Merry  Christmas to you!  Here is a Christmas piano playlist for you to enjoy  on your Christmas day.  May God bless you and yours as you celebrate the  glorious gift of the birth of our Messiah – Jesus Christ! May you  continue to live for Him as we press toward the new year of 2025!

Featured CD’s of Episode #311 (used with permission):

– O Holy Night: Piano Solos by Caleb Galvan (https://nvpublications.org/o-holy-night/)

– The Sounds of Christmas: Piano Solos by David Webster (https://nvpublications.org/the-sounds-of-christmas/)

In this episode, I wanted to wish you "Merry Christmas", give a couple reminders/updates, and read you a poem I wrote entitled: "If Christmas Died Tomorrow". The poem hits a theme from an episode we recorded 2 years ago and presents a compelling thought concerning the topic. You can find out more by listening to this "short-and-sweet" episode!

At the end of the episode, we play a song for you from the CD "O Holy Night - Piano Solos by Caleb Galvan" with permission from North Valley Publications. You can purchase your own copy at the following link:

https://nvpublications.org/products/o-holy-night

Within the construct and chronology of Scripture, the wise men come later on than the Christmas night that we celebrate.  Many nativity scenes show the wise men at the stable, but Scripture clearly tells us that they visited Jesus when He was a young child, in a house, most likely living in Nazareth at the time.  Nonetheless, the wise men had been traveling since, if not before, the birth in order to come and worship this newborn King.  Their story does have significance within the Christmas season. 

We arrive on the scene of Jerusalem, a hustling bustling city of its day.  Amidst the hubbub and commotion of daily living in this metropolis, the city was troubled – the king was displeased.  The city was turned upside by the arrival of these wise men to the city.  The Bible does not specifically tells us how many wise men there were.  It’s commonly assumed that there were 3 because of the 3 gifts that were presented to the newborn King.  History tells us that thy bands of wise men often traveled in significantly more numbers – sometimes even in the hundreds. 

Yet, as they arrive peacefully on the scene of Jerusalem, the city is troubled at their coming.  The king, Herod, is troubled at

Psalm 122:1 says: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