"Hello, My Name is Savior" - Christmas 2022

Children Remind Us of the Sweetness of Christmas

 

What a great way to start the day!  This morning I watched our K5 classes perform “Giddy-up Little Donkey,” a Christmas program. The parents arrived early and waited for the doors to open, they had their phones set to video, and they sat as close to the front as possible (the opposite of what they do when I’m preaching). There was excitement in the air, smiles on faces, hands waving and kisses blown. I couldn’t help but have a sense of pride in our students, our staff and our Lower School Principal; as they had all spent hours practicing for this presentation.

Watching them perform reminded me of the sweet innocence of the children - even the ones who are usually little rascals in class.  It is so special to see children performing the Christmas story dressed as Mary & Joseph, angels, shepherds and the wise men. In every children’s Christmas program, there is also a baby doll being carried (and swung) to portray the baby Jesus. I am so thankful that in our Christian school, we boldly proclaim the Christ of CHRISTmas!

As I left the program and reflected on the sweetness of the children; it did not take long to be reminded that not everyone is experiencing “joy to the world,” “peace on earth” or “good will toward men” during this season.  Sadly, this time of year is too often characterized by frantic shoppers, panicked travelers, people stealing packages, drivers honking horns & giving one-finger salutes, credit cards being maxed out, and so much more. How is it that so many (even Christ-followers) will allow the craziness of Christmas to distract them from the real reason for the season? Why can’t we all practice the sweetness of the children?

What if we required adults to go watch a children’s Christmas program each December? Maybe it would remind us of that silent night when the angel appeared to the lowly shepherds. Maybe it would remind us of the simplicity of the stable birth. Maybe it would remind us of that holy night on which the Savior was born. Maybe it would remind us of God’s plan to redeem and reconcile sinful mankind to Himself. God set the plan into motion on the night that… that peaceful and joy-filled night!

The craziness of preparing for the all-American Christmas often drowns out the beautiful message of the season. The Apostle John brought it into focus when he wrote, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish; but have everlasting life” – John 3:16. God loved us and gave His Son. Salvation through Jesus Christ is the greatest gift ever given, the only path to peace with God and the real meaning of Christmas.

I’d like to encourage you to find a few minutes to read the Christmas story found in Luke 2:1-15. Take time to pray and thank God for His gift of salvation. Make sure there was a time when you confessed your sin, realized your need for a Savior and called out to Jesus. By returning to simple childlike faith, you will soon rediscover the real meaning of CHRISTmas.

2022 12 04 "Hello, My Name is Jesus"

Christmas 2011

We just returned from visiting family in South Florida for Christmas. It was a warm (80 degrees) and wonderful time. We sat outside by the pool for Christmas dinner, played golf at Biltmore in Miami, and I even cut the grass at my parents' house (in shorts)! While some dream of a white Christmas, my family dreams of a warm one.

Our travel plans were changed by the homegoing of 0ur dear friend Hope. She was one of the strongest people I've ever met and finally lost her battle with cancer after five years. Hope served as the secretary at EBC for many years. She loved people and they truly loved her. This year, she joined her mother and siblings in celebrating Jesus' birthday in His presence.

We left last Friday night and arrived in FL on Saturday morning. It was nice to be able to leave and not have to worry about anything. We have a great ministry team. David and Joey led our Christmas Eve service with several hundred in attendance, and Justin and Joey led our Christmas morning service. I've already heard so many positive comments! Many pastors worry when they leave town, but I'm blessed with some great friends and co-workers who are very capable leaders and faithful ministers.

We drove through the night last night and arrived home at approx. 4:30am. A few hours sleep and we squeezed in another day to enjoy and serve! Without a doubt, we realize that our family is so blessed and we thank God that all of our "needs" and most of our "wants" are met. We are thankful that our family got to spend Christmas together. BUT, most of all, we are thankful for the gift of a Savior!

Sunday Summary - 12.04.11

Today was the first Sunday that we focused on Christmas for 2011. The AM message was about the difference Jesus made in the lives of individuals and also the world. He was well received by some, and rejected by others. It was a reminder that each of us must choose "what will we do with Jesus?" We had a lady pray to receive Christ today! PTL. We were also supposed to have 3 baptisms this morning, but had to reschedule them due to the set for the Christmas program. It is huge and covers the baptistery and the screens. The program is next Saturday and Sunday at 6:00pm, so we should be back to normal soon, and a special "thanks" to everyone who is working so hard to get the set completed.

On Sunday night, I preached on the journey of Jesus. Interesting that it was the first time that the Creator became as the creation, that eternity was restricted to time, that God was "born," and that God "died." These are some deep thoughts! Following the evening service, our church family gathered outside for the lighting of the new nativity set that our Keenagers initiated. A special thanks to Leslie Odom for all of the coordinating efforts, and to Debra Carmona for making the figures look "life-like." May all who see it be reminded of the simple birth and Gift of the Savior; while forgetting about the symbol of personal greed and commercialism that Christmas has become.

Sunday Summary 12.26 - Snow Day!

Last night, the weather forecast was for 70% chance of snow. "Should we cancel the church services or not?" was the question. Every other time we've canceled, the snow didn't come or the roads were clear. This morning we awoke to find several inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling. I drove to church and the roads were wet, but really fine and no ice. So, I figured if a Florida boy could manage it, we would still offer the service for those who would choose to come. Realizing that it takes about 2,000 gallons of water to baptize a Baptist and only 2 drops of rain to keep them home from church... I didn't know what to expect; but we had a great crowd!

The day started with a surprise 25th wedding reception for my wife and I. Our girls worked with Stacie to invite the church family to come celebrate with us. The number of people that came out early on a snowy day, the cards, and the gifts made us feel so loved. Thank you to everyone who attended.

