God's Gift to Us
What is lacking in us is what only God in Christ can provide.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus doesn’t fit into any merely human category we have, however exalted that may be. He’s not just our favorite leader, spiritual teacher, or religious figure. He’s not even just the greatest man who ever lived, if that is the most we can say about him. He’s not just godlike. He’s God himself, in human flesh. We can say that of no one else.
And he is God’s gift to us. The gifts people give us reflect what they think we need in life. If all of your friends seem to gift you deodorant, they may be trying to tell you something. But the message of Christianity is that the gift God sent us was none other than himself. It will take nothing less than that to meet our needs fully. What is lacking in us is what only he can provide. We ultimately need him. So that is what we have in Jesus. The Mighty God has come to be with us. Jesus cannot be explained in any other way. We see his divine insight and his mighty power. And all of it is for us— for our sakes. He can do for us what we could never do for ourselves. The Spirit of that Mighty God dwells in us even today!
The Bulletin
Member Spotlight: Katie Oliphint and The Branch’s Cereal Drive
We are happy to highlight our very own Katie Oliphint, an Immanuel member and volunteer English teacher with The Branch, a local non-profit providing food support, English language learning, and other care to South Nashville. She invites everyone to pitch into The Branch's "Love Your Neighbor Food Drive" by collecting cereal boxes and dropping them off at the café closet shelf any Sunday or Wednesday—collection ends November 17th! For more information, reach out to Katie here.Interested in attending the TGC25 (Gospel Coalition) conference? Don’t miss out on the Early Bird rate of $229, available only through Friday, November 1! After this date, the rate will increase to $259, with further increases as the event approaches. If you’re a Board & Council Church Member, use code COUNCILCHURCH25 for an additional $20 off the current rate. Register now to secure the best possible price for this event!