Digital Nativity

This is a very creative way of using today's social media & technology to share the story of Jesus' birth. Share your thoughts on this video...and it's content.

How Do You Define ‘Joy’

How would you define Joy? According to Merriam-Webster Online…

Joy: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

What about you? Do you have well-being this Christmas season? Are you enjoying much success & good fortune? How about this one. ..do you possess Joy simply by hoping for something you desire? Is this hope grounded in something, giving your Joy a leg to stand on? Take a look at this verse.

Titus 3:7 tells us…

“Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

The hope of living in Heaven with Jesus for eternity is HUGE for anyone who can even grasp a small portion of that promise. But for many during the holidays, even that hope can seem far-off and out of reach. We’ve all had those bad seasons in life. You know the ones…when absolutely everything seems to be screwed up. It can be difficult to have real Joy. Let’s take a look at one more piece of scripture.

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

So, here’s the thing. While we are living in this world we are going to go through bad stuff…and God knows what we are enduring. The second part of this verse, however, begins with a huge BUT! ‘Take heart,’ or have Joy…because I (Jesus) will walk with you through it all.

May you experience pure, authentic Joy this Christmas.

Peace on Earth

”Peace on Earth, good will towards men” is a familiar Christmas wish. It is also taken from the 2nd chapter of Luke. Peace on Earth is one thing, but what does Peace for you look like? What would it take for you to experience Peace this Christmas? Let me share a little encouragement with you on this topic.

Take a moment to read the account of Mary & Gabriel. This Angel appeared to Mary and told her something that had the potential to send her into a major anxiety attack. God knew this was going to be huge….and He wanted her to have Peace in the situation. He sent an Angel with a very specific message. In short, the message was this: “God has chosen you” & “God will enable you.”

Is there an area of your life that you could really use some Peace this holiday season? Maybe it’s finances, or workplace stress. It might even be family relationship issues. What about a health situation for you or a loved one? Whatever it is for you this Christmas, know that your God in Heaven desires for you to have Peace. He wants you to give your worries to Him to deal with. He gives of Himself for our wellbeing. This is the central theme of Christmas!

What do you HOPE for this Christmas?

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Silent Night.” I was thinking of one of the lines in particular, and how it relates to the 1^st week of Advent…Hope! I believe it’s the 2^nd verse of the song were the proclamation ‘Christ the Savior is born’ occurs. Now…..THIS IS HOPE! Not only was the savior of all of mankind born on that wonderful day, but those who were familiar with the writings of the prophets knew that this infant was their Savior. They had HOPE.…and so do we.

You see, the hopeful aspect of Jesus’ birth doesn’t end with Christmas morning. Jesus chose to leave his comfortable, safe, powerful position in Heaven to become…for a short while…frail, vulnerable, and even hated by many. He needed to physically come and love on his creation. Give a personal greeting. Introduce himself. But most important, he wanted to make a substantial statement by offering himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. No more sacrificing our livestock in order to make our relationships right with God. Jesus paid it for the last time. Because of this, we can simply declare him as our own savior and king. This means living our lives to please him, because what he has planned for our lives is much bigger than anything that we can possibly imagine for ourselves.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior…..he becomes our Hope. We can live assured that he will return one day, and that he will take us to spend eternity with him in Heaven. This is where my Hope rests this holiday season…I pray it will be yours as well.