Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:14:17 -0400WeeblyMon, 25 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/monday-december-25-fifth-advent-candle-white-christLuke 2:7 - 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Reflection: From the moment Jesus enters the story of history, He gives everything that’s associated with Him a new meaning, no matter how uninteresting those things might have been before. Shepherds, Swaddling Cloth, Manger, Bread, Wine, Fisherman, Cross, Grave -- all of these things were ordinary, and in some cases even questionable in their value. But just because they were part of Jesus’ life, they’ve been given a new, eternal meaning. Just think: the swaddling cloth and manger make it into the retelling of Christmas story every year!

But that’s what Jesus does. When we enter His story (His LIFE) through faith, He turns us into new creations full of eternal meaning and value. From the Manger to the Grave to our hearts, Jesus infuses everything that crosses the path of His inexhaustible Life with new, extraordinary meaning.
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Wes Cate

Prayer: Father, thank You for sending your Son to give us His inexhaustible Life! Help us to see who we really are from your perspective. Teach us to see what’s eternal underneath the ordinary. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

TODAY we will be lighting the Christmas Candle together. Check your Facebook (Leavener Closed Group) for a Live appearance at 1 PM EST. Hopefully we will be connecting with you from Tulsa, OK... Rusty]]>Sun, 24 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/sunday-december-24-the-glory-returns-to-earthJohn 1:14 -  14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reflection: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us: In the beginning, the very beginning, we read that God walked in the garden. And in this verse we see that God longs to walk with man again. This time He sends His only begotten Son, fully man, fully God to dwell among us. The incredible part of this is grasping the truth that God ‘gets’ us. He fully understands the battle of the flesh. He may not have succumbed to the flesh, but what we have with Him is an advocate in Heaven that fully knows what it is like to be in our shoes. How incredible to realize that He entered into this world as an innocent baby. How amazing this truth is!

We observed His glory, the glory as the One and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth: How blessed to be able to see His glory, to know that Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him and in seeing His glory, we have seen the glory of God. How amazing that He did not come to condemn us, to judge us, but instead, full of grace, He came in the flesh in order to become a sacrifice for all sin. Almost inconceivable is the truth that the Word became flesh in order to extend to us His grace. The only way for God to remain true to Himself was to punish sin. The only way to punish sin and reconcile man back to Him was for Christ to take on our punishment upon the Cross. How amazing to know that God loves us that much. What an amazing, faithful God we serve!

Wendy Glidden

Prayer: Father, as we near the day that is devoted to the celebration of the birth of Christ, I pray that we recognize the message of grace and in turn realize just how much You love us. May we in our servanthood always keep our focus on this truth and never forget You, our first true love. For we loved You because you first loved us (1 John 4:19). It is for this love that we live in joy allowing Your light to shine through us. It is from this vantage that we find the strength to love those we once considered unlovable or unforgivable. May we keep our focus on the truth, may we always love You above everything and in turn love our fellow man as we love ourselves, recalling that we once were lost and undeserving, yet you saw us as worthy of being saved. May we see as You see, may we love as You love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Christmas Eve BONUS!!!!
Sit around watch this beautiful rendition of "Oh Holy Night" performed last week on The Voice. Just click on that link and turn up the volume... Christmas Day is coming!]]>Sat, 23 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/saturday-december-23-joy-from-the-spiritRomans 14:16-17 - 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: What we see as good may not be the same as others may see. There comes a time in all of our lives where we think we are doing something to benefit either ourselves, our brother, or our Lord. When in fact it is not a benefit but instead a stumbling block not only for them but possibly ourselves too. Let us not focus on what is “good” but instead focus on the One that is good, our father Jesus Christ.

Together we can rejoice in our Lord’s creation and enjoy the fellowship among our brothers & sisters. God’s grace has set us free, we are no longer bound by laws! Let the Holy Spirit shine through you and others in order to enjoy the righteousness, the peace, and the Joy that has been set before us. Join together as the body of Christ in which we are and celebrate with each other the birth of Christ.
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Taylor DeBaun

Prayer: Lord, I pray that as a community we will follow the Holy Spirit as He leads us. Let us live unbound from the wickedness of this world, and let the Spirit shine through us each and everyday. As the holidays arrive let us focus on what matters, Jesus’ birth and how he leads through us each day. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen]]>Fri, 22 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/friday-december-22-joy-from-the-gift2 Corinthians 9:15 - 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Reflection: ,Since mankind's banishment from the Garden of Eden and Adam's rejection of the gift of the Fruit of the Tree of Life, His enabling eternal life was lost to man. Throughout generations, man’s understanding of “God's Gifts“ were measured by the physical possessions (blessings) of their terminable life here on earth. Not until the sacrifice of His own Son on the cross was His ultimate gift to all humanity (since creation) made. The physical possessions we accumulate throughout our current perishable existence are not His true gifts to us. Instead, He gives us a choice to not only pursue but to obtain the wisdom of the understanding of God’s gift by the process of becoming aware of, acquiring the knowledge of and achieving the comprehension of his Son’s message, our savior, Jesus Christ.

