Does Christmas Still Matter?

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8.

If you want to generate some interesting conversation, just ask people what they think about Christmas. If you did, you would encounter some people who cannot get past the story of Christmas. The story of Christmas is the story of God coming to set His people free. That is the good news of Jesus Christ at Christmas. But people give you a quizzical look and say, “dude, the world is a mess.” So they doubt, they have issues with the church and they poke holes at faith. They accept the fact that there was a man that was born 2,000 years ago named Jesus. He was a good teacher, but that was then and this is now. He is no longer relevant, in fact, should we keep Christmas at all?  Could you imagine with me for a minute what life would be like if their wish was granted.

For me to imagine a life without Jesus is difficult, because we all have had some understanding and concept of Jesus but, on the other hand, I know that a life without Christ is a life without purpose or point.    

There is a lot of talk in the world about what the meaning and purpose of this life is. Scholars and philosophers discuss that question and people come up with varying answers. Some say that being a good person is the purpose of this life. Some say having stuff and resources and leading a happy life is the purpose in life. Some say positively affecting the world is the purpose in this life. Solomon was a person who tried all sorts of things to find meaning, and in the end this was his conclusion as to where we find our meaning, purpose and value in life:

“That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

There are many things that I hope to accomplish in this life. I strive to be a good father and husband. I desire to be a good influence in the community, but I do not find my meaning of life in those things. I find my meaning in Christ. If it was not for Jesus, my life would be a wreck. I would be without hope, without direction, without ambition, without aim, without anything significant to live for, without meaning and without purpose in life. So Christmas matters.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you find hard at Christmas time?
  2. How could you look for Jesus in Christmas this year?
  3. Who could you share Jesus with this Christmas? How?

Giving Birth To Life

“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”- Luke 2:10-11. 

Most people have heard the story of Jesus’ birth. But knowing the story and understanding the true significance of His birth can be missed because of that familiarity with the “story” aspect. How often do we think about the deeper meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ? 

The birth of Jesus Christ was not the ordinary birth of an ordinary man. It was the birth of the most unique person in history. The birth of Jesus Christ was the incarnation of God Himself. The conception and birth of Jesus Christ was the mingling of God with humanity. In other words, God became a man. Jesus, who was born in the manger, fully expressed the very God in all His rich being and person to mankind. God’s love, mercy, righteousness, holiness, compassion, and glory were and still are expressed in the humanity of Christ. So what if Jesus had never been born? Then what?

What would the point of our lives be if there was no God? We could go on doing what we do, but for what? Working to what end? Loving, giving, sharing and helping—for whom, when in the end, we just die? What are our successes for? Why would we care if we always failed? Nothing matters, we’re all going to die. Basically, we would have no hope because Jesus is the hope of the world: “This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.” (1 Timothy 1:1). 

What would my life be like without the Lord? It would be a life without true meaning, a life without a totally reliable model to imitate, a life without direction, a life without forgiveness, and a life without a future. It is a dark and depressing thought because a world without God is a pointless one. 

But when I’m reminded of the Christian birth, the shepherds and angels, a present and the future are brighter places. I need God to hold me accountable, put meaning into my life, and to give me hope every day of my life.  And I need when I finally pass from this world into His.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you get your arms around Jesus being God and man? 
  2. What does the birth of Jesus mean for our everyday lives? 

The Ripple Effect

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” – Genesis 12:2.

Perhaps nothing could be more applicable in this season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ into human form then by stopping to consider just how great an impact He has had on the human race. Most people default to Jesus coming to earth, dying on the cross and rising from the dead the third day as His mission. And that is true. But the repercussions of His birth are ever more far reaching. The birth of Christ has had a ripple effect that has changed many areas of our lives forever.

Over the centuries, Christianity has changed the value attached to human life; especially to children, women, and the elderly. Prior to the birth of Jesus, the killing of infants and abandonment were common practices. Over time, the influence of Christianity has stopped that practice. Prior to the Christian influence, a woman’s life was very cheap, In most ancient cultures, the wife was the property of her husband. Today that has changed. In America, we take our values on human life for granted. But had Christ never been born, it would have been a far different story – human life would be disposable.

