The Greatest Christmas Gift
"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ." - Frank McKibben
"And what a difference between our sin and God's generous gift of forgiveness. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this other man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God's bountiful gift. 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 we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:15-17 (NLT)
So far this week, we have been looking at Jesus being the greatest gift of all. We have looked at the hope that He provides and the truth that we all need this hope in an often hopeless world. Today, I want you to think about some of your reaction to that. What do you do with it? What have you done? A couple of months ago, I was cleaning out my garage. I noticed a small bag with a Christmas scene on it. It was a gift bag. As I was getting ready to throw the bag away, I noticed that something shifted in the bag. I looked in and noticed a gift card to Home Depot. Crazy!!! What a waste. I could have used this card many times over the past year but what good did it do sitting in a bag in my garage?
What good is a gift if you don't even open it? Even worse, what good is a gift that you don't even use? Not much. Even if the gift is valuable and you could use it every day, it doesn't do any good if your just leave it in the bag.
So what about this "gift" that God has given you? The gift of Jesus. Have you opened it? Have you accepted it? Have you used it? If you haven't yet, I want to talk to you about it. If you are not sure how to accept it, let's talk.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16th: "What The Gift Means to You
Yesterday, we looked at the one thing that the Gift of Jesus at Christmas means to you. Today, we continue our theme by thinking about THE HOPE that Jesus gives.
Jesus Our Hope"We have lasting hope through the salvation we have in Christ ... Hope means that even when it looks like it's all over, it's not all over yet. That's why the Bible says we can rejoice even in our tribulations (problems). God is working in our hard times to produce proven character and hope in us." -Dr. Tony Evans, Totally Saved
Psalm 33-22"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." (NIV)
Jesus Our Hope
For millions of people, the Christmas season means nothing more than parties, gifts, decorations, and time off of school. For many of us, however, this time of year is a happy reminder of the hope we have because of Jesus Christ.
Before Jesus came, God seemed distant to the people. Kind of hidden in a temple, accessible only to the high priest. Worshippers wondered whether their sacrifices were acceptable. They often doubted if God was really there. They had seen Him do some amazing things but even then, they doubted.
Christ means hope—to the person made fun of, to someone struggling with an addiction, to someone who feels distant from their parents. Even if you're just slogging your way through the problems in our life, if you have Jesus, you have hope. And he is not a false hope, a childish fairy tale that we wish will have a happy ending. When Jesus was born, lived a perfect life, was crucified, and then rose again; that ended the argument. Period. Our hope in him is solid and it is real.
Christmas is a renewal of that hope. It reconfirms for us that God has given us that gift of hope in Jesus where ever we are in life. But what does that mean to you? Today, think about the fact that even when times are hard, when your friends desert you, when you have done something that you feel is not forgivable, there is still hope. That hope is found in a baby born in Bethlehem that went on to pay the ultimate price....to give hope to the hopeless. Take some time today thanking God for that gift of Hope.
More tomorrow,
Dan
Jesus Our Hope"We have lasting hope through the salvation we have in Christ ... Hope means that even when it looks like it's all over, it's not all over yet. That's why the Bible says we can rejoice even in our tribulations (problems). God is working in our hard times to produce proven character and hope in us." -Dr. Tony Evans, Totally Saved
Psalm 33-22"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." (NIV)
Jesus Our Hope
For millions of people, the Christmas season means nothing more than parties, gifts, decorations, and time off of school. For many of us, however, this time of year is a happy reminder of the hope we have because of Jesus Christ.
Before Jesus came, God seemed distant to the people. Kind of hidden in a temple, accessible only to the high priest. Worshippers wondered whether their sacrifices were acceptable. They often doubted if God was really there. They had seen Him do some amazing things but even then, they doubted.
Christ means hope—to the person made fun of, to someone struggling with an addiction, to someone who feels distant from their parents. Even if you're just slogging your way through the problems in our life, if you have Jesus, you have hope. And he is not a false hope, a childish fairy tale that we wish will have a happy ending. When Jesus was born, lived a perfect life, was crucified, and then rose again; that ended the argument. Period. Our hope in him is solid and it is real.
Christmas is a renewal of that hope. It reconfirms for us that God has given us that gift of hope in Jesus where ever we are in life. But what does that mean to you? Today, think about the fact that even when times are hard, when your friends desert you, when you have done something that you feel is not forgivable, there is still hope. That hope is found in a baby born in Bethlehem that went on to pay the ultimate price....to give hope to the hopeless. Take some time today thanking God for that gift of Hope.
More tomorrow,
Dan
Monday, December 15, 2008
MONDAY DECEMBER 15th: "The One Thing"
When I was a kid(200 years ago), Christmas morning was my favorite day of the year. Mostly because it meant...gifts. Every year it was the same thing. We would open up the small items first, then move on to the larger gifts. We would go through the clothes, underwear, notebooks, and all the other "practical" gifts that all children just love...not. Anyway, there always seemed to one gift that had somehow been "misplaced". Most of the time, it was usually the big one. The big surprise. The one's that I remember even today. What about you? I'm sure that you may have had similar experiences in your life. What is your "one thing" at Christmas that makes it special for you? As usual, I'm not just talking about gifts.
