The message of Christmas is

  GOOD NEWS

    of GREAT JOY

      for ALL PEOPLE!

The good news is that the promised Saviour and King has come to deliver us from the dominion of darkness!

Great joy is what Jesus brings - forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, adoption as God's children and an eternal home with him!

And this is for ALL people - whoever you are, wherever you are, however you were brought up, whatever you have done!

Luke 2:8-12, Colossians 1:13-14, John 10:10, John 15:11, Romans 4:7-8, Philippians 1:25, John 3:16, Revelation 7:9-10

The birth of Jesus was not just a miracle pregnancy - it was God coming to us as a man! Instead of sending another prophet or angelic messenger, the Creator made himself like one he created, leaving his glory behind and coming as one who we could relate to.

This "incarnation" gives us a model for ministry to others:

 - We don't wait for them to come to us; we go to them.

 - We go to them in a way that they can understand.

 - We engage them as they are, where they are.

John 1:1-4, 14, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 1:22-23, John 3:16-17, Luke 19:10, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 2:16-17

Divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The story of Esther is a great example of this.

God in his providence:

- places his agents in suitable situations for doing His work

- tests his people

- restrains his enemies.

Esther 2:17, 3:2-6, 4:1-17, 6:1-2, 7:3-6, Proverbs 16:9

Jesus demonstrated some ways of thinking that are vastly different from the way that many around us think - and the way that we may be thinking now:

-Being faithful in waiting and in obscurity

-Being a willing servant and sacrifice (not a "victim")

-Being passionately zealous for the Kingdom of God

-Looking past the pain of the present to the eternal joys of the future.

Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 2:49-52, John 1:46, Luke 3:23, Matthew 20:25-28, John 10:17-18, Matthew 5:44, John 2:13-17, Revelation 3:15-16, Hebrews 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Fear of the Lord is taught in the Old & New Testament. It is a deep respect, a reverent awe of the omnipotent Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe.

Fear of the Lord leads us to honour and obey God. It leads us out from human folly and into God's wisdom.

Who (or what) we fear most will determine how we live.

Psalm 33:8-16, Philippians 2:12-13, Acts 9:31, Proverbs 1:7, Romans 3:10-18, Deuteronomy 13:4, Luke 12:4-5

The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus, empowering us, leading us and revealing things to us. Just as we are dependent on Jesus, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit and when we keep in step with the Spirit, we keep in step with Jesus.

When we keep in step, we will bear fruit - our character and behaviour will change.

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in our gatherings. He works amongst us and he gives us supernatural gifts - working in different ways with different people. All of this strengthens and equips the church.

John 14:15-18, Acts 1:4-8, John 14:25-26, 15:26, 16:13-14, Galatians 5:25, Acts 16:6-10, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Disobedience can keep us from God’s good purposes; obedience leads us into them. We need to trust God when his actions, his chosen instruments and his instructions don’t make sense to us - his ways are higher than ours!

The path of obedience can be difficult, even painful - but the pains are temporary while the blessings are eternal!

2 Kings 5:1-15, John 10:10, Isaiah 55:8-9, Ephesians 3:20-21, Matthew 16:24-26, Romans 8:28, Matthew 26:36-44, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The true Christian life is a supernaturally charged life! God himself works in us to motivate us and enable us to do the work that he has prepared for us to do. 

To experience this, we must learn to live in close relationship with Jesus, moving in his direction, in his time, at his pace. 

Daily disciplines that help us to do this are:

- seeking his presence in prayer and worship

- seeking his will in reading his words

- obeying him as he leads us

- asking him for wisdom

Acts 1:4-8, Philippians 2:12-13, John 15:5, Matthew 11:28-30, James 1:5

Accountability helps us to grow mature and fruitful. Jesus modelled accountability as Son to his Father.

Accountability is built on submission - to God's authority and to godly authority.

Shame and fear make us avoid accountability. A selfish heart and a "seared" conscience can make us blind to our guilt and our responsibility for it.

Helpful ways forward are:

-to grow a habit of prayerful reflection and self-examination and

-to make ourselves accountable to trusted leaders.

Hebrews 10:5-9, Hebrews 5:7-8, Ephesians 5:21, James 4:7-10, Romans 14:12, Luke 9:1-2,10, Genesis 3:8-10, Genesis 4:11-14, 1 Timothy 4:2, 1 John 1:8-10

God has re-created us to do good things - in his eyes, we are "the right person for the job"!

He works in us and through us - with HIS power!

It's not about who WE are, it's about who HE is.

It's not about our ability, it's about our AVAILability!

It's not about people being impressed with US, it's about them being impressed with Jesus!

Exodus 3:7-4:13, Ephesians 2:10 & 3:20, Isaiah 6:8, 2 Corinthians 10:10 & 4:7