WNZR’s Spread the Love contest is underway – listen for chances to win some great Valentine’s prizes all week.
Our winners today included Kim from Mount Vernon, who won a $10 gift certificate to Gospel Christian Life Shop.
Her question: Valentine’s Day in the United States is symbolized with hearts, cupids and flowers, but in Germany, the most popular symbol is what barnyard animal? The answer? A pig.
Our second winner was Jenn from Danville, who won a $10 gift certificate to Happy Bean Coffee Shop.
Question: Which state produces the most red roses? The answer? California.
Today for Monday Motivation, Joe shared some musical inspiration from Matt Redman’s “Your Grace Finds Me.”
Here’s what Matt had to say about the song in a conversation with CBN in 2013:
“I wrote this song with my friend Jonas Myrin in a little chapel in England where we often song write. The song is an attempt to sing about the wide spectrum of God’s grace. The grace of God found us at the cross – and that is the centerpiece of all we believe, but that is not the end of the story of grace. For His grace keeps on finding us – the undeserved goodness of God showing up in our lives. You can find it in the newborn cry and find it in the light of every sunrise. You’ll find it in the mundane and on the mountaintop. And more to the point, it finds you.”
Jonathon shared a devotional about our perception of perfection from Monica LaRose, called “Perfect Like Christ.” Read more by clicking here!
Tell me the first TWO questions you might ask about someone’s newborn. 1- Boy or Girl? (42 votes) 2- What’s their name? (22) 3- Weighs how much? (19) 4- How old? (5) 5- Healthy? (2) 6- Where’s his dad? (2) 7- What color of eyes? (2)
Congratulations to Peter from Howard, who got the top two and wins the WNZR drawstring backpack!
Today we shared Monday Motivation from Our Daily Bread’s Katara Patton based on Jeremiah 18 – read “The Potter’s Wheel” by clicking here.
We also shared Mart DeHaan’s devotional about “Heroes, Tyrants and Jesus.,” Find out how Paul’s letters influenced how people looked at Jesus by reading here.
Name something that can be lumpy: – mashed potatoes (29 votes) – oatmeal/hot cereal (24) – mattress or bed (13) – grits (7) – soup (7) – pillow (6)
Congratulations to Lilly from Mount Vernon, who guessed the top two answers and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!
Today we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by sharing a devotional from Pastor Victoria Curtiss, written as a tribute to him.
Matthew 5:43–48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NRSV)
Jesus said that anyone can love those who love them in return. What distinguishes people of God is the way we treat those who oppose us—our enemies. Just as God shows love to everyone, so are we to show love to everyone. This inclusivity is the meaning of “be perfect” as God is perfect.
What a fitting scripture for the day we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The key to the life of Dr. King is found in his Christian faith. He responded to violence with nonviolence, to hate with love. Dr. King was always looking toward reconciliation after the battle, because his approach was grounded in the gospel. He wrote, “It was the Sermon on the Mount, not a doctrine of passive resistance, that inspired the Negroes of Montgomery to social action. It was Jesus of Nazareth that stirred [them] with the creative weapon of love.”
Martin Luther King recognized that the heart of the gospel proclaims that love can really change a situation of conflict and enmity: love reaching out toward the oppressor, love pushing negotiation, love offering forgiveness and newness. It wasn’t that he lacked an appreciation for the persistence and power of evil. It was rather his evangelist’s faith. He really believed that the intolerant and prejudiced sheriffs and politicians were sheep who had strayed from the fold, who had the potential to be converted. However powerful evil is, love is more powerful still. “Remember him,” said Coretta Scott King, “as a man who refused to lose faith in the ultimate redemption of [humanity].”
Prayer
Thank you, God, for the witness of Martin Luther King Jr. Guide me as Christ’s follower to love as you love—everyone without exception. I lift up my enemies to you and pray for their well-being. Amen.
Jonathon also shared the MLK-themed devotional ‘Brave Your Storm,’ from Patricia Raybon. You can read it from Our Daily Bread by clicking here.
Name something you’d find on a tropical island: – palm or other trees (58 votes) – sand or beaches (13) – fruit (12) – flowers (7) – water or the ocean (6)
Congratulations to Doug from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the WNZR Voice of the Cougars drawstring backpack.
Today we’re sharing Monday Motivation from Pastor Tim Keller…
The word Immanuel means, as we learn in Matthew 1:23, “God with us.” The coming of the Christ child fulfilled what Isaiah wrote in chapter 7, verse 14: “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In his book Hidden Christmas, Pastor Timothy Keller shares that for centuries, the Jewish religious leaders and scholars had known that prophecy, but did not think that it should be taken literally. They thought it was simply predicting the coming or arrival of some great leader through whose work, God would be present with his people.
However, Matthew writes that this promise is greater than anyone imagined! It did not come true figuratively, but literally. Jesus Christ is “God with us” because the human life in Mary’s womb was a miracle performed by God himself. Then Jesus, with his life, his claims and his resurrection, convinced his closest followers that he was not just a prophet telling them how to find God, but God himself coming to find us.
