How to Keep the Joy in Christmas in 2005
Marvin D. Patterson
Luke 2:1-20
Introduction:
A lady said, I was browsing in a souvenir shop when the man next to me
struck up a conversation. Just as he was telling me that his wife was getting
carried away with her shopping, a brief power shortage caused the lights to
flicker overhead. That he sighed, must be her checking out now.
ILL.- It was the day of the big sale (you know, the day after Thanksgiving). A long line of people formed in front of the store by 6 AM, the store's opening time.
A small man pushed his way to the front of the line, only to be pushed back, in the midst of loud and colorful curses. On the man's second attempt, he was punched square in the jaw and knocked around a bit and then thrown to the end of the line again.
As he got up the second time, he complained to the person at the end of the
line, ''That does it! If they hit me one more time, I'm not opening the store!''
Sure sounds like the day after Thanksgiving, doesn't it?
Body
Proposition: Maintain your Joy this Christmas!
How?
1-Make Room for Jesus this Christmas!
This passage of Scripture tells us that God can help us in any situation that we find ourselves in this Christmas. And boy do we in America really need God's help! We look around this Christmas and it seems that there has been a war about keeping Christ in Christmas! Some stores have refused to say ''Merry Christmas'' opting to say ''Happy Holidays'' so no one is offended and everyone is included except for the One that the Holiday is all about - Jesus Christ! The commercialism of the season can also pull our attention away from Christ. Families erupt, split, and spark through the pressures of the season. Wild parties are held and temptations to let our guard down are prevalent.
One college student was getting ready to take his final exam before going home for the holidays. He sat in the class waiting for the professor to hand our the e ...
Marvin D. Patterson
Luke 2:1-20
Introduction:
A lady said, I was browsing in a souvenir shop when the man next to me
struck up a conversation. Just as he was telling me that his wife was getting
carried away with her shopping, a brief power shortage caused the lights to
flicker overhead. That he sighed, must be her checking out now.
ILL.- It was the day of the big sale (you know, the day after Thanksgiving). A long line of people formed in front of the store by 6 AM, the store's opening time.
A small man pushed his way to the front of the line, only to be pushed back, in the midst of loud and colorful curses. On the man's second attempt, he was punched square in the jaw and knocked around a bit and then thrown to the end of the line again.
As he got up the second time, he complained to the person at the end of the
line, ''That does it! If they hit me one more time, I'm not opening the store!''
Sure sounds like the day after Thanksgiving, doesn't it?
Body
Proposition: Maintain your Joy this Christmas!
How?
1-Make Room for Jesus this Christmas!
This passage of Scripture tells us that God can help us in any situation that we find ourselves in this Christmas. And boy do we in America really need God's help! We look around this Christmas and it seems that there has been a war about keeping Christ in Christmas! Some stores have refused to say ''Merry Christmas'' opting to say ''Happy Holidays'' so no one is offended and everyone is included except for the One that the Holiday is all about - Jesus Christ! The commercialism of the season can also pull our attention away from Christ. Families erupt, split, and spark through the pressures of the season. Wild parties are held and temptations to let our guard down are prevalent.
One college student was getting ready to take his final exam before going home for the holidays. He sat in the class waiting for the professor to hand our the e ...
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