Nick Chellsen's Blog, page 2

Advent Week 4: The Opposite of Fear

The annunciation to the shepherd, Courtesy of Rijksmuseum, Europeana.

Advent Reading Plan: Luke 2:1-21

Have you ever noticed that in the Bible, when angels appear to people, their first words are often, “Do not be afraid”?

We see this in the angelic messages to Mary (Luke 1:30), Zechariah (Luke 1:13), and the shepherds (Luke 2:10).

To be fair, if the angels looked like the ones described  in Revelation 4:6-8, then they would be in the running for the scariest thing you ever saw....

Advent Week 3: What Have You Stopped Praying For?

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Advent Reading Plan: Luke 1:5-25

“What have you stopped praying for?”

That’s the question that comes to mind when I read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5–25.

In verse 13, an angel appeared to Zechariah and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” (NIV).

We don’t know exactly how long Zechariah and Elizabeth ...

What Have You Stopped Praying For? Insights from Zechariah

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Advent Reading Plan: Luke 1:5-25

“What have you stopped praying for?”

That’s the question that comes to mind when I read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5–25.

In verse 13, an angel appeared to Zechariah and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” (NIV).

We don’t know exactly how long Zechariah and Elizabeth ...

Advent Week 2: How to Hear From God

The Annunciation to the Virgin, Courtesy of Rijksmuseum, Europeana.

Advent Reading Plan: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25

One thing I’ve always found interesting about the Christmas story in the Bible is how God foretells Jesus’ birth in different ways with both Mary and Joseph.

In Luke 1:26-38, Mary is visited by an angel. The angel told her “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (v. 30-31, N...

Hearing God: Lessons from Mary and Joseph

The Annunciation to the Virgin, Courtesy of Rijksmuseum, Europeana.

Advent Reading Plan: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25

One thing I’ve always found interesting about the Christmas story in the Bible is how God foretells Jesus’ birth in different ways with both Mary and Joseph.

In Luke 1:26-38, Mary is visited by an angel. The angel told her “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (v. 30-31, N...

Advent Week 1: About Those Long Genealogies

Michael Willmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Advent Reading Plan: Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 4:23-37

Have you ever heard that song, “Father Abraham?” 

Perhaps you sang it in Sunday School or around a campfire. 

It goes like this:

Father Abraham had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham

I am one of them and so are you

So let’s just praise the Lord

(Repeat 1,000X)

While this song is as repetitive (and annoying) as the “12 Days of Christmas,” it does highlight...

Why Jesus’ Family Tree Matters This Advent Season

Michael Willmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Advent Reading Plan: Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 4:23-37

Have you ever heard that song, “Father Abraham?” 

Perhaps you sang it in Sunday School or around a campfire. 

It goes like this:

Father Abraham had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham

I am one of them and so are you

So let’s just praise the Lord

(Repeat 1,000X)

While this song is as repetitive (and annoying) as the “12 Days of Christmas,” it does highlight...

Advent Week 1: About those long genealogies

Michael Willmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Advent Reading Plan: Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 4:23-37

Have you ever heard that song, “Father Abraham?” 

Perhaps you sang it in Sunday School or around a campfire. 

It goes like this:

Father Abraham had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham

I am one of them and so are you

So let’s just praise the Lord

(Repeat 1,000X)

While this song is as repetitive (and annoying) as the “12 Days of Christmas,” it does highlight...

Why Advent is Important // Advent Bible Reading Plan

Image created by Nick Chellsen on Canva

As we enter the last month of the year, we also step into the first week of Advent.

Like many people, you probably have a to-do list as long as Santa’s naughty/nice list, detailing all the tasks you need to complete before Christmas in the next four weeks.

There are halls to deck, chestnuts to roast, and Christmas trees to rock around. And don’t forget the gifts – gifts to buy, gifts to wrap, and (in this economy) gifts to get price adjusted.

W...

Overcoming Gethsemane: Lessons in Leadership Resilience

As a leader, there will be times when you want to quit. This is why resilience is important. Resilience, simply put, is seeing something through to the end. 

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see He saw things through to the end. An example of this is at the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). 

In this story, Jesus was preparing to go to the cross. Jesus’ purpose was to reconcile humanity’s relationship with God. To fulfill that purpose, Jes...