The Joy of Christmas: Have you lost yours?
I want you to experience the joy of Christmas this year. Here are a couple of great letters children wrote to Santa.
- “Dear Santa, you did not bring me anything good last year. You did not bring me anything good the year before that. This is your last chance. Signed, Alfred.”
- “Dear Santa, there are three little boys who live at our house. There is Jeffrey; he is 2. There is David; he is 4. And there is Norman; he is 7. Jeffrey is good some of the time. David is good some of the time. But Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman.”
How would you describe Christmas in one word?
- Busy
- Expensive
- Family
- Gifts
- Loss
- Jesus
- Joy
Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
I would like to challenge you to focus on JOY this Christmas. “Joy is like love. It’s NOT just an emotion. It’s a choice. It’s a decision.”
Galatians 4:15 (NLT) Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible.
What Happened to your Joy? Paul asked a very penetrating question in Galatians “What has happened to all your joy…” That question needs to be asked to those of us that claim to be followers of Jesus. What has happened to all my joy? What has happened to all your joy?
Billy Sunday once said, “The trouble with many men is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable. If there is no joy in religion, you’ve got a leak in your religion.”
A pastor once said to Groucho Marx: “Mr. Marx, I want to thank you for bringing so much joy into the world.” To which Groucho replied, “I want to thank you for taking so much out.”
An atheist once made this remark to some Christians: “If you want me to believe in your Redeemer, then you’ve got to look a lot more redeemed.” If we’re going to make an impact on all people we must first be filled with joy.
Psalms 107:22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
I want to invite you and your family to a joy-filled Christmas Eve Celebration service at Crosspointe Church on Sunday, December 24th at 9:30 AM or 11 AM. This 65-minute service is geared for the family with amazing Christmas Music and a relevant message. For more information check out. www.christmaseveinanaheim.com