Luke 2:13-14 (KJV) "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace good will toward men." "Let there be peace on Earth and good will toward men." That's called reconciliation. What is reconciliation? It's when a broken relationship is restored. Restoration of harmony, restoration of peace. What kind of peace does Jesus give to us at Christmas time? First, We Need Pe...
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When I was a kid Christmas time was the best time of the year. I'd start circling things in the Sears Catalogue weeks or months in advance. It was great to dream of what I might find under the tree. When I was 16 I wanted the Texas Instruments TI-99 computer. They had come down to about $100. Only they were scarcer than any Cabbage patch doll or Tickle me Elmo ever was. M...
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God's presence gives us the motivation to keep on going, the power to keep on keeping on. It renews our strength. It lifts up our heavy hearts. It gives us a new vision. That's what God's presence can do to our life. But we have to tune in. The key to keep on keeping on, to overcoming discouragement, is the phrase "I walk in the presence of the Lord." But, how do you do t...
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Luke 2:11 The Savior yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city David. Salvation is three-dimensional. You are saved from something, you are saved for something, and you are saved by something. 1. We're Saved From Sin. That's what Jesus' name means. "Jesus" means "to save people from their sin." In fact, Joseph was told by another angel in ...
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Luke 2:8-10 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. Christmas is intend...
Keep ReadingChristmas Eve Services 2, 4, 6 8PM! You're invited to come make a memory with your family at SCCthis Christmas Eve!Our four identical services include traditional Christmas carols, an original drama and acandlelight recessional. After each service, you can enjoy Christmas cookies in the SNOW! That's right! SNOW in Florida...a weather phenomenon experienced every Christma...
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Have you ever prayed and felt you were just blowing off steam? Just bouncing off the ceiling? If God hears me will He ever answer? The Bible says because God is in control my prayers have an impact. Prayer works. He has the ability to answer your prayers. If God were not sovereign, then prayer would be a waste of time. Who wants to pray to somebody who can't answer? Can...
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I remember the Christmas of my 5th grade year. We had just moved into a duplex we were renting. Just my mom and sister and me. I knew I wasn't going be getting anything for Christmas, because we had just redecorated my new room. I remember opening box after box with a note inside that said something like, "This box represents your beautiful blue bedspread." "This box would...
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Yesterday I wrote about the life of Joseph in the Christmas story, and that obedience means love + trust + action. I know many of you want to live this life of obedience in your relationship with God because you know he loves you. You know that he has your best in mind. You know he understands things you don't understand. And you want to live that kind of life. Joseph show...
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Put yourself in his shoes for a minute. Here I am: I'm Joseph. I've just learned that the girl I'm engaged to is pregnant. And it doesn't make sense. Everything that I know about her, everything that I've experienced with Mary, it doesn't make sense that she would be pregnant. And not only that, she's telling me some crazy story about meeting with an angel and a virgin bir...
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In the Christmas story, the Bible reveals that there was no room at the inn, so Mary and Joseph were turned away. The fact that the innkeeper didn't make room for Jesus did not stop Jesus from being born. My actions don't stop God. He has his plan in history. History is his story. When the innkeeper said no room it didn't hurt God. It just hurt the innkeeper. He missed the...
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Who were the wise men in the Christmas story? The answer is we don't know. We do know that the Bible calls them "magi." Magi were kind of a combination of philosopher, scientist and astronomer. They were quite wealthy. They were well educated. That's really about all we know about them. Where did they come from? We don't know. The Bible says they came a long way from the...
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Yesterday we took a look at the wise men in the Christmas story. If you missed part one of this blog series, you can READ HERE. What made the wise men wise? 3. They didn't stop until they met JESUS. That's what made them wise. If you're wise and you're seeking, you will not stop in your investigation until you meet Jesus. Matt 2:10-11a When they saw the star, they were...
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Some people get excited when a new year rolls around. They see it as a clean slate, a fresh start. Out with the old, and in with the new. But for many, the new year can feel like 365 days of uncertainty and stress. So, how do you face an uncertain future? So, as we head into 2019 next week, here's three promises of success from God's Word. God says, "If you do these three...
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New Year, new you! 365 new opportunities! What other sayings often accompany the new year? In part one of this blog series, we learned that the new year can actually be a time of uncertainty and stress for many people. So, how do we face 2019 with less stress? We learned that in order to face an uncertain future, we must set up a plan. The second thing we have to do in or...
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The reason we celebrate Christmas is to remember our savior's birth. It's to celebrate Jesus' birthday. The question is, "What are we going to give Jesus for his birthday?" What do you give the God who has everything? Actually he doesn't have everything. There are three things he doesn't have unless we give them to him. WHAT SHOULD I GIVE TO JESUS? 1. I give Jesus my T...
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I John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love. The most talked about attribute of God is probably the one that is most misunderstood. First, don't confuse this. It says, "God is love"; it doesn't say, "Love is God." There's a big difference. It's the same difference as saying, "My dog is a girl" or "My girl is a dog." God ...
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Last week, we began a blog series about a song that Jesus' mother, Mary, wrote in the book of Luke. In her song she explains 5 reasons why she accepted God's destiny for her life. Here are the last two reasons Mary gives as to why we should live for God and not ourselves. Because God Honors Humility It takes humility to say, "God, I'm going to go with your plan, not my ...
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