You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
Amen.
Thank you all.
Y'all like Christmas songs as much as the rest of us?
Oh, good.
Good.
I'm glad.
Thank you for humoring me this morning.
We are going to be looking this morning at a passage that will be very familiar to many
of you.
It's just usually a bit colder outside when you're hearing it read, so I'll have to adjust
a little bit.
It's the classic Christmas story in Luke 2.
I'm glad that it's familiar to us.
It's a great passage.
But one of the dangers of something becoming so familiar, I'm used to hearing it read with
like greenery around and candlelight and presents and so it can be caught up.
It's just part of kind of this experience for me.
I'm such a Christmas guy.
I love the Christmas experience.
And so this passage can be just a little bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling.
That that's a little bit fanciful.
And so I can almost hear it and feel like it's a fairy tale that starts out once upon a
time and I get this nice warm feeling when in fact it starts quite differently.
It starts in those days with some very concrete historical detail.
The life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most widely attested in all of recorded history.
And this is the story of his birth.
As with all of Luke's stories, carefully researched and very detailed in its description.
So I'd encourage you this morning as I read it to think about the impact of God showing
up in the midst of very real, normal people.
What would the impact have been of God showing up in the flesh?
What ought the impact to be for us?
Hear God's word at Luke 2 and verse 1.
In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire
Roman world.
This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, to Bethlehem,
the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting
a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her
firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them
in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks
at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you.
He is Christ the Lord.
Lord, this will be a sign to you.
You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
And suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God
and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let's
go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this
child.
And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.
This is God's holy word.
Let's pray and ask for his help as we look at it together.
Father, we thank you for this familiar passage, for the joy of considering the birth of your
son and particularly the chance to consider why he was born.
Father, would you take something very familiar and by your Holy Spirit, speak it to us in a new and fresh way that we hear the old, old story with hearts that are full of a new joy because of what you have done.
Would you speak by your spirit that we might hear and that we might be different forever.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
If you've been here for the past few weeks as we've walked through the first chapter of Luke's gospel,
you'll know we've seen the excitement build.
The anticipation is building.
It's like a drum roll or crescendo through the opening stories of angels coming and delivering promises to people
and them responding with songs of joy
and there's increasing excitement.
It all culminates in chapter two.
Christmas, the coming of Christ,
God actually coming into the world in the flesh.
Instead of just one angel,
as we've had multiple times in the first chapter,
we now have a multitude of angels
celebrating and heralding this great event.
Heaven is coming to earth.
God is becoming man.
The creator is entering into his creation.
This is an unparalleled event in all of human history.
It's into a world much like ours,
obsessed with human power and resourcefulness
to people who love to help and improve ourselves.
That God's going to come.
Some people at this time,
under the direction of a ruler, Caesar Augustus,
who says that he's divine.
That he is a son of the gods.
In fact, the savior of the common people,
he's called.
Others, Jews, who felt they were on the true God's side
because of their birth.
Or the religious ceremonies that they participated in.
Who were finding their identity and their security
and religion and ritual.
In that world.
In a world with people who are looking to themselves
one way or the other for help.
God enters in.
He shows up in the flesh,
surprisingly, in some weakness and humility.
Right?
A baby in a manger.
Perhaps an equally surprising message
for both kinds of people in this world.
It's astonishing, really, when you stop to think about it.
God showing up, being born as a baby.
Now, of course, we make a big deal about that
every year at Christmastime.
I'm a sucker for anything Christmas,
anything that looks at all like a manger scene.
I would like to have one of them.
I love all of that.
But I think for whatever reason,
even though we love the season
and we love to celebrate and sing,
we struggle to realize
the impact of this unparalleled event.
We're celebrating, perhaps,
but if the reality of the incarnation
of the Son of God
is something we only get excited about in December,
I think we're missing the point.
We're missing the joy and the excitement
of what is really happening.
So let's ask Luke this morning,
why Christmas?
What's the big deal?
Why did Christmas happen?
The answer will be no more complex
than what I told the kids,
just without candy.
But it's still a really important one
for all of us.
Why Christmas?
Well, first, we all know very well
Jesus is the reason for the season, right?