Keller writes that this claim, that Jesus is God, gives us the greatest possible hope. Why? Because it means this world is not all that there is…it means that there is life and love after death and it means that evil and suffering will one day end.
And it is not just hope for the world, but hope for you and me personally. A God who was only holy would have not come to us in Jesus. He would have just demanded that we pull ourselves together and be moral and holy enough to be worthy of relationship with him. But our God is fully holy and fully human – so he doesn’t send someone else – he comes himself! Jesus is one of us – and that should give us all hope!
The word Immanuel means, as we learn in Matthew 1:23, “God with us.” The coming of the Christ child fulfilled what Isaiah wrote in chapter 7, verse 14: “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
So what is the purpose of “God with us?” What does “with him” mean? Pastor Timothy Keller, in his book Hidden Christmas, writes that the purpose of the incarnation is that we would have relationship with him. In Jesus, the unapproachable God of the Old Testament becomes a human being who can be known and loved. Through faith, we can know this love.
This is a complete shift from the Old Testament. Think about this: anytime anyone drew near to God in the Old Testament, it was terrifying! God appears to Abraham as a smoking furnace; to Israel as a pillar of fire; to Job as a hurricane or tornado. When Moses asks to see the face of God in Exodus 33, he was told what? That it would kill him…that he could only get close to God’s back. When Moses came down off the mountain in Exodus 34, his face was SO BRIGHT with radiance that the people could not look at him!
So Pastor Keller asks this: can you imagine if Moses were alive today and heard the message of Christmas? What would he say? How would he react? What if Moses heard John 1:14 “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us – we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son?”
Keller thinks Moses would say, “Do you know what this means? This is the very thing I was denied! Through Jesus, you can meet God. You can know him personally and without terror. Do you realize what’s going on? Where’s your joy? Where’s your amazement? This should be the driving force of your life!”
And why did God show up this time in the form of a baby instead of fire? Because this time He has come not to bring judgment but to bear it; to take away the barrier between humanity and God. Jesus is God with us!
Congratulations to: Lyle from Howard and Paul from Mount Vernon!Name two gifts that are difficult to wrap:
1- Basketball (34 votes) 2- Football (19) 3- Stuffed animals (14) 4- a pet (7) 5- a bike (4)
Congratulations to Brenda from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!
Today’s Monday Motivation reflections about Christmas remind us that Christmas is an invitation for everyone.
Lisa Samra shares ‘Joy to the World’ here:
Every Christmas we decorate our home with nativity scenes from around the world. We have a German nativity pyramid, a manger scene fashioned out of olive wood from Bethlehem, and a brightly colored Mexican folk version. Our family favorite is a whimsical entry from Africa. Instead of the more traditional sheep and camels, a hippopotamus gazes contently at the baby Jesus.
The unique cultural perspective brought to life in these nativity scenes warms my heart as I ponder each beautiful reminder that Jesus’ birth was not just for one nation or culture. It’s good news for the whole earth, a reason for people from every country and ethnicity to rejoice.
The little baby depicted in each of our nativity scenes revealed this truth of God’s heart for the entire world. As John wrote in relation to Christ’s conversation with an inquisitive Pharisee named Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The gift of Jesus is good news for everyone. No matter where on earth you call home, Jesus’ birth is God’s offer of love and peace to you. And all who find new life in Christ, “from every tribe and language and people and nation” will one day celebrate God’s glory forever and ever (Revelation 5:9).
—
Amy Boucher Pye shares ‘Welcomed Into God’s Family’
We were singles and couples and a family with children, together celebrating Jesus’ birth on Christmas Eve. The conversation flowed, the food tasted scrumptious, and we even had fun washing up the dishes. Between courses we read through the Christmas story from Luke’s gospel, marveling over the greatest gift of the season, Jesus. Because of Christ, we who previously had been a ragtag bunch of strangers were now sisters and brothers.
Jesus always welcomed the stranger. Even as at His birth God beckoned the shepherds to come and worship the newborn baby: “The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (LUKE 2:11). Curious, the humble shepherds hurried Bethlehem. And after they saw the baby, they went and spread the good news about Jesus the Savior, and “all who to heard the shepherds’ story were astonished” (v.18).
As Messiah, Jesus the baby grew up to be the Man who died on the cross, the perfect sacrifice who wipes away the sins of those who follow Him. Jesus, the Son who is God, humbled Himself to be born in a stable and then willingly sacrificed His life for us.
When we bow before Him in worship, even as the shepherds did as they glorified and praised God for all they had seen and heard (v. 20), He makes us part of His family. Jesus welcomes us into His worldwide community of those God uses to spread His love and light.
Name the top two desserts people eat a lot of at Christmastime: 1- cookies (54 votes) 2- pie (12) 3- pudding (7) 4- fruitcake (6) 5- fudge (5) 6- candy/candy canes (4) 7- gingerbread (2)
Congratulations to Danelle of Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!
Today we shared from the Our Daily BreadChristmas devotional book, ‘Celebrating Jesus.’
