Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
Our Bible verse for today: “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.” Luke 2:10-11
Our thought for today: “Christmas is a celebration of Christ.”
This morning, on this Christmas Eve morning, I want to share with you some thoughts from Billy Graham about Christmas:
“Christmas is a time of joy, but we must make sure that it is not pagan joy generated by the expectation of receiving gifts or engaging in revelry. The real happiness of Christmas is in the fact of the Incarnation, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.”
Even as Christians we can easily get caught-up in the secular aspects of this season that have little if anything to do with Christ. Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, eggnog, Christmas cookies, frenzied Christmas Eve price-slashing at the local WalMart … you know what I mean. It’s busy, loud, obnoxious, and Christ-less.
Tonight at 5:30 at Oak Hill Baptist Church we will celebrate our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Frosty the Snowman won’t be there – but Jesus will be. It will all be about Him. I want to invite you to join us if you’re close by. If you’re not, then I encourage you to attend a similar service in your own town.
Here’s another thought from Billy:
“Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream – it is a glorious reality. For from that manager came a Man who not only taught us a new way of life, but brought us into a new relationship with our Creator.”
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 