"Make Straight the Way of the Lord"

Dec 10, 2023 • Rev. Charlie Holt

In this second Advent sermon, Reverend Holt passionately calls the congregation to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Lord, echoing the cry of John the Baptist: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” Framing the message around a childhood game of Hide and Seek—“Ready or not, here I come”—Holt likens our spiritual condition to children hiding from God because of guilt and shame, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden.

He draws a powerful distinction between guilt (linked to actions) and shame (linked to identity), and warns that both can become spiritual roadblocks. John the Baptist’s call to "make straight" isn’t merely metaphor—it’s a prophetic wake-up to remove the valleys, mountains, and crooked places in our lives that obstruct the Lord’s presence.

Sermon Transcription

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