Christmas is about the receiving the favor of God in the birth of Jesus Christ.  We can't do better than the words of Mary when the angel spoke to her about the favor of God.  Mary said, "let it be to me according to your word."   This is the essence of faith and obedience,

In this text The Apostle Paul provides us with a recipe for living in true peace during the hectic holiday season.  He shows us the way to peace while we wait for Jesus' arrival. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)

Christ's coming is the determining factor in how we ought to live our lives—not only His first coming at Christmas, but also His second coming.  That is Peter's message to the church in our text today: "Are you ready for the coming of Christ?" (2 Peter 3:8-15)

This message helps us to consider why it is important for us to hold on to hope and dare to believe that God can and will come down to us in our need in powerful ways.  Christmas is His greatest example of this truth.  (Isaiah 64:1-9)

Whether, you are married, divorced, or remarried, God wants to help you make your present marriage, if you are in one, one that reflects His compassion and faithfulness. (Mark 10:1-12)

Make a radical choice to obey Jesus by reordering your priorities, making the hard choices necessary to cut out the garbage and by pursuing all that He has for you. (Mark 9:42-50).

In this text Jesus seizes upon a teachable moment to show us that we must fight the temptation to pursue worldly greatness by being first.  We must come to understand that we are not The GOAT, He is!

As we are willing to let go of self-reliance and move from weakness to willingness we can experience the mighty work of The LORD as we cry out “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

There are times when God breaks through the darkness of this world and reveals Himself to us for a brief moment, inviting us up to the mountain-top.  Climb the mountain and remember how deep the Father's love for His Son is, and how great Their sacrifice for you is!

There is a cost to discipleship but there’s an even greater cost to not following Christ.  The call to discipleship may be costly, but it is totally worth it!