A Gift Worth Giving

As we come to the conclusion of our program this morning and leading up to our response and invitation time, I would like to BRIEFLY close the program out with these words. Choir, you have given us memories to hold on to. Your gift of giving of yourselves to make this program possible is a priceless gift.

The wise men started it all. I’m talking about gifts. Giving gifts, receiving gifts. The giving and receiving of gifts is what makes the Christmas season one of, if not THE, most anticipated holiday.

But it’s not so much the gift as it is the frame of mind, the frame of heart as the gift is given. So, to encourage everyone to have the right frame of heart, I want to highlight right quickly what that entails.

Different types of gifts that matter:

Grace gifts. Now, the best way I can describe a grace gift is, it’s non-repayable. You can’t pay back a grace gift. Our choir gave us a grace gift today. I think of God’s gift of grace through his son, Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace. We don’t work for it and can never repay it.

Service gift. It’s doing something for somebody. Doing something for somebody and not expecting anything in return. Like the gifts that were purchased by most of you for children in our area that might not have a Christmas if it were not for you. Do you expect something in return? Those are grace gifts given in service to our Lord. They are given in joy. They are personal.

The gift of good memories. There’s nothing like giving the gift of memories. Make sure this Christmas that you do some things that will create memories. Give and receive the gift of memories. The best gifts are memories. Don’t wait till your kids are grown. Go home and have some memories with them right now. Go forget work, take a day off and play ball with your kids, take them on a trip. The most important thing you can give your family is time and love. That’s where memories are made.

There’s another gift that will last and that’s a Godly heritage. Don’t forget to let everyone know, especially the kids, why we celebrate. Let them know that it’s not just trading gifts. Let them know that the wise men started it all. All because of Jesus. If your family doesn’t have a godly heritage, then get one started. Set the example. It will bless you for generations. That’s what the Bible teaches us.

That’s the kind of gift that will last.

ON TOP OF IT ALL, Give that gift now. Give it now. Don’t wait. Can I read something to you? Listen to this. A poem of procrastination. Putting off until tomorrow what could be done today.

"They were going to be all they wanted to be, tomorrow.

None would be braver or kinder than they, tomorrow.

A friend who was troubled and wearied they knew,

would be glad for a lift and he needed it too,

and on him they would call and see what they could do, tomorrow.

Each morning they stacked up the letters they’d write, tomorrow.

And thought of the folks that they would fill with delight, tomorrow.

The greatest of people, they just might have been.

The world would have opened it’s heart to them,

but, in fact, they passed on and faded from view

and all that they left when their living was through

was a mountain of things that they intended to do, tomorrow."

Don’t be one of those kinds of people that says some day you’re going to do something and some day you’re going to love somebody, and some day you’re going to give something to someone and some day you’re going to help someone. Do it now. Right now, you reach out, and you love, and you care, and you give.

The saddest thing in life and I’ve seen it happen many times in many of the funerals I’ve done and that is to see people look at their loved ones and wish for one day back where they could say something or do something.

So, this year give the gift worth giving.

Try the togetherness gift, the service gift, the unexpected gift.

And give your grace gift with joy. Make it personal—a gift that will last.

Like memories. Start a Godly heritage if you don’t have one already.

And give that grace gift now. Don’t wait until next year.

When I think of Christmases when I was little, I don’t remember so much what gift I got, I remember the fun we had as our families gathered together, hugged each other, ate together, and caught up on things, played football together after that big meal. That gift is priceless. That’s a gift worth giving. Christmas is 10 days away. Make this one to remember. The wise men taught us how to do it right.