming into the world. Just think: God so loved mankind that He sent His Son to dwell amongst mere humans in order to be our eternal Savior. Christ died for us who are sinners, was miraculously raised from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
The Promise of Peace
Posted December 10, 2017 by Charles Williams in Advent
Peace, in a worldly sense, is hard to come by during this season. Deadlines, parties, and family all conspire to take our spare time during the Advent season. But we still try to find it, in between everything, in the little moments before and after. In college, before the Christmas break, I would only find peace in the morning or at night. Peace was only ever in my spare time, never something I…
Trusting God - Finding our Path
Posted December 9, 2017 by Anne Tülek in Advent
Trust in the Lord—He will direct your paths. How many times has this Proverb presented itself to you? When I was a teenager, my sister Margaret inscribed this verse inside a Bible she gave me, using her beautiful handwriting, full of graceful angles and curves. I used that Bible for years—through college, grad school, and beyond, and before long memorized that useful bit of Biblical wisdom.
Musical Nostalgia
Posted December 8, 2017 by Carey Cannon in Worship, Music, Advent
The Sanctuary Choir is preparing John Rutter's Gloria for the second Sunday of Advent, December 10th at 10:00 AM. Following an evening rehearsal, Leigh Anne Bryant, our Family Ministry associate to MainKids, shared a memory from her childhood in Midlothian, Texas. Each Christmas her family would decorate their Christmas tree while listening to a cassette recording of South Main's 1978…
The True Light of the World
Posted December 8, 2017 by Angela Spoede in Advent
For me, it is always the coming of the light that signals the start of Advent. The Christmas season truly begins as I set the lights on our tree and listen to my kids negotiate over who will put the star on top and who will light the lights for the first time. We bask in the wonder felt only in this season of bright Christmas displays. And every Christmas Eve, for years, our family attended a…
Living Nativity
Posted December 7, 2017 by Angela Holder in Advent
I think I was around six or seven when I first staged a nativity scene on Christmas afternoon. I know it was my own idea; no adult urged me to or even suggested the possibility. I assembled the elements that would become a tradition. Two white, plastic, child-sized chairs draped with an orange, crocheted afghan made the manger. My Raggedy Ann doll wrapped in a pastel baby blanket became Baby…
Advent Anticipation
Posted December 6, 2017 by Andres Salas in Advent
Anticipation. Following a sign. Being a child. These all remind me of one Christmas Eve when I had three, young, sleepless "Wise Men" waiting for the arrival of the joy that Christmas brings. Their task was to wait for the sign, a star in the sky also known as sunrise, to make their trek from all the way upstairs to all the way downstairs, to wake us up so we could all open presents. Our task was…
Hoping for Peace at Home
Posted December 5, 2017 by Amy Graham-Carlson in Advent
Advent was a new addition to my vocabulary when we joined South Main in 2013. It was a new word, but definitely not a new concept. I grew up in an amazing Christian home where we referred to "Advent" as "Christmastime." At "Christmastime" we look forward to cooler weather, all things shiny, most things smelling of pumpkin, cinnamon, and peppermint, beautiful music (whether sung by Dolly Parton,…
The Birth of a Baby
Posted December 4, 2017 by Alice Ketchand in Advent
A few weeks ago I was in California getting acquainted with my newest grandson, Zachary. I experienced the joy and wonder of fresh, new life and soaked in his babyness as he squirmed, slept, watched, and cried. This experience also provided a vivid reminder that life at its beginning is so fragile, so vulnerable. This human newborn was and is, for months to come, totally dependent on others to…
Adventure and Peace
Posted December 3, 2017 by Abbie Perry in Advent
Stephen and I intended for Christ to be part of our marriage, but somehow found ourselves distracted along the way. After a few years of marriage, we decided to refocus and actively seek Christ as part of our marriage. God pointed us to South Main exactly when He knew we needed to be there. Our first week at South Main was the first week of the sanctuary renovations, with Steve preaching three…
