Joy enters the world in a manger, not with fanfare, but with the simple cry of a newborn Savior. The angels’ song declares that true joy doesn’t come from our circumstances but from God’s presence breaking into our lives. In this Advent season, we remember that the gift of Jesus brings a joy that is steady, hopeful, and available right where we are. As we wait, worship, and prepare our hearts, may the joy of Christ fill our homes and remind us that God’s goodness is still drawing near.

Luke 2:8-14 reminds us that God’s peace isn’t something we have to earn; it’s something He brings to us.

In the quiet of an ordinary field, to ordinary shepherds, heaven broke through with extraordinary news: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…” God’s peace arrived wrapped in a person, Jesus.

This peace isn’t the absence of problems but the presence of a Savior who steps into our world, our chaos, our fears, and our everyday lives. Just like the shepherds, we are invited to look up from what worries us and hear the angel’s message again: You don’t have to carry this alone. Peace has come near.

May we welcome His peace today, deep, steady, and stronger than anything we face.

God initiated a series of events in the lives of Peter (a Jewish Christian) and Cornelius (a Gentile, soon-to-be Christian) that would result in a colossal paradigm shift for the early church’s mindset and conduct. Ten years after Christ’s commission, the gospel spread throughout Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. But now it was time for the truth about Christ to reach the nations. The mystery of the gospel, as Paul liked to call it, needed to be uncovered. Namely, God’s heart is for every tribe, tongue, and nation to hear the gospel message. The good news of Jesus is for all people.

Back in Acts 7, Luke recorded the account of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. Saul was there to witness the execution, and persecution would only increase as the early church grew. But the Lord was not shocked by this persecution; He was still ruling and reigning over all. He had a plan and a mission to spread the gospel beyond Jerusalem's borders. The Lord would use this persecution to further the gospel as the church continued to spread to the ends of the earth.

In the book of Acts, the first part primarily focuses on the apostle Peter, and all God did through His ministry to propel the gospel to the ends of the earth. After a quick detour to demonstrate the power of God through the conversion of Paul, Luke turns his attention back to Peter, here in Acts 9, for a few more episodes before he pivots completely toward the telling of the ministry of Paul.

Persecution of the early church was increasing in the book of Acts. The leaders in the early church had been imprisoned, beaten, and threatened with murder, but so far none of them had been put to death. However, all of the opposition boiled over in Acts 6–7. The religious leaders took extreme measures to stop the spread of the gospel. Stephen’s account teaches us that even through suffering, God is sovereign and on His throne. Stephen preached the gospel faithfully, yet the religious leaders responded with hate and murder. Our calling is to trust God’s goodness and care over our lives at all times.

The book of Acts describes the growth of the church from Jerusalem out toward the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). But as the disciples preached, the religious leaders opposed God’s will for the gospel to go forth. In Acts 5, these leaders thought they could keep the apostles from preaching by throwing them in jail. However, an angel of the Lord opened the jail so they could escape and continue the preaching.

The church continued to grow through the sovereign Lord pouring out His Spirit on people as they came to trust in Christ. But this happened in the midst of persecution and opposition.

After Peter’s preaching and the group’s prayer for God to work miraculously, they showed a unity perhaps never seen before. One of their first actions was to give generously to meet the needs of fellow believers in Christ. No one claimed ownership of anything; instead, everything belonged to God. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, these believers were transformed from the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders in chapter 3 to living out an authentic faith in Jesus’ resurrection. Then, in response to an act of deception in chapter 5, God shows His desire for purity in the church, which He died for and purchased with His own precious blood.