We're good Christians.
We're aware of that.
If Jesus is the reason for the season,
our sin is the reason for Jesus.
Why Christmas?
Our sin.
The story of Jesus' birth
is going to remind us
that on our own,
we are more lost
and helpless,
hopeless,
than we even realize.
It's going to force us
to take an honest look
at our own hearts
and see if we really understand
our need for Christmas.
The verses that this whole story
centers around
are the announcement
of the angel to the shepherds.
He explains to them
the import of what is happening.
He's told us the facts
up to this point.
There's been a baby born
in a manger in Bethlehem
and then the angel says,
here's what's really going on.
Verse 10,
the angel said,
don't be afraid.
I bring you good news
of great joy
that will be for all the people.
What is it?
What's the news?
Today in the town of David,
a Savior has been born to you.
He is Christ the Lord.
There's good news
of great joy for all people.
This is really at the heart
of the gospel of Luke.
It's what Luke's about.
It's why Luke is so intent
on writing about
all that has happened.
Because there's good news
of great joy for all people
and he wants them to know it.
What is it?
What's the content
of the message?
What's the good news?
The gospel message is simple.
A Savior.
Good news of great joy
for all people.
A Savior.
Today in the city of David,
a Savior born to you.
A Savior comes.
Why?
To bring forgiveness of sins.
To rescue us
from the brokenness
in our hearts
and in our world
as a result of our sin.
So if a Savior
is going to be good news
of great joy,
we must be deeply aware
of the depth
of our sin.
It's the only way
a Savior could be good news.
Let me explain it this way.
If you're scrolling down
the headlines
in your news feed
and trying to decide
if you'll click on
any of these articles
and you come across
a headline that says,
cure discovered
for Irish Dalmatian rhinitis,
you probably won't even
slow down.
That is, by the way,
a disease I made up
this week
where your nose swells
and is covered
with green spots.
Irish Dalmatian rhinitis.
I hope no one suffers from it.
I made one up
to make sure
I didn't offend anybody.
But if you see that headline,
it's not going to cause you
to jump off your sofa
or to scream with excitement.
And the reason is
that not only do you not suffer
from Irish Dalmatian rhinitis,
no one you know
suffers from it.
It's not a big deal to you
that there's a cure for it,
is there?
Imagine if you keep
scrolling down
and you see the headline,
Peace Treaty Signed
Between Azerbaijan
and Turkmenistan.
Peace treaties
like cures for diseases
can be a pretty big deal, right?
I mean, a peace treaty
is certainly an exciting thing,
but you probably
weren't aware
that those two nations
were even hostile
to each other at all.
You certainly didn't
have someone involved
in the war
that you knew.
And so,
you might yawn
and just keep scrolling.
Likely, you wouldn't describe
either of those headlines
as good news of great joy,
would you?
Why?
Because they don't impact
your life.
You haven't been longing
for that news.
You don't have a need
for it in your life.
So here's the deal
with Christmas.
The angel announces
that Christmas
is good news of great joy
for whom?
For all people.
Today in the town of David,
a Savior is born to you,
is to be good news
of great joy
for all people
because all
are desperately
wracked by sin.
This headline
does impact
you and me.
We need
a Savior.
The fact that there
could be peace
between man and God,
verse 14,
is remarkable
because we are all
by nature
His enemies,
not at peace with Him.
We're at war with Him
and we have no way
to make peace.
We must see
this devastating reality
that's true
for all of us.
The Bible is clear
from cover to cover
about this overwhelming
sin problem
that we face.
Isaiah 53
says,
all we
like sheep
have gone astray.
We've turned
every one of us
to His own way
and the Lord
has laid on Him
the iniquity
of us all.
And it's not just
that we've made
a few bad choices
here and there
in our lives.
Psalm 51 says,
it's been a problem
since before we were born.
Behold,
I was brought forth
in iniquity.
In sin did my mother
conceive me.
From our very conception,
we've been in rebellion
against God.
And so,
Romans 3 says,
as a result of that reality,
there's no one
who's righteous
on his own.
Not one.
No one understands.
No one seeks for God.
All have turned aside.
Together become worthless.
No one does good.
Not even one.
