What's the Big Idea?
You’ve probably heard the song, “My Grown-up Christmas List.” When we’re little, we put all kinds of things on our Christmas list for ourselves. Material things. Things that don’t last long.
As we grow up and become more mature, wiser, and selfless shouldn’t our Christmas list become more selfless too? Shouldn’t it be a little more “grown-up”?
And if everyone was doing this, wouldn’t it make the world a better place?
The things we normally ask for at Christmastime might amuse us for a while, bring a smile to our faces, or keep us warm outside. But they can’t heal what is wrong inside. A hurting human soul isn’t going to be healed by a material gift that can be placed under the Christmas tree.
Jesus, the first and greatest Christmas gift, changes our hearts to think of the needs of others before ourselves. He makes us truly “grown-up.” If we asked what God would want us to put on our Christmas list… it would have things like forgiveness, grace, healing, freedom, hope, and promises that get kept.
Let’s sit at the feet of the One who was born on Christmas in the first place, and ponder what He might want us to ask for this Christmas.
Series Plan
December 5: A Second Chance
No one’s perfect. How many times have we regretted making a rude comment that hurt someone’s feelings? How many times did we think of our own selfish wants while trampling on someone else’s needs? Break a promise to our kid? Get caught doing something we shouldn’t do? Wouldn’t it be nice to get a second chance? We don’t live in a world where second chances or “do-overs” are too common. But we do have a God who offers us a “second chance.” His prophet Isaiah talked about the One coming who would give the whole world the ultimate second chance… a brand-new clean start! The perfect thing to ask for this Christmas!
December 12: A Real Freedom
Living in the country we do, freedom is important to us. We don’t like to be held back. We don’t like to be told what to do. There are worse things that hold us back and restrict our freedom though… weaknesses, fears, uncertainty, lack of trust, hopelessness, insecurity, anger, grudges, guilt… All of these things restrict our lives and keep us from living in the freedom God designed us to live in. But long ago, the prophets spoke of Someone who would come to proclaim real freedom! When Jesus spoke publicly the first time, He acknowledged He was the One who was coming to do that! Real Freedom is the perfect item for a grown-up Christmas list!
December 19: A Kept Promise
We get frustrated and disappointed when companies don’t deliver on what they promise. But it really hurts when someone we care about breaks a promise they made to us. And we have broken plenty of promises ourselves. A promise gives us something to look forward to. To hope for. That hope is the energy source that powers us to do what we do. We need hope! We need promises to come true! In a world where promises are broken every day, hundreds of promises were made about a Savior who would come to fix everything. Seemingly impossible promises! And every one of them came true! What could be a better item on our grown-up Christmas list than a kept promise?
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