Our faith is in the totality of His message: God’s grace of bestowing the Holy Spirit within us, because of our faith, is the indescribable gift. God gives this gift, along with the wisdom of understanding these things to us. And this is the ultimate joy we have in our life here on earth. Everlasting life is simply the reward.

KD Del Fabro

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of Your Son and the availability of the influence of the Holy Spirit to not only understand your gift to all humanity but to also give thanks and appreciate individually His presence in me and in others and the joy from having received it. In Your Son's name, Jesus, I pray… Amen]]>Thu, 21 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/thursday-december-21-his-presence-bring-joysIsaiah 12:6 - 6 Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.”

Reflection: In our journey of life, we have had personal moments with God that have reassured us of his amazing love. It's when we look beyond our circumstances and pray with the vision of His will, giving Him the glory, that we experience His peace.

Pray it forward, knowing that the Holy One is always with us. Let the sounds of singing bless those with open ears, receiving mercy and grace from our God.
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Cindy Stone

Prayer: God my Father, I thank You for the strength You have given Your people. There are circumstances that brings us to our knees, and we have Your peace in the midst of it. May we continue to sing and cry out in praise of You, Oh Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.]]>Wed, 20 Dec 2017 16:13:31 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/wednesday-december-20-filled-with-joy-peaceRomans 15:13 - 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: Can you remember a time in your life when you didn’t have hope? I don’t mean this season as a Colts (or insert your crappy team) fan …. I’m going for a deeper reflection here. If you are a believer, it’s likely hope was lacking the most in your life shortly before you accepted Christ. Realizing we are powerless against the power of sin (as a non-believer), and therefore hopeless, is what leads us to accept His truth that we need Him. You now have eternal hope, given by God through His Spirit. What comes along with hope? Joy and peace, without a doubt. Can you remember a time when you were truly joyful, but without hope at the same time? Impossible. Without hope, there is only despair. And it’s impossible to be filled with joy or peace when in total despair, as one is without Christ.

In contrast to despair, what does overflowing with hope look like? Do you think Paul is exaggerating with that? I think Paul was speaking from experience. His own personal overflowing of hope is shown as joy in his encouraging letters to so many new believers in the early church, led by the Spirit. Paul’s overflowing hope given by the Spirit allowed hope, joy, and peace to spill over to countless others, even to this day, through his testimony and letters of encouragement.
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Bobby Cross

Prayer: God, thank You for the hope You’ve given me. Thank you for the joy that comes from my hope in You. Help me keep my eyes on you and what your Son has done for me as my source of joy. Help me to not allow the things of this world discourage me, for they are temporary. Let my hope be in Your promises. Fill me with so much hope that I overflow. Allow me to be an encouragement to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
​]]>Tue, 19 Dec 2017 12:17:05 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/tuesday-december-19-there-is-joy-in-seeing-what-the-lord-has-already-doneLuke 1:50-55 - 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.

Reflection: Joy - Great Pleasure! Can you recall a time when God did something miraculous in your life? Perhaps created a way when there was no way.....or provided for you in a way you couldn't explain? Have you read, seen, or heard how God provided for others in the past? There is great pleasure when these events are recalled! It refreshes and renews us when we are reminded of these times. The alacrity and joy are contagious as we are encouraged by the outcomes that can only be explained supernaturally!  Because of the past, we now have confidence in knowing that our Heavenly Father is still in control. Yes, still in control.....  


God the Comforter, God the Healer, God the Provider, God the Miracle Worker -- Since God is the same today as He was yesterday, we can be encouraged that He will continue to care for us just like He did for us, and others, in the past. If God is for us, who can stand against us?  I hope you will find joy today as you remember who God is and what He has done for you!
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Micah Langmaack

Prayer: Father, thank You for being real in our lives. Thank You for using the past to give me confidence to trust You more. Please open my eyes to see that specific someone that needs this encouragement today. We love You. In Jesus' name... Amen
​]]>Mon, 18 Dec 2017 14:08:25 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/monday-december-18-2017-focusing-forward-brings-joyLuke 1:46-49 - 46 And Mary said: My soul praises the greatness of the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.

