GETTING THE RIGHT GIFT FOR JESUS (3 OF 3)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Luke 9:57-62
This content is part of a series.
Getting the Right Gift for Jesus (3 of 3)
Series: The Power
Jeff Strite
Luke 9:57-62
OPEN: About three years ago, Dave Barry made this observation about Christmas:
''Your standard man, at this point in the Christmas season, has purchased zero gifts. He has not yet gotten around to purchasing an acceptable gift for his wife for last Christmas.
He did give her something last year, but he could tell by her reaction to it that she had not been dreaming of getting an auto emergency kit, even tho it was the deluxe model with booster cables and an air compressor.
Clearly this gift violated an important rule, but the man had no idea what this rule was, and his wife was too upset to tell him.'' (Dave Barry, ''Your Gift Is in the Male,'' Washington Post 12-12-04)
APPLY: We're entering into a season of ''gift giving''.
A week ago - Friday - was something called ''Black Friday'' where many people went out and spent hours (sometimes even days) in line to get bargains on gifts they wanted to buy their loved ones.
ILLUS: Diana's sister lives in Florida and she told us that people had been standing in line at ''Best Buy'' since Sunday for the store's special opening on Friday.
(pause) I think these people have way too much time on their hands.
Now wouldn't it be a shame if - after spending all that time in line - if these people bought things for their loved ones that their loved ones didn't want? I mean, it's enough of a waste of their lives to have spent days in line but to have spent that time to end up getting wrong kind of gift… now that would have been a tragedy.
ILLUS: I once read of a family celebrated Christmas every year with a birthday party for Jesus.
An extra chair of honor at the table became the family's reminder of Jesus' presence. There was a cake with candles, along with the singing of ''Happy Birthday'' expressed the family's joy in Jesus' presence.
One year on Christmas afternoon a visitor to the home asked the five-year-old girl, ...
Series: The Power
Jeff Strite
Luke 9:57-62
OPEN: About three years ago, Dave Barry made this observation about Christmas:
''Your standard man, at this point in the Christmas season, has purchased zero gifts. He has not yet gotten around to purchasing an acceptable gift for his wife for last Christmas.
He did give her something last year, but he could tell by her reaction to it that she had not been dreaming of getting an auto emergency kit, even tho it was the deluxe model with booster cables and an air compressor.
Clearly this gift violated an important rule, but the man had no idea what this rule was, and his wife was too upset to tell him.'' (Dave Barry, ''Your Gift Is in the Male,'' Washington Post 12-12-04)
APPLY: We're entering into a season of ''gift giving''.
A week ago - Friday - was something called ''Black Friday'' where many people went out and spent hours (sometimes even days) in line to get bargains on gifts they wanted to buy their loved ones.
ILLUS: Diana's sister lives in Florida and she told us that people had been standing in line at ''Best Buy'' since Sunday for the store's special opening on Friday.
(pause) I think these people have way too much time on their hands.
Now wouldn't it be a shame if - after spending all that time in line - if these people bought things for their loved ones that their loved ones didn't want? I mean, it's enough of a waste of their lives to have spent days in line but to have spent that time to end up getting wrong kind of gift… now that would have been a tragedy.
ILLUS: I once read of a family celebrated Christmas every year with a birthday party for Jesus.
An extra chair of honor at the table became the family's reminder of Jesus' presence. There was a cake with candles, along with the singing of ''Happy Birthday'' expressed the family's joy in Jesus' presence.
One year on Christmas afternoon a visitor to the home asked the five-year-old girl, ...
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