That's the problem
where we find ourselves.
It's not just
that we lack righteousness,
that we don't do
enough good things.
Colossians 1 says,
we're actively hostile.
Against God.
Verse 21.
It says,
we are alienated from God
and hostile in our mind,
doing evil deeds.
We're at war with Him.
Paul says in Ephesians,
we're dead in our sins.
By nature,
objects of God's wrath.
He's out to get us
in our sin
because we have
scorned His holy person
and His law.
We're without hope
and without God
in the world.
In other words,
because of what we've done,
we've put ourselves
in a situation with God
where we can't
rescue ourselves.
The story of Scripture
from the very beginning
is a story of our rebellion
against God
who means good towards us.
He creates us in His image
to bless us
and be in relationship
and we push away from that.
We earn judgment
instead of blessing.
We bring ourselves
under a curse
from the Creator
of the world.
And so it's a sinful bent
toward ourselves
and away from God
that breaks our relationship
with Him.
But not only that relationship,
it makes us broken
in the way we relate
to ourselves.
It makes us broken
in the way we relate
to other people.
It makes us broken
in the way we relate
to all of God's
good creation.
Our sin
has devastated
all
of our lives.
We desperately
need
a Savior.
Every single one of us.
A Savior
to rescue us
from the wrath of God
we have called down
on ourselves.
from the brokenness
that's playing out
in all of our lives
because of that sin.
And Christmas
is not good news
of great joy.
It won't make you
sit up and take notice.
It won't radically
transform your life
unless you really need
a Savior.
Because that's
who comes.
A Savior
born to you.
Christ
the Lord.
Now listen,
most of you knew that.
You've heard
messages about Christmas
before.
You know about
the reality
of your sin.
The Bible talks about it
over and over.
But have you embraced it
for yourself?
Has it come home
to what that really means
for you?
I grew up in the church
in a church
that faithfully taught
the truths
of God's Word
and taught about our sin
and our need
for a Savior.
And I lived
in that church
for many years
talking about
the reality
of salvation
through Jesus.
But I spent
many years
in that church
thinking how wonderful
God must be
to save such
terrible,
awful people
like that
out there
somewhere.
They were really
bad people.
Now listen,
theoretically,
of course,
Jesus was my Savior.
We all knew the answers.
This was a good church.
But practically speaking,
I couldn't have told you
much about what I needed
to be saved from.
There were months
and months
that went by
where I didn't
specifically repent
of anything
in particular.
It could go long
seasons of time.
When I did think
of something
that maybe I was
forced to say,
how am I a sinner?
It might have been
something like
taking the last cookie
before my brother
could get to it.
And that was unkind.
And so,
just a series
of a few
unfortunate decisions
here and there.
Not really anything
too bad.
That's oftentimes
how I felt.
See,
I thought,
honestly,
that I was a pretty
good kid.
That's who I was.
I was a pretty
decent person,
a pretty good kid.
Theoretically,
Jesus was my Savior.
But practically speaking,
he functioned
more in my life
as perhaps
what you would call
a mascot.
Someone just so
you could identify
which team I was on,
who I was with.
I was on this team,
not another.
This really good kid,
you wanted to know
whose team he was on.
He was on Jesus' team.
Or at best,
he was my trainer,
perhaps.
Keeping me up to speed
on what it looked like
to be a really good friend
or pastor's kid
or student.
He was keeping me
in shape,
you know?
Because after all,
if you're a pretty good kid,
that's what you need
Jesus for,
is to just help you
keep being pretty good
so that you can be better
than everybody else.
As long as I was really good
at being good,
that's all Jesus needed
to be for me.
Someone who helped me
stay in shape.
Someone who kept me
looking good,
associated me
with the right people.
Be honest with yourself
this morning.
Are you daily,
are you regularly seeing
the ugliness of your sin
and your desperate need
of Jesus
to be your Savior?
Is he perhaps functionally
in your life
just your mascot
so people socially know
which team you're on
and which ones you're not?
Or your teacher
who helps you know
how to succeed in life
or how to raise your kids
on the right path
because that's just really
all you needed
was a couple pointers.
