Faith & Life Connections
A Daily Devotion & Resource Guide for Your Spiritual Journey
From the Sermon-Teaching Ministry of Fairhope UMC
“Come To Jesus”- Christmas, 2011
Luke 2:1-20
Reflections on this week’s message:
“Turn to me and be saved,all you ends of the earth;for I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22
“Come, all you who are thirsty,come to the waters; and you who have no money,come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milkwithout money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:1-2
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17
“O Come, let us adore Him . . .” Of course, you recognize those words as the chorus of the hymn, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” They are words that I dearly love, words that I believe we should sing year round, not only at Christmas. I love these words because they call us to come to Jesus, when I think we spend too much time waiting around for Jesus to come to us.
Consider the stories we have about Jesus in the gospels, look at how He was always inviting people to come. Yes, He also went to people. He went to people who were hungry and hurting, He went to people who were lost, lonely and afraid, but even then, when He reached the needy people, He invited them to come to Him. You see, in this holiday we celebrate that He has come, we rejoice in a God who came to live among us and die for us. Now that He has come, now that He has done all that is necessary for us to live, we need to come to Him and receive life. We need to come to Him and find the help and hope that He offers. We need to come to Him and let Him carry our burdens and give us peace. We need to come to Jesus daily, seeking the love, life, joy and peace that He offers.
Jesus is inviting you to come, come and receive the abundant life He offers. Jesus is inviting you to step out of the boat in the midst of the storm and trust Him. Come to Jesus, and live! Merry Christmas!
Love, Pastor Joe
This Week’s Challenge: Come to Jesus & go out into the world &
invite others to come with you!
Christmas Eve: Here we are! After all of the waiting, preparation and anticipation, Christmas is here! We sing the hymn “What Child Is This” and in the refrain we answer, “This, this is Christ the King . . .” Because the baby in the manger is Christ the King, we have reason to celebrate. This baby is different from any baby born before or since, He is Jesus the Christ. Mary and Joseph were both instructed to name the baby Jesus, because He would be the Savior of all people. The name Jesus means, “the Lord saves.” The final candle we light in this season is the “Christ Candle.” We take the light from the Christ Candle and share it because we are called to take the gift given to us and share it with a dark and dying world. Remember what this is all about. Take a moment tonight and focus on the reason for the celebration. For a moment, forget the presents and cookies, the decorations and parties, for a moment remember the love of God wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. This is Christ the Lord.
Listen to this week’s sermon teaching by clicking the Online Sermons link at www.myfairhopeumc.net.
Faith & Life Connections
Begin with Prayer:
Getting Started: Grab your bible & find a quiet, comfortable spot to begin your daily Bible reading. Light a candle & spend a few minutes relaxing, quieting your mind. Keep a notebook nearby to jot down distractions that interfere with your focus to put them out of your mind to deal with later. You may want to play your favorite hymns or praise music softly in the background. To quiet your mind & prepare to focus on God & His Word try one of the prayer exercises found under Spiritual Growth Resources. Then pray the suggested prayer starter personalizing it to your needs & desire for God’s guidance.
This Week's Prayer Starter:
God of love and light,
Thank You for the gift of life that we are given in Christ. Help me to live in the grace and peace that you bring. I am in awe of your love & grace when I reflect on the incredible & amazing gift you have given us in your Son, Jesus! Thank you for sending Him to teach us how to live & how to love. Help me to honor You by giving myself to you in everything I do. Help me to come to you & live so I can invite others to also come to you. Keep me mindful of the gift of eternal life, long after the lights of the season are extinguished. I love you & need you, Lord! All glory, honor, & praise is yours! In the name of my Lord and Savior I pray. Amen.
This Week's Reflection:
Read Luke 2:1-20 & John 1:1-14 in celebration ofthe birth of our Savior on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
Make reading this passage a part of your family traditions if it isn't already.
Make time to thank God for his indescribable gift to the world today.
The story of the birth of Jesus may be very familiar to some. Try reading this passage in a different translation such as The Message or the new Common English Bible (www.commonenglishbible.com) to experience this story in a fresh, new way.
Read Isaiah 45:22, Isaiah 55:1-2, Matthew 11:28, & Revelation 22:17.
Spend some time reflecting on what it means to come to Jesus. Jesus is inviting you to come.
Are you willing to give God what He longs for – you?
Do you hear Him calling you to come & receive the abundant life He offers?
Are you ready to step out of the boat in the midst of the storms of your life & trust Jesus?
Do you desire to come to Jesus & live?
After reflecting & praying through this week’s reading & sermon teaching, I feel God is nudging me to take these steps:
“Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33
Faith & Life Connections
Dig Deeper:
Praise The Lord Oh My Soul
Read Luke 1:39-56
Consider Mary & Elizabeth & their relationship with the Lord.
Reread Mary’s Song (vs. 46 – 55)
Mary’s song, known as The Magnificat, invites us to participate with God in his mission for the world.
What does The Magnificat say about the heart of God?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you think of those close times you can have with your Savior. Try to put it into a sentence of praise to the Lord!
Throughout Advent our congregation will be writing a shared psalm.
Add your line of praise to the psalm by writing it on the poster in the narthex of our church or email or and we will be glad to add it for you.
By the end of this activity we will have written our own church & online community psalm!
Thanks in advance for your contribution of praise!
The Lord has done great things for us!
Fairhope UMC’s Mission Focus: We exist to love & serve God by loving & serving others, for the purpose of making & maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Faith & Life Connections Resource
Mission in Action
Advent 2011
1. Pray for our nation & community. Pray for our church, pastor, staff, leaders, faith family, & the ministries, mission, & vision of our congregation. Pray with conviction believing that Christ really can change the world.
2. Give an alternative gift in honor of someone this year. Make a donation to a mission project or charity that is important to them. Consider supporting a mission project through our local congregation or the UMC. Consider sharing the cost of the gift with extended family, friends, co-workers, small groups, etc and work together to make a difference in the world. Visit http://www.myfairhopeumc.net/Alternative_Gift_Ideas.html for some ideas.
3. Start a family tradition involving the whole family in making room for Jesus during the season of Advent. Visit http://www.myfairhopeumc.net/Advent.html for some ideas to get you started.
4. Visit someone from your congregation who is unable to come to church or someone you haven’t seen in church recently. Pray with them.
5. Make a commitment to practice welcoming others on Sunday morning. Introduce someone you know to someone they may not yet know.
6. Consider how you might be cut back on the amount of time you spend decorating & baking for the holidays. Use the extra time to practice random acts of kindness and spread joy and love to others. Be Christ in the world!
7. Write letters or send a care package to someone serving in the military.
8. Give an equal amount of what you spend on Christmas gifts for family & friends to outreach ministries & missions that serve the poor in spirit and those in need.
9. Offer to wrap gifts, babysit, or provide a meal for an overworked & tired parent.
10. Use your Facebook status to tell others about Jesus. Post your church worship service and activities, share your favorite Scripture, and/or tell how Christ has changed your life.
11. Invite 3 people from your neighborhood or extended family to church during Advent & on Christmas Eve.
12. Mug someone. Buy some inexpensive mugs & fill them with hot chocolate packets & inspirational notes. Leave them on the desks of co-workers, or businesses you visit during Advent & Christmas.
13. Go caroling! Go out into the community and meet people you don't know—don't just visit people from your congregation. Make it an outreach project! Hand out colorful brochures or flyers with basic church information (location, web URL, etc.).
14. Tell the Christmas story to someone who may not know Jesus. Pray that they would come to know Christ in new & deeper ways this Christmas.
15. Be an instrument in changing someone’s life. Give someone the Word of God this Christmas. Tell them about the Common English Bible, a new translation written in easy to understand language. Visit www.commonenglishbible.com for more information.
16. Give the gift of your presence to those closest to you!
Faith & Life Connections Resource
Family Connection:
Story a Day for Advent
“…we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.” Psalm 78:4
The season of Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year. The word Advent means “to come.” Advent is a season of waiting, a season of preparation. It’s a time for waiting and watching for Christ. During the season of Advent we prepare our hearts and our lives to celebrate God’s greatest gift, the birth of our Lord & Savior. We prepare to receive Christ into our hearts and wait expectantly for Jesus to come again. Advent is a hopeful time as we anticipate that wonderful gift of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us.
This is a fun time of year, but we are also faced with many distractions that can keep us from focusing on the true meaning of the season. God reminds us through His Word that we are to tell others the wonders He has done. Our children need us to pass down the stories of God’s goodness and hope so that a future generation will one day praise the Lord (Psalm 102:18).
Create some family memories by making time to tell the stories of Christmas, of God’s work in the world, or family memories during the season of Advent. Select 24 Christmas stories, family memories, or scripture passages and read one as a family each night during Advent. You may want to use a basket or bag & write down the titles of those favorite stories & select one each night to enjoy together as a family. Consider asking grandparents or other relatives to share their favorite scriptures or family traditions.
After reading the story, spend some time talking about the story. Share why it is a family favorite or how the lesson in the story or scripture applies to your lives today. Practice retelling the story and talk about some creative ways to share the story with others.
Some suggestions to get you started: Favorite Christmas stories from your childhood, scripture passages from an Advent calendar, or readings from a Jesse Tree devotional (some of the great stories of God preparing the world for the birth of his Son). Whatever you choose, remember to have fun, keep it simple, & focused on keeping Christ at the center of your holiday preparations!
Exploring the Night Sky
Take a drive on a clear night & enjoy some of the Christmas lights around your neighborhood. End the evening by spending some time exploring the night sky, one of God' most beautiful creations. Dress warm & bring along some blankets & hot cocoa as it may take a half an hour for your eyes to fully adjust to the dark so you'll see the most stars.
· What helps you to find your way in the dark?
· Can you count the number of stars that you see?
· What do you notice about the moon?
· Share your hopes & dreams with each other as you gaze at the night sky.
· How does it feel to know that God who created the galaxies and placed each star in the sky knows all about you, even the number of hairs on your head?