Community Pastor Jason Crothers makes his first sermon at Desert Hills Bible Church.
As we have our annual 24 hour prayer vigil, he preaches on prayer. He gives encouragement to pray and how to combat hopelessness in prayer.
This week we light the fourth advent candle, the candle of love. Love is the heart of the Christmas story. God sent His Son into the
world because of His love, and Christ died for His people as an act of love for sinners (Romans 5:8). God’s love came to us in our lost and sinful condition, and His love came to us in a person, His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, who entered the world humbly, as a baby born in a manger.
This week is the third Sunday of Advent, so we light the candle of joy. Everyone who was drawn to Christ at His birth experienced immense joy. From the lowly shepherds to the magi from the east, joy was the theme of the first Christmas. Because of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, we can experience true joy today through faith in Him as we await His second advent when we will have fullness of joy in His presence.
This morning is the second Sunday of Advent, when we light the candle of peace. The birth of Jesus was God’s action to bring
peace to His people. Because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, all believers have peace with God. As we consider the second
Advent candle, we are reminded that we await the return of our Lord, when sin’s curse will be broken and His peace will reign
over all the earth.