Reflection: Living life with Jesus is a great adventure. He leads us into amazing situations - some may be uncomfortable or scary. Mary may have had some uncomfortable reactions when it was known by neighbors she was pregnant because in the midst of her heartwarming praise to God are four tiny words: “surely, from now on.” We can look at Mary’s reaction and model our own response to unpleasantness while we stand in the middle of God’s will. We can focus forward.

• Focusing forward allows us to bypass present circumstances, envision God’s plan and results and know joy.
• Focusing forward allows us to put present circumstances into long term perspective. We have joy knowing God is with us.
• Focusing forward helps us to count the many things God does for us and to live with joy.
• Focusing forward gives us abiding joy knowing He is holy and He is living within each believer.
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Meg Patton
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Prayer: Lord, You make my life an adventure. Sometimes when life gets hard I forget to focus forward. Remind me to look forward, envision the results, and live with joy. As I look forward to our celebration of Jesus’ birth, my desire is for others to see my joy. You have done great things for me  Thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.]]>Sun, 17 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/sunday-december-17-fourth-advent-candle-pink-joyLuke 1:39-45 - 39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

Reflection: If we asked several people what they want most in life, I imagine a large percentage would say “to be happy,” but very few would say, “to have a heart full of joy.” I also imagine that the majority of them would assume that happiness and joy are one in the same. But there are major differences between being “Happy, Happy, Happy,” and having “joy, joy, joy, joy down in the depths of our hearts.” Most people will admit that they've been happy at some point in their lives. Happiness is external and is based on circumstances or things that make one feel good momentarily. It is superficial and temporary, teasing us with a sense of fulfillment from the attention or praise of another person, or of accomplishment from achieving a goal or a coveted item. Happiness exists for the present, but if heartache, pain or loss arrives, happiness is “outta here!” Joy, on the other hand, is internal, deep-seated and abiding. Joy remains when the darkness of pain, loss, illness or fear envelops our world, quietly reminding us of who we are and “Whose” we are. Joy knows that in the future, all things will be made right. Why, then, don’t people say they want joy?

Joy in the truest sense is only possible if one knows Jesus, the Source of all joy. Elizabeth knew joy when she received the news of her baby, although she was old., She surely must have felt some fear in the delivery and rearing of such a child. Mary joyfully accepted the news of her coming baby, although she would face ostracism and shame from others. The focal point for both women was Jesus, and He was the source of their joy, even before His birth.  John’s “leap for joy” inside of Elizabeth at the sound of Mary’s greeting was no doubt a miracle, but it is one that explains the only way we can have true joy…by hearing Jesus’ call and inviting Him to come live and abide in us. He promises to abide in us forever, therefore our joy will be complete.
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Becky Novakoski

Prayer:  "Father, You are the God of Creation and the sustainer of the universe. At the same time, you are lovingly involved in each and every detail of our lives.  This past year has been a difficult one.  I sat by my mother’s bedside as she took her last breath. That same evening, I sat by my husband in the hospital as he battled a severe infection.  A month later, I was given news of residual cancer cells that resulted in two surgeries.  Happiness was nowhere in sight during those dark days, but the joy of knowing that Jesus was with me lifted my spirits continually.  You replaced loss with sweet memories and assurance, fear with peace and healing.   Knowing that you carried me close to your heart during these times (as at all times,) is hard to explain to others, but is known and understood by all those who know you.  Thank you for this special season, thank you for the joy you give, and thank you most of all for Jesus! And because of Him, I can say Amen.”]]>Sat, 16 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMThttp://leavener.com/advent/saturday-december-16-the-gift-of-life-came-from-loveRomans 6:23 - 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection: The cost of sin is separation from God. Before we were made into new creations, we were slaves of sin, walking only in the flesh, trying to find life in worldly things that hold no value. Many people, for instance, might find themselves searching for love through lust or joy through happiness. But all of these earthly things will not bring a fulfilled life, which we all desire (Romans 8:6).

But it’s through His love that Jesus died on the cross for us (John 3:16). He loves us SO much that He paid our sins, past, present, and future, so that we can be with him. God gave us many free gifts, but this passage focuses on that of eternal life. What peace and joy that brings to me! Eternal life is a free gift to us, it doesn't cost us anything. Forever, I get to spend my time hanging out with the Lord. Now, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and have an abundant and eternal life. We are no longer separated by sin but reconciled through the cross (Colossians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:18).
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Allison Crecelius

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this beautiful life that I get to live walking with you because of the perfect sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Truly it is the most wonderful, ever-giving gift! I pray that we experience the awe of god as we continue discover the depth of his love through this life we life, Amen.

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