Other ripples caused by the birth of Jesus include how we look at those in need. Before the advent of Christianity there was no organized charitable effort at large in the world. The example and teaching of Jesus changed the way the world reacted to those in need, especially the poor, the widowed and the orphaned. Hospitals as we know them began through the influence of Christianity. Christianity also gave rise to nursing care. The Red Cross was started by an evangelical Christian. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that a world without Christ would be a world without charity.

Another ripple is education. The phenomenon of education for everyone has its roots in Christianity. It is Christianity that has given rise to the concept of education for everyone. The greatest universities worldwide were started by Christians for Christian purposes. Almost every one of the first 123 colleges and universities in the United States has Christian origins.

When Jesus Christ took upon Himself the form of man, He instilled in mankind a dignity and inherent value that had never been dreamed of before. Whatever Jesus touched or whatever He did transformed that aspect of human life. Many people will read about the innumerable small incidents in the life of Christ while never dreaming that those casually mentioned “little” things transformed the history of mankind.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would the world be different if Jesus was never born?
  2. How would your life be different if Jesus was never born?

If Not This, Then What

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” – Matthew 5:17-18

What if? What if Jesus had not come? What would our lives be like? What realities, beauty and grace we presently enjoy would not exist? What would we know?  We need to realize that it is an impossible question because as Colossians 1:16 says: ”for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.” Without Him, everything comes apart. But we pose the question to help us truly appreciate His coming and all numerous individual blessings we enjoy due to it. 

For example, if Jesus had not come, we would not know God’s complete faithfulness. We would not know the fulfillment of every last promise. If Jesus had not come, we would not know the fullness of God’s love. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13), and “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8).

If Jesus did not come, we would not know the depths of God’s grace and compassion. According to Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” God’s love is abundantly displayed in His great grace and compassion for man’s needs. So much did the Lord love the world that, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). In turn, God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, affirms that in His love for man he willingly laid down his life in order that people may believe in and follow him (John 10:11-18). 

Finally, if Jesus did not come, we would not know His atoning death and life-giving resurrection, there would be no salvation for sinners. “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” (Romans 5:10).

Discussion Question:

  1. Imagine yourself involved in a conversation with a neighbor or colleague at work about Christmas when this person says, “I wonder what the world would be if Jesus never came?” What would be your response?

The Message And The Messenger

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8.

It’s a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, a struggling businessman with dreams of greater things but stuck in a situation that will test his patience, his inner strength, and his family’s love. He discovers that without him being born, so many things would have been different. The point is, we have no idea how significantly our lives affect others. But if George Bailey influenced a whole community of people, think of how the world would be different if Jesus had never been born. 

First, we would miss the greatest messenger ever. Jesus was in a league of His own. He was not just another prophet. Or a moral man. He was more than a great speaker and motivator. There are no titles, or tags, or accolades that will do Him justice. Jesus is, as the Father himself said, “…You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” (Mark 1:11) And as God’s Son, “…radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God.” (Hebrews 1:3). So Jesus surpasses every other messenger God has sent, or ever could send.

Secondly, we would miss the greatest message. The greatest messenger brought the greatest life-changing message that has ever, or will ever be communicated. Jesus’s ministry was not disconnected from, or contrary to what God had spoken through his earlier prophets. They were, after all, speaking God’s words. But Jesus is himself the very Word of God incarnate: “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (John 1:14). His message exceeded the prophets, because it is the fulfillment of everything they had previously promised. 

If Christ had not come—turn off the bells, stop the music, close the church. The world we live in would be vastly different place. But, fortunately as the Bible reminds us in Luke 2:10-11, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

Discussion Questions:

  1. What would be different if Jesus the messenger never came to earth?
  2. What would be different if the message of Jesus was never communicated throughout the world.

In God We Trust

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” – Psalm 9:10.

Most Christians want to believe they are trusting God with their money. And why not? Who wants to admit they love money more than they love God or that they worry about their future more than they trust God with it? We all want to believe we are trusting God with our money; the only problem is … sometimes … deep in our hearts, we know it’s not entirely true. We know our checkbook does not reflect the life of someone who has given God everything. Giving expresses our trust in God.

