Merry Christmas! Our Christmas Eve service wraps up our Advent series with "It's a Wonderful Life: Treasure It!"

Merry Christmas! Our Christmas Eve service wraps up our Advent series with "It's a Wonderful Life: Treasure It!"

Pastor Chad speaks on the importance of trusting God in the 4th sermon in our Advent Series: "It's a Wonderful Life."

Pastor Chad speaks on the importance of trusting God in the 4th sermon in our Advent Series: "It's a Wonderful Life."

In our text today we are looking at the difference belief makes. In our video clip of "It's a Wonderful Life," George believes that his life has been worthwhile and that no matter what obstacles and difficulties he may face he can make it through them. His new-found belief changes the way he sees the town he grew up in. While in the past he devalued the old town and its parochial quaintness he now sees it in a whole new light. Belief changes the way we see our circumstances.

In the Magnificat, Mary sings her song in response to the Lord choosing her to bear the Messiah. Her song rehearses how God has always been on the side of the underprivileged. He is a moral, social and economic reformer. Her song is also a Spirit-inspired prophecy of the role that Christ would play in his culture and in turn this becomes a call to the church to carry on his work in our world.

Mary is blessed as her cousin Elizabeth exclaims. But with that blessing comes a burden. As in all ministries; our calling is a blessing and a burden. As Simeon in 2:35 tells her "a sword will pierce your own soul." Such are the ways of God. To be blessed is a responsibility not always easy to carry.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. In our video clip why is George so delighted to see his old home town? What has changed? What remains the same?

2. Slide 8. What challenges will Mary face in raising Jesus and in seeing his ministry completed?

3. Slide 9-10. Remind each other of God's moral revolution as seen in the Old Testament stories. How is Jesus as work in the same way today?

4. Slide 11-12. In the same way talk about God as a social revolutionary both in OT times and in more recent history.

5. Slide 13-14. Discuss God as an economic revolutionary.

6. Slide 15-16. Why is belief so important? What did it cost Mary to believe? What does it cost us to believe? Discuss the blessings and challenges of believing.

In our text today we are looking at the difference belief makes. In our video clip of "It's a Wonderful Life," George believes that his life has been worthwhile and that no matter what obstacles and difficulties he may face he can make it through them. His new-found belief changes the way he sees the town he grew up in. While in the past he devalued the old town and its parochial quaintness he now sees it in a whole new light. Belief changes the way we see our circumstances.

In the Magnificat, Mary sings her song in response to the Lord choosing her to bear the Messiah. Her song rehearses how God has always been on the side of the underprivileged. He is a moral, social and economic reformer. Her song is also a Spirit-inspired prophecy of the role that Christ would play in his culture and in turn this becomes a call to the church to carry on his work in our world.

Mary is blessed as her cousin Elizabeth exclaims. But with that blessing comes a burden. As in all ministries; our calling is a blessing and a burden. As Simeon in 2:35 tells her "a sword will pierce your own soul." Such are the ways of God. To be blessed is a responsibility not always easy to carry.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. In our video clip why is George so delighted to see his old home town? What has changed? What remains the same?

2. Slide 8. What challenges will Mary face in raising Jesus and in seeing his ministry completed?

3. Slide 9-10. Remind each other of God's moral revolution as seen in the Old Testament stories. How is Jesus as work in the same way today?

4. Slide 11-12. In the same way talk about God as a social revolutionary both in OT times and in more recent history.

5. Slide 13-14. Discuss God as an economic revolutionary.

6. Slide 15-16. Why is belief so important? What did it cost Mary to believe? What does it cost us to believe? Discuss the blessings and challenges of believing.

Bryce continues our Advent series for 2012, "It's A Wonderful Life: Hope in It!"

Bryce continues our Advent series for 2012, "It's A Wonderful Life: Hope in It!"

Our new series for Advent is about the Wonderful Life that God has called us to live. So often we get stuck in a space where our lives become routine, our days run end to end and we seem to be simply living and not really enjoying or making the most of this wonderful gift the Lord has given us. We take life for granted.

