Edition: 9

Christmas

Last Edition Recap

How have you applied the last edition to your life?

Opening Prayer

Dear God, we have come to worship You. Please help us to remember that you are here with us. May we pray to You in faith, sing your praise with gratitude, and listen to your word eagerly through Christ our Lord. Amen

Intro

The ‘silly’ season is upon us. Shopping malls fill with people buying gifts for Christmas, and cheesy Christmas carols are blaring out of speakers everywhere. Holidays are starting, and plans to spend time together as a family are all coming together.
 
While all the Christmas craziness is going on, it is easy to miss the point. Christmas is not about Santa, giving gifts or spending time with loved ones. It should always be about Jesus, God, who came to be with us.

Chat Point 1

  1. What do you like most about Christmas time?
  2. How conscious are you of Jesus during the Christmas season?

Read

Matthew 2:1-12

Chat Point 2

  1. What words describe the Wise Men (Magi) in this passage?
  2. Why do you think they brought gifts to baby Jesus?
  3. Were these gifts expensive or not?
  4. What can we learn from their example?

Vance Havner

“Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man – His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God – when we present our bodies a living sacrifice.”

One of the main reasons we exchange gifts at Christmas is the gifts the wise men brought Jesus. But ultimately, Christmas is the story of one great gift. Christmas is a big present that God gave the world about 2000 years ago – Jesus! One of the most famous Bible verses, John 3:16, says: ‘God loved the world so much, that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life.’

Read

Romans 12:1-2

Key Focus

Romans 12:1 “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life and place it before God as an offering.

Chat Point 3

  1. What stands out for you in this passage?
  2. What do you think the main point is?
  3. What would it look like if Christians applied this principle or lesson to their lives today?
  4. What is Jesus telling you personally as you reflect on this lesson?
  5. In what ways can you make your life a gift to Jesus in response to His great gift to us?
  6. How can I apply this lesson to my life this week?
What are your prayer requests?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, we are sorry for the times we have made Christmas about anything other than you. Help us this year to focus more on you and appreciate the gift you are to us. May we learn to give the gift of ourselves to You this year. Amen

In-between Chats: Personal Reflection

Christmas is not about the things we have made it to be.

  • It is all about Jesus and celebrating the gift of God coming to be with us.
  • Perhaps the best gift we can give this Christmas is the gift of our lives given freely to God. 

Edition Writer: Rev Dylan Ellison

Ordained Minister