Christmas Invite
One week ago, both Connie and I were home feeling terrible and experiencing what we would later learn were the effects of Covid. This is the second time for each of us to have Covid. We are feeling better and slowly recovering, and we appreciate your prayers so much.
I absolutely love Christmas and always have.
The kids are out of school, time off at work, time for family and friends, and time for giving and receiving gifts and wonderful food! But that is not the reason. I love the fact that we can honor the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s a time to be thankful to God that He loved us enough to send His only Son to die for us so that we might be saved. It’s also the time when people are most open to the gospel. It is no secret that the Candlelight Christmas Eve service is my favorite service of the year! Tim Frost and the worship team work extraordinarily hard on this service because, like me, they see it as a crucial outreach. I hope you are making it a high priority and are inviting friends, co-workers, neighbors, and relatives. The service is on Christmas Eve at 5:00 pm.
It always amazes me how many people will say, “I believe my family and friends will be saved.” But when we have an opportunity to really witness to them and invite them to church, we don’t take it. For example, family comes into town for Christmas, and we make it all about them. We even skip church because we don’t want to leave them alone. Instead of saying, “We honor God, and we are going to church, and if you would like to come with us, that would be great,” we stay home.
If they don’t want to come, by your going and letting them know you will be back later, it lets them know that in your life, God comes first — no matter what. They may not like it, but the witness you put before them is one that says, “We love you, but we love God more.”
That dear friend is a much better witness than saying to them in your actions, “God can wait — family and friends are more important to me than He is.” Be the witness God wants you to be by putting Him first and letting others know, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord — first!”
Here’s my commitment: Everything that evening will be done with excellence. The music and the message will be something you can be proud of. I work as hard on that evening’s talk as any that I give throughout the year. I’ve learned that struggling saints, wayward sinners, unbelievers, and people who’ve not been in church for months will wander in and be open to hearing the simple message of Christmas.
Our guests that night will hear about Jesus, the Word made flesh, the only begotten Son sent from the Father who fulfilled ancient prophecies about the one who came to save His people from their sins.
If you come, you will be blessed. If you invite, others will as well!