Redeemer Bible Church Santa Barbara

As Joseph and Mary faithfully follow the Law, the Holy Spirit orchestrates an encounter with a faithful and believable witness to God’s gift of the Messiah.

Advent represents waiting for something new. But sometimes the best news isn’t as new as it first seems. Zachariah’s song of praise reflects back 2,000 years to Abraham and resonates 2,000 years forward to this morning.

Advent is the historic Christian season marking the long waiting of Israel for her Messiah to come. It also reminds us that we, too, are waiting for Him in a new and different way. This Advent we will consider The Lyrics of Christmas, unpacking the various songs of praise and worship from Luke 1 & 2.

The dark events in the brief rule of My-father-is-King all coalesce into a cautionary tale regarding faulty, dangerous assumptions. The good news? Hope can be found in seeing all this clearly; a God’s-eye view!

Gideon’s battles climax in our text today, and his later life is detailed as well. This flawed hero’s story ends up a cautionary tale regarding starting well but finishing poorly. What Gospel applications can we identify out of his surprising story?

Gideon’s wild career as Israel’s God-empowered deliverer intensifies. In his story, we are reminded that, though people are usually enamored with power, God is often eager to use weakness. What might that mean for us today?

Gideon is one of the most familiar of the judges. We begin his narrative arc this morning; within it we find clearly delineated some of the fundamental issues relating genuine worship and faithfulness toward our God.

These two chapters offer the unique opportunity to read and compare two takes from God’s Word on one event. In them we’ll find plenty to learn and much to apply. This morning we hope to be not merely informed, but transformed.