Have you accepted God’s gift of grace. The gift is still there and God is anticipating your decision to accept that gift, to take it, unwrap it and accept it as you own.  He is still waiting with great excitement for you to believe, repent, confess and be baptized in the name of Jesus. The truth is we, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…but God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The puzzle pieces are all there, and you can begin putting them together. There is a method that works best that Jesus gave to us. Intentional time spent with God helps us better spend time with people we already know and then time committed to serving people we might not know so well they can experience the Love of God.

Love God, Love People & Serve Others.

Your vision is to lead people closer to Jesus through conversations, invitations, introductions, generosity, and service. Our church has a responsibility to be all about sharing Jesus, but more importantly, so do you. Your 2023 can get a fresh start and a fresh focus — not on something you haven’t done before or something you’re not. Instead, if you are a follower of Jesus and you call him Lord, your vision is to lead people closer to Jesus.

Emmanuel, God with us, left his role as High King of Heaven to enter this broken world. He was emptied of all his prerogatives and rank to stretch out his arms as a servant on the wood of the cross as a substitute for you and me; so that we might have eternal life. The baby we celebrate in a manger today, Emmanuel, is the savior and king, and servant that we couldn’t begin to understand we needed. But because of him, eternal life and joy are available instead of condemnation.”

For that, we praise Him because we all get to say, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

The announcement of the Light of the World was filled with light. “The glory of the Lord shown around them.” The Light of the World was announced with light. He was the Light, and the darkness could not overcome him.

Faith and trust in the Lord require obedience. Mary and Joseph were obedient to the angels who delivered God’s word to them despite facing social struggles, financial difficulties, and the stress of being the parents of the Messiah. They were obedient and faithful that God would provide when traveling the 90-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem through tough terrain and rough conditions to fulfill God’s prophecy from long ago. They had faith and trust when they arrived in an overcrowded Bethlehem where there was no comfortable room for them, where Jesus was born in primitive conditions in a stable surrounded by animals.

Who does God announce the arrival of Jesus to? Not royalty or the highest elected official. The first announcement came to a bunch of lowly outcasts. What does that teach you about your Heavenly Father?

Stuart said, “The shepherds learned through the words of the anthem sung right in front of them that Peace was possible. Not peace through war or diplomacy or signing any contracts or laws. It was peace offered eternally to those on whom the favor of God rests. To those who would accept the present and gift being offered (for throughout history, many have rejected this gift from God).”