Stephen De La Vega

Alternate Title: Why Did We Hear from John the Baptist Before We Heard from Jesus? As I enjoyed Thanksgiving, I looked forward to Christmas and I couldn’t stop wondering: Why did the man we call John the Baptist need to tell the Jews that Jesus was coming? I’d never thought about it before. Why is he part of biblical history? And why did God lay out such an integrated and impossible duo of supernatural pregnancies for Baby John and Baby Jesus? The Christmas story began with the pregnancy of John, who was selected by God to be a forerunner to Jesus. He was precursor both in birth and in ministry. So the Christmas story is not complete without the birth of John the Baptist. So why did the Jews need a forerunner? Wouldn’t they still have their Messiah, and wouldn’t we still have the gospel, without John the Baptist? Let’s consider their situation… The Jews expected a Messiah as promised from God. They expected a King who would rescue them from their ...

That’s my son with me in the picture. My hope for him is that he will continually: 1. Dig deeper into the study of God's Word 2. Draw nearer to God with more understanding 3. Grow fonder of God as you see His truth unfold Dig deeper.  Draw nearer.  Grow fonder. That’s my slogan.  It is my aim and my writing will reflect that.  Why?  It is the path God designed for me.   As a small group Bible study leader, my role is to lead people to increasingly grow fond of God.  We grow fonder when we understand Him and realize how much He is involved in our lives. Dig Deeper.   It goes without saying:  the more our heart is in it (Bible study), the more we gain.  How much we learn and understand depends on how deep we dig.  I read the Bible nearly every day.  Regular Bible reading is necessary for spiritual growth, and doing so daily offers an invaluable collection of knowledge and insight.  Add to th...