Christmas Characteristics Series

My ministry and my travels take me all over Michigan. I visit all sorts of small towns, medium size town, big sububs and large cities. Some of the cities and towns seem the same. Traffic signs and traffic lights blend towns into a sort of sameness. People watching is interesting, but most of us look ordinary and the same. My son-in-law showed me some people from Walmart, he showed me some real characters, then he showed me vehicles from Walmart. Funny how some cars still run down the road. Held together by duct tape and chewing gum!!

Paul gives us some great lessons in the book of Philippians. He speaks here about what we think about day to day in our lives. He tells us and instructs us in a very positive and different ways. Different from the world, different from the day to day of the world. Somehow the Devil has captured the hearts and minds of so many. Negative about eveything and it just comes out. But when a person becomes a child of God, God cleans us up. If we allow him to, he governs and cares for our hearts and minds. Point 1: Let God govern your mind. Let God rule your mind. Let

God take control of your mind. Jesus said it like this: " My peace I give you, my peace I leave with you. Not as the world gives peace, I give you the peace of God." See God wants the best from us. He wants us to be the best, be the people of God, the conscience of the world. We are his change agents. We are the message carriers. In this time of year, people are susceptible, some are more open. Be that agent of change in their lives.

Point two: Be a person of honesty and truth. You can be a witness by being a person who is honest. Doing the right thing on our living and our giviing and earning. Being an honest person in our patterns of life. Business depends on honesty. Government depends on honesty. If everyone was crooked, busness and government could not function. Be an honest person. Don't cheat and steal. Be a person of honesty and integrity. People depend on you.

Point three: Have a good reputation. The reputation of the City of Detroit is bad. When a bunch of people think about Detroit, they think of Kwame and crime and violence. But it wasn't always that way. People built a beautiful city and the city had two million people in it. But they did not reinvest and keep the city going. It got old and the rats came in. It' will take a lot of positive, hard work to bring back a good reputation to the city. I want to see it, I want to be a part of the solution not part of a problem. Let's try to say good things about our state and good things about Detroit.

We close this morning with a question. What is the Spirit of Christmas? What is the reason for the season? I submit it is the spirit of God, working in our hearts and minds. People soften at this time of the year, they want to have some fun and a good time. It's their spiritual side coming out. Use these times of the year to reach out to people, to tell them that you love them, and that God loves them. That Jesus shows us the way, and he is the truth and the life. Merry Christmas.