Contributed by Mark Haines on Dec 8, 2000
based on 151 ratings
| 11,097 views
In 1864, one of America’s great poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote the poem which became the well-known carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
When I first heard this song, I wondered, “Why does he suddenly shift from joy at hearing the Christmas bells into such deep despair?” It starts
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Wesleyan
Contributed by Alan Perkins on Mar 28, 2001
based on 126 ratings
| 4,850 views
I’d like to begin by telling you a little story about something that happened to me this week. I took the minivan in for an oil change at the Chrysler dealer. I was sitting in the waiting room, which was empty except for me and one other man. I was a little bored, so I struck up a conversation. And
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Baptist
based on 12 ratings
| 4,483 views
Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian told this story:
A prince who wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father he passed through a poor section. As he glanced out the windows of the carriage his eyes fell upon a
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2001
based on 2 ratings
| 2,399 views
An Australian primary school banned a teacher after she told a class of six year olds that Santa Claus does not exist.
Angry parents from the Corowa public school demanded action when some children arrived home in tears after a reserve teacher, on her first day on the job, told them their parents
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Contributed by Steve Malone on Dec 17, 2001
based on 29 ratings
| 4,249 views
I DIDN'T GO AND SEE
The story is about shepherd who was a youth on that first Christmas night. And now he is old and as his grandson sits on his knee he recalls that night, "A long, long time ago, when I was a little more than a boy, I was out on the Judean hills one night with some other
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Christian/Church Of Christ
based on 24 ratings
| 4,297 views
CLOSER THAN OUR PROBLEMS
In reflecting on Handel’s Messiah, Joseph E. McCabe wrote:
“Never again are we to look at the stars, as we did when we were children, and wonder how far it is to God. A being outside our world would be a spectator, looking on but taking no part in this life, where we try
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Baptist
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Oct 30, 2002
based on 10 ratings
| 3,866 views
HER RESPONSE
Frederick Buechner’s little book of character sketches of people from the Bible has this to say about the angel Gabriel as he encounters Mary:
"She struck him as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child. But he had been entrusted with a message to give her, and
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Assembly Of God
Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2002
based on 3 ratings
| 4,125 views
MARY MOTHER OF JESUS
A capable journalist-author named Jim Bishop wrote a fairly reliable analysis of Jesus’ birth in his book, The Day Christ Was Born. His description of Mary, the young mother-to-be, bears repeating:
She no longer noticed the chafe of the goatskin against her
leg,
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2002
based on 11 ratings
| 3,582 views
THE TALE OF THE STAR
Eusebius, a scholarly church historian of the early fourth century, evidently made a considerable study of the literature available to him, and came to this conclusion about the star: "The star was new and a stranger among the usual lights of heaven, a strange star, not one
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2002
based on 71 ratings
| 3,639 views
JESUS DIED FOR MARY TOO--Communion Meditation
Mark Lowry, a Christian comedian observed that Mary’s silence at the cross always amazed him. If he were being crucified in the middle of town, his mother would have "Pitched a fit", but Mary never said a word. Lowry wondered if maybe what made the
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Contributed by Aaron Burgess on Dec 14, 2002
based on 17 ratings
| 1,705 views
During the long war years a boy looked frequently at a picture of his daddy on the table. His father had left for Europe when the boy was a young infant. After several years the boy had forgotten him as a person but he would often look at the
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Dana Chau on Dec 16, 2002
based on 51 ratings
| 1,866 views
Let me close an excerpt from Sharon Jaynes’ book, Celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas:
An African boy listened carefully as his teacher explained why Christians give presents to each other on Christmas day. "The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for
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*other
Contributed by Don Hawks on Dec 14, 2002
based on 52 ratings
| 2,006 views
I like what President Jimmy Carter said in his Nobel Peace Prize Speech this past week:
The unchanging principles of life predate modern times. I worship Jesus Christ, whom we Christians consider to be the prince of peace. As a Jew, he taught us to cross religious boundaries in service and in love.
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Methodist
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 18, 2002
based on 3 ratings
| 2,899 views
A preacher had once to illustrate the free nature of God’s gift of salvation. They stood in the pulpit one morning held up a poinsettia plant and said: “Whoever wants this beautiful Christmas poinsettia may have it. All you have to do is take it.”
They stared at me. I waited. And waited.
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Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Dec 27, 2002
based on 12 ratings
| 2,356 views
A girl of ten years went with a group of family and friends to see the Christmas light displays at various locations throughout the city. At one church, they stopped and got out to look more closely at a beautifully done nativity scene.
“Isn’t that beautiful?” said the little girl’s
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Baptist
Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 19, 2003
based on 58 ratings
| 7,278 views
PLUNGING TO MURKY EARTH
A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house. Two of his sons, a 12-year old and a 3-year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supposed to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3
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Sermon Central