A D V E N T 2 0 1 8

*Saturday devotions are intended for young readers

joy

love

Sunday, December 2 - I Pet. 4:11

While our children were young, we celebrated a Christmas in Sicily. It was a holiday to remember! Christmas was everywhere – scenes of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were in every town square, in and around every church, and every lamp post was strung with lights and Christmas well wishes.

Because we were so far away from our regular friends and family, we and our Italian and American friends there shared the gifts of ourselves: hospitality, special and personal Christmas wishes, prayers for and with each other, and promises to serve one another in love. We praised God that He had brought us together for this Christmas in Sicily.

As Advent begins, pray about using your gifts and helping others. Offer words of friendship and encouragement, for the Glory of God.

Kathi Traficanti

Monday, December 3 - Heb. 12:1-2

I find these verses in Hebrews extremely encouraging. All Christians are in a defined race and we are asked to persevere to the end. The encouragement I get is knowing there are witnesses cheering us on. Those witnesses are the saints that have run the same race before us, such as friends, relatives, and even saints like Moses and David. Can you hear their voices? They are giving us encouragement because they know there is a great Gift at the end. That Gift is Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. He is waiting for us at the finish line. Throw off everything that hinders you and run your race well. Endure to the end. During this season, remember Jesus is God’s gift to us.

Marty Cash

Tuesday, December 4 - Phil. 4:6-7

Anxiety is something I have struggled with all my life. I often have a hard time trusting God and God’s promises to me. I have wrestled with my calling, among other issues God has revealed to me. However, when I become anxious about these things, I ask God, through prayer, what His will is for me. Sometimes His answers come in a quick, clean fashion. Other times, they can be less than clear and it takes time to discern what God is saying.

But God brings peace in His promises. This Advent season, remember God sent Jesus, the Prince of Peace. We can rest easy knowing that Jesus has a plan for us and that He will guide us every step of the way.

Brydon John DeWitt

Wednesday, December 5 - Luke 6: 31-36

Jesus was masterful at engaging His disciples, and us, by taking a thought we can identify with and opening it into a life lesson we never would have imagined.

One such challenge was doing for others what we would appreciate being done for us – something to remember at this time of year. Swapping good deeds with those who can give back – non-believers do that, Jesus pointed out. Giving with the attitude of an investment from which we can get a return – again, a worldly rather than heavenly motivation.

Our Heavenly Father challenges us to seek and serve those who aren’t comfortably familiar; to set free our assets, giving them as He leads us with no expectation of return. Our guide is the One who gave us all we have.

Martha Skelton

Thursday, December 6 - John 14:25-27 Once, someone gave me a great amount of money to buy a car. It was the greatest gift I received in my life, especially in a poor country like Egypt. I will not forget all my life the one who gave me this gift!

Every person offers his gifts according to his wealth. God also offered the greatest gift to mankind: the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some of the reasons why Christ is the greatest gift:

He is the greatest Savior of all mankind. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins (1 John 1:7). His love covers wicked people and is given freely. There is no greater love (John 15:13). He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). The greatest friend sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24). He is the one mediator and one intermediary between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5).

Have you accepted this gift in your life?

يتايح يف اهتلبق ةيده ربكا اذه ناكو ةديدج ةيبرع يرتشال اريبك اغلبم ةرم تاذ يل مدق ةيدهلا هذه يل مدق نم يتايح لاوط يسنا نلو ملو رصمك ةريقف ةلود يف اميسالو

هانغ بسحب هاياده مدقي صخش لكحيسملا عوسي برلا صخش يهو الأ ةيرشبلل ةيده مظعا ًاضيا هللا مدق

:ةيطع مظعا وه حيسملا تلعج يتلا بابسالا ضعب كيلاو نم انرهطي حيسملا عوسي مد ةمدب اناياطخ نم انصلخ دقف اعيمج ةيرشبلل صلخم مظعا هنال

(٧ :١ وي١) لك(١٣ :15وي) اذه نم مظعا بح دحال سيل لباقم البو رارشا سانا بحا دقو بحم مظعا هنال

