Sermon Central
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Christmas In July
Contributed by Gordon Pike on Jun 27, 2021 (message contributor)
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1. Hope
Contributed on Jun 27, 2021
Christmas is a time to reflect upon the height and depth and breath of God’s love and the lengths that He will go to to show us His love. Christmas is a time to remember that God doesn’t demand that we love Him but gives us the choice to love Him.
In the beginning was … nothing? A “formless void” (Genesis 1:1)? Yet the Bible says a wind (the breath of God) swept over the surface of the "water" (Genesis 1:2) so there something there ... maybe everything there … the particles ... all the molecules, all of the “substance” of the ...read more
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2. The Promise
Contributed on Jul 4, 2021
Hopelessness is the doorway to hope and Christ is our doorway to eternal hope. The promise of hope in the future is our hope in the present, amen?
How many of you have had the experience of praying to God and it seems like God is not listening or not answering your prayer? All of us, I would suspect. Sadly, I’ve seen that take people out of the faith. God didn’t answer their prayers so they either turned their back on God or concluded ...read more
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3. Christmas Significa
Contributed on Jul 11, 2021
The real beauty and power of Christmas is how it is as mundane as it is holy, secular as it is sacred, temporal as it is eternal, physical as it is spiritual, worldly as it is heavenly … and this is by design.
Today’s scripture reading reminds me of Christmas hymns like “Angles We Have Heard on High” in which the angels “sweetly sing o’er the plans” (UMH, verse 1; p.238) or “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” … “glory to the newborn King” (UMH, verse 1; p. 240). Songs like these beautifully capture the drama ...read more
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4. What Did The Angels Think
Contributed on Jul 18, 2021
What did the angels think about God taking on flesh and coming into His creation as a weak, helpless baby? Why would God do such a thing for these … these pathetic, corrupt creatures?
If you remember, last week we took a little trip back in time … to that night in Bethlehem. Let’s picture that night once again. Bethlehem asleep under the stars … the shepherds out in the fields … the quiet punctuated by the occasional bleating of sheep. To the rest of the world … from the ...read more
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5. "congratulations! It's A Savior!"
Contributed on Jul 25, 2021
God continues to look for women and men like Mary and Joseph. People who will pursue obedience, whatever the cost. People who will trust God – even though the outcome seems unsure. God continues to raise up people for His purposes.
When I first proposed doing this, I know that it struck a lot of you … well, probably all of you … as something odd … out of the ordinary. When it came time, you weren’t sure what to do. Do we put up our traditional Christmas decorations? And, again, I’m sure that you found my answer a bit odd … ...read more