Or your friend
who just always helps you
feel good about yourself
in the hard times of life
because life is hard
and you need someone
to encourage you.
Now listen,
Jesus can be all of those things
in our lives
and it can be beautiful
when he is,
but he is not any of those.
without first being
your Savior.
If he's not functionally
your Savior,
then it's not the true Jesus
who is your friend
or your teacher
or your mascot
because Jesus came
as a Savior
to save you
from your sin
and all its devastating effects
like separating you
from relationship
with your Heavenly Father.
and he came to save you
not just once by the way
but day after day
as you battle
against indwelling
and ongoing sin
in your heart,
he's still your Savior.
That's who he is.
That's his identity
as he's introduced here
at his birth.
He's your Savior.
He doesn't leave you
just hoping you'll win
the battle with sin
on your own.
Have you stopped
letting him rescue you
from sin
even as a Christian?
Has he functionally
stopped being a Savior
in your life?
I've said before
that I appreciate
the warning
of pastor
and author
John MacArthur
in his book
which I haven't read,
The Vanishing Conscience,
Drawing the Line
in a No-Fault,
Guilt-Free World.
In that book he says
even Christians
have lost sight of sin
as the primary human problem.
We tend to gloss over it
and come up with other explanations
for what's going on
and MacArthur says
that's so dangerous
because you remove
the reality of sin
and you take away
the possibility
of repentance.
Abolish the doctrine
of human depravity
and you void
the divine plan
of salvation.
Erase the notion
of personal guilt
and you eliminate
the need
for a Savior.
If there's nothing
at that level
wrong with me
then I don't need
Christmas.
I don't need
the Savior.
It's so easy
for religious people
like me
growing up
in a church
like the Jews
of Luke's day
to think all they need
is to just
be in church some.
Be identified
with the good guys.
to be safe.
Add in a little
religion
and ritual
and I'll be fine.
But friends
we must own
the reality
of our sin
so that the coming
of a Savior
for us
is the good news
of great joy
to our hearts
that God intends
for it to be.
When you hear
a Savior
is born to you
something
and you ought to say
I need that.
Yes!
That's what I'm longing
for.
I need a Savior.
Our self-righteous
rationalizing hearts
so easily
minimize
our sin.
But while that's
a major struggle
for many of us
for others of us
we're not so much
minimizing our sin
we're consumed
by our
sin
aren't we?
The despair
the shame
the hopelessness
that we feel.
Perhaps you're not
overlooking
your sin
this morning.
Perhaps you're
overwhelmed by it.
If that's
where your heart
is this morning
hear the good news.
There's a Savior
for you.
In Jesus
we are
more loved
and secure
than we could
ever imagine.
It is indeed
true that all
people
need a Savior.
It is also
true that
Jesus is
a sufficient
Savior
for all.
Even the
worst
sinner.
God shows us
this so beautifully
in this passage
in this Christmas
story
through the shepherds.
Listen
in Luke's
culture
of all the people
who knew
that they weren't
okay with God
it was shepherds.
The religious
churchy people
reminded them
of this regularly
made sure
that they felt
it
because they
weren't even
in worship
very often.
They weren't
around very much
where the
churchy people
gathered.
The shepherds
because of their
strange work
schedules
because they
were often
having to touch
unclean animals
and dead things
were often
ceremonially
unclean
very uncommon
for them to be
able to come
to worship.
They were usually
absent.
They were
despised
as a class
in the
community.
They were
thought of
as thieves.
So mistrusted
in fact
by others
that they
didn't even
qualify
as legal
witnesses
in courts
of law.
You couldn't
ask for a
shepherd's opinion
it was worthless.
You couldn't
trust him.
And of all
the people
in the world
the ones
God chose
to privilege
as the
recipients
of the
announcement
of a
savior
he chose
the shepherds
perhaps
because he
wanted them
to know
without a doubt
that the
savior was
for them
too.
Notice the
change that
takes place
in the
shepherds
through this
story.
The angel
appears and
when they
see the
glory of
the Lord
verse 9
says they're
what?
Terrified.
Understandably
right?
I mean
they're not
the first
ones to
be shocked
when the
angel
appears to
them.
A bit
fearful.