During the morning service, there were about 150 people present and it was a different "feel," but it was neat to see so many people brave the elements to come worship the Lord. After church, we had a great snowball fight that included almost everyone. Jacob got snow packed in his ear by a side shot... Joey was hit in the back of the head... Scott and the Curry family displayed their experience in snowball throwing... Dan was holding his snowball under some water (is that legal?)... Philip and Mayelin were enjoying snow after returning from FL... Jake locked his parents out of the van... and when I threw a snowball at David, he moved and let it hit his wife (oops).

We had a great family day celebrating, worshipping, and playing together. For those who couldn't make it, you were missed and we hope to see you next Sunday.

Christmas Eve Service

Our annual Christmas Eve service has become one of my favorite services and seems to be growing each year. This year, approximately 350 people joined us for this special service which included both traditional and spiritual Christmas carols, our Kidz Praiz choir, children's handbell choir, the reading of the Christmas story, and communion. We had many guests and it was exciting to see so many of our folks bringing their family members and using this service as the launch to their Christmas celebration.

I brought a brief devotion prior to communion reminding everyone about what we are celebrating and how long the world had waited for God's promised Gift. While we remember and celebrate Jesus' birth annually; there was approximately a 4,000 year waiting period from the first prophecy until Jesus arrived. Just imagine the excitement of the people who had been hearing, anticipating, and anxiously waiting for the Messiah to come. I hope we celebrate Christmas with the same enthusiasm and don't lose Jesus somewhere amongst the wrapping paper, Christmas leftovers, or football games.

9th Annual - Home for Christmas 12.12.10

This was our 9th year to offer this special service in conjunction with Hines, Norton, and Young & Young funeral homes. This was the 2nd year that Life Care Hospice participated. Together, we all reached out to those families in our community who had loved ones pass away during 2010. For the first time, I too was on that list. My grandmother passed this year at the age of 95 and it will be our first Christmas without her. The service took on a whole new meaning for me and was an encouragement to the 80+ guests that were present.

This is one of my favorite services of the year as people come together and build bridges across racial, social, economic, and denominational lines to display the love of Christ to those who are hurting. You see, while some are celebrating at Christmas... others are grieving. To show them that we care... to embrace and encourage them... to remind them of the hope found in Christ... and to help them see their loved one sitting at Jesus feet and celebrating His birthday in His presence is priceless!

I preached on "Frequently Asked Questions About Heaven" and God blessed us with 11 people praying for salvation, 8 renewing their commitment to Christ, 3 desiring information about church membership, and 2 expressing their interest in being baptized. Following the message, we read the names of the deceased, gave beautiful ornaments to the families, and prayed for them. After we dismissed, people stood around weeping, embracing, and encouraging for nearly 30 minutes. It was a good day to be in God's house, and to experience what true ministry is all about.

Hanging of the Greens

While visiting FBC Jacksonville, I heard this statement, "As the church grows larger, it must also grow smaller." With that in mind, we tried something new this year in decorating our church for Christmas. We reverted back to idea of everyone taking responsibility for decorating and turned it into a church fellowship.

Our men carried all of the decorations down from the storage area. Several of our ladies came early to do the things that a group could not do and to organize everything for those who would participate. We started the service with Christmas carols, sharing testimonies of Christmas memories, and the reading of the Christmas story. We paused to enjoy refreshments in the main lobby and to fellowship together. Folks really enjoyed that time together.

We then began to decorate. Families hung wreaths from the balcony, placed ornaments on the Christmas trees, set out nativity displays, etc. People stood around and enjoyed each other's company for nearly an hour after the decorating was complete. It was a good time and one that we will certainly do again next year!

Christmas All Year Long

In 1994, Larnelle Harris released a project entitled "Christmas All Year Long." The feature track was entitled "All Year Long" and made an impression on me that has lasted far more than a year. A few of the lines were as follow: "I stretched high to store the stockings and trim in the attic for another year. We were busily packing our Christmas away, while singing a carol we knew, when I heard my son in innocence inquire, Do we store away Jesus too?"

What a great question, "Did you store away Jesus with your Christmas decorations?" It's been two weeks since Christmas. Many have traveled, put away decorations, celebrated the New Year, and returned to jobs and school. As we return to our busy schedules, have we also returned to the way we were before Christmas? Christmas is the season of love, giving, and focusing on God's gift of love that He wrapped in Jesus. Why does that have to end with the month of December?

I suggest that for the believer, Christmas should be celebrated all year long! While we may only decorate during the month of December, we should celebrate Jesus every day throughout the year! Don't pack Him away with the decorations. Don't forget about Him until you set your nativity pieces up next year. Don't treat people differently in January than you did in December -- send cards to friends, express appreciation, let people know you care, participate in church services, point people to Jesus, and live in a way that shows God how much you appreciate His Gift -- all year long!

Valley Haven Christmas Show

Last night, our choir and drama departments put on the most hilarious Christmas program that I have EVER seen! I've always been used to the somewhat somber Christmas pageants (nothing wrong with those and one of my most memorable was Handel's "Messiah); but this Christmas program was the best laugh I've had in a long time. It was as though the script was written around our church members (type casting was perfect) and the entire setting took place in a nursing home. The characters lost everything from their hearing to their minds; but this program kept true to the message of Christmas and did so in a way that kept everyone's attention. I heard people laughing from start to finish and this was truly among the best Christmas programs that EBC has ever presented, and it was all directed by lay-people!

Kudos to everyone who put in the extra time and effort to present such a strong program. God blessed with full house and one new name written in the Lamb's Book of Life!