Christmas Celebration
Christmas 2023 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Imagine
When I say Christmas morning
What is the image that comes in to your head? (is it this)
or perhaps this is more accurate
Or for some this is what you pictured
When I say Christmas gift what image comes to mind?
Is it this? Orange
Tell Bob Roberts story to me this week
This week when we had people out sick. We started deciding on what to do. The heart of your team hear at Bridge of Faith was that we still wanted students to have meals.
A student having to ask for extra pizza one night to take to his mom and sister. On my radar I never grew up like that so I have the utmost respect for students who will humbly do this.
Student called this week to make sure their family was on the bus route to receive a meal when they found out we would not have REACH.
As we kick off the Christmas season hear at Bridge of Faith I wanted to share the vision for Christmas in the Village and The affordable Christmas store.
Luke 14.
1 One Sabbath, when He went to eat at the house of one of the leading Pharisees, they were watching Him closely.
2 There in front of Him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.
3 In response, Jesus asked the law experts and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
4 But they kept silent. He took the man, healed him, and sent him away.
5 And to them, He said, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”
6 To this they could find no answer.
15 When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!”
16 Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many.
17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’
18 “But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’
20 “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’
21 “So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’
22 “ ‘Master,’ the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’
23 “Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’ ”
Banquet in the Village
It is my heart that our Wednesday night REACH families will attend The Christmas in the Village events and make new memories as a family.
Affordable Christmas store
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
35 In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
I struggle when I think about families standing in line to receive a bag of gifts they did not purchase that have already been wrapped and Christmas morning is just as a surprise to the families as it is the kids.
I struggle when our community and our families are looked upon as individuals who can’t give back.
We can’t take resources from Rockaway because people are needy there.
I don’t think this tells the Gospel story that we are all created in the image of Jesus.
So the affordable Christmas store is the beautiful model of those with excess giving to purchase brand new toys at full price. We mark them down 50% off and then sign families up to come
I want families to have a John moment this Christmas season
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Shepherd moment
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.
Thrift store Discounts $1200
Affordable Christmas Store $2000