By David L. Chancey
Fayetteville, Georgia
It’s easy to get caught up in the wrong things and completely miss Christmas.
Some people missed that first Christmas. The innkeeper was too preoccupied. He had his hands full with a full inn. King Herod was too jealous and paranoid. The religious leaders didn’t care about a baby born in Bethlehem.
Their focus was the law. They didn’t need a Savior. Jerusalem residents lived only a short distance from Bethlehem, yet they totally missed His birth. Let’s not take for granted that everyone knows what and who Christmas is about.
Pastor Sterling Lynn told about his church’s missions trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, several years ago.
This youth group from First Baptist Church Daytona Beach, Florida, encountered a teenage girl who asked, “What is your group doing here?” The youth pastor responded, “We’re here to help one of the local churches spread the good news about Jesus.”
Then came two words that totally shocked the short-term missionaries: “Jesus who?”
Get the picture. They were standing in Bethlehem, and this girl asked “Jesus who?”
One of my church members, Ali, had a similar experience. Ali works as a houseparent at FAME Girls Ranch in Russellville, Alabama. One of her residents was a 16-year old sent to live there by the state.
The girls brought out the boxes of Christmas stuff and pitched in to decorate their house. When Ali opened the box that contained the nativity scene, this student had no idea what a nativity scene was or what the word meant.
She had been to church, knew about Jesus and had heard about His death and resurrection, but she had never heard about His birth. Ali sat with this teen and had the privilege of sharing the details of Jesus’ birth.
The youth was totally fascinated and deeply touched that God loved the world so much He gave His only Son to be the Savior of the world.
How do we prepare to have our best Christmas ever?
Several years ago, evangelist Dennis Nunn addressed that question in a Sunday morning message at our church. Here are his tips:
- Turn holidays into holy days. Christmas is about Jesus, and we need to keep the focus on Him.
- Don’t go into debt. Overspending for gifts and going into debt is the world’s way to do Christmas. If you can’t pay for it, don’t buy it. Give as you are able, according to the blessings of the Lord (Deut. 16:17).
- Focus on people and not presents. This is a season to invest in family and build family memories. Spend as much time talking to your children as you do shopping for your children. What memories will you build this year?
EDITOR’S NOTE — David L. Chancey is pastor of McDonough Road Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. Visit davidchancey.com to read more of his articles.
Fix your eyes on Jesus amid the busyness
It’s really no wonder the holidays are a high time for depression. Financial and family issues surface, and the changes that have occurred in previous months are all brought to attention this time of year.
If you’re one that doesn’t look forward to the holidays, you’re not alone.
Everything in this season tells us we need to be merry, we need to have that picture perfect family and that picture perfect table with our friends surrounding us.
It tells us something is wrong if we don’t.
But the pictures we put in frames and on social media don’t always tell the true story.
The author of Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). Why is that important? Because we can become distracted by all the things we think we need to be, when the only thing we need is to be at His feet.
Make Jesus the reason for your season this year and keep your eyes fixed on Him. Let your anxieties fall by the wayside and give Him a place at your table. Let this holiday be different in a good way.
Amy Hacker
the-scroll.com
Remembering our Hope
Our hope is this and this alone: Christ has come.
The final verse of “Christ Has Come” declares, “Christ will come again. To damn this pain to hell. For He has overcome, and we will reign with Him.”
I know It’s Advent and not Easter, but the two are unmistakably intertwined. To celebrate one is to celebrate the other. Without Advent, there is no Easter. Without Easter, we have no reason to celebrate Advent.
And without Easter and Advent, we have no hope. We have nothing to look forward to past the sorrow and pain of this life.
So whether it’s a lifeline in a tumultuous season or a timely reminder during this Christmas season, remember this promise:
Christ has come. And Christ will come again.
Jessica Ingram
the-scroll.com
It really is a wonderful life
By Franklin Kirksey
Robertsdale, Alabama
If you think this is about a banker from Bedford Falls, it is not. It is about a guilty sinner becoming a glorious saint because he met a gracious Savior who appeared on earth from heaven (Titus 3:3–7).
Paul wrote a letter to Titus, wherein he reminds him of the time when Jesus Christ appeared and what that means to believers. Notice three tenses in this text.
In the past tense, remember what you were (Titus 3:3). Remember what it was to be lost. Paul refers to a guilty sinner, but there is an appreciation of love. Titus 3:4a reads, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared.” (See Gal. 4:4–5 and John 3:16.)
In the present tense, remember what you are now. Titus 3:4b–5a reads, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us … .” Jesus Christ is a gracious Savior. (See Eph. 2:8–9.)
In the future tense, remember what you will be. Titus 3:7b reads, “we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” There is an anticipation in hope. Remember you will be heirs in glory. (See Rom. 8:30b.)
James Culross recounts that as William Carey, the great missionary statesman, was dying, he said with a feeble voice, “Mr. Duff, you have been speaking about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey. When I am gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey — speak only about Dr. Carey’s Savior.”
Many gift cards you receive need to be activated. The gift of God’s Son for forgiveness of our sin is no exception. There is an activation by faith (Rom. 5:1–2).
Believer, don’t lose the wonder! It’s a wonderful life!
Anticipation is as old as time. I can’t imagine the great anticipation God must have felt as He prepared the world for Jesus. He knew their most incredible gift to mankind was on the way.
“God’s Great Anticipation”
perfectionroad.com/blog
The world glorifies ‘self-made’ individuals. But on the Kingdom side of things, we know (and have deeply experienced) the foolishness of independence and self-reliance. Jesus came to save us from this futile way of living. He became the Way to a fruitful life.
@_full.filled_
Instagram
How to make church not “about you” this weekend:
Pray for others.
Serve and volunteer.
Be a worshipper, not a consumer.
Show up on time.
Don’t fill the back seats first.
Sing, even if it’s not your favorite song.
Participate instead of spectate.
Don’t nitpick.
Go live out the sermon.
@shane_pruitt78
X (formerly Twitter)
When hurtful words come our way, we must be humble enough to receive any truth from what’s been said but stable enough to let the rest go.
Their unkindness is usually an indication of unresolved pain in their life that probably has very little to do with you.
@LysaTerKeurst
X (formerly Twitter)
We are all objects of God’s love and the intended recipients of history’s first Christmas present. The Christmas story is a true love story of rescue and redemption that deserves to be both celebrated and shared this month with anyone who is willing to listen. “For God so loved the world” means that every person in our family, neighborhood, school and/or workplace is someone worth saving.
Mark Dance
Director of pastoral wellness
GuideStone Financial Resources
When life does not make sense and everything seems confusing, do you ask yourself “why?” Do you struggle with making sense out of all the chaos?
I have asked the question “why” many times. I have grappled with trying really hard to understand the purpose of it all.
This Scripture always brings me such peace when I find myself in the confusion. It brings clarity and hope: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8–9).
My friend, I’m not sure what you are going through today, I hope this passage encourages you to rest in this truth too.
His ways are not our ways. God is in control. You and I are not called to figure it all out on this earth but praise God on that. God’s got you and God’s got me. God’s got it all.
@lisajean_silva
Instagram
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