A full service today with lots of music, rejoicing as we are swept along in the spirit of the season. This afternoon (Sunday) will be the youth Christmas program at 4:00 p.m.Next Sunday will be a Chridstmas Eve Candlelight Service beginning at 4:00 p.m.There was a lot of music to lift spirits today. Chuck opened the service with a poem, then Ed and Darlene performed O Come Alle Ye Faithful as a piano/harmonica duet, leading into a series of favorite Christmas hymns. The offering was taken to an accompaniment by the Ladies Trio.
Before the time of prayer Darlene shared a brief reflection that Christmas spirit isn't just for Cristmastime but an attitude of sharing and generosity year-round. After a time of lifting up the needs of the church Pastor Terry White stepped up to the pulpit.
Glorious Joy
Before launching into his message Terry read Hebrews 12:1-2... "Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross...." The roots of joy are embedded in having God's perspective.
Terry shared that he grew up in Colorado, and grew up skiing. The green slopes are the easy slopes. The blue slopes are hard, and the black significantly harder and the hardest slopes exceedingly challenging, even scary. The green hill has names like the Bunny Hop hill. The double-diamond hardest slopes are named things like Kamikaze and Death Drop.
He described an incredible jump he witnessed which simulated the drama of Olympians, and then shared how we mentally sort people into winners and losers which allows our self-talk to make it seem like we're losers compared to "those people." It's just one more small way we allow things to steal our joy.
Today's text: I Peter 1:3-12
The pastor's aim in this message of joy was designed to help us understand that joy is rooted in our perspective. What is it that steals your joy? The weight of responsibility, expectations, burdens and demands of life all challenge us at times and steal our joy.
Whatever thoughts we have had about the things that we think matter, from God's perspective the one thing that matters is our reconciliation with the Father. Everything flows out from that. Our life is an expression of a living hope, a hope that will never perish.
The most important inheritance that we'll ever gain is kept in heaven for us, an inheritance that will never perish.
This matter of gaining perspective makes a larger difference than we realize, because when we keep things in perspective it spills over into the lives of those around us.
As we approach the end of the football season another Playoff Season is coming into view, so Terry share what one player said about winning the Super Bowl: for two hours everything is perfect and wonderful. Then life and all its complications comes back into view.
In contrast, verse 8, we see that Heaven, real Heaven, is forever. Everything else is temporary.
Verse 8-9: Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
How do we learn how to live in the midst of our current circumstances that swirl around us? The fact that we will be with Jesus forever makes all the difference in the world. It's a matter of perspective.
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