Hays Christian Church

Steve Tramel brings us to Luke 2:21-35, in which a righteous man named Simeon meets the infant Jesus, who he recognizes as the Messiah that he was promised to see in his lifetime. We can learn the ways that those who do and don’t recognize the Messiah differ with three tests: detecting deeper meaning in the scriptures, responding appropriately to God’s other evidence, and earnestly seeking to know God.

The fourth Sunday of Advent represents love, so Pastor Dana takes to Matthew 1:18-25, which shows love through Joseph’s obedience, and John 1:1-18, which shows love through the divine initiate of the Word made flesh. When we follow the ways of Christ, the way we love others includes visibly showing how we care for one another. Darkness only flees if it is broken by the light. When we show our love, we stamp out little pieces of darkness over and over again.

The third Sunday of Advent represents joy, so Pastor Dana takes to Psalm 146:5-7 and Luke 1:46-55 (Mary’s song), which both sing praises of God’s goodness. The anticipation of Christ coming into the world is about joy, not fear. When we are downcast or weary or see grief in others, do we point them (and ourselves) back to our source of joy? God has chosen us to usher Christlikeness into the world and that is a joyful gift.

The second Sunday of Advent represents peace, so Pastor Dana focuses on the peace found in God and how we can act to pave the way here on earth. Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 11:1-10 describes the world of God’s peace that follows devastation and Paul calls on the church in Romans 15:4-13 to sacrifice our ego for the sake of bringing unity so that the Prince of Peace may be revealed.

The first Sunday of Advent represents hope, so Pastor Dana focuses on the hope we hold as we wait for Jesus Christ to come again. Paul tells the church in Romans 13:11-14 to be alert for Christ’s return and cast off their old lives and Jesus declares in Matthew 24:36-44 that we must be ready when His Second Coming arrives at a time we don’t expect. Are you ready?

Pastor Dana prepares us for Thanksgiving by presenting a trio of scriptures to teach us about gratitude. Philippians 4:4-9 shows us that Christian joy flows from recognizing God’s goodness, Colossians 3:15-17 tells us that prayer with thanksgiving forms trust in God to ease our anxieties, and Psalm 100 conveys that gratitude and praise in times of suffering are declarations of hope.

Our new pastor Dana Glover begins with Luke 21:5-19, where Jesus teaches the disciples how to act when they face destruction, and 2 Thessalonians 3, where Paul writes encouragement to the church to continue to do good, even when it’s tiring. Both Jesus and Paul call on us to live in ways that reveal the life of God in our perseverance, integrity, and goodness.

Betty Rupp takes inspiration from Psalm 51:10 and Ezekiel 26-27, which express that God changes our hearts and gives us the Spirit to remain faithful to His will. Change is an inevitable truth that we will experience many times in our lives, but we can be prepared for it when we pray and turn to God’s Word for guidance.

Jennie Straight shares a collection of scripture and theological writings to express how God, deeper than any happiness we can find on earth, is the source of an unspeakable joy that roots in our very soul.

Steve Tramel dives into a few Biblical passages (Matthew 7:1-5, John 8:7, and Romans 14:4, 10, and 12-13) to bring us the truth that tolerance is our Christian duty. Tolerance is not the same as agreement, but we must avoid dehumanizing and persecuting those with whom we disagree. Every human being, even those who hate and abuse us, is a child of God that Christ died to save.

Joanne Tramel explains how, in this society of self-elevation, we can lead lives in humility, as directed by God. We can respect ourselves and take pride in our work and loved ones, but ego has no place when God deserves the glory.

Former pastor Cana Moore digs into Jeremiah 29:4-14, where Jeremiah writes to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, encouraging them to settle into their new land and not treat it as a temporary disturbance. We are at times tempted to not take our earthly life seriously, in favor of our heavenly home to come, but God tells us that our mortal existence is also our home. We are challenged to live meaningfully now.

Former pastor Cana Moore digs into Jeremiah 2:4-13, where the prophet Jeremiah acts as God’s lawyer against the people of Israel, who had forsaken God and turned to themselves for their needs. The example we are blessed with teaches us that we can trust in God’s power to provide for us and that provision is guaranteed to surpass anything from our own abilities.

Vicki Albrecht takes us to 2 Corinthians 5 to convey that surface-level changes that we try to make in ourselves rarely last, but changes that begin in our hearts on a deeper level are the ones that truly transform who we are. That kind of change is what God offers us. Our lives on earth are temporary, but God grants us the Spirit to prepare us for eternity. We must remember that real lasting change is not behavior modification but reorientation of our purpose.

Jennie Straight takes us to the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:23-43, which illustrates people as seeds. God’s people are the wheat and people of evil are weeds. They grow together, but angels will harvest them at the end of the age, with weeds being destroyed and wheat will enter the Kingdom.

Betty Rupp guides us through Psalm 23, which describes how God, the God Shepherd, spares no pains for the welfare of His sheep (us). Reading this familiar Psalm helps us understand our reliance on God as our Shepherd and catch a glimpse of His wonderful care.

Pastoral candidate Dana Spivy Glover comes to us with Luke 14:25-33, in which Jesus lays out what it takes to become His disciple. True discipleship requires preparing for and following through with sacrifice. Let us permit nothing to hinder our commitment to following Christ’s example and loving Him above all else.

Former pastor of Hays Christian Church, Steve Culver, returns to deliver a timely message. Ephesians 4:14-16 expresses that speaking the truth in love matures us spiritually and allows us to become more like Christ. We learn the importance of speaking truth in love, especially to those whose actions reflect unloving qualities.

Mike Schrage from GNPI and Schrage Christian Mission declares that our earthly purpose is to testify to the existence of God, the saving grace of Jesus, and the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Bible’s message is clear that God wants people of all nations to be present at His throne. We can help achieve this through missions when we Proclaim for God, Listen to God, Obey God, and Work with God.

Matthew 5:14-16 tells us to let our light shine so others can praise God. In this message, Steve Tramel shares things that dim our light for the world and advises how we can improve shining our light in ways that glorify God and lead others to worship Him.