(١١ :١٠ انحوي ) حلاصلا يعارلا وه انا انل يعار مظعأ هنال(٢٤ :١٨ لاثمأ )خالا نم قزلالا بحملا قيدصلا وهف ةايحلا بورد يف انعم ريسي قيدص مظعا ةنال

(٥ :2 يت1 ) سانلاو هللا نيب دحاو طيسوو دحاو عيفش انل ، نيطقاسلا ميقي عيفش مظعا هنال؟كتايح يف ةيدهلا هذه تلبق له

Agayby Shehata

Friday, December 7 - Ps. 51:10-12

It’s often easy to find yourself getting lost in the shopping spirit of the Christmas season and not remembering the reason for the season. When was the last time you stopped and focused on renewing your spirit and praising God for blessing us with His only Son? Instead it’s easy to find yourself stressing over holiday parties and last-minute gift purchases. The best gift we can give one another and ourselves, is the gift of the Holy Spirit -- truly taking time during the Christmas season to celebrate the birth of Christ and all that He means to us. This Advent season, renew your commitment to the Lord and the joy and excitement that comes from worshipping Him -- not the presents under the tree!

Betsy and Michael Kersey

*Saturday, December 8 - Acts 20:35

It is more blessed to give than to receive -- Jesus said these words, and I hope you will believeat Christmastime and all through the year,the best way to spread God’s love and true cheeris to follow His example while He was on earth,when the greatest gift of all was His human birth. Jesus Himself showed us a life full of giving,blessing, feeding, healing, loving, and forgiving.We follow His example with the gifts under the tree,and the loving times we share with our family.But more than these small gifts at Christmastime we raiseour grateful hearts in worship as our gifts to God are praise.So sing with me of Jesus who was born on Christmas Day, and remember that we give because He was born to save.

Andrea Woodard

Sunday, December 9 - John 4:7-14

For some, the holiday season is a challenging time of year. We may have feelings of hopelessness, abandonment, loneliness, and isolation. When these emotions arise, think about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. He was not concerned about her ethnicity, the rules that governed that their encounter was unacceptable. Jesus offered her the most precious gift that could ever be given, His love, grace, mercy, salvation, and that she would never spiritually thirst again with HIS living water. We already have the greatest gift - eternal life - if we believe in Jesus. Always know during challenging times and emotions that in Jesus we already have the greatest gift.

Adrienne Lerese DeBerry

Monday, December 10 - Is. 60:1-5

My awareness of light increased recently after two eye surgeries. All God’s creations were more vibrant. Light is everywhere, gloriously removing the darkness. Isn’t that what God intended with His creation of all things? He said it was good. God is light Himself, but mankind chose his own path leading to judgment and death. God loved mankind so much that He continued to act. His Son, Jesus Christ, came willingly to be the light of the world. He came to suffer our judgment for our sins. “Worthy is the Lamb.” Now we have His Spirit to help us be the light bearers to the world for God’s glory.

Judy Koger

Tuesday, December 11 - Eph. 2:8-10

Since we are directed, in the translations of ST. PAUL, that it is by Grace and not Works we are to be saved, then humbling concepts emerge. Grace is bestowed through Faith. Wow. Faith is Believing.

So, it is the time of the Birth of Jesus, the time of gifting. The greatest gift we have received is the possibility, unearned, of approaching our Lord. Believing in His existence. The greatest gift we can give our loved ones, whether blood kin or soul twins, is the gift of BELIEF. The decision to BELIEVE in the concept of a CREATOR. Acting like we believe. Sharing belief. 

The songs we lift, the prayers we express, the symbols we offer, are about believing. Acknowledging the Lord whom we joyously thank, and tempering our actions to people we touch in an attitude of Belief; it is our acknowledgement of God.

It is our purpose. It is our belief. God IS.

Jon Teates

Wednesday, December 12 - Col. 3:12-13 We are all lost until we are found by Jesus. But once found, we are changed. We have a new identity in Christ: we are “chosen, holy and loved.”

