The angel Gabriel gave Mary the greatest news ever given to us, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the most high." Mary was given the greatest most significant mission from God and even though at first she didn't understand it and was troubled by it she stuck around and let the angel finish the message. When it sank in Mary realized she was chosen to fulfill a prophecy from long ago. The greatest gift brings out the most gratefulness in us it puts us in balance to be grateful for the present yet excited about the future.
Date: 12/8/19
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38, Romans 12:1-2 Isaiah 7:14
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From Series: "The Grateful Present"
Have you ever walked in a store and seen the Christmas trees filled with paper ornaments listing names and gifts? It is easy to walk by and not give those names a second thought. We are so busy with finding our own perfect gift that we sometimes forget that some people will have nothing or very little on Christmas morning.
Advent is a season of stillness and reflection. It is a time to reflect on the hope, peace, joy and love that is given to us as a gift from God. We should also look into ourselves and see that we should be grateful for all His wonderful gifts. So many times in this busy season we are anticipating the gifts that we will be receiving and forgetting to be grateful for what we already have.
We should all seek to have a grateful heart. A grateful heart allows us to put the focus on God and not on ourselves and reminds us that He is in control. We should be dependent on Him for all our needs. His gifts are a blessing and given graciously. God is the giver of good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). When your heart is filled with gratitude it leaves no room for complaining and negativity. We can see even the smallest of gifts and appreciate them just as much as the larger ones.
We should use our grateful heart to give to others and share the bounty that God has given us. When our heart is grateful, we can see the many blessings that He has given both to us and our church family. It also opens the door for future blessings.
We should also learn to be good gift recipients by being humble and appreciating what is given to us. We should learn to be patient and accept that some gifts take time to fully develop, but the rewards will be great when the process is complete.
We are excited to invite you to join us for our Advent Series titled,
“The Grateful Present.” Take this time – these next four weeks -- to learn how to be truly grateful for this current moment, yet excited about what the future holds. Slow down and open your heart to accept all of God’s wonderful gifts.
Slow down . . . and let Emmanuel fill your house and your soul this Christmas.