Even
appropriately
I would
say to
be fearful
before the
glory of
a holy
God.
It's
utterly
appropriate
for sinners
like the
shepherds
and like
us.
And maybe
you feel
that this
morning.
Keep me
away.
God
doesn't want
anything to
do with
me.
If you
only knew
pastor
what's
in my
life,
what's
in my
past,
what's
in my
heart
today,
you would
know
that I
should be
full of
fear
before God.
And what
does the
angel tell
them?
Those
shepherds
who are
perhaps
rightfully
afraid
at the
glory of
God,
he says
do not
be
afraid.
How can
he say
that?
Do not
be afraid.
Why?
Do not
be afraid.
I bring
you good
news of
great joy
that will
be for
all the
people,
including
you.
Today in
the town
of David,
a Savior
has been
born to
you.
He is
Christ
the Lord.
There's
reason for
great joy
for you.
And the
shepherds
experience that.
They go,
don't they,
from being
terrified
to then
running to
Bethlehem and
seeing Jesus.
And then
what happens?
Are they
terrified?
No,
they're
rejoicing
and sharing
the good
news with
everyone.
Perhaps
no one
would believe
them,
shepherds
as they
were.
Interesting
to notice
that God
didn't pick
the most
well-spoken,
the most
well-connected,
the most
well-respected,
the ones
everyone would
believe,
to be the
first to
share the
good news.
But rather
he chose
the most
well-aware
of their
need for
it.
Those who
when they
heard it
and saw
it were
going to
be exploding
with joy.
That's the
message,
that's the
response that
people were
supposed to
have to
a Savior.
Whether
people believed
him or not,
their joy was
going to spill
over.
They couldn't
help but
share it.
Why?
Why were the
shepherds so
joyful?
Because they
knew they
were outcast
from God
and they
had just
been told
they were
welcomed home.
That's what
verse 14
means.
The heavenly
host,
this is the
word for
the armies
of heaven,
declares
not war
but peace.
Verse 14,
glory to God
in the highest
and on earth
peace to
men on whom
his favor
rests.
The shepherds
hear peace
from a
God that
they were
terrified
of.
It's an
announcement
not that
God has
found some
men out
here on
the hillside
who are
of good
will
here on
earth,
who deserve
for God
to make
peace with
them.
That's not
the announcement.
These are
shepherds.
But rather
that God
has declared
peace toward
men currently
hostile and
warring against
him.
My enemies
will be my
friends,
God says.
Those far
from me
will be
brought near.
Those
outcast sons
will be
welcomed
home.
And the
shepherds
hear that
and they
say,
yes please,
that's me.
That's what
I've been
longing for.
I need
that.
Do you
know this
morning that
that is
you?
Do you
rejoice in
the gospel,
the good
news of
great joy
as the
shepherds
did?
Does it
overflow
from you
to many
others?
Because the
joy just
fills up
and you
can't help
but rejoice
and share
the good
news.
I'm no
angel,
but hear it
announced to
you,
discouraged
sinner,
good news
of great
joy.
A savior
has been
born to
you.
Christ
the Lord.
A true
ruler,
the rightful
king on
David's
throne,
the one
who is
truly God,
not an
imposter
king
claiming
divinity.
The true
savior,
not just
of the
common
people,
but of
all
people
has come
to you.
Why
Christmas?
Because
God is
not willing
to leave
you in
your sin,
but is
zealous
for you
to know
his love
and the
security
of being
welcomed
at his
table
forever,
so he
sends
a savior.
That's
how much
he loves
you.
15 years
ago today
on
September
11,
2001,
many
first
responders,
quite a
number of
them from
the New
York City
police and
fire
departments,
went running
toward the
burning and
crumbling
towers of
the World
Trade Center,
intent on
saving as
many lives
as possible.
people.
They
rushed
towards
pain and
chaos
at the
risk even
of their
own lives
for the
sake of
saving
others.
In a
similar way,
but with an
even greater
capacity to
save,
God comes
running toward
us in
Jesus,
rushing into
the chaos
and pain of
this world
and of our
lives,
the burning,
crumbling
ruins of
our hearts,
intent on
saving even
if it costs
him his
life and
he knows
it will.
