75 results for tag: christmas
From the Pasture to the Palace
Our career and avocation, as Christians, involves being humble, even as our Chief Shepherd exemplified humility in all aspects of his birth, life, death and resurrection. This week's sermon leads us to consider the humble beginnings of the earthly life of our Lord and the relevance it has for our lives.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR044.mp3
Peace Arrives!
Our Savior, who rescues us from danger, disaster and destruction has arrived! The peace of God is a new kind of peace, not a relative calm between storms, but an abiding, eternal, internal peace give to those who can never deserve it nor ever do anything to merit it.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR043.mp3
The Love of God Revealed in and Through Jesus – Greg Albrecht
The significance and meaning of Christmas is critically important – it is far too easy to miss the forest of the gospel while tunnel vision focuses on trivialities such as a Christmas tree. The Christmas tree serves as an example of the less than monumental and momentous aspects of the birth of Jesus, fitting the idiom of “don’t miss the forest for the tree.” There are many trivial pursuits and distractions aren’t there? The meals, the gifts, the music … an endless list of diversions that detour us away from the Christ-centered forest of faith.
The Apostle John provides Christ-centered focus: “In the beginning was the ...
The Long Wait
The sermon speaks to our long wait, waiting for “the blessed hope.” Greg encourages us to "live and experience December" - to fix our eyes and our spiritual compass on Jesus, and recommit to receiving God's grace.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR042.mp3
The Comfort of Christ
As we begin a season of anticipating the coming of Jesus, Greg's sermon is based on Isaiah's prophecy of Christ as comforter.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR041.mp3
God in the Manger
Many of us are more willing to accept Jesus Christ as the helpless, dependent baby in the manger than as Lord of our lives. We don’t want to hear how he challenges our beliefs and our way of life, but the central truth of Christmas is that the baby in the manger is God!
Coming to Jesus
Travel is very much a part of Christmas. We join bumper to bumper traffic as we shop, we fly many hundreds of miles and travel our freeways to be with family and friends. Travel was a part of Christmas from the beginning, but at the first Christmas travel was for a different reason.
The Cradle and the Cross
Christmas upsets many people because at least once a year they can’t run away from Jesus. When Jesus shows up, things change, the status quo is threatened. It is a time of challenge and confrontation to religion and politics.
The King Who Became a Man – by Greg Albrecht
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14, The Message).
During his reign (1910-1936) King George V of the United Kingdom and the British Empire visited Leeds, a city in the north of England. When he was informed that a school was situated next to the railway line, King George agreed to have the train slow down so that he could appear on a platform and wave to the children as the royal entourage passed.
When the king came outside the train he wore no outward signs of royalty, but was dressed in a suit, like any other male subject of his kingdom. After the train glided by and the cheers of the children ...
Advent: Awaiting Arrivals – by Laura Urista
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Advent is a time of expectation, anticipation and waiting. Ancient Israel awaited the arrival of a Savior – the Messiah to establish his kingdom of peace. The Magi awaited the arrival of a magnificent star to guide them to the newborn king. Mary awaited the arrival of her son, whom she named Jesus (Savior). Every year at Christmas-time, we await the arrival of friends and family at dinners and celebrations.
ARRIVAL DATE: ...
December 2023
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(PDF Format)
Greg Albrecht: Not What Religion Expects – pg. 2
Kenneth Tanner: One-Sided God – pg. 6
Brad Jersak God in Our Image – pg. 7
Great Exchanges – by Greg Albrecht
Your first thought at this time of the year might be those frenzied crowds in shopping malls and department stores on the days immediately following Christmas. People exchanging and returning gifts they received that were the wrong size, wrong color—or just plain wrong!
But there's another exchange we need to keep in mind. This great exchange is the reality of the cross of Christ. Jesus Christ took our sin and died for it, paying the debt that we could not pay. In exchange, God, because of his grace, gives us eternal life. Our sin for eternal life! The great spiritual exchange.
Great exchanges characterize the month of December for Christians ...
What You Get for Christmas?
It's understandable that the focus of Christmas for children is the gifts they might get, but Christmas never becomes much more than that for many adults. Their question is, "What am I going to get?" In one way, that IS the question, but not in the way most of us think.
Christmas Presence – by Laura Urista
We’ve celebrated many memorable Christmases over the years. Sometimes it was a special trip or a special meal with all the family gathered in one place which made the day so memorable. But the one Christmas that stands out in my mind as the most memorable was not a very merry one. It is so memorable to me because I learned a valuable lesson.
It was December “1990-something” and our daughter, Tawny, wanted a new bike for Christmas. After much searching, my husband and I found a bike that was the perfect size and in her favorite color—purple. With smiles of anticipation, we beamed with pride and joy as our wide-eyed little girl opened ...
Sleigh Ride – Michael North
From CWR/PTM - Enjoy this song by Michael North.
Las Posadas
Had we been the owner of the Bethlehem Inn, would we have given Joseph and Mary a room? Would we have made room for our Savior?
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR045.mp3
What If God Was One of Us? – by Greg Albrecht
"Stop Acting Like God. Start Acting Like Jesus." The message, on a poster being waved during a rally in support of a minority group, confronted and challenged me. It seemed to be directed at me and my fellow Christians.
If they really knew Jesus, I thought, they would know that he is God and he was God in the flesh!
I continued to ponder the poster until a free translation of its intended meaning occurred to me: "Jesus, save us from your followers who seem to be acting like our stereotype of the Old Testament God."
It was obvious they had a vague notion that Jesus didn't hurt people, that Jesus didn't abuse people, and that Jesus ...
Recognizing God
The birth of Jesus signaled a new way of doing things. The gospel insists that our relationship with God is all about what he does - it's all about him. But sadly, many are convinced by religion that their relationship with God is all about them.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR097.mp3
The Word Who Became Flesh
He was born so that we might be spiritually reborn. Join us as we study the significance and meaning of Jesus' birth in John 1:1-14.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR149.mp3
Christmas Reminds Us
The unending, eternal truth and beauty of the birth of Jesus stands in stark contrast over against the ugliness, hatred, oppression, abuse and warfare of our world - the good news is that Jesus not only came into the world of the first century, he still comes to ours.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR513.mp3
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