How Preaching Christmas Services Tests a Preacher’s Confidence in the Gospel
This week as Christians will gather for Christmas services, pastors are putting their finishing touches on their sermons. Preaching Christmas services can test a preacher’s confidence in the gospel. 1. Some people only come to church on Christmas and/or Easter. And preachers can be frustrated that “they only hear essentially the same message.” I have […]
Why Some Fall and Some Rise With Christmas
Shortly after His birth, Jesus’ parents brought Him to the temple to be circumcised. There was a priest, Simeon, at the temple who has been waiting for years to see the Messiah who would come into the world to rescue us. God told him he was going to see the Messiah before he died. Simeon […]
Jesus (not 2021) Is the Dawn From on High
Post-Christmas blues are a reality every year, but I imagine that they could be especially high this year. So many people are talking about the excitement of 2020 ending, and longing for the newness of a fresh start on the calendar. While I understand the longing and the hoping and the hunger for a new […]
Jesus Arrived to Defeat Your (Real) Enemies
Many have said that nothing unites like a common enemy. In business, startups will unite as insurgents to take down the incumbent. In politics, leaders bring people together against the other side. Defeating a common enemy can be a powerful unifier and motivator. In a divisive year there seems to be a greater desire to […]
“Christmas Makes me Sad/Glad” and 3 Reminders for Us Preachers
Christmas season tends to bring out emotions in all of us – some emotions of sadness and some of gladness. A recent Google search of “Christmas makes me sad” turned up 347 million results with lots of articles telling us why Christmas makes us sad. Psychologist Ken Duckworth commented “Holidays are a great example of […]
Church Leaders: 5 Items on the Top of Your List as 2019 Ends
For several reasons the last six weeks of the calendar year is an important time in local church ministry. The Christmas season gives a church many opportunities to serve the local community. The Christmas worship services are a time where people new to the faith or curious about the faith are willing to come if […]
5 Reminders to Those of Us Preaching This Christmas
To say that I am excited to be preaching the Christmas services at Mariners Church this Christmas would be a massive understatement. I struggle to adequately express in words the honor and privilege I feel to be able to declare the Christmas story to people I love and to the friends they are bringing with […]
12 of the Best Christmas Quotes
Movies and books can provide us preachers with some pithy Christmas one-liners or stories that illustrate the message of Christmas. For example, Buddy (played by Will Ferrell) in the movie Elf, declared, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” There is truth in that statement. As we sing […]
Christmas and the Jefferson Bible
Thomas Jefferson, as you likely know, served as our nation’s third president and was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. For that I am thankful. While many have credited Jefferson with saying, “The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty,” Jefferson’s view of the Bible and Jesus was made clear in what he actually […]
The Heart Behind a Viral Christmas Video
Last week a Christmas commercial went viral. The embedded video is from Sainsbury’s, a retailer in the United Kingdom. The commercial depicts the story of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914. The First World War had only begun months before, and the fighting between the Germans and the Allies was very fierce. Hope for a […]