Although Jesus is the real reason for the season and the one gift that can completely fill our emptiness He is placed in a line of other fictional characters and left to be cute and cuddly in a manger as a baby. Mary knows different, as she would herself in a way proclaim that Jesus is the fullness of Christmas not a fictional character. Christmas becomes the best news you could get. Behind all the bells and whistles of Christmas are some simple yet profound truths that can transform your life for the better here on earth and for forever in eternity. The gift of a savior is the gift that keeps on filling the emptiness caused by the sin in your life.When we reflect on Mary's response with her visit to Elizabeth we find that both Mary and Elizabeth were fully blessed with their common gifts and how God was using them in a special way. The purpose of Christmas can be found in how they responded because they experienced the fullness of God's grace and blessings.
Date: 12/15/19
Scripture: Luke 1:39-56
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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.