Paul exhorts the church to “put on” that new identity, to embrace it and express it. We are to take off our old identity and lay aside our old ways, and to “put on” Christ and His ways. Each morning, we will wake up with a choice: which “robe” will I put on, which life will I embrace?

Paul urges us, “Be who you are in Christ!” Specifically, he reminds the church that they are forgiven. If that is true in us, it will show itself through us, because forgiven people forgive people.

Tom Mitchell

Thursday, December 13 - Matt. 6:9-13

The frenzy of shopping and gifting is a hollow imitation of what God did when He sent the greatest gift, His Son, to bring peace on earth. Peace on earth can only spread when we obey the instruc-tion of Matthew 6. Forgiveness is a gift from God when we open our hearts to it and pass it on to others. Then together we praise as the psalmist declared in Psalm 103:

O my soul, bless God the Lord, and all that is in me To magnify and bless Him and lift His holy name.O my soul, bless the Lord my God, and do not forget All His gracious benefits He hath bestowed on me.

Corella Ricketson

Friday, December 14 - 1 Cor. 13:4-7

Have you ever thought about how powerful love is? For Christians, love is the greatest sign of God for us.

We already know that He sent His only Son to die in our place, so that through His death we would have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. But this love that we read in this portion of Scripture tells us some very special and unique characteristics of unconditional love, the love that God has for us and the love that we must have.

Do you already have this love? You are aware that you need a Savior, who forgives your sins and allows you to lead a new and different life. Receive it!

Alguna vez, ha pensado en cuán poderoso resulta ser el amor. Para los cristianos el amor es la muestra más grande de Dios para no-sotros. Ya sabemos que Él mandó a su único Hijo a morir en nuestro lugar, para que a través de su muerte tuviéramos perdón de peca-dos y vida eterna. Pero este amor que leemos en esta porción de la Escritura nos dice unas características muy especiales y únicas del amor incondicional, el amor que Dios tiene para nosotros y el amor que debemos tener nosotros. ¿Usted ya tiene este amor? Está ust-ed consciente que necesita de un Salvador, que perdone sus peca-dos y le permita llevar una vida nueva y diferente, ¡Recíbalo!

Pastor Louis Orsatti

*Saturday, December 15 - Ps. 119:11-12

Have you ever heard the song, “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy (Down in my Heart”)? Did you notice the words don’t sing about ANY joy, but the line actually says, I have THE joy down in my heart.

They refer to the Joy we feel when we fill our hearts with the Word of God. It is truly the best gift we could ever receive. And to truly receive it, we need to make it a part of our hearts. When we do, it is easier for us to make good choices and show kindness and love to others.

This Christmas season, make the joy of Jesus’s birth and God’s promises a part of your heart.

Laura Mawyer

DATE TIME ACTIVITY

ADVENT I2 6:00 p.m. Middle School Christmas Party – Location TBD Week of Prayer for International Missions Begins (through December 9)3 9:00 a.m. CLC Christmas Chapel Program in the Sanctuary4 12:00 p.m. Second Cousins Annual Christmas Luncheon at Second Baptist Church in FLC 103-1048 8:00 a.m. Church Hill Christian Wellness Center Christmas Store at Bethlehem Baptist Church

ADVENT II9 11:00 a.m. “Peace on Earth” Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary during the Worship Service 7:00 p.m. High School Christmas Party – Location TBD13 Christmas Mission Trip to Caretta, West Virginia14 8:00 p.m. Bruton Parish Christmas Concert, featuring the Sanctuary Choir, in Williamsburg, VA15 9:00 a.m. Parents Morning Out in the FLC Gym

ADVENT III16 Poinsettia Dedication Sunday17 6:30 p.m. ESL International Christmas Dinner in Ed. 20119 6:45 p.m. Children’s Choir Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary22 CARITAS Begins (continues through December 29) 10:00 a.m. Nepalese Language Ministry Christmas Celebration in Spence Hall 7:00 p.m. Arabic Language Ministry Worship in Spence Hall