I love the
comfort in
one little
phrase in
verse 11 that
we've skipped
over thus
far.
It's a great
verse but
there's a great
phrase at the
end.
Today in the
town of
David,
a Savior has
been born
to you.
Why did
that need to
be there?
It was
good news
already.
A Savior
has been
born.
A Savior
has been
born to
you.
The good
news is not
merely that a
Savior has
been born,
but that a
Savior has
been born to
you.
To you who
were previously
unaware of
your need for
a Savior,
didn't see
your sin
that big.
To you who
thought you
were beyond
the help of
a Savior.
To you a
Savior is
born.
Isn't that
amazing?
Isn't Christmas
worth celebrating
even in
September that
He came to
save all those
who trust in
Him?
Oh,
tidings of
comfort and
joy.
It's not just a
Christmas carol,
it's the gospel,
it's the good
news, it's your
only hope that a
Savior has come
to you.
Isn't God's
commitment to
us incredible?
That He would
not only come
to us in a
manger as a
baby, but that
He would announce
it to even the
lowliest among
us because He
didn't want us
to miss it.
That there's a
Savior who's
come for you.
Why Christmas?
Because we
insist on sinning
and because God
insists on saving.
Think about this
as you come to
the table this
morning.
If you were the
only sinner in
the entire world,
it would have
required the
Son of God,
Jesus Himself,
to come and
die for your
sin.
Your sin's so
big, if you were
the only one,
Jesus would have
had to come and
die for you.
And if you were
the only sinner in
the entire world,
God's love for
you is so great
that Jesus would
have come willingly
and died for you.
That's the message
of Christmas.
That Jesus has
come and done
that, has come as
a Savior to you.
Rejoice in that
good hope even as
we come to this
table.
Remember the way
Paul described
Jesus' words to
his disciples.
He says,
I received from
the Lord what I
also delivered to
you, that the
Lord Jesus on the
night he was
betrayed took bread
and when he had
given thanks he
broke it and
said, this is my
body which is for
you.
Do this in
remembrance of me.
In the same way
also he took the
cup after supper
saying, this cup is
the new covenant in
my blood.
Do this as often as
you drink it in
remembrance of me.
For as often as
you eat this bread
and drink the cup
you proclaim the
Lord's death.
Until he comes.
Jesus is coming
again.
He has come to us
already.
That's the good
news of the
gospel.
This table
demonstrates it in
a tangible way.
That he doesn't
remain far off from
you thinking you're
okay on your own
that you don't need
him.
That he doesn't
remain far off from
you thinking you're
too bad and he
couldn't possibly
associate with you.
Instead he fixes
that problem.
He comes, lives
perfectly and
dies in your place
so that you can
eat with him
not just this
morning but forever.
And so we do
today what we look
forward to celebrating
with him forever
that the holy God
would sit across
from the table
with you and me
because he came
and made it
possible.
If you don't know
Jesus, don't come
to this table
which is a picture
of the reality of
our fellowship with
God.
Come to Jesus.
Come and meet him
and know him.
We love to tell
you about him.
But if you know
him, if you trust
Jesus, not even
your worst day,
not even your sin
that you're confessing
right now in this
moment and turning
to him from can keep
you from him.
He has come to you.
Come and rejoice in
what he has done.
Pray with me and we'll
come to the table.
Jesus, thank you
that you're a God
who's drawn near to
us.
That we have a
savior.
Because you came
at Christmas not
just to be born but
then to live and to
die for us.
Thank you for the
reminder we will
hold in our hands
and taste on our
lips this morning.
Might you make
these elements
which are common
in themselves,
would you make
them used for a
sacred purpose in
our hearts?
Would you strengthen
our faith?
Would you remind us
of how much we
needed someone to
die for us?
Of how much we
still today need a
savior?
Would you remind us
that we have one?
Jesus, that gives
us great joy.
Thank you.
Thank you for this
celebration together.
Amen.
For more information,
visit us online at
southwood.org.
Northwood.org.
Have a good week.
I hope to be
CHRIST showcase here.
Start off выпуск when
you will talk about
you at good
success for
your focus-for
learning season.
College of
탕u so
manage the
following
life what
you