Heating Up The Holiday Season

HEATING UP THE HOLIDAY SEASON

INTRO.- Lights, camera, action. These words could well characterize this time of the year. It’s a time for bright lights, cameras (picture-taking), and action. Lots of action. Lots of coming and going.

What’s your favorite thing to do this time of the year?

DO YOU LIKE TO DECORATE YOUR HOUSE WITH A CHRISTMAS TREE and all kinds of Christmas pretties? Did you like the way I, er uh, I mean, Elaine decorated the parsonage? Some 75 of you came last Sunday and looked around. Thank you for coming. She’s done an excellent job of decorating. Of course, she got helpful hints from Stevie. Not.

DO YOU LIKE TO DECORATE YOUR HOUSE WITH ALL KINDS OF LIGHTS? Come to Tays estates and see how it’s done. Not our house, but Bill and Sherry Lenkner’s on the corner! I did put up more lights than usual this year, however.

DO YOU LIKE TO GO SHOPPING AND GIVE GIFTS? Here are few gifts you might want to consider giving to someone.

ILL.- Some years ago on "Good Morning America," they featured some extraordinary gifts that some might want to give.

One of them was a Jaguar automobile, the Jaguar 220. If you want to order one of these it will require an $80,000 deposit. Then when the automobile is delivered, you are expected to pay the balance of $507,000. The Jaguar 220 is a $587,000 automobile and they only make 250 of them a year.

You might also be interested in a new car wax that promises to give your Jaguar the ultimate shine. It retails for $3,400 for an 8 ounce can. If you can afford a $587,000 automobile, why not spend $3,400 for car wax?

A third item mentioned was a $300,000 gold and silver toilet seat inlaid with precious stones. Of course, there were cheaper gifts for those who have everything: an $18,000 frisbee, a $10,000 yoyo, a $12,000 mousetrap, and even a $27,000 pair of sunglasses.

And for the proud grandparent who is wondering what to buy the new grandbaby, how about a $28,000 pacifier?

I enjoy shopping for those I love, but that’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think? I’ve always heard it said that it’s the thought that counts, not the gift nor the price of the gift.

DO YOU LIKE TO GO TO PARTIES THIS TIME OF THE YEAR? Fine. I hope you do, but remember that Christmas parities and booze do not necessarily go together. This may be for some people, but I don’t think it should be for Christian people.

Prov. 20:1 "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray them is not wise."

ILL.- I was raised in a home where there was drinking. I always wondered about it, however. I remember my dad bringing home egg nog to drink. It seemed that he always had to put something in that egg nog. I didn’t know for a long time what that "something" was.

It’s a shame that some people can’t seem to "get happy" or be happy without drinking booze. They can’t celebrate any holiday without a drink.

The Christian has something better than booze to make them happy. They have a hope, a future, and a blessed Savior!

ILL.- Two women who were having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who asked the occasion for the meal. One lady replied, "We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy." "But where is he?" inquired the friend. "Oh," said the mother, "you didn’t think I’d bring him, did you?"

And this is the way it is for some people at Christmas. They get all excited about the trappings and forget all about the Savior. I believe that the Christmas holiday season should be somewhat different for the Christian.

PROP.- Let me suggest some things that you can do to heat up or perhaps spruce up your Christmas holiday season.

1- Love in spite of faults

2- Give in spite of funds

3- Ask in spite of fears

I. LOVE IN SPITE OF FAULTS

ILL.- A lady said, "We were visiting friends when they received a telephone call from their recently married daughter. After several tense minutes on the phone, the mother told the father to pick up the extension. The newlyweds had experienced their first big fight. In a few moments, the father rejoined us and tersely explained, ‘Said she wanted to come home.’

"’What did you tell her?’ the lady asked.

"’Told her she was home.’"

When a man and a woman get married, they are home. They have made a new home, be it good or bad. Be it perfect or imperfect. In fact, it will be imperfect. I guarantee it.

ILL.- A preacher asked his congregation one Sunday morning, "Does anyone here know of someone who is perfect?" A little man in the back of the church raised his hand. The preacher asked, "Who do you know that is perfect?"