ADVENT IV23 8:45 a.m. The Well Worship in the FLC Gym 9:45 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship in the Sanctuary 11:00 a.m. Spanish Language Ministry Worship in the Chapel 11:00 a.m. Portuguese Language Ministry Worship in Spence Hall 2:00 p.m. Nepalese Language Ministry Worship in Spence Hall24 Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. The Well Christmas Eve Worship in the FLC Gym 5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship in the Sanctuary 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship in the Sanctuary25 Christmas Day

ADVENT CALENDAR DECEMBER 2018

Sunday, December 16 - 2 Thess. 2:16-17

Appears to me that Christmas Season starts earlier every year. Decorations go up in stores mid-summer. We are encouraged to purchase gifts earlier and earlier.

Receiving gifts and giving are wonderful experiences. Children and grandchildren get so excited. We are all so concerned that we choose gifts that are the right size and color. However, there is another side to this Season many of us deeply feel. Between last Christmas and now, changes have occurred some of which are painful and could overwhelm us – a move to an unfamiliar place, a job change, health questions, loved ones lost.

The wonderful part of this Season is that God’s gift of Jesus Christ assures us that God is sensitive to our needs. Jesus knows and understands us; He lived among us. In Him we have the blessed assurance that the resolution to our hopes and fears are found in Him.

Raymond Spence

Monday, December 17 - Ps. 28:6-7

God is available to you! God hears him who pleads, prays, and seeks Him. God is waiting for the one who has not cried, waits for the one who has not sought Him and is in suffering. God is your strength! I cannot rely solely on my own merit, my friends, my job, or my bank account. I cannot think that I am capable of taking care of my life and having victory without hearing the voice of God! Only God can be your Shield. Hundreds of arrows are daily launched against our lives, families, and church. Make no mistake, do not try to protect by yourself. Trust in the Lord and worship Him!

Deus está disponível para você! Deus ouve aquele que suplica, que ora e que o procura. Deus está aguardando aquele que não tem clamado, aguarda aquele não o tem buscado e está em sofrimento. Deus é sua força! Eu não posso confiar somente no meu próprio mérito, em meus amigos, em meu emprego ou em minha conta bancária. Não posso achar que sou capaz de cuidar de minha vida e ter vitória sem ouvir a voz de Deus! Somente Deus pode ser seu Escudo! Centenas de flexas são diariamente lançadas contra nos-sas vidas, famílias e igreja. Não se engane, não tente se proteger sozinho. Confie no Senhor, o Louve com seu canto!

André Amaral

Tuesday, December 18 - Ps. 8: 3-9

O God, You have created greatness out of nothingness. You have fashioned the splendor of the universe, the beauty of the world, the many and diverse creatures that roam the earth. It is a gift for all of us to use wisely, to care and tend while we inhabit this orb.

We have been entrusted with this magnificent domain, given charge over it by God, but this comes with great responsibility. We have dominion over the many creatures of the earth and its resources, but the Son of God is above all. We must realize that Almighty God has sent His Son to us. Even though He was of humble and low estate, Christ is the King of all creation, the One to whom we should subject our will and our purpose. If we do this, Christ will abide in us and be truly present in the world.

Mark Bowersox

Wednesday, December 19 - Mat. 1:18-25 Joseph is the unsung hero of the Christmas story. Joseph and Mary were engaged and it was during this time that Mary became pregnant.

Under Jewish law, the penalties for pre-marital pregnancy were severe. Joseph was a good man and an angel appeared to him and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. You are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (v. 20).

Joseph could have walked away, but he chose to trust God and stand by Mary. God had chosen Mary to be the mother of the Mes-siah and Joseph to be a father figure on earth for Jesus. When God uses a person, there is a sacrifice to make. It may not be an easy path, but it will be a rewarding one. 

