CHRISTMAS TIME?

 

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS LOVE!

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT

CHRISTMAS TIME?

A TIME TO LOVE!

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:36-40 NLT

• Love God with everything you’ve got.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Love people enough to forgive them.

CHRISTMAS TIME IS A TIME OF CHANGE:

• The people changed
• The community changed
• The nation changed
• The world changed 

Everything changed . . . God went from silent and distant to personal and involved.

 

6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen! Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME OF REJOICING!

• God’s Good News!
• A Savior is born!

10b“…I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”  Luke 2:10b-11 NLT

 

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NLT

 

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME OF RECEIVING!  

• Some of us need to learn how to receive a gift.
• Giving thanks changes our perspective.
• God’s free gift makes us right with God.

15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.  Romans 5:15-16 NLT

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME OF GIVING! 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

• The greatest gift we may give this Christmas season is forgiveness.
• We are never more like Christ than when we forgive and give.

Next Steps for Me Today…

• To see Christmas time from God’s perspective.
• To receive God’s free gift by faith today.
• To offer the gift of forgiveness!