❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) The light of the world The first Advent (Isaiah 9:2-6, John 1:9-14) Andy Nagahara Starting today, the Christian church’s calendar begins a four-week period of anticipation for Christmas called Advent. Every year at this time, four candles are placed like this, and one candle is lit today, the first week of the month, and each week the number of candles is increased by one. All four candles are lit during the Christmas service on the last Sunday of Advent. It expresses the feeling of waiting and longing.The text we will read first today is a prophecy recorded in chapter 9 of Isaiah, one of the…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) While We Try To Be Strong, Jesus Chooses and Loves the Weak (John 6:60-71) Mari Ikeda Today we continue with the Gospel of John, and today we will read 6:60-71. Over the past two months and four messages, I have spoken from Chapter 6. In particular, the last two messages have been on the theme “Jesus is the Bread of Life,” in which I have explained that the bread of life that brings us eternal life is Jesus Himself, and that we must eat Him to have a true life. Today’s passage records the disciples’ response to this teaching. As we will read, it is…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) How To Live in Vain (Psalm 127:1, 2) Andy Nagahara Let’s listen to the words of Jesus Christ speaking to us through the Psalm today. Today’s text is the Psalm 12７. This psalm has different contents sung in the first and second halves. The first half of this psalm sings that all human activities are futile if they don’t recognize God’s work in them. The second half of the song is a blessing about having descendants, especially sons. And the content of this latter half is connected to the content of the next psalm 128 . The latter half of Psalm 127 and Psalm 128…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) Living by “Eating” the Death of Jesus (John 6:41-59) Mari Ikeda Today we continue with the Gospel of John, and today we will read 6:41-59. This is a passage that deals with the theme of “Jesus is the Bread of Life” through three times, last time, today, and next time. Today’s passage is the heart of the series. The main part is from verse 48 onward, but before that, in verses 41-47, the important things that we confirmed last time are discussed in more detail. Let’s read from verses 41-47. A. Faith is something God gives us (41-47) 41 At this the Jews there began…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) Jesus the sower (Psalm 126) Andy Nagahara Let’s listen to the words of Jesus Christ speaking to us through the Psalm today. Today’s text is Psalm 126. Let’s read the whole thing first. 0 A song of ascents. 1 When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.5…