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“Through The Tears”

Today on the show we read the last two Christmas Devotionals from Our Daily Bread. We also had our weekly Bible trivia where one lucky person has a chance to win a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Here are the two Christmas Devotionals from Our Daily Bread:

Through The Tears

I dreaded facing another Christmas hundreds of miles away from family. Loneliness and disappointment stirred into discontent, spewing out of my mouth as complaints when my husband suggested we unpack the holiday decorations. How could I be joyful when my heart ached?

Sipping a cup of hot chocolate, I glanced at the glass-front cabinet in our dining room. An overhead light shone on the nativity set I display year-round. A figurine of porcelain with Isaiah 9:6 carved on the front sits next to a wooden shepherd. “Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.” As I whispered each name, I grew more and more confident that my tear-filled season could never smother the joy of knowing my Savior.

The prophet Isaiah announced the coming of the Messiah more than seven hundred years before Christ’s birth in Bethlehem (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is Wonderful Counselor—trustworthy and able to guide us. He is Mighty God, who always was and always will be the one true God with limitless power. He is Everlasting Father, the eternal Maker of time. He is Prince of Peace, the one who restored man’s relationship with the Father.

Though believers in Jesus can’t avoid the darkness of this world, we can fix our eyes on Him—the greatest light of the world. We can rejoice in knowing Christ even through the tears.

By: Xochitl E. Dixon

O Come Emmanuel

It seems we seldom go beyond the first or second verses of our beloved Christmas carols. But, buried deep in the lyrics of one Christmas hymn—in verse seven!—are words that seem uniquely in tune with our times. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” written in the twelfth century, pleads:

O Come, O King of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind.

Bid all our sad divisions cease

And be yourself our King of Peace.

I can’t imagine a more appropriate prayer for our fractious, splintered generation. With the tone of public debate and private disagreement at what seems to be an all-time high for anger and aggression, how desperately we need the King of Peace to come to our help. The “sad divisions” we exhibit in our communities, churches, workplaces, relationships, and families can only be overcome with the help of the One who came to forgive, heal, and restore. No wonder Isaiah anticipated the coming Jesus by calling Him “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

The apostle Paul urged us to put this into practice. “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts; he wrote. “For as members of one body you are called to live in peace” (Colossians 3:15). As we allow this peaceful Prince to restore our relationships, we ourselves become agents of His peace.

By: Bill Crowder

Question: Before Jesus started preaching, what was his job?
Answer: Carpenter

Congratulations to Rachel of Gambier for guessing the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan and Jonathon

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The Park District and Millwood Church of Christ make it happen!

Today our focus is on the Knox County Park District and the Millwood Church of Christ, who have teamed again to bring a new activity to the popular Fire and Ice event that benefits Food For The Hungry.   Fire and Ice 2021 will be held as two drive-through events, one at Wolf Run Park and one at Millwood Church of Christ. The drive-through events are scheduled for Saturday, December 11 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at both locations.

Luminaria will magically guide you through the Wolf Run Regional Park parking lot located at 17621 Yauger Road in Mount Vernon. There, Park District staff will be on hand to retrieve boxed and canned food items from your vehicle and accept monetary donations for Food For The Hungry. No need to park and leave your car as the drive-through luminaria will guide you to the drop-off point in the parking lot. 

Across the county, the Millwood Church of Christ located at 10900 Millersburg Road in Howard also has luminaria to guide you through the church parking lot at a drive-through event. At this location church personnel and volunteers will be on-hand to accept canned and boxed food items and monetary donations for Food For The Hungry.

Click this SoundCloud link to hear Marcy Rinehart’s conversation with Lori Totman of the Knox County Park District!

Click this SoundCloud link to hear Wesley Boston’s conversation with Pastor Dave Jones at Millwood Church of Christ!

–          I was born December 8, 1925 in New York City
–          My parents were vaudeville dancers and I started dancing as a child
–          I was drafted into the US Army in 1943 and put on performances for troops
–          My father, godfather and I made up the Will Mastin Trio
–          In 1956 I starred in the Broadway musical, Mr. Wonderful
–          I became part of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack in 1959 and starred in Ocean’s 11
–          I died of throat cancer in 1990

I am…Sammy Davis, Jr.

Congratulations to Bob from Howard, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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One Night Only!

Artist Newsday brings good news for Tasha Layton who celebrates a huge milestone with “Look What You’ve Done!” Maverick City Music is also in the news once again with a special one night experience!

Tasha Layton’s song “Look What You’ve Done,” landed in the top spot on the Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart last week. This is her first time having a #1 hit.

This song became popular from the time it was released. When it debuted, it became one of the most added songs to Christian radio and has become a mantle of encouragement for fans around the world.

Here is what Tyson Paoletti, senior director of marketing and sales at BEC Recordings had to say about the success. “It has been such an honor to support Tasha and watch ‘Look What You’ve Done’ connect with listeners in deep and powerful ways,” he said. “As we celebrate her first #1 hit on the heels of last year’s massive radio success with ‘Into The Sea (It’s Gonna Be Ok),’ some amazing doors continue to open for Tasha, and I’m excited to see what God has in store for her next.”

The chart success of “Look What You’ve Done” caps a momentous year for Layton. This fall she was featured on ABC’s GMA3: What You Need To Know, discussing how past struggles have shaped her life and inspired her music; and she also served as co-host of the 52nd GMA Dove Awards. She also just released an album titled “This Is Christmas” which features Christmas classics along with some new music done by Layton. She was also named One of Billboard’s Top 5 female Christian artists of 2020.  A little interesting fact is that she was on American Idol before she started her music career. She was also a back-up vocalist to Katy Perry for four years.

Check out the original article for Tasha Layton HERE!

