Anticipating the Promise of Emmanuel

Our Advent series is called "Anticipating the Promise." The message in this podcast is from me, with several sharing in open worship afterwards. I explain where we've been in our previous sermon series and tie that in with the Advent theme, reminding us that God is with us now, and we can hear part of the story of God's interaction with humanity through the biblical text when the Spirit speaks through it to us today. I use the passage from Isaiah 7:14 that is quoted in Matthew 1:22-23 to remind us that God fulfilled and continues to fulfill prophecies given through those prophets long ago, but that we also can hear God's prophetic word and the Spirit's message can be fulfilled in us, too.