Luke 1

"Dear Disciple, Over the last month, you have been reminded of My birth and how My coming changed everything. I came at God's chosen time. Political....."

"[After Elizabeth's exclamation of how blessed Mary was,] Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!..."

"Dear Child of the King, When you open your Bible and you see the appearance of angels, know that the Father is up to something special in your world...."

"Then [John's] father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has..."

What does all of this mean ... to you and me ... today? Danny Sims shares insights into what God is saying in Jesus using the Communion we share at Christmas.

"A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the..."

Too small to see, but too great to miss! Phil Ware begins a short series called When Spirit Becomes Flesh focusing on the birth of Jesus, the incarnation of God among his creatures, and the wonders of Christmas.

"Dear Precious One, The heart of our Father was beautifully revealed through the prophet Isaiah:For this is what the high and exalted One says —..."

"When [Zechariah and Elizabeth's] baby was eight days old, they [along with neighbors and relatives] came for the circumcision ceremony. [The others]....."

"Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from....."

Three different ways to tell the story of our Savior's birth — short form, Bible verses, video! Phil Ware wishes everyone Merry Christmas for the Heartlight team and shares 3 different ways to share the story of Jesus at Christmas: a short form, the Bible text from "The Voice" Compass Bible and from a Worship House Media video about a child coming.

So how do we keep on keeping on after the angel leaves? Phil Ware begins a 4 part series on Mary, the mother of Jesus, called Windows to Wonder, and talks about how the angel left Mary and Mary's life began to unfold with challenges and difficulties, but she maintained faith.

"Dear Servant of the Lord, If you take the time to look at the grand story of grace in the Bible, you will notice servants of the Lord playing..."

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to...."

""Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him..."

"[John's father, Zechariah, concludes his prophecy:] "And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare..."

"[Mary responded] "For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him......"

"The angel said to [Mary], "Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 1:30-33 -- The angel said to Mary, "Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

"[The people who wrote previously about Jesus] used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated..."

"Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us....."

"[The angel said to Zechariah,] "You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at [John's] birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the..."

"Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure [we will have a child]? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." Then the..."

"When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was..."

"God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was..."

"[Zechariah said,] "Praise be to the Lord, God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the..."

"[Zechariah prophesied concerning John,] "You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for..."

"Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now..."

"While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and..."

"One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter...."

"[While Zechariah was being visited by the angel Gabriel], the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 1:68-70 -- Praise be to the Lord, God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he said through his holy prophets long a

Inspirational illustration of Luke 1:26-28 -- God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings

Light is coming from above! Rubel Shelly writes about the trapped Chilean miners and the incredible rescue efforts that involved so many different peoples and how this mirrors heaven's efforts to rescue us.

Can you really be this in the real world? Rubel Shelly tackles the myth that you can be spiritual without being a part of a religious community, at least as a Christian.

"Dear Disciple, I know most of you hate tests! Some of those tests are medical tests which can be terrifying. Some tests are necessary to get you into..."

Mary yielded her life completely to the LORD's call, discipline, and purpose for her. Will I? Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to say thank you to our moms and call us to surrender to the discipline and transformation God is working in our lives.

"[An angel said, "John the Baptizer] will be a joy and delight to you [his parents], and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the..."

"Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free.""

"[After being told she would have a son,] Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will...."

"[After telling Mary she would have a son even though she was a virgin, the angel said to her,] "What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become..."

"Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!""

"When it was time for Elizabeth's baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very..."

"Soon [after the angel told Zechariah that he and his wife would have a child,] Elizabeth became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. "How..."

"Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened [about baby John] spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 1:46-47 -- My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Inspirational e-card of Luke 1:78-79 - Because of the Mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from Heaven...

Can you live certain that you will finish all you are supposed to do in this life before you leave it? Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us to live for God and finish what he has given us to do by investing in future generations to carry on God's work.

"Dear Friend of God, Today, I AM asking you to do something important. I know you are busy with all your Christmas plans, but there is one important....."

Where can you find history's greatest treasures? Phil Ware reflects on Mary treasuring the memories of Jesus' birth in her heart and finds reason not to sweat the small stuff, not miss the moments of grace in Christmas, and not lose the opportunity to lock away treasures in our own hearts this time of y

Advent is the celebration of Jesus' coming to earth and bringing God's heavenly Kingdom shown in his ministry, lived by his people, and ultimately experienced at his return! Phil Ware shares Scriptures and James Nored shares an inspirational video regarding the blessings and significance of Advent, Jesus' coming to earth as God in human flesh as our Savior and Lord.

