I am not a morning person. I have a hard time waking up. Which means I have sort of a love/hate relationship with my alarm clock. Every night I turn it on so that it wakes me up in the morning. When it goes off, I know it’s time to get the day started. Some people wake up to the alarm refreshed and ready to go. They are the people depicted in the TV commercials who wake up with a smile on their faces, give a quick stretch and are ready for the new day. I tend to hit the snooze button several times until it’s imperative that I throw the covers off and slouch to the coffee maker for a cup of caffeinated beverage that gets me ready for the new day. There are other alarms that result in quick action. Some announce the need for quick action to prevent or avoid a danger. A smoke alarm fills that need. We know what to do and are ready to do it. Some end a time of toil and free us to go play. A bell at the end of the school day is such an alarm. The kids know what to do and are ready to do it. Alarms tell us that it is time to act. The action called for depends on the type of the alarm. Whatever the alarm tells us it is time to do, we are best ready to do it. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he announced that the time was fulfilled. That was the alarm. Time to do something! Do what? Repent and believe in the good news. Why? Because the kingdom of God had come near. But there was something else that needed to be done. Were we ready to do it? Want to hear more? Join us at the John McMillan Presbyterian Church Facebook Live stream of Pastor Jeff’s message “Game Time” on Sunday January 24 at 10am. Set your alarm!