CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED
When it comes to Christmas we often only see the wrapping paper.  Beneath lies the real present which is ultimately greater than we can even imagine.  In this series we hope to unwrap the realities of what Christmas really is and how it can apply to our lives.  In this series we will answer the following 4 questions; When is Christmas, What is Christmas, Who is Christmas, and Where is Christmas?

Dec 27, 2021
Christmas Unwrapped Part 4: Where Is Christmas? (Job 9:31-36)
Though Christmas was conceived in Heaven, birthed in Bethlehem, and celebrated in excess by the western world, you will only find true Christmas in those who have accepted Christ as the only mediator who can touch both God and man.    
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  • Dec 27, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 4: Where Is Christmas? (Job 9:31-36)
    Dec 27, 2021
    Christmas Unwrapped Part 4: Where Is Christmas? (Job 9:31-36)
    Though Christmas was conceived in Heaven, birthed in Bethlehem, and celebrated in excess by the western world, you will only find true Christmas in those who have accepted Christ as the only mediator who can touch both God and man.    
  • Dec 19, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 3: Who Is Christmas (Luke 2:17-35)
    Dec 19, 2021
    Christmas Unwrapped Part 3: Who Is Christmas (Luke 2:17-35)

    Mary has to stop and Ponder what the Shepherds meant when they told her that Jesus was her Lord.  Could she come to grips with the idea that her son, Jesus, would be the warden of sinners and the master of slaves? In today's culture we wince at the thought of slavery, almost to the point that we have ridden our society of all vestiges of what it did to our country. We don't talk about it. Why? Because we know that it is wrong for any person to own another person like a piece of property. I'm sure in Mary's day they struggled with this notion to pretty much the same extent. So when the shepherds mentioned to her that Jesus would be her Lord, It meant that in a sense, she would be enslaved to him. That he would be so great, so awesome, so holy, that she could not help but find herself under his control. After all of the Lord's the people had seen for the last thousand years. The evil kings of Israel and Judah, the pagan kings of Babylon, Persia, and now Rome. The fake pretenders like Herod and the Pharisees. What would a good and Godly Lord even look like?

    We too must ponder this. What does it mean to subject ourselves to Jesus as our Lord? It means we are servants and slaves under his control. It means we do what he says, we go where he sends, we work his fields, we feed his sheep, we follow in his steps, we suffer for his cause, we carry his banner, we fight in his army, we reap his harvest, and if need be, we carry his cross. When we subject ourselves to Jesus as Lord, we become faithful and willing slaves committed to His cause and for His glory! Can you do this? Can you submit to Jesus as your Lord? Romans 10:9-10 tells us that we must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe it in our hearts and then we will be saved. This is how we must come to Jesus. This is how we truly experience Christmas. Jesus truly is Who Christmas is all about!

  • Dec 12, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 2: What Is Christmas (Galatians 4:4, Luke 2:8-16)
    Dec 12, 2021
    Christmas Unwrapped Part 2: What Is Christmas (Galatians 4:4, Luke 2:8-16)
    The wrapping paper of Christmas looks like a lot of things; shopping, parties, television specials, music, movies, giving gifts, family reunions, egg nog, mistletoe, carols, elf on the shelf, and on and on... but thats not the real gift! The present under the wrapping paper is way more important and substantial! Christmas is about the fact that God kept his promise, sent his Son Jesus to earth as a man, to die for our sins and give us eternal life. If we focus on the wrapping paper we may become more selfish, more stressed, more worldly... but when we focus on the actual gift of Christmas, the gift of Jesus Christs given for the sins of all mankind, it transforms your life. It helps us keep our promises, it helps us trade our carnal life in for a life of true godliness, and it helps us recognize that we need salvation... we need to be born again. This morning... what is Christmas? Christmas is God with us, God for us, God born to die for our sins! Christmas is one of the greatest miracles the world has ever known and it should change who we are! If you know what Christmas is really all about, it should change your life.Christmas is about a night when a virgin favored by God gave birth to the son of God knowing that in due time he would give his life for the sins of the world! This why the nativity matters... this is what Christmas means. Yes, Charlie Brown... this is what Christmas is really all about!
     
  • Dec 5, 2021Christmas Unwrapped Part 1: When Is Christmas (Luke 2:1-7)
    Dec 5, 2021
    Christmas Unwrapped Part 1: When Is Christmas (Luke 2:1-7)
    Do we really know what Christmas is all about or is it like a Christmas present where the wrapping paper that we focus on is keeping us from seeing the true gift beneath?   When discussing the truth of when is Christmas, the wrapping paper is the date we focus on; December 25th.  While December 25th might be the exact date that Jesus was born on, though doubtful, it doesn't matter.  All that matters is that we do celebrate the fact that Jesus was born;  the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us.  When is Christmas?  We should celebrate Christmas everyday!