What Do You Want For Christmas?

Every year we are asked the same question, right? “What do you want for Christmas?” Well, when you are young, that is easy! I knew the question was coming so I had the JCPenney catalog (or any toy ads I could get my hands on) all marked up with the best options. Circling toys in the catalog was almost as fun as getting the marked item! As we get older, and perhaps wiser, we don’t mark up the ads. We may have one or two things that we mention to our loved ones, but most of us are pretty content with whatever we open up on Christmas morning. Don’t get me wrong. I love getting gifts. :) I just have found that my favorite things about Christmas are the people. I enjoy being with friends and family. I love seeing my kids and nieces and nephew open gifts and experience true excitement and awe. I love gathering with my church family for worship and singing Silent Night while lighting candles. Shared experiences are what mean so much. This is what symbolizes and celebrates the greatest gift of all. This Christmas Eve let us gather, once again, to celebrate the coming of God in flesh...together. This will be a cherished gift to one another this holiday season. That is my answer to the question.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Pastor David

A Thankful Heart

Recently, I heard the interview of a highly successful college quarterback who happens to be a Christ follower. The radio host said he noticed that the athlete thanks God each time they score and each time they win a big game. The interviewer went on to ask this football player if that isn't wrong because God doesn't care who wins. The response of this young man was wonderful. He simply said, “We thank God when we win and we thank God when we lose. He is still God in both circumstances.” 

It sounds as if this All-American Quarterback, who claims that his faith is first in his life, has been reading and chooses to live out the true meaning of Philippians 4:12-13.

¹² “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:12-13 (ESV) 

These are “Thankful Heart” verses. Win or lose, rich or poor, blessings or curses…I can do all things in Christ! I am thankful, appreciative, and generous with my praise no matter what!

The opposite of thankfulness shows through complaint and pessimism. Everyone on earth can be thankful for something. But, think about it…everyone on earth can be pessimistic and complain about something, as well! It comes down to where our heart is and who has mastery of our heart. Our quarterback friend testifies that, even after poor play and bad games, his heart will overflow in thankfulness. 

We, too, are given the privilege of thankfulness. But this cannot be faked! Allow the Holy Spirit to transform your heart. Ask Him to give you a thankful heart that overflows in optimism and grateful words of praise. 

Thanksgiving is a day of worship. What will you do, practically, to treat it as such?

Have a great week.

Pastor David

Right the Ship!

Do you know what I am thankful for? I am thankful that the words of Jesus were preserved. Through them we have light, life, and guidance. I am grateful that the Holy Spirit continues this work of life-giving enlightenment. In so doing, God sets right what is so easily distorted, co-opted, and/or largely ignored.

This was, and is, the case for the Sabbath…a day “set apart” as Holy and “blessed” (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11). The religious leaders in first century Israel had distorted the Sabbath through legalistic beliefs and teachings. Jesus had to “right the ship” of the Sabbath because it was listing (leaning) hard and taking on water. Jesus reminded the people (and us) that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).

The challenge for us is to continue the work of Christ through Holy Spirit empowered lives to set aside as Holy this blessed day. Setting this day aside serves as a conduit for the transformational and spiritually formative power of the Holy Spirit to flow. 

So, resolve to rest, recreate, and reflect on this special day. Resolve to stop doing work. In so doing, you are allowing growth to happen, you are honoring God, and you are symbolically celebrating the key doctrines of redemption and restoration. 

Right the ship through allowing this holy and blessed day to be a blessing to you and to God.

Pastor David