Lakeside Christian Church Blog

  January 16, 2026 – Chosen, Called & Cracked 1 Peter 2:9 –  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Scripture Reading – Genesis 12:10-20   Our passages this week reflect the familiar saying, “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.” More often than not, we read about people in Scripture who are imperfect, weak, and mess up. They are often described as broken vessels, “cracked” jars of clay. Yet, these flawed people, people like us, are those who have become  a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.   Abraham was called by God, promised to be made a great nation and given land. In response he built altars and called upon the name of the LORD (Gen. 12:1-9). Yet, the next thing we read is an account of Abraham behavi...

God So Loves 1 John 4:7–9 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. Scripture Reading – Matthew 2:13-15   Scripture teaches that love does not begin with us, but with God.  “God is love,”  and He shows that love by acting, by sending His Son so that we might live through Him (1 John 4:7–9). This same initiating love is visible in Exodus, where God’s people grow under oppression and face the threat of extinction. Even then, God is not absent. Through faithful women, courageous obedience, and quiet acts of defiance, God preserves life and prepares deliverance. Moses’ rescue is not accidental; it is providential love at work long before liberation comes. Together, these passages remind us that God’s love is not senti...

  January 2, 2026 – Enough Grace for Today Isaiah 40:28-29 –  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint; and to him who has no might he increases strength. Scripture Reading – Matthew 2:13-15   Isaiah is emphasizing the character of God. He is eternal, our Creator. He is omnipotent (unlimited power and authority); therefore, he will never grow weary. He is omniscient (complete, unlimited knowledge and understanding). He is also loving, generous, full of grace and mercy. He gives power to the faint, and increases strength in those who are weak.   As devoted Jewish people, Mary and Joseph would have been very familiar with the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets. These two ordinary people from Nazareth became vessels by which God used to bring the promised Messiah. But it wasn’t an easy journey. They...

His Light Shines    Psalm 118:27–29 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us…You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!   Scripture Reading – John 1:6-13 As a new year begins, Psalm 118 calls us to step forward with gratitude:  “The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us”  (v.27). We do not enter the year guided by our own clarity, but by God’s faithful light. John 1:6–13 reminds us that John the Baptist pointed beyond himself to that Light, Jesus Christ, who shines in the darkness and invites us to believe. Though many did not recognize Him, those who received Him were given the right to become children of God. The new year is not merely about fresh goals or better habits; it is an invitation to live as people shaped by the Light and grounded in thanksgiving. As we look ahead, we do so not with fear or self-rel...

Fourth Sunday of Advent — Love Revealed   1 John 4:9–10 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.   Scripture Reading – John 1:1-5 Love is not an idea God explained; it is a Person God revealed.  “ God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ”  Advent draws our eyes to the astonishing truth that God’s love did not remain distant or theoretical. It took on flesh and entered the darkness of our world. John’s Gospel echoes this truth as it opens with a cosmic declaration:  “In the beginning was the Word”  (John 1:1). The eternal Word—fully God, Creator of all things—did not remain removed from human suffering. Instead, the Light stepped into the darkness, not to condemn it, but to overcome it. God’s love is revealed not in our a...

Abound in Joy   Luke 2:10–11 Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.    Scripture Reading – Psalm 100   The angel’s announcement in Luke 2:10–11 reminds us that joy is not something we generate—it is something God brings to us. The Savior comes  to  us, not because we’ve earned Him, but because God delights to give His people joy. Psalm 100 echoes this gift: “Make a joyful noise… serve the LORD with gladness.” Joy flows from knowing the Lord, belonging to Him, and entering His presence with thanksgiving. True Christmas joy is not shallow or seasonal—it is rooted in the God who keeps His promises. Christ’s birth means that joy has come down, wrapped in humility, carried in love, and offered freely to all who will receive Him.   Our Advent worship helps shape our understanding of joy.  Hark! The Herald Angels Sing ...