Are you helping transition those you love out of darkness? Phil Ware continues his series of light on the dark side of the mountain and reminds us of Samuel, the great transitional leader of God.

With the birth of Jesus, we enter a gritty world that we know is our own. Phil Ware continues his series called When Spirit Becomes Flesh and he focuses on the grit and real world feel of the birth stories and also the joy that comes from Jesus' birth.

Aren't you glad Christmas is coming even on Thanksgiving? Phil Ware talks about how important it is that Thanksgiving is followed by Christmas and he shares a personal story to remind us it is true!

In the Bible, sometimes a person's name was changed because of something that person did or because of something that God was going to do through that person. Phil Ware continues his series called 8GT -- Eight Truths that Turned the World Upside Down and focuses on finding those seeking Jesus.

"[John the Baptizer's] father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ..."

"[After being told she would have a son by the Holy Spirit,] Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come..."

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby [John the Baptizer] leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."

"Mary said, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... The Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name.""

"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you [Mary], and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the...."

"And the child [John the Baptizer] grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel."

"John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel."

"[The angel said to Zechariah, "John] will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 1:46 -- Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... The Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name.'

Now that the Christmas lights are put away, aren't you ready to meet the real Jesus? The coming of Christ is a violent grace that heads to a violent end and if we listen to the birth stories of Jesus we can find there a real Savior who lived in our all too real world.

How dark is it in your world? Phil Ware continues his series called Light on the Dark Side of the Mountain and reminds us that risky faith is rewarded.

In a world swirling with heavy clouds and looming headlines, we mothers hold a massive opportunity! Melissa Troyer looks at everyday life, her children, and the horrifying images and videos and cries of mothers and children, and sees an opportunity to teach our children to say, But God!

What about Mary? Jeff Lee reminds us about Mary's faith, but he also reminds us of the importance of having a heart like hers.

You don't have to pretend things aren't a mess! Rick Brown reminds us of a messy Christmas long ago and the messy time in which Jesus was born.

Can anything good come from Nazareth? Phil Ware reminds us not to put away Jesus with the Christmas lights and blow up snowman, but to remember that Christ is alive in us!

How deep is the darkness where you shine your light? Phil Ware continues his dialogue on darkness and light and emphasizes the importance of shining our light in the darkness and

Can you find the joy right now? Phil Ware reminds us of the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, lived out in hard times, when God did the glorious and amazing things and longs to do them again in our day.

"Dear Child of God, A large part of the history of faith is written by people who are not considered the greatest servants of faith. However, the..."

The Christmas season is here... Christians celebrate Christmas 365 days a year, not just on December 25.

What's going on here with our traditions? Rubel Shelly reminds us of what is most important and truthful and what is legend about the Christmas story.

Jesus longs to be born again into our world in me? Jesus wasn't just born into our world in the womb of Mary, but he longs to be born into our world again in each individual Christian the Holy Spirit gives birth to in the world.

Do you dare dream for the road ahead? Tom Norvell shares about moving into a new home and his dreams for the future.

Are you too young to know it is impossible? Tom Norvell Reminds us of the movie Amazing Grace and how William Pitt and Wilberforce did the impossible and overturned the slave trade in Great Britain and he calls on us to dream big dreams and do the impossible.

What do you do when you can't control your life? The world is changing and we lose control, but the real issue isn't controlling as it is yielding to the one in control.

What does this last glimpse of Mary teach us about Jesus and discipleship? Phil Ware finishes his series on the Windows to Wonder, on Mary the mother of Jesus, the Messiah, the Lord, and Savior, and reminds us that we can all be part of Jesus' forever family.

Can my life be characterized by my intentional time away from the noise to be with the Father? Jesus' life was framed by prayer, but do I find my "as usual" and "lonely places" moments in the presence of the Father in prayer?

Let's not settle for religion, going to church, or fast-food spirituality when God longs to fill that hole in our soul ! Phil Ware shares insights about intimately knowing God and Immanuel being real to us in our daily lives as we seek to be Jesus' disciples.