Link to the free devotional by Dwell App found here: https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjmโฃ
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๐๐ฑ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ด: ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐โฃ
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Isaiah 40:1-11 โฃ
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 โฃ
2 Peter 3:8-15a โฃ
Mark 1:1-8โฃ
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๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต; ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต, ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ท๐ข๐ช๐ฏ, ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ช๐ต ๐ญ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ณ๐ถ๐ช๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ต; ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ด, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏโ๐ด ๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ท๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ.โฃ
โTertullianโฃ
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Have you ever looked at an ancient icon or historic Christian painting and struggled to tell whatโs going on? If so, youโre in good company! While appreciating the beauty and reverence of these timeless works, the modern viewer is often left in the dark, unclear on who and what is depicted, and by extension, how to properly engage and appreciate such artwork. However, there is one figure that can always be easily identified: John the Baptist. How, you may ask? By his finger.โฃ
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Though commonly remembered for his unique diet and dramatic dress, John the Baptistโs finger is in many ways his most defining feature, for with it he fulfills his primary role in the story of salvation. John points us to Christ, showing us where to go when we are disoriented. He helps us look afresh to Christ when we are confused and cannot see a way forward. In short, he reminds us, often with great passion and urgency, where our focus is meant to be.โฃ
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In this second week of Advent, we focus on the themes of preparation and repentance. As Isaiah 40:3 reminds us, โIn the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.โ In the busyness of this holiday season, your focus is likely scattered and pulled in a dozen different directions. Yet into this noise, each year Christians are invited again to tune their hearts to the ancient words of the prophet who proclaimed โa baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sinsโ (Mk. 1:4). Our Lord is coming. May he find us ready and waiting.โฃ
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๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธโฃ
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.โฃ
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๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒโฃ
It is impossible to give ourselves fully to multiple passions or pursuits. As such, we will take time this week to practice fasting, a timeless discipline that encourages attentiveness by eliminating distraction. To this end, consider today fasting from noise in a way that makes sense for your context. Perhaps you take a break from TV, music, or podcasts. Go for a walk. Drive in the car with the radio off. Be creative, but remember, we say โnoโ in order to say โyesโ to something better!โฃ
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