Mike talked about Ephesians 2:8-9, which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” These verses are an encouragement to not concern ourselves with the things we can do to earn God’s grace, but to accept his salvation for us as it is freely given. In the end, there is only one person who can boast perfection– Jesus Christ. It’s such a relief that we don’t have to hold ourselves to that standard!
Abby shared one of her favorite passages, Mark 10:13-16— “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” Jesus is encouraging us to become like children– to humble ourselves in our faith and live in childlike awe for what he has in store. What a beautiful image, that Jesus takes us into his arms and blesses us!
Shout out to Ron for correctly guessing today’s name that tune– Fake It by Tauren Wells.
Today, Mike and Abby shared some Scripture relating to this year’s upcoming Lifeline theme, “I Believe It.”
Abby read a passage starting with her favorite verse, Hebrews 11:1— “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” By declaring our belief in Christ, we are also making a statement of faith. We can be convicted of something we know is true, even when we don’t see it with our eyes.
Mike read John 20:31, which says, “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” This verse points out the wonderful guarantee that we have as a result of our belief–life in Jesus’s name! This is a guarantee that we can rest in as believers, no matter the circumstances.
Shout out to Alyssa for correctly guessing today’s Name That Tune, Jesus Can by Austin French! She wins TWO gift cards to Watt’s Restaurant, since last week was a stumper.
For today’s Praise Thursday, Mike and Abby shared Scripture and encouragement in looking forward to Valentine’s Day!
Abby talked about Romans 12:9-10— “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” This verse has a focus on how we can treat other people like they are family, and care for them as such. Valentine’s Day does not just have to be about spending time with your significant other– it can also be a time to focus on how we treat others and how we can show them some love!
Mike went through 1 Corinthians 13:4, which outlines the biblical definition of love– “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant,” which can be difficult to put into practice. Let us be intentional in our actions of love, humbling ourselves towards those around us and also being patient with ourselves.
Shout out to today’s winners!
Jerry from Fredericktown wins a Valentine’s Gift Basket from Alyssa’s Vintage Decor, and
Jessica from Howard wins a gift certificate for a dozen carnations from Flowers for You!
We did not have a winner for today’s Name That Tune, which means…. next week will be worth TWO gift cards to Watt’s Restaurant in Utica.
For today’s Praise Thursday, Mike and Abby praised God for the beautiful sunshine outside, and shared some Scripture from Psalm.
Mike talked about Psalm 46:11: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” If we build our lives on the foundation of worldly comforts, those walls can eventually come crumbling down. God is a secure, mighty foundation to build upon– He will never fail us!
Abby shared Psalm 84:10, which says, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Being a part of God’s family and looking ahead to our heavenly home is 1,000 times better than anything the world could offer. He provides us with His light and protection eternally, so why would we want to be anywhere else?
For today’s Praise Thursday, Mike shared Galatians 1:23-24, which emphasized the miraculous change in Paul’s life– “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” Through this miracle worked in him, God was glorified. Mike explained how the goal of our lives should be to glorify Him through our own stories.
Abby talked about the passage that MVNU’s new VP of Spiritual life, Rev. Dave Mills, shared in Monday’s chapel service. 1 Corinthians 12:17-20 asks, “If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” Everyone has a special place and purpose within God’s community, and we all work together to make the entire body function!
Congratulations to Maude from Mount Vernon for calling in with the right answer– Getting Started by Jeremy Camp! She wins a $5 gift card to Watt’s Restaurant.
Which artist suffered from scoliosis before undergoing surgery in their teen years? The answer is Katy Nichole! Shout out to Asher for knowing our Winter Jam trivia question and winning two passes to the concert.
Today on the show I talked about how you can still give to Food For The Hungry until 12/31/23. I also talked about people who won our Grand Prizes for Christmas Gift Exchange. Congratulations to all who won! I shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread. And of course we did our Name That Tune feature where one person had a chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant.
Here is the devotional that I read today from Our Daily Bread: “Troubled Souls, Honest Prayers.” You can find the link here.
I Thank God by Housefires/ JWLKRS Worship.
Congratulations to Rebecca of Lima who guessed the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant.
Today Abby and I shared praises about one of the greatest themes of Christmas, Immanuel, “God with Us.”
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!
Today’s winners:
Brad from Bellville – Hillsong United Limited Edition White Album (yes, it’s vinyl) David from Mount Vernon – Who Knew? book bundle pack
We played “One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas” from the Muppets. Congratulations to Asher from Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
More Christmas Fun Facts, too!
‘Jingle Bells’ was originally a Thanksgiving song.
“Jingle Bells” was written by James Lord Piermont in 1857 for his church’s Thanksgiving concert. However, over the years, it became more closely associated with Christmas and is now one of the most popular holiday songs!
‘The Grinch’ is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time.
The 2018 computer-animated film brought in $512,858,819 worldwide. The runner-up? Home Alone, the Christmas classic from 1990.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was a box-office flop.
Believe it or not, the enduring Christmas classic initially bombed at the box office. It wasn’t until 1974, when its copyright expired and television networks could air it for free, that it cemented its place as one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.
Today on the show I shared a devotional from Our Daily Bread. We also mentioned how tomorrow is Food For The Hungry Drive Day! We are so excited to be able to broadcast this event! You can find the event on https://portal.stretchinternet.com/mvnuadmin/. This link will take you right to the page where the broadcast will be streamed. Also, don’t forget to listen on 90.9 FM, WNZR as we will be having special interviews with different people involved with Food For The Hungry. We hope that you will listen in!
Here is my devotional from Our Daily Bread titled, “Appetite For Distraction.” You can find the link here.
Congratulations to Bonnie of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer which was Ryan Ellis’ song Heart of the Father. She wins TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant!
Today we shared a devotional from author Katara Patton that encourages us to take on the humble attitude of Jesus – you might even say he is the original ‘Undercover Boss.’ Check out ‘Putting on Humility’ by clicking here!
We want to praise God for you! Your partnership in prayer and support just moved our Lifeline 2023 total up AGAIN! We are at a pledge total of $86,508. Thank you!
CASTING CROWNS TICKET WINNER: Joshua from Mansfield GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET WINNER: stumper! We’ll bring it back tomorrow.
Driving Notes 