People's Church Arnold Missouri

El libro, Crianza Responsiva ya esta disponible. Visite la página electrónica BoydBrooks.com/spanish

"Responsive Parenting" is now available in Spanish.

The Incarnation December 25, 2020 Through retold every year, the Christmas story never loses its wonder to those who believe the doctrine of Incarnation. The belief that God became fleshthe moment Jesus took on a human body and began life as an embryo, a fetus, then was born as a baby in Bethlehem. ... Mary delivered a child while still a virgin because the Holy Spirit had planted the seed in her womb. The angel Gabriel had explained this to both Mary and Joseph. I am sure they struggled with God’s plan but were obedient to the angel’s instructions. They lived in a small town called Nazareth, located some 90 miles from where the prophet Micah predicted the Messiah’s birth (Micah 5:2). Mary was only days from the baby’s birth; they were in the wrong placebut it was no problem for the Almighty God. Though Caesar was far away in Rome, he had issued months before a census should be taken, and everyone should return to his place of origin to be counted. So God used Caesar’s greed to get the couple in the right place. A journey of nearly a hundred miles in the winter, either walking or on a borrowed donkey, would have been challenging, but especially hard when you are nine months pregnant. The pace had to be slow and stressful with the baby coming anytime. There was the trip’s exhaustion, and now the labor pains that intensified, and they couldn’t find a room in Bethlehem. Luke’s description of the Savior’s birth is incredibly simple, While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). No room! What disappointing words to hear in their predicament. The only place they found shelter was with the animals. It was not sanitary but a stinking mess with the smell of manure and urine. It was there that Mary gave birth with no experienced person to help deliver the child. With pain and sweat and painful cries, she finally gave birth with probably no one but Joseph present. What a scene! What a moment! Mary wrapped the baby in strips of cloth, and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough he had cleaned out. Here is the Incarnation, the creator as a baby The wonder of the Incarnation! The omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God became a baby! The Incarnation doctrine is the belief that the Son of God became a real man, not just someone who appeared to be a man. Jesus was fully God even when he was a baby lying in the manger. Jesus chose to lay aside the use of his divine attributes. Though Jesus was sinless, he had a real human body, mind, and emotions. With this human body, he experienced the full gambit of human experience. Truly, he knows what we go through in our journey on this earth. He did it!

Students are gathering to pray today! Take a moment and pray for students, teachers, staff and administrators today of your local schools! We need to ask God to empower, guide and give strength to all involved with our schools

Today is Campus Awareness Day. Would you join with us, take a moment to pray for students, school leaders, and our schools near you and across America. Some pra...yer points: Pray for Students o Adapting to this new school year and different learning experiences that may existonline, in-person, or hybrid o For those who feel isolated from friends and community because it is still difficult to gather together Pray for Families of Students o Unity within the family unit o Wisdom in making decisions and leading their family well o Adapting to the new school year and different learning experiences their students face Pray for Teachers and Staff o Leading and teaching in various learning environmentsonline, In-person, or hybrid o Adapting to the ever-changing duties they face Pray for Coaches o Continuous challenges of meeting with their teams o For teams and athletes to have a safe season o For the grief and disappointment of losing a sport season (if you are in a part of the country that has had sports seasons canceled) Pray for Administrators o Leading through rapid change o Wisdom in making decisions, leading effectively, and communicating with others