David Plunkett

Thursday, December 20 - Is. 9:6-7

In her book An Acceptable Time, Madeleine L’Engle relates a story about present-day New Englanders who experience, through time travel, events 3,000 years in the past. In one scene, a retired Episcopal bishop was lying on a large flat rock, praying. A young girl, who had also come from the present, saw him, and asked what he was doing. When he replied that he was praying to Christ, she asked how that could be since it would be 1,000 years before Christ was to be born. The bishop reminded her that Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Christ existed even before His earthly birth and at whatever time a person was on earth, Christ was there.

This Scripture passage reminds us that Christ is born and that His rule and love have no end. In this season of anticipation, let us remember that Christ was, is, and forever will be and has always been there for us.

Janet and Andy Moore

Friday, December 21- John 3:16

I love the Christmas stories of the manger, and the Magi, and the angelic appearances surrounding the birth of Christ. John’s gospel deals with the wherefore and why of His coming. John emphasizes the deep messages of God’s wondrous love, sending His only begotten Son, Immanuel, God with us.

Jesus came and lived among us to offer to all who would believe in Him, and receive Him, a new life and ultimately eternal life with Him. It is the story we are to tell to the nations, our neighbors, and family. God loved the world so much, He wanted to give us two gifts, the gift of His Son and the second gift, conditional on receiving the first gift, that all who believe in Jesus also receive eternal life. There it is – God’s love + two gifts = a wonderful life.

John Austin

*Saturday, December 22 - Prov. 17:17

Do you have a best friend or even a few best buddies? Ones that love all your favorite things and know how to make you laugh deep belly laughs even on bad days? Good friends are important to have.

Being a good friend to others is important to do. Friends are kind and helpful and thoughtful. They consider others before themselves. Sometimes we make mistakes, but a good friend forgives and loves even when we feel like we don’t deserve it.

God is our friend. He loves us despite our mistakes and sins. That’s why He sent us Jesus. At Christmas we celebrate that He offered forgiveness and love even when we didn’t deserve it. Thank God that He loves us at all times. How you can show that kind of love to your friends?

Marcie Shea

Sunday, December 23 - Luke 1: 46-50

Mary’s “Magnificat” became one of the great hymns of the church, similar to Hannah’s song of praise for the gift of her son, Samuel. Mary’s knowledge of this and other Old Testament passages enabled her to utter her prayer of intercession, thanksgiving, and adoration.

She modeled a heart of humility. Even though she would be esteemed as the mother of the Messiah, she remained a humble servant of the Lord.

Mary also modeled an attitude of thankfulness. Though she lived in a period of national discouragement, she could be thankful for God’s Gift to the world through her.

With humility, thankfulness, and personal trust in God, Mary serves as a model for us as Christ’s servants in a world that surely needs Good News.

Mary Ann Lewis

Monday, December 24 - Luke 2:1-20

The greatest gift ever given, the gift that had been promised for centuries, the gift that would save the world, came to humankind in the most humble of circumstances.

A young couple traveled a great distance by donkey at the order of an oppressive regime, the woman at the end of her pregnancy. The baby was born in a barn among the animals; and the Baby, the Savior of the world, fell asleep in an animal’s trough. The whole scene is symbolic of the brokenness and unworthiness of the world God sent His Son to save, like a tiny light in a dark forest.

The shepherds knew about unworthiness. Shoved to the outskirts, charged with a mindless, physically demanding, and smelly job, society treated the shepherds with the utmost disdain. But the shepherds knew a great Gift when they saw one, and they were immediately inspired to claim it, taking off for Bethlehem to see the Savior for themselves. Perhaps they were so moved that the God of the universe would come to earth for them despite their unworthiness.

No matter where we fall in today’s society, may we marvel at God’s redeeming Gift for us despite our unworthiness, and may we be re-minded of the hope that Jesus still brings in the midst of a dark, dark world.

Adam Rothschild

Tuesday, December 25 - Matt. 2:1-15

“Attention, shoppers: Only 365 shopping days left until next Christmas!”

I hope you do not venture out to a store today, but if you do, I certainly hope you do not hear those words from the intercom – but it would not surprise me if you did. Our Christmas gift-giving tradition has gotten way out of proportion. This tradition comes from the wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, so their practice has a lot to teach us.