Also, THIS SATURDAY!! Maverick City Music is hosting a special, one-night-only Christmas performance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis! Gates will open at 5:30pm with the concert starting at 7pm.

Tickets can be found HERE!

O Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King

That was Casting Crowns’ hit song “While You Were Sleeping”!

Congratulations to Faith of Howard for correctly guessing our first Christmas edition of Song Poetry. She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

Jonathon & Dylan

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More Christmas motivation!

Today we shared from the Our Daily Bread Christmas 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.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Jonathon

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Christmas NZ Top 10 for 12/3/21

This week we are bringing you (in no particular order) 10 of the top NEW Christmas songs for 2021! Click the songs for links to lyric videos and audio.

10. We The Kingdom – Still Can’t Sleep on Christmas Eve
9. Anne Wilson – I Still Believe in Christmas
8. Zach Williams – I Don’t Want Christmas to End
7. Cade Thompson – Angels We Have Heard on High
6. Cochren and Co. – Christmas (What the World Needs)
5. Newsboys – The Christmas Song
4. Ryan Stevenson – Heart and Soul of Christmas
3. Jordan Feliz – Feliz Navidad
2. Jordan St. Cyr – Rejoice
1. Tasha Layton – Giving Christmas Away

for NEW MUSIC FRIDAY, we added to the list!

Mac Powell – Jesus Christ is Born

Love and the Outcome – Christmas Lights

For King and Country – Heavenly Hosts

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Zoe

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“The True Gift Of Christmas”

Today on the show we read some Christmas devotionals from Our Daily Bread. We also had our weekly Bible trivia where one lucky person has a chance to win a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Here are the two Christmas devotionals that we read today.

THE TRUE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

“Sometimes I feel lonely, and it makes me wonder how lonely they must get out here.”

That was spoken by Asteria, director of a faith-based community group who brought Christmas to El Campamento, a makeshift tent city where many drug-addicted people live. She noted how the holidays can be difficult for those on the street. So she decided to embody Christ’s love by setting up a Christmas tree among the discarded needles; by bringing them gifts, warm drinks, and food; and by leading the singing of Christmas carols. The response was heartening, she said, with many of the homeless voicing their desire to be forgiven by their family and asking for prayer.

In serving the people of El Campamento, Asteria and her team illustrate the true message of Christmas-the gift of God coming to meet us through His Son Jesus. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law” (GALATIANS 4:4-5). Even though we all do wrong, God invites us to become His heirs and children (v.7). He calls those who live on the streets and those who live in mansions to accept His gift of saving grace.

Through Jesus, God gives us the true gift of Christmas right where we are. May we receive and share this gift of love.

By AMY BOUCHER PYE

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

It was just a few days before Christmas and my wife, Cari, was standing in the checkout line at the market. The young mother in front of her was carefully assessing the contents of her cart and slowly setting aside items one by one. Cari’s initial impatience turned to compassion as she surveyed the growing pile of items that had been removed and realized the woman didn’t have enough money to purchase them.

“I’d like to pay for those,” she told the checker. The young mother turned with a surprised look on her face: “That’s too much!” she said. Cari, prompted by God’s love and remembering how a stranger, miles away, had bought our own daughter’s groceries in a difficult time, smiled and responded, “Merry Christmas.” They both left the store with tears in their eyes.

Christmas came early to our home with a fresh awareness of God’s kindness and generosity to us through His Son. Solomon wrote in Proverbs of those who are generous: “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (11:25). In the following days we were refreshed by a renewed understanding of how God had met our greatest need of all-our need for a Savior-and how His love can unexpectedly overflow from our hearts to others in need.

Kindness is contagious! Because of what Jesus has done for us, may God give us grace to make a generous, practical difference in others’ lives.

By JAMES BANKS

Question: In Genesis, what catastrophe did Joseph predict by interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream?

Answer: A seven-year famine.

Congratulations to Karen of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan and Jonathon

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Musicians make it happen!

We are excited to feature Foodstock 2021 for our weekly Food For The Hungry feature.

Elixir Presents will hold their 10th Annual Foodstock, a live concert, featuring the music of Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez and other folk artists on Monday, December 6 at 7:00 pm.

The concert will be held at the Memorial Theater at the Knox Memorial (112 E. High St., Mount Vernon, Ohio). Admission is food items and/or monetary donation. Information about Foodstock can also be found at www.elixirpresents.com

Listen to the full conversation with Marcy Rinehart with Mike and Chris Petee here! https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/the-10th-annual-foodstock-returns-for-2021-enjoy-folkfest-on-126

–          I was born December 1, 1913 in Weatherford, TX
–          My father was a lawyer and my mother a violin teacher
–          I married at 17 and had a son, Larry, who later became a TV star
–          My big break came on radio, where I was singing for a show and was discovered by Oscar Hammerstein
–          I made my Broadway debut in 1938
–          I starred in South Pacific, The Sound of Music and my most famous role, Peter Pan
–          I was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1973

I am…Mary Martin. Congratulations to Marty from Howard, who wins the $5 gift card from Everlasting Cup.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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Grammys Everywhere!!

For Artist Newsday, Dylan and I shared some of the nominated artists for the 2022 Grammy Awards coming up in January!

Notable artists consist of Natalie Grant, CeCe Winans, and Dante Bowe!

For the full list of Gospel and Contemporary Christian nominees, click here. Thanks to 95.5 The Fish of Northeast Ohio for the article.

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And Your family and your children
And their children, and their children

Congratulations to Bonnie of Mount Vernon for correctly guessing the song and the artist to win a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

Jonathon & Dylan

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Joys and Dreams at Christmas

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!

Thanks for listening!
– Jonathon and Joe

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