Christmas - 4 Steps to Move from Fear to Faith
Zach Terry
Matthew 1:18-25
OPENING ILLUSTRATION: There is something about Christmas that AMPLIFIES negative emotions for some.
A 2019 study found that half of the adults interviewed claim Christmas is the most stressful and fear-inducing time of the year. So much so that 16% said they would rather do their tax return than attend a family Christmas and 26% said it's more draining than a job interview. This was last year.
Some of the other reasons people admit to feeling anxious at Christmas include...
- Being fearful about putting on weight
- 14% were stressed about writing Christmas cards
- 26% said they were worried about trying to make Christmas as good as last year
- 23% are stressed about making Christmas dinner
- A further 11% said they don't do any Christmas shopping until the week before, resulting in them feeling even more stressed.
Add to all of that, the COVID Effect.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
- Nearly half of Americans (48%) are anxious about the possibility of getting coronavirus.
- Nearly four in ten Americans (40%) are anxious about becoming seriously ill or dying from coronavirus.
- But far more Americans (62%) are anxious about the possibility of family and loved ones getting coronavirus. ??To those normal fears add the questions of:
- Will I be able to afford a decent Christmas after the loss of a job?
- Will we be able to get together with family?
- If we do, what if it causes and outbreak and someone suffers or even dies?
For many people this is not a MERRY Christmas, it's a SCARY Christmas.
It's NOT a season of CHEERFULNESS but of FEARFULNESS.
?As it was in the first Christmas particularly for Joseph. We do not know a great deal about Joseph. In Paul's 13 letters, he never mentioned Joseph a single time, nor does the Gospel of Mark, likely the earliest account of Jesus life written.
We know his oc ...
Zach Terry
Matthew 1:18-25
OPENING ILLUSTRATION: There is something about Christmas that AMPLIFIES negative emotions for some.
A 2019 study found that half of the adults interviewed claim Christmas is the most stressful and fear-inducing time of the year. So much so that 16% said they would rather do their tax return than attend a family Christmas and 26% said it's more draining than a job interview. This was last year.
Some of the other reasons people admit to feeling anxious at Christmas include...
- Being fearful about putting on weight
- 14% were stressed about writing Christmas cards
- 26% said they were worried about trying to make Christmas as good as last year
- 23% are stressed about making Christmas dinner
- A further 11% said they don't do any Christmas shopping until the week before, resulting in them feeling even more stressed.
Add to all of that, the COVID Effect.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
- Nearly half of Americans (48%) are anxious about the possibility of getting coronavirus.
- Nearly four in ten Americans (40%) are anxious about becoming seriously ill or dying from coronavirus.
- But far more Americans (62%) are anxious about the possibility of family and loved ones getting coronavirus. ??To those normal fears add the questions of:
- Will I be able to afford a decent Christmas after the loss of a job?
- Will we be able to get together with family?
- If we do, what if it causes and outbreak and someone suffers or even dies?
For many people this is not a MERRY Christmas, it's a SCARY Christmas.
It's NOT a season of CHEERFULNESS but of FEARFULNESS.
?As it was in the first Christmas particularly for Joseph. We do not know a great deal about Joseph. In Paul's 13 letters, he never mentioned Joseph a single time, nor does the Gospel of Mark, likely the earliest account of Jesus life written.
We know his oc ...
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