Jonathon shared ‘Mary Knew’ from Dave Branon:
Four-year-old Kaitlyn was oblivious to everything else in the room. There were no thoughts of stockings hung and wrapped presents. She was simply content to play with our manger scene and its nativity characters. What piqued my interest was something else she was doing as she moved Mary, Joseph, and the Babe around: She was singing “Mary, did you know?” over and over-words she had heard sung by others. As she held Mary, she poignantly asked her if she knew who her precious baby boy was. Kaitlyn’s question for Mary is the vital one everyone needs to answer. Do we know that Jesus is the One predicted in Genesis 3 to strike Satan’s heel (v. 15)-to gain victory over Satan, sin, and death by His death on the cross? Do we know that He’s the Messiah promised in Isaiah 53 and the One Micah prophesied would be born in Bethlehem hundreds of years later? (5:2). We know that His name-Jesus-means that He will save His people from their sins (MATTHEW 1:21). We also know that Mary’s baby grew up and chose to die on the cross as the Savior of the world (LUKE 1:31; 2:30-32). The “Son of the Most High” (1:32) has invited us to know Him and be loved by Him. May we choose to know Jesus, our precious Savior, more and more each day!
Joe shared ‘Captain of a Motley Crew’ from Glenn Packham:
As a child, I always found Christmas Eve one of the most A exciting days of the year. I knew there would be presents in the morning, a feast that night, and a candlelight service at church. But it was also exciting because I never knew who was going to end up at our house for dinner. My parents loved inviting people who were alone or had nowhere to go to come share a meal with us. Folks from church, from their places of work, our friends from school-it was always a motley crew. David was on the run from King Saul and in need of good friends to surround him (1 SAMUEL 22:1-2). He needed the right community to help him in his crisis. Instead, what he found were hundreds of men who were also in trouble-those “in trouble or in debt or… discontented” (v. 2). Yet, David became captain over the motley crew and they trusted him. Jesus-the true and better David-is exactly the kind of person who gathered those around Him that society had discarded. Throughout the gospels, it’s often the sick and the disabled, the outcast, and the sinner who find belonging and healing in Jesus. The church is meant to be a kind of cave of Adullam (v. 1). It’s not a perfect community, but a ragtag group in need of a loving, healing Captain.
Name a place that’s open on Christmas Day: 1. Grocery store/Walmart/Kroger (23 votes) 2. Gas stations (20) 3. Fast Food restaurants (19) 4. Waffle House/Denny’s (12) 5. Movie theaters (8) 6. Airports (5) 7. Hospitals (3) 8. Hotels (2)
Congratulations to Tysha from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.
More Monday Motivation from the Our Daily Bread devotional, “Celebrating Jesus.”
Jonathon shared Tim Gustafson’s “Dreaming at Christmas”
For Irving Berlin, Christmas held not joy but sadness. The composer of “White Christmas” lost his infant son on Christmas Day 1928. His wistful song, which longs for a bygone time of holiday joys, would become wildly popular during World War II, resonating with troops overseas dreaming of Christmases back home. Dreams and grief are crucial themes of the Christmas story. In a literal dream, an angel explained the miraculous conception of Jesus to Joseph (MATTHEW 1:20). Another dream warned the Magi to avoid the murderous Herod (2:12). And an angel told Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus (V. 13). We welcome the dreams of Christmas. The sadness, however, intrudes like a rude guest. Rachel weeps (v. 18). For soon after that first Christmas a paranoid king would slaughter helpless children (v. 16). In Matthew’s gospel, Rachel, a matriarch of Israel, represents a nation’s inconsolable grief. It’s a scene we yearn to see deleted from the story. Why must there be such sadness in this, the greatest of all stories? Jesus Himself is the only satisfying answer to that question. The Baby who escaped the Bethlehem tragedy grew up to conquer all such tragedies, even death itself, by dying and rising for all of us. As another Christmas carol says of Him: The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.
—
Joe shared another devotional about a Christmas song, “Joy to the World,” from Poh Fang Chia
“Joy to the world…” Meifang stopped mid-sentence and forced down a sob as painful memories of her mom flooded her mind. This time last year, her mother stood right next to her, singing the same song. But now she was gone, her life tragically cut short by an accident. For Meifang, Christmas would never be the same again. It was hard to celebrate when all she had was sorrow and grief. Perhaps, like Meifang, you’re feeling grief or sorrow this Christmas. How can you sing for joy when your heart is full of pain? Isaac Watts originally penned “Joy to the World” not as a Christmas carol but as a reminder of our future hope when Christ returns. It’s based on Psalm 98-a psalm that calls the earth to praise God for His love and faithfulness (v. 3). He came to save (v. 1), announce His victory, and reveal His righteousness (v. 2). And He’ll come again “to judge the earth” with righteousness and fairness v.9). These are great reasons for us to sing with joy. If this Christmas is tinged with sorrow and grief, hold on to the hope of Christ. Not only does He provide comfort now but He aIso assures us of our future hope. One day all sorrow and pain will cease when Jesus comes again and wipes every tear from our eyes (REVELATION 21:4).
Name two things that are on every mom’s Christmas wish list: 1- babysitting 2- sleep/nap 3- spa day 4- gift card T5- a family portrait clothing/shoes/pajamas 7- jewelry
Congratulations to Jenn of Danville, who wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!
Driving Notes 