Do we trust what God is doing in our human relationships, our careers, and our health? Do we really trust God? How do we develop trust in God? Financial giving is actually one of God’s key training grounds to produce a trust connection between us and Him.

There is nothing more relational than trust. If we trust our wife or our husband it means that we don’t have to check on them. If we trust your teammate, we know they’ll be there when we need them to be. If we trust our friend, we know they’ll keep their promise.

Trust is always based on a relationship. Once we have gotten to know someone’s character, we can predict much of what they will do. But even in the times when we don’t know for sure what they will do, we don’t sweat it, because we know their character well enough to trust them to do what is in our best interest.

Do we know and trust God? Do we know His character? God wants us to know and trust Him so that even when we can’t see for sure what He is doing, we don’t doubt Him. Financial concerns seem to be an area that tests the trust of all people no matter what economic level they are. God wants to use this constant tangible area of life to draw us closer to Him. As we give back to God in sacrificial worship, we are telling God that we really do trust Him. As a result, He is honored and we will come to know the peace of trusting God with our financial situation.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you trust God with your finances as much as other parts of your life?
  2. What makes it so difficult to fully trust God?

Investing In Life

“Then Hannah prayed and said: ‘My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.’” – 1 Samuel 2:1-2. 

The stock market garners a whole lot of attention. No matter what media you follow, the stock market will be a topic at some point during the day. Some people will watch the stock market to see how much money they made, while others will tune in to see how much they lost. But even if you don’t make monetary investments in stocks, you can still be an active investor in many areas of life. Every action, every attitude, every activity is an Investment in something. And it will reap dividends one day, good or bad. 

When it comes to investing money, most of us are pretty careful. If you’re like me, you don’t have more money than you know what to do with, and so you’re cautious about entrusting it to an unknown person or company that promises you a profit. But, it’s amazing that while people are careful about investing their money, they are often very haphazard about investing their lives. They give little thought to investing their lives with God, and in others.

One Biblical character that was a wise investor is Hannah. Hannah was a woman well acquainted with the struggle to become a mother, and the heartache involved, and yet, she was able to come to peace with things well before she gave birth to her first son Samuel. Her faith in God remained the same despite what she was going through.

Hannah chose to give her child back to God. She made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” (1 Samuel 1:11) This should not be seen as bargaining on the part of Hannah, but she was promising to offer her best to the Lord as a result of His answer to her prayer. Had she prayed to win the lottery, her vow was that she would have given the entire prize back to God, keeping nothing for herself. Her response to God’s answer to her prayer in chapter 2 is key for us today.   

Hannah made a wise investment that paid dividends for years to come as Samuel served God.     

Discussion Questions:

  1. Who or what are you investing in?
  2. What can we do this week to better invest our lives for God?

Broken Dreams

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” – Genesis 12:2.

The story of Joseph spans many chapters, Genesis 37-50. Joseph had a lot of things going his way in life at first. He was handsome. He was the first son born to Jacob through Rachel, and therefore, he was his father’s favorite son. He had great dreams that made him feel good about himself. But at the age of 17, just when one is supposed to be dreaming dreams about the future and beaming with bright hopes of being accepted into Florida State University, life takes a pointed turn for Joseph. His brothers don’t take him to see the Seminoles play Clemson, or teach him about dating girls. They hate him so much that they throw him into an empty pit. 

Joseph is not at Starbucks drinking a caramel macchiato. Joseph is in a pit. No Internet surfing, no access to email, no Facebook friendship, no Netflix, no texting or tweeting. Life is the pits and his future is in there with him. Or so it seems. 

His brothers sell him into slavery. They are not interested at all in his future. They’re cold and callous and uncaring. After being sold into slavery, he was framed as an adulterer, forgotten in prison and endured seven years of famine.

There will be detours in life and sometimes life may even feel like the pits. In those times, investing in the future seems at best, futile. But God is at work in hidden ways.The Bible describes some dark and difficult times in Joseph’s life. But it also reveals that every time he faced adversity, he used it to develop himself personally and to build trust with others. As a result, Joseph made one comeback after another and proved himself trustworthy.

