Colossians 1:15-17

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

It is always an incredible joy to talk about our Advent theme each year. Christmas brings great peace and happiness to our church family and the world around us, and it is a unique opportunity to spread the good news of Jesus. To spread that message of Jesus’ incarnation and coming, we try to find a theme each year to pull together the Scriptures into a unified whole that reveals their power to change our lives and connect us with God.

This year inspired by the humble puzzle, we present “Piece by Piece: Placed by God.” Puzzles represent one of the great bonding pastimes that have brought together family and friends for centuries, and they are no less popular today than ever. Part of the joy of puzzles is that they form a unity of experience between the youngest child to the most elderly adult. They build skills, challenge the mind, and ultimately reveal a beautiful picture that can only be seen clearly when all the pieces are in place.

Likewise, God as our creator and the Lord of our lives has a wonderful rhythm of assembling our families, lives, and circumstances piece by piece so that we both might receive his promises and be a blessing to those around us. It is through his unique placement that we often find ourselves in places of great joy and in places of real trial with the intent that we might grow as people and learn to ever more trust in Jesus above all things.

Join us this Advent season and invite your neighbors as we eagerly anticipate Christ’s coming into our lives. Come see how our lives connect to Jesus and how he holds everything together and reveals a greater picture than anything we could have hoped for or imagined.

Eagerly awaiting the joy of Christmas with you,
Pastor Devin Murphy