{"id":2916,"date":"2017-11-27T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2017-11-27T17:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ecityemc.org\/resources\/?p=2916"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:41:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T15:41:26","slug":"expecting-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecityemc.org\/resources\/sermon-series\/11\/27\/expecting-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Expecting Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"There’s something special about the season of Advent. It’s a season of preparation, a season of waiting. It’s the time of the year where we begin to prepare ourselves to celebrate the coming of the Lord. It’s a season that is pregnant with promise. Promise for hope. Promise for peace. For love and for joy. For God to make things new once more. And so we wait.<\/p>\n

The Bible encourages us to “wait upon the Lord.” This is a special kind of waiting. It means “waiting with hope,” not “wait and see what happens.” It is not just the passing of time. It is anticipation. We have God’s promises to anticipate. He cares for us. His plans are good, not evil, toward us. We can trust Him. He keeps His promises.<\/p>\n

Christmas declares “God always keeps his promises.” In His way, in His time. He asks us to wait…with hope. He promises to return. He promises to come into our heart. He promises us pleasant surprises.<\/p>\n

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33)<\/p>\n

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Series Playlist<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\"Elizabeth\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tElizabeth City EMC Podcast\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
Waiting<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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