In Joseph’s case, his future was deferred but it was not ultimately denied. He kept going and eventually became the second-in-command in Egypt. He went from the pit to the palace, because God’s plan can’t be stopped. 

Joseph’s story reveals that setbacks may just be setups for comebacks. You get to decide that you are going to restart your dreams for the future or let them fade away. I encourage you to continue to invest in the future with your time, skills and gifts and trust God to do His part. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. With the injustices Joseph suffered, what sustained him? What would sustain you in those events?
  2. How can you continue to invest in your future when your dreams for the future seem shattered?   

Investing In The Future

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5

I’m asking you the question, “What do you want in life?” Your answer to the question today is going to determine what your future is going to be. Right now, the stock market has gone wild, seemingly setting a new record each week. But the record highs mean little if you did not invest when stocks were lower and thus more affordable. If you had bought low, you would be looking at some very wise investments indeed. 

There is no use praying to have something better tomorrow if you’re not willing to make some investments today. If you’re praying for better children, what investment are your putting into them. If you’re praying to improve a relationship, what investments are you making. If you’re praying for a better job, what investments are you making. If you’re praying to grow in God, what investments are your making.

There is a story in Luke 19 about a nobleman and his slaves. It is a story on how they increased their power by investing in the future. The nobleman was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he didn’t rest on his laurels or sit at home waiting for more benefits to come his way. Instead, he was seeking to maximize his power by obtaining an even higher royal position. The parable doesn’t spell out the details, but somehow he overcame the opposition of the people. Apparently, he was able to convince them he would make a good king.

Before embarking on his trip, he took the time to summon ten of his slaves, to give them each an amount of money, and to instruct them to carry out his business in his absence. Two of the slaves invested in the future by doing exactly as their nobleman master told them to do. They obediently, resourcefully, and responsibly used his money to do his business. Their positive efforts brought about financial increase for their master, and earned them each a significant job promotion, wherein they would respectively rule over ten cities and five.

The parable tells us that the third slave wasn’t so resourceful or efficient. He believed investing in the future was to do nothing, to be extremely cautious. Whatever his perspective, instead of investing in the future, the third slave did nothing to improve his lot in life and severely limited his future potential.

The question is where do we fit into this scenario. Do we invest in the future or do we we do nothing and hope for the best? Have you thought of ways you can powerfully invest in your business or career? In your retirement savings? We are not talking about money only here. God wants us to be powerful agents of positive change in our world. Are we willing to invest our time and our efforts? Are we investing in the lives of others? Are we investing in the children and youth?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think it’s so hard to save and invest? Do you have any ideas or tips that have made saving and investing more doable for you?
  2. What will your life look like in 30 years if you start saving and investing more now? What if you don’t?   

Shaping The Future

“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” — James 4:13-14.

The future can sometimes seem a long way off. Even so, we are always preparing for the future even if we do not think or dwell on the future. We are always preparing for the future even if your mind is focused on the past or the present. This is because your life builds upon itself. What you experience today is based upon what you accomplished or did not accomplish yesterday. And what you will experience tomorrow will be partially built on what you can accomplish today. So how do we prepare for the future today? The first step is to give God your future.

We all have different fears about the future and different needs to be met in the present.  Whether our needs are for financial provision, emotional relief, stress reduction, a change of circumstances, get out of debt, or the ability to make good investments for the future – God will provide for those needs in the best way. It may not always be our way, but it will always be the best way.

Yes, there are unknowns about the future: remember Who holds your future instead of what the future holds.  The future will look a whole lot better if we intentionally choose to trust God instead of worrying. Giving your future to God frees us to live the life that God has given us now.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have goals for the future. The problem arises when the goal becomes God. Or in other words, when we sacrifice everything to achieve them, including our family and God.

You don’t have to have your life all figured out; you only have to take one step at a time walking with God. And every time you put your hands in God’s hand, you’ll know you’ve got a solid hold on your future.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you view the future?
  2. How do we best shape that future?
  3. What can we start doing to pave the way to the future?