Category Archives: Christmas

Keeping Christ in Christmas

Evangelist Luis Palau tells of a wealthy European family that decided to have their newborn baby baptized in their enormous mansion. Dozens of guests were invited to the elaborate affair, and they all arrived dressed to the nines. After depositing their elegant wraps on a bed in an upstairs room, the guests were entertained royally.

Soon the time came for the main purpose of their gathering: the infant’s baptismal ceremony. But where was the baby? No one seemed to know. The child’s governess ran upstairs and returned with a desperate look on her face. Everyone searched frantically for the baby. Then someone recalled having seen him asleep on one of the beds. The baby was on a bed all right—buried beneath a pile of coats, jackets, and furs. The object of that day’s celebration had been forgotten, neglected, and nearly smothered.

The baby whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas is easily hidden beneath the piles of traditions and cultural observances of the season. We need to enter every Advent season asking, “Where’s the baby?”

A creative assembly or church talk for children about the trinity and the incarnation

I read this post just before Trinity Sunday 2015, I’m not preaching on Trinity Sunday this year but wanted to capture it as it is a great idea that I could well use in the future, either at Trinity or Christmas.

Some people find it difficult to think of Jesus as God. This is a simple illustration that helps me and is useful for school assemblies or talks in church.

Look at the mug in the picture. What do you suppose is in it? If I was presenting this to a group I would get people to shout suggestions out.

christmas-mug

After several suggestions, I would ask people how they can be sure of what is in it, after all they can’t see inside of it.

The Bible says that ‘no one has ever seen God’ (John 1.18) and this is a bit of a problem when we are trying to work out who he is and what he is like.

The good news is that we really can know what God is like.

Produce a glass and pour some of the water (you were wondering what was in there weren’t you) into it and then ask what is in the mug. (What was hidden in the mug is made plain by the glass). The Bible says

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1.18)

Jesus is God and one of the reasons that he became human was so we could see what God is like. If you want to know who God is and what is important to him then look at the life of Jesus.

Jesus is God’s gift to the world and he really is so much better than any other gift we could receive for Christmas .

Jesus was on the earth many years ago and when he went back to heaven, he promised to send the Holy Spirit who is God’s presence in the world today.

Take a drink of the water and explain that the Holy Spirit is also God’s presence inside of Christians.

Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (John 7.37-39).

If I was using this illustration in a church I would go on and talk about the real privilege that it is to be carriers of the presence of God.

Juts stop and think about it, the God who made the universe, the God who raised Jesus from the dead, the God who is love, he lives in every Christian. The Bible encourages us to regularly ask God to fill us up with his Holy Spirit so that he can have a greater influence in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

I have been using this illustration for years but it was not my idea. I would love to credit the source, but I can’t remember who it was. If anyone knows or has seen this elsewhere then comment below or message me and I will add credit to this post.

I have written this up because someone asked me if I had any assembly ideas that touched on the trinity. If you have any other requests for creative ideas on a subject, feel free to ask.

Quoted from: https://honestaboutmyfaith.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/a-creative-assembly-or-church-talk-for-children-about-the-trinity-and-the-incarnation/

Long Walk

In a remote village in Central America the word got out among the peoples of the region that one of the American missionaries that had served this country for many years was about to return to the US to live out the remaining years of her life.
The nationals desired to honor her for her years of service with a public time of appreciation. News of the event went to all parts of the country in which the people knew the missionary. One very old and very poor man walked to the ceremony over mountainous terrain for 4 days to bring his gift to the missionary.
The gift consisted of 2 coconuts, but it was all the man had. The missionary recognized the man as coming from the remote village in the mountains.
“Brother, I cannot believe that you would walk so far to present me with this gift,” said the missionary to the man.
His response: “Long walk part of gift.”
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