"The maker of the stars and seas, becomes a child on earth for me."* John Betjeman, Poet *Collected Poems ( John Murray, 1958, p. 178) "This is down-to-earth glory of God who has come and pitch a tent among us." John 1:14 David Bentley Hart, The New Testament (Yale University Press, 2017) The holiday we …
A Biblical & Fun View of Christmas!
Don’t be contented with a “nice” Christmas when Jesus says, “It has pleased my Father to give you the Kingdom.” Pray, go to work, play Trivial Pursuit, eat banana bread, exchange presents, go caroling, feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, and do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Brennan Manning (American …
A Christmas Reflection by Chuck Swindoll
“So, as you celebrate Christmas, this season, sing the carols, enjoy the food and exchange the gifts. But don’t let the season pass without remembering the prophecy, the history, and the mystery that surrounds the original, must have, indescribable Gift: that tiny baby, wonderfully wrapped, silently delivered… Eternally adored.”
Elf
by Dan Rupple May 6, 2021* The 2003 Christmas comedy, Elf, a popular family favorite, stars Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. As a child in an orphanage, one Christmas Eve, Buddy mistakenly crawls into Santa’s toy bag and ends up at the North Pole. There he is raised as an elf, but Buddy is not able to do …
St. Francis and the humble nativity.
By Lauren Terrell * Eight hundred years ago, in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first recorded nativity scene. What compelled him to recreate the setting of Jesus’ birth for others to see was not pageantry and spectacle but a realization that many had lost the true spirit of Christmas. It is believed that St. …
Christmas Greetings!
How are you experiencing the presence of the Son who came from the Father this Christmas? How are you experiencing "grace" from the Father and the Son? How are you experiencing "truth" from the Father and the Son?
God Became Man–Max Lucado
No other philosophy, religion, no other theology has anything like the willingness of God to condescend to human nature to become a baby and then not only to become a baby but to become a crucified Savior, and to be placed in a tomb. Max Lucado says Americans are so marinated in the commercial aspects of Christmas that …
7 Creative Ways Your Family Can Demonstrate Generosity This Christmas by Art Rainer*
Christmas is the celebration of the most extravagant gift ever given. This time of the year provides the perfect opportunity to rally your family around a generosity emphasis. To help, here are some creative ways your family can mask up and demonstrate generosity this Christmas. 1. Write letters to community leaders. Community leaders' roles have …
Shepherds and Swaddling Clothes
Shepherds and Swaddling Clothes by Linda Littlefield On the night of our Savior’s (Baby Jesus) birth, there were shepherds watching their flock. And Angels appeared to them announcing that a child was born. They revealed, “this shall be a sign to you. You will see a baby lying in a manger wrapped in “swaddling clothes”. …
That’s What Live Does, by Max Lucado*
<Listen>: Would you do what Jesus did? He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. If you were God, would you? I wouldn’t, but Christ did. Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. Why? Because that is what love does. It puts the loved before itself. Your place in heaven …
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