Berea Update for December 5, 2025
As we enter the Christmas season, we turn our hearts toward the great truth that God sent His Son into a dark world to bring lasting hope. The decorations go up, the calendars fill, and the season quickly becomes busy—but Advent reminds us to slow down and prepare our hearts for Christ. Over the next several weeks, our church devotions will walk us toward Christmas by focusing on the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. This week, we begin with Hope—the confident expectation that God keeps His promises because Christ has come.
Below, make sure you also read through the upcoming events! We hope you and your family will be able to join us for these different events!
Upcoming Events
1. This Sunday will be unique! During the morning worship service, there will be an ordination service, recognizing my formal ordination. There will be a guest speaker for part of the service, and we'll do a few other things to mark the occasion. I am so appreciative of everyone's support as I've worked through this process! Normally we do communion on the first Sunday of each month. This month, because of the ordination service, we'll be doing communion next week as a church family.
2. The winter quarter for Sunday School begins this Sunday as well! There are two options for adults:
A Study on the Sermon on the Mount
Teacher: Pastor Mark Gainer
This class, which is a continuation from the Summer and Fall quarters, on the Sermon on the Mount, will explore Jesus’ transformative teachings in Matthew 5–7 diving into themes of kingdom living, righteousness, and discipleship. Discover how these timeless principles challenge and inspire us to live faithfully in today’s world. This sermon is as relevant today as it was back then! Participants will be encouraged to apply Jesus’ teachings to their own lives in very practical ways throughout the course.
Biblical Forgiveness
Teacher: Dana Love
This course explores how Scripture presents forgiveness as the foundation for restoring humanity’s relationship with God. Together we will examine the theological basis for God’s forgiveness and learn how those principles shape our journey to forgive others in practical, meaningful ways.
3. SAVE THE DATE! We will be doing our annual Christmas Eve Service on Wednesday, December 24 at 4:30 PM here at the church. Our desire is that might all be able to come together, and still leave time for family dinners and gatherings that evening.
4. Interested in participating in drama? Plans are underway to have both a Good Friday and Easter drama this upcoming year! If you are interested in acting, helping with set design, costumes, or in any other way, please see Phil Berrien, or sign-up at the Welcome Center this Sunday!
Ways You Can Pray This Week
1. Pray for our new Sunday School quarter that begins this week. Pray for the teachers that they might have wisdom as they teach, and plan lessons and activities that connect their students to the Lord, and pray for the participants that they might continue to grow in their fear and knowledge of the Lord.
***Please know that there are many individuals who need prayer this week due to health concerns and other events going on in their lives. Out of sensitivity to each individual's situation, these requests may not appear in this weekly blog. We have a "Prayer Team" at the church who receives more detailed information, and commits to praying for individuals in our church family.
This Week's Devotions
Day 1 – Hope in a Weary World
Isaiah 9:2 – “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”
Winter has a way of making the darkness feel heavier. The days shorten, the sky stays gray, and everything slows down. Isaiah wrote to a people who felt that same weight—not just physically, but spiritually. Yet God promised that light was coming. Christmas is the fulfillment of that promise. Jesus did not come into a bright, cheerful world—He came into darkness to bring true light. If your heart feels weary today, remember: the light has already dawned, and His name is Jesus.
Reflection Question: Where do you most need God’s light and hope right now?
Day 2 – Hope Rooted in Promises
Romans 15:4 – “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Hope is not wishful thinking—it is confidence rooted in God’s promises. Every prophecy fulfilled in Christ proves that God is faithful to His Word. From the promise to Abraham to the promise of a coming Savior, God never failed. As we open Scripture, we are reminded that the same God who kept those promises is still at work today. Your hope is as strong as the Word of the God who made it.
Reflection Question: Which promise of God do you need to cling to today?
Day 3 – Hope in the Waiting
Lamentations 3:31–32 – “For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.”
Winter teaches us patience. The ground looks lifeless, but beneath the surface, God is still working. The same is true in our seasons of waiting. Israel waited hundreds of years for the Messiah—and right on time, Jesus came. If you feel stuck in a long winter of waiting today, take heart: God’s compassion has not stopped, and His timing is always perfect.
Reflection Question: What are you waiting on God to do right now?
Day 4 – Hope That Does Not Disappoint
Romans 5:5 – “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
So many things promise hope but leave us empty—success, money, relationships, comfort. The hope found in Christ is different. It never leads to regret. Through the Holy Spirit, God pours His love directly into our hearts. The same love that brought Christ into the world now lives within every believer. That kind of hope cannot be shaken by circumstances.
Reflection Question:What false hopes might God be asking you to release?
Day 5 – Hope Born in Humility
Luke 2:11–12 – “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
The Savior of the world did not arrive in a palace—but in a feeding trough. God reminds us that true hope does not come through power, wealth, or status. It came in humility. If you feel overlooked, unseen, or small this season, remember: God does His greatest work in the most unexpected places.
Reflection Question: Where might God be working in quiet, unseen ways in your life?
Day 6 – Hope for the Broken
Isaiah 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted.”
Christmas reminds us that Jesus came for the broken—not the put-together. He came to heal wounded hearts, restore lost souls, and bring good news to those who feel forgotten. You do not need to fix yourself before coming to God. Jesus came because you are broken—and He delights in restoring what sin has shattered.
Reflection Question: Which broken area of your life needs Christ’s healing touch?
Day 7 – Living with Expectant Hope
Titus 2:13 – “Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
We celebrate Christ’s first coming at Christmas—but we are also waiting for His return. The same Jesus who came in humility will come again in glory. That future promise fuels present hope. No matter what this world throws at us, our story ends with Christ reigning and all things made new.
Reflection Question:How would your week look different if you lived with Christ’s return in mind?
Kids (and Kids at Heart) Korner
Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Frosted Flakes
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Snow.
Snow who?
Snow use—winter is here whether we like it or not!
Hope to see you all on Sunday!
Mark