Episode 14 - Dillon and Kelsey Bagwell

Hey Oak Ridge family and friends, David here.

And today we are getting ready to read some scripture

and talk about what points people to Christ with

the Bagwell family. And so I'm gonna let them

start off with something that points them to

Christ during this season. Hello Oak Ridge, this

is Kelsey. I think for me right now this season...

We have Lawson, this is our first Advent season,

Christmas with our son. And so just, you know,

seeing him grow and getting to experience like

his excitement with all the new Christmas type

things too is fun. So that's reminds me of just

the love I have for him and Christ's love for

us. Hey guys, it's Dylan. I would say not only

in this season, but just in life, something that

not only grounds me, but points me to God and

points me to Jesus is just other people. I think

Love, when the Bible talks about God is love

and just what love is, it's embodied in so many

different ways and just humans were around. Working

in a school, kids are a wonderful example, but

I think it's also embodied at any age. You can

go to a place like a nursing home or wherever

and just see people of all ages just loving in

a way that you probably don't. And when I'm loved

on in a way that I don't do well at loving others,

it just... Reminds me of how magnificent God

is and how wonderfully blessed we are to be having

a God that has painted a picture of love in so

many different ways and we can appreciate that

through each other. All right, thank you guys

for sharing and now we're going to hop into a

couple of scriptures to reflect on as we enter

the season. I'm reading from 1st Samuel 2, 1

through 8. This is Hannah gives thanks. Hannah

said, my heart is happy in the Lord. I feel very

strong in my God. I laugh at my enemies. I am

very happy in my victory. There is no holy God

like the Lord. There is no God but you. There

is no rock like our God. Don't continue bragging.

Don't speak proud words because the Lord God

knows everything. He leads and judges people.

The bows of strong soldiers break. and weak people

become strong. People who have plenty of food

in the past must now work to get food, but those

who were hungry in the past now grow fat on food.

The woman who has not been able to have children

now has seven children, but the woman who may

have many children is sad because her children

are gone. The Lord causes people to die and he

causes them to live. He sends people down to

the grave and he can raise them up to live again.

I'll be reading Luke 3, 1 through 18. John the

Baptist prepares the way. In the fifteenth year

of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate,

being governor of Judea, and Herod being Tatriarch

of Galilee, and his brother Philip, Tatriarch

of the region of Eitruria, and Trachonidus and

Lysanias, Tatriarch of Abilene. During the high

priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of

the Lord came to John, the son of Zechariah,

in the wilderness. and he went into all the region

around the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance

for the forgiveness of sins as it is written

in the book of the word of Isaiah the prophet

the voice of the one crying in the wilderness

prepare the way of the Lord make his path straight

every valley shall be filled and every mountain

and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall

become straight and the rough places shall become

level ways and all flesh shall see the salvation

of God he said therefore in the crowds that came

out to be baptized by him you brood of vipers

who warned you to flee from the wrath to come

bear fruits in keeping with repentance and do

not begin to say to yourselves we have abraham

as our father for i tell you god is able from

these stones to raise up children for abraham

even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees

every tree therefore does not bear good fruit

is cut down and thrown into the fire. And the

crowds asked him, what then shall we do? And

he answered them, whoever has two tunics is to

share with him who has none. And whoever has

food is to do likewise. Tax collectors also came

to be baptized and said to him, teacher, what

shall we do? And he said to them, collect no

more than you are authorized to do. Soldiers

also asked him, and we, what shall we do? and

he said to them, do not extort money from anyone

by threats or by false acquisitions, and be content

with your wages. As the people were in expectation

and all the questioning in their hearts concerning

John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered

them all by saying, I baptize you with water,

but he who is mightier than I is coming, the

strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and

fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear

his thrashing floor and to gather the wheat into

his barn. But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable

fire. So with any other exhortations he preached

good news to the people.