There is much we do not know about the Magi: What country they came from; how many there were; or their names. But we do know that they were Gentiles. Matthew begins the gospel story with the world coming to Jesus, and he ends the story with the Great Commission, our carrying Christ “unto all the world.” The Gospel is all about gift-giving. God so loved He gave us Jesus. And we love Him because He first loved us, so we give ourselves into His grace.

We also know that these Gentile Magi gift-givers gave Jesus some beautiful, costly gifts. They gave Jesus gold. Gold has always been a symbol of security, especially in the Middle East. Gold bracelets and jewelry are women’s “Social Security” in old age. In response to God’s grace embodied in Jesus, the Magi gave Jesus their trust. They entrusted their security, their futures to Jesus. In John 10 Jesus says of His followers/sheep: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand (v. 28). Give Jesus your gold! Trust Him for your eternal security!

The Magi gave Jesus frankincense, a symbol of worship. It is a fragrant gum resin that was ground into powder and burned for its fragrance. Leviticus only allowed it to be used in worship. It was set before the Holy of Holies in the Temple along with the Bread of the Presence, a powerful biblical symbol of holy worship. We need to give Jesus our worship. Worship should become our favorite thing to do; after all, we are practicing for eternity: Revelation 4 says we will spend eternity surrounding the throne of God singing

to the Holy One, “Worthy.” Paul says in Romans 12 that our spiritual worship is when we present our bodies as a living sacrifice. And he says further in 2 Corinthians 2 that when we share the gospel we become, like frankincense, the very “aroma of Christ.” Give Jesus your worship by giving yourself away in worship and witness.

The Magi also gave Jesus myrrh, an anesthetic that dulls pain. On the cross Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh. In the Mideast today it is called “Arabian Alka-Seltzer.” The Magi gave Jesus their medicine. They trusted that in Him all of their physical needs would be met. Much of Jesus’ ministry centered on meeting people’s physical needs. Trust Jesus for your physical needs, and pass on His myrrh by helping to meet the physical needs of others.

Years ago, Beverly and I determined to give by far our biggest Christmas gift for missions. These days, besides gifts for the grandchildren, that is about all we give. But in so giving, we believe we are giving Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh, and enabling others to trust, worship, and be helped by Him. Be like the Magi, for therein is great wisdom!

Craig Sherouse

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9614 River Road Richmond, VA 23229

804.740.7101 Voice804.740.7049 TIM804.740.2270 Fax

www.secondbaptistrva.org

Ministering With You

Dr. Craig A. Sherouse, Senior PastorDr. Raymond L. Spence, Jr., Pastor Emeritus

Reverend William L. Miller, Jr., Minister of MusicReverend Ben Brown, Minister of Students

Mrs. Kathi Traficanti, Minister of Adult EducationReverend Katie Vance Lucas, Minister of ChildrenMrs. Susan Hill, Director of Creative Learning Center

Mrs. Ainsleigh Gaskins, Assistant Director of Creative Learning CenterReverend Louis C. Orsatti, Pastor, Spanish Language MinistryReverend Agayby Shehata, Pastor, Arabic Language Ministry

Reverend André Amaral, Interim Pastor, Portuguese Language MinistryReverend Joseph Pradhan, Pastor, Nepalese Language Ministry

Mrs. Hilliary Larsen, Music Associate Mrs. Judy Mawyer, Children’s Choir Coordinator

Mrs. Virginia Moore, Director of Recreation MinistryMrs. Kathy Driver, Office Manager

Mrs. Patty Dimowski, Administrative SecretaryMrs. Griendora “G” McDowell, Financial Administrator

Mrs. Joanna Landrum, Communication Administrative Assistant Ms. Olivia Freeman, Communication Administrative Assistant

Ms. Joyce Salmon Administrative AssistantMr. Adam Schumm, Director of Food Services

Mr. Danny Belanger, Facilities ManagerMr. Billy Petruska, Lead Custodian