Sermon Central
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A Roman Census And Taxing Forced The Town Of ...
Contributed by Thomas Cash on Dec 10, 2009 (message contributor)
A Roman census and taxing forced the town of Bethlehem to burst at its seams. Neither the locals nor the visitors would have been very happy about the decree. Tempers were short, words were spoken in anger, people were taken advantage of, and rooms were at a premium. Mary was obviously in labor when she and Joseph arrived. But there was no hospital. There was no birthing center. There were no vacancies anywhere in town. There was just a stable, full of the other travelers’ sweaty, tired animals. Joseph had to be completely frustrated at the circumstances. Was this any way to celebrate the first Christmas?
Ever have Christmases like that? Too many expectations, too little time, too few dollars, too many hurt feelings. Despite our best efforts to hit the artificially high goal of a perfect Christmas, we always seem to miss the mark. Any number of things spoils our preconceived notions of the holiday:
Not enough money;
Ruined relationships; or
The illness or death of a loved one.
Another Christmas winds up being scuttled. But it does not have to be that way! Let’s take our eyes and emotions off all the trappings of a secular holiday and return to the holy day where we not only remember a manger, but we remember a cross, a tomb, and a resurrection.
Let’s not be afraid or ashamed to make some noise about the wonder and blessing of the coming of God in the flesh! Let’s celebrate Bethlehem!
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Back In The Fifteenth Century, In A Tiny Village ... PRO
Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Oct 20, 2004
Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. To keep food on the table the father, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their ...read more
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My Resolve For This Vision Is Reflected In The ... PRO
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 23, 2003
My resolve for this vision is reflected in the prayer below: More than anything else in heaven or on earth, I pray for the power to love my fellow person, to break through the condemning bigotry, the crippling prejudice, the stifling self-centeredness that smothers God’s Spirit within ...read more
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The Army Of Alexander The Great Was Advancing On ...
Contributed by Evie Megginson on Mar 8, 2005
The army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia. At one critical point, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in combat. Alexander commanded ...read more
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A Television Executive Called The Pastor Of A ...
Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Oct 25, 2004
A television executive called the pastor of a metropolitan church in another city, and told the pastor: "I think that my son is in your city, involved in the drug culture." He then asked the preacher if he would try to find the boy and do something with him. About four months later the boy was ...read more
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General Ulysses S. Grant Had A Man Who Was A True ...
Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Oct 20, 2004
General Ulysses S. Grant had a man who was a true friend to him like this. His name was John A. Rawlins. He was the General’s chief of staff. It was to Rawlins that Grant gave his pledge that he would abstain from alcohol. When he broke his pledge, Rawlins went to Grant and with great ...read more
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