Merry Christmas to you and yours!! I pray a joyous season! I know for many Christmas is a time to remember loved ones who've passed, or maybe finances are extremely tight this time of the year, or maybe there's bad experiences remembered... I hope something sparks a hope, a love, a faith this 2015 season! We are all in our own battle; be exceptionally kind and compassionate during this Christmas season :)
Something to think about
- Matt 2... Story about Wisemen and shepherds
- Humans are funny creatures... Want everything fast... Fast Lube, minute rice; if we can't get it first, we want it first.
- At the same time, we don't want change (you want your burger just the same)
- Same in church! We want to prayer right now and get our answer/request.
- If things don't come, we take things into our own hands.
- Shepherds were the lowest of the low; no education, not knowing prophesies, they just went saying 'let's go and see Jesus'
- Wisemen were educated. They went as well.
- People who were trained in the law/prophesies they were so emerged in their traditions that they sent others to see.
- Life is a journey... Like the Wisemen and shepherds, you have to 'GO'.
- If our destination is Christ, our journey will be much more pleasant.
The Message - Natalie MacDonald
- LOVE
- Everyone has their own traditions during the Christmas season... Movies, music, treats, tree, dinners, visiting
- There are some that associate Christmas with pleasant memories... Loss of a loved one, work, abuse
- How did Christmas stray from the Christ child?
- It's now about accumulation of things... And as the Western world, we love our stuff so much that we rent storage units to hold them haha
- Matt 6:19-21 (ESV)
- Luke 12:15
- 1 Timothy 6:9-10
- 2 Cor 9:7
- 1 John 3:17
- It's not about giving the best gift, the more extravagant gift, or many gifts... The true meaning of a Christmas gift is a meaningful gift!
- Read Pastor Todd's article in the bulletin.
- Replace Jesus for 'love' in the love verses in Todd's writing.
- You can READ the Bible, which is a great helpful thing; you can SEE someone practicing the Bible; you can DO what you see and learn with others being taught my your deeds.
- We are to be Christ-like, and Christ is God, and God is love... Therefore 'I am love'.
- In the 'love' verses, now replace 'I' where love is.
- Are you able to put your name in there?
- We should share this truth, in love, and our example will influence those around you.
- Throughout the WHOLE scripture, there are sprinkles of LOVE. Of course, there are things in the Bible that make us say 'ouch', things we don't like to hear, things on 'stop', 'no', 'change'...
- What if we replaced stress with peace?! Mourning with hope?!
- As advent represents LOVE, JOY, PEACE, HOPE... So is Christ.
Cheers
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