A couple of years ago I began the tradition of ending the year by writing a post looking forward to the year ahead and back upon the year now behind. This is that post for 2022-2023. Looking forward to 2023, I will not make too many plans, since my wife and I are expecting our …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DyDesV2XL4 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and …
Continue reading The Story of the World in the Family of Jesus | Matthew 1:1-17
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. Luke 2:29-32 ESV After being visited by the shepherds, Luke …
Continue reading Depart in Peace: The Song of Simeon | Luke 2:29-32
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2STxL6aeoJddIoZrCqlej0?si=DTrGBi-7QsmLe34O6AqKtg 1. Be Thou My Vision by Jonathan Gibson This book of personal worship liturgies is fantastic, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. With each pass through this 31-day guide, I have often replaced the creeds with reading through confessions, which has helped to keep the readings feeling fresh. Presently, I am reading the …
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away …
Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Luke 2:14 ESV The story continues in chapter two of Luke's Gospel with the birth of Mary's son, Jesus. She journeyed with Joseph to Bethlehem for Caesar's census, and upon their arrival, they could find no place to stay …
Continue reading Glory to God in the Highest: The Song of Heaven | Luke 2:14
You may have noticed that Sunday's sermon had significantly less quotations than normal. That is because I ended up going in a different direction with the sermon than I typically do. Rather than focusing upon the centurion, the women, and Joseph in detail, I decided to largely focus on the three together as example of …
And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When …
Continue reading Courage in the Face of Despair | Mark 15:39-47
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of the prophets …
Continue reading Blessed Be the Lord: The Song of Zechariah | Luke 1:67-79
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ijw3CIF4gUiskSIZyGwDw?si=5x1-rkEWR2qqHe613mmsoA For my latest pass through Be Thou My Vision, I have been reading a chapter of The Preacher's Catechism by Lewis Allen. Each of the forty-two chapters provides a question and answer, a verse or passage of Scripture, and some explanation, encouragement, and exhortation from Allen. Yesterday morning, I read chapter 7, which gives …
B. C. Newton 