The classic Christmas film, "It's a Wonderful Life" starring James Stewart and Donna Reed depicts several of the principles I would like to emphasize in this series. Advent is always about waiting for Christ. It is the time we can focus our minds on what is really important and an opportunity to remind ourselves that Christ has come and is coming again. How we live during this "in-between" time is so important because it is during just such times that God is working out his plan for us. While we love the excitement of the big events in our lives; most of our time is spent involved in the ordinary. The movie is about a man who, through no fault of his own, ends up living his life in a small town doing what he considers a mundane job. While he once dreamed of great adventures, he lives a life of duty and routine service. When his job takes an unexpected turn for the worse he despairs that his life has been meaningless and he attempts suicide. An angel rescues him and makes it his mission to prove to the man that his live truly did count and that in the midst of living out his humdrum life he in fact had made a huge difference in the lives of others.

Jesus had something important to say about how we are to live as we wait for the next greatest event in the history of the world; his second coming. As we live between the "comings" we will experience all kinds of world events, just like in the days of Noah, life will go on. Both massive disturbances, like world wars, and mundane experiences, will coexist during this age. But nobody knows the timing of the next coming of the Lord. None of these things can be interpreted as sure signs of his immediate return. They are just to be expected in the "in-between" times.

Jesus tells us to Watch and Be Ready. Both strategies are to be part of the wise and faithful servant comportment.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. Have someone in your group tell the story of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." See if you can discern any biblical themes in the story. Consider watching the movie together or in your own homes during this Christmas season.

2. Slide 8. How have some Christians and even some Christian Cults taken this "Watch" directive to the extreme? Where did they go wrong? How does "watching" become obsessive preoccupation with world events?

3. Slide 9. Read verses 45-51. How does Jesus depict "Being Ready" in these verses? How is this view of work an antidote to boredom and the tediousness of life?

4. Slide 10. Discuss the purpose of work. What does God plan for us to learn out of all our toil in this life? How might we be more attentive to the miracle of life and the joy and purpose in everyday living?

Our new series for Advent is about the Wonderful Life that God has called us to live. So often we get stuck in a space where our lives become routine, our days run end to end and we seem to be simply living and not really enjoying or making the most of this wonderful gift the Lord has given us. We take life for granted.

The classic Christmas film, "It's a Wonderful Life" starring James Stewart and Donna Reed depicts several of the principles I would like to emphasize in this series. Advent is always about waiting for Christ. It is the time we can focus our minds on what is really important and an opportunity to remind ourselves that Christ has come and is coming again. How we live during this "in-between" time is so important because it is during just such times that God is working out his plan for us. While we love the excitement of the big events in our lives; most of our time is spent involved in the ordinary. The movie is about a man who, through no fault of his own, ends up living his life in a small town doing what he considers a mundane job. While he once dreamed of great adventures, he lives a life of duty and routine service. When his job takes an unexpected turn for the worse he despairs that his life has been meaningless and he attempts suicide. An angel rescues him and makes it his mission to prove to the man that his live truly did count and that in the midst of living out his humdrum life he in fact had made a huge difference in the lives of others.

Jesus had something important to say about how we are to live as we wait for the next greatest event in the history of the world; his second coming. As we live between the "comings" we will experience all kinds of world events, just like in the days of Noah, life will go on. Both massive disturbances, like world wars, and mundane experiences, will coexist during this age. But nobody knows the timing of the next coming of the Lord. None of these things can be interpreted as sure signs of his immediate return. They are just to be expected in the "in-between" times.

Jesus tells us to Watch and Be Ready. Both strategies are to be part of the wise and faithful servant comportment.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. Have someone in your group tell the story of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." See if you can discern any biblical themes in the story. Consider watching the movie together or in your own homes during this Christmas season.

2. Slide 8. How have some Christians and even some Christian Cults taken this "Watch" directive to the extreme? Where did they go wrong? How does "watching" become obsessive preoccupation with world events?

3. Slide 9. Read verses 45-51. How does Jesus depict "Being Ready" in these verses? How is this view of work an antidote to boredom and the tediousness of life?

4. Slide 10. Discuss the purpose of work. What does God plan for us to learn out of all our toil in this life? How might we be more attentive to the miracle of life and the joy and purpose in everyday living?