So far this month, we have been talking about the fact that God's gift of Jesus is the greatest gift that we have ever been (or ever will be) given. But what does that gift mean to you....personally. You have probably seen the bumper stickers that say "Jesus, The reason for the season". Even so it seems to get harder and harder to find the real meaning of what the gift of Jesus means to us.
So today, as we start our week of study, I want you to answer the following questions:
*What does the celebration of Jesus' birth mean to you?
*Is it the sacrifice He made for you?
*Is it the life that He gives?
*Is it the miraculous way He came into this world?
*Is it the reason that He came into the world?
What one thing about "The Gift" brings significance to you in your understanding of Christmas. Please spend some time answering these questions. Be honest with yourself. Don't just answer with a "Yes that's it" or a "No that's not it".
This week, we will try to find the significance of what the gift of Jesus means to us. See you tomorrow.
Dan
So far this month, we have been talking about the fact that God's gift of Jesus is the greatest gift that we have ever been (or ever will be) given. But what does that gift mean to you....personally. You have probably seen the bumper stickers that say "Jesus, The reason for the season". Even so it seems to get harder and harder to find the real meaning of what the gift of Jesus means to us.
So today, as we start our week of study, I want you to answer the following questions:
*What does the celebration of Jesus' birth mean to you?
*Is it the sacrifice He made for you?
*Is it the life that He gives?
*Is it the miraculous way He came into this world?
*Is it the reason that He came into the world?
What one thing about "The Gift" brings significance to you in your understanding of Christmas. Please spend some time answering these questions. Be honest with yourself. Don't just answer with a "Yes that's it" or a "No that's not it".
This week, we will try to find the significance of what the gift of Jesus means to us. See you tomorrow.
Dan
Friday, November 14, 2008
FRIDAY: "Thanks...for everything": Radical Thanks
IT'S FRIDAY!!!! So how's it going with yesterday's assignment? Hopefully you are on your way. Today we are just simply going to spend our time not listening to me go on and on about living a life of gratitude (I can year you cheering from here even though this is being written weeks before you are reading this). Anyway, what have you learned this week/month? I think that now it's time to put it all into practice. Today, try this:
1) Spend some time thanking God for all that he has done (and continues to do)
2) Ask Him to help you show your gratitude to Him by helping you be thankful to others
3) Contact 5 people (it can be a phone call, text, letter, IM, or best yet, face to face), tell them thanks for....(whatever you are thankful to them for).
4) Have a great Day and see you Sunday (Don't forget about our D.I.P. group at Kidd Coffee on Monday and Tuesday, Sr High Monday at 6:45pm and Jr High Tuesday, 6:45)
Have a great weekend!!!!
dan
1) Spend some time thanking God for all that he has done (and continues to do)
2) Ask Him to help you show your gratitude to Him by helping you be thankful to others
3) Contact 5 people (it can be a phone call, text, letter, IM, or best yet, face to face), tell them thanks for....(whatever you are thankful to them for).
4) Have a great Day and see you Sunday (Don't forget about our D.I.P. group at Kidd Coffee on Monday and Tuesday, Sr High Monday at 6:45pm and Jr High Tuesday, 6:45)
Have a great weekend!!!!
dan
Thursday, November 13, 2008
THURSDAY: "Thanks...for everything"-Thanks....
Today, we continue what we started yesterday. As you remember, yesterday we spent some time in gratitude to God for everything that He provides. Hopefully, you will make that a part of your activities every day. So now, a question. How can you show gratitude to God in other ways besides telling Him? There are many answers. One way is to be obediant to God and that shows our gratitude. In other words, we show our thanks to God by doing what He says. Another way (and this is what we are going to work on today) is to show out thanks to God by showing our thanks to others. This is a very simple, but not always easy task.
Here's the deal:
Over the next day or so, I want you to think about all the people that do things for you on a regular basis. The list might be fairly large, so I want you to kind of narrow down to those that do the most. My guess is that it boils down to people that we commonly refer to as "our parents or "guardians". I'm sure that occasionally may say thank you for something they do for you on a special occasion, but what about the things they do on a daily basis that you don't think about. Food, heat, clothing, electric, shelter, laundy, transportation, and all kinds of other help and support. What about those things? After you think about this, I want you to spend some time organizing your thoughts on the subject. Basically, over the next day or two, I want you to write and deliver a personal letter of thanks to your parents/guardians thanking them for all that they provide. Be sure to include your thoughts about how you thank God for them. That you know that God provided them for you and that you are thankful to Him for it. Please have your letter written and delivered before we meet next Monday (Sr High at Kidd Coffee), or Tuesday (Jr High at Kidd Coffee). I know this is not easy but it is a step in the right direction in living life with an attitude of gratitude. Talk to you tomorrow!!!!
dan
Here's the deal:
Over the next day or so, I want you to think about all the people that do things for you on a regular basis. The list might be fairly large, so I want you to kind of narrow down to those that do the most. My guess is that it boils down to people that we commonly refer to as "our parents or "guardians". I'm sure that occasionally may say thank you for something they do for you on a special occasion, but what about the things they do on a daily basis that you don't think about. Food, heat, clothing, electric, shelter, laundy, transportation, and all kinds of other help and support. What about those things? After you think about this, I want you to spend some time organizing your thoughts on the subject. Basically, over the next day or two, I want you to write and deliver a personal letter of thanks to your parents/guardians thanking them for all that they provide. Be sure to include your thoughts about how you thank God for them. That you know that God provided them for you and that you are thankful to Him for it. Please have your letter written and delivered before we meet next Monday (Sr High at Kidd Coffee), or Tuesday (Jr High at Kidd Coffee). I know this is not easy but it is a step in the right direction in living life with an attitude of gratitude. Talk to you tomorrow!!!!
dan
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
WEDNESDAY: "Thanks...for everything" - Living with an attitude of gratitude
Wednesday is here. Today we dive head first into some ways to live our lives with an attitude of gratitude. So let's start at the beginning. We need to start is to give thanks to the provider of all....God.
James 1:16-18 (New International Version)
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
We need to understand that everything that we have, comes from God. We need to give Him thanks for all that He provides. The first way we need to live a life of gratitude is to simply acknowledge that God is the ultimate provider. A common prayer around our house is our dinner time prayer. It really doesn't matter who says it, or the exact words, but it kind of comes out like this: "Dear God, thank you for this day, thank you for our food, ect, ect....". While that is really good to do, it is a very generic way to honor God and thank God for ALL that He provides. To finish out devotion today, I have provided some scripture to guide you in some thoughts to God about all that He has given you. Please take a moment to turn off any music and remove any distractions. Please read the following out loud. Make this a prayer to God. When you are finished reading, spend a few extra moments thanking God for some other things that He has given you. Be very specific. If it takes an hour, it's all good. The point is to acknowledge God for all he has given you. Try to make this a daily practice. Don't worry if there are some hard words to pronounce. Just do your best and concentrate on the passage as a whole.
Psalm 136 (New International Version)
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea [a] asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.
17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.
23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
Amen
James 1:16-18 (New International Version)
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
We need to understand that everything that we have, comes from God. We need to give Him thanks for all that He provides. The first way we need to live a life of gratitude is to simply acknowledge that God is the ultimate provider. A common prayer around our house is our dinner time prayer. It really doesn't matter who says it, or the exact words, but it kind of comes out like this: "Dear God, thank you for this day, thank you for our food, ect, ect....". While that is really good to do, it is a very generic way to honor God and thank God for ALL that He provides. To finish out devotion today, I have provided some scripture to guide you in some thoughts to God about all that He has given you. Please take a moment to turn off any music and remove any distractions. Please read the following out loud. Make this a prayer to God. When you are finished reading, spend a few extra moments thanking God for some other things that He has given you. Be very specific. If it takes an hour, it's all good. The point is to acknowledge God for all he has given you. Try to make this a daily practice. Don't worry if there are some hard words to pronounce. Just do your best and concentrate on the passage as a whole.
Psalm 136 (New International Version)
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea [a] asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.
17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.
23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
Amen
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
TUESDAY-"Thanks...for everything":
Today we continue our months theme of "Thanks....for everything". As you may already have guessed, one of our key scriptures this month is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Today, as a nation, we honor those we call veterans. The people who served in our armed forces in order to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. We honor and give our thanks to these people through parades, programs, and days off school.
Unfortunatly, often times this is the only day that we do it. In fact, today, I want us to see the bigger picture. Even though we honor our veterans for fighting for the freedom that we enjoy, it is important to understand where our freedom really comes from.
Psalm 119:44-46 (New International Version)
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
John 8:35-37 (New International Version)
35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
I hope you understand what this is saying. Our true freedom comes from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His sacrifice is what frees us. It is good to honor our veterans. They have fought and continue to fight for everything that we enjoy today. The fact that we can even discuss this in this format is because of their sacrifice and the continued sacrifice of those serving our country today. But today, I want you to remember that God gives us our ultimate freedom. He alone provides what we need, when we need it. As we close today, I have posted below a prayer given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 6th, 1944.
Unfortunatly, often times this is the only day that we do it. In fact, today, I want us to see the bigger picture. Even though we honor our veterans for fighting for the freedom that we enjoy, it is important to understand where our freedom really comes from.
Psalm 119:44-46 (New International Version)
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
John 8:35-37 (New International Version)
35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
I hope you understand what this is saying. Our true freedom comes from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His sacrifice is what frees us. It is good to honor our veterans. They have fought and continue to fight for everything that we enjoy today. The fact that we can even discuss this in this format is because of their sacrifice and the continued sacrifice of those serving our country today. But today, I want you to remember that God gives us our ultimate freedom. He alone provides what we need, when we need it. As we close today, I have posted below a prayer given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 6th, 1944.
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