Waiting For Jesus When You Don't Want To Change
Matthew 2:1-16
Intro
Christmas is a happy time for me. I get great pleasure from how much Robin and the girls enjoy every detail of this beautiful season. From baking holiday goodies, to decorating trees, and windows and front yards, to wrapping presents, to parties, to enjoying Christmas lights ?. My family enjoys this time of year. And I enjoy watching them.
During the celebration of the season we will talk about love, joy and peace. Good tidings and good will. Everywhere we go we encounter the good cheer of the holidays: from Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells to the festive decorations of this auditorium ? it's Christmas and that's cause to smile.
But what we all know and don't like to talk about is the other side of the coin. While Christmas means laughter and merriment for me, for some the Yuletide rings in depression and anxiety.
Topic: Christmas
Subtopic:
Index:
Date: 12/1997.1326
Title: Humor: The German Shepherd
Adam, a bright-eyed 3-year-old, had been told of his German heritage. After church in early December, I asked him if he had a part in the Sunday school Christmas pageant.
"Yes," he replied, his eyes filling with joy. "I am going to be a German shepherd!"
-- Eileen R. Halstead, Marlboro, N.Y. "Kids of the Kingdom," Christian Reader.
See: Lk 2:8
Other Topic/Subtopic/Index:
Children/1643-1657
What are the goals or purposes that drive your life?
Herod's main goal was selfish indulgence and maintaining personal power. He was willing to kill his own family members, and innocent children in order to pursue his goals.
Topic: Christmas
Subtopic:
Index:
Date: 12/1997.1453
Title: Statistic: What We Do on Christmas
The Roper Organization knows when we've been sleeping and knows when we're awake on Christmas Day. Here's what they discovered Americans do on the holiday:
Open presents (68 percent)
Visit family or friends (61 percent)
Watch a football game (31 percent)
Have a fire in the fireplace (15 percent)
Leave food out for Santa (10 percent)
Stay in bed sick or alone (4 percent)
Go caroling (2 percent)
Still ahead of the football game is attending church, an activity chosen by 39 percent of Americans.
-- "To Verify," Leadership.
How do you respond to situations that hamper your goals?
The words that we see describing Herod are not pretty words: angry, troubled, fearful. But those are the words that describe a life guided by ungodly goals. When we are frustrated from reaching those goals we, lash out angrily, we hold grudges, we worry, or we try to manipulate people to our advantage.
Are you willing to abandon your goals when they are demonstrated to be unworthy?
Are you teachable? Able to live our repentance daily? Humble enough, able to put aside pride and ego enough to say "I ?m wrong" "I'm sorry" or "I need to do this differently?"
Waiting For Jesus When Your Life Veers Off Course
