Wouldn’t it be wonderful to rediscover the joy and gladness of Christmas? Instead of starting with dread and trepidation and ending with anger and cynicism, let’s do something different this year – and every year! Let’s get away from the feeling of “humbug!” and start and end our season with “Hallelujah!”

We can find what’s most important – and reinvent Christmas! Rather than a “holiday,” let’s live the season as a series of simpler, more satisfying “holy days.” Let’s end our year with our faith rekindled, and our lives enriched. When December 26 rolls around, let’s look back on an authentic, joyful celebration, and find we’re reluctant to put it away.

Come join us each Sunday at 10:30 am at Timberstone Junior High, 9000 West Sylvania Avenue at Mitchaw Road, east of Centennial Road. Here’s what we’ll be learning.

Seasoning the Season - November 30

Christmas is crazy. The season has been tainted by unrealistic expectations, anxiety, frustration, and guilt. We desire the perfect holiday, but end up with anger and disappointment. Surely there’s something missing. . . or something we can add. . . to make the season fulfilling.

Preparation. It’s a common theme in Scripture. God prepared the world for a time when a Savior would make sense and be accepted, and through history prepared the way for the Savior’s birth. When Jesus was with us, He told us He would prepare a place for our eternal life with Him. The days before Christmas are to be spent preparing our hearts and our minds for all that God has prepared for us, and telling the world the Good News of why Jesus was born.

We’re done letting the world squeeze Christmas into its mold. This year, we’re squeezing the world into the Christmas mold! How do we do that? By seasoning the season with the reality of Christ’s birth, the assurance of His gift of forgiveness, and the readiness to receive Him anew into our lives.

When we’re personally prepared for God’s entrance and involvement in our world. . . we’ll experience a holy joy! (Read: Isaiah 40:1-5, Isaiah 9:6-7, Matthew 3:1-3, John 14:1-4, Ephesians 2:10; 4:12, 1 Peter 1:13-21)

Going from Grinch to Gladness - December 7

When we were younger, we’d always start and end the Christmas season with joy. As we got older, we might start with joy – but end with melancholy. Now, too much of the time, we start the Christmas season with dread and end with cynicism; we start with “humbug” and end up feeling and acting like the Grinch! What happened? How did Christmas change?

Rejoicing. Christmas is simply not Christmas without rejoicing. Christ-followers transform from the patterns of the world by renewing our minds and learning to rejoice always. That means we don’t have to succumb to the shallowness and misery of a holiday gone bad! We focus on experiencing Christ’s coming and then joyfully tell the world around us of the promise of eternal life with Him.

Let’s rediscover what’s most important and live the season as a series of simpler, more satisfying “holy days.” Let’s move from busy-ness to peacefulness. Let’s invest in relationships instead of investing in over-doing it. Let’s claim joy instead of letting the world steal our joy completely away. Let’s come out of hiding and share our love. Let’s stop being the Grinch – and move towards the gladness of life in Christ.

When we learn to rejoice, we choose renewed minds, and we can actually end our year with our faith rekindled, and our lives enriched! (Read: Isaiah 40:11, 29-31, 1 Chronicles 16:31-36, Psalm 103:5; 105:1-4, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 10:19-24, Romans 5:1-11; 12:2)

I Want More Presents! December 14

Let’s face it: we all want Christmas presents! The more the better; it’s fun to receive gifts. We can’t wait to see what’s under the tree. But this good feeling can give way to selfishness and a warped attitude about our desires in life. If we don’t get what we want – we’re not happy. So – we tend to change the outcome in our favor. Ever bought a gift for yourself? Sure you have. This attitude can become pervasive: I want what I want – not what Jesus wants – and I want it now. We can’t wait – we won’t wait – on His choice for us.

Presence. His Presence. That is what we must learn to desire. and here’s the best part – god yearns for our presence, too. He sent His own Son into the world – not to condemn us – but to save us and restore us to Himself! It’s the greatest gift anyone could hope for.

Seek His Presence. Help others find His Presence. Look for Him this season, wait on Him, and He’ll meet you in tangible and wondrous ways!

When you seek Him – He promises you’ll find Him! What an incredible sense of fulfillment that will bring. (Read: Psalm 16:11; Acts 2:28, 1 John 3:6-20, Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Unwrapping the Gift of Christmas - December 21

Christmas can be a commercial holiday, or a season of spiritual Holy Days. The choice is ours. It’s not too late to focus this Christmas on Jesus – the reason for the season! We can harness the expectations and suspense and excitement of this Christmas week so that the holiday becomes a time of gratefulness, simplicity, and no demands. Can you let your Christmas become again the celebration of Jesus’ birthday?

Fullness. When we purposefully put Jesus as the center of our attention at Christmas, and focus on the gift His birth brings us, our lives become full. Assurance replaces the suspense of the season, gratefulness replaces short-lived excitement, and fullness of life replaces unfulfilled expectations.

Take the time this week to unwrap the gift of Christmas. Why did Jesus come? Why was His birth necessary? What does His birth do for you? What does His death have to do with this birthday celebration? When you sit still and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, you come to realize that the biggest gift ever given. . . was given to you.

Realizing the gift He gave you, should fill you with a fullness and a sense of peace that no other event or feeling in the world can ever give you. (Read: Isaiah 11:1-4, 9-10, Ephesians 1:17-23, 3:16-19, Colossians 2:9-10, John 1:1-5, 14, 1 John 4:11-18a.)

O Come, O Come. . . and Celebrate! December 24
(Join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
6:00 pm at Timberstone Junior High)

When Christmas Eve and Christmas morning roll around, we all want to celebrate in tangible, memorable ways. Unfortunately, we have the tendency to try to fill our Christmas celebrations with busy-ness, too much food and drink, gift-giving with no meaning, keeping up, and over-doing it. We try to fill the void the world has created in our Christmas, but it rarely works, and we fall into the trap of feeling like we’ve failed, and we can’t wait for Christmas to be over.

Celebration. Just come to the manger – and celebrate. Just gaze on the Savior – and celebrate. Just contemplate His coming and His free gift of salvation for all who believe and follow Him – and celebrate! No more empty celebrations. . . focus on Jesus, and celebrate Him!

Let’s put away any empty traditions and rituals that only perpetuate feelings of letdown, busy-ness, excess, failure, misconceived notions, and unfulfilled expectations. Let’s fill our celebrations with the simplicity of laughter, love and our eyes set squarely on Jesus!

When we make Christ’s coming the focal point of our holiday, we’ll truly be able to celebrate! (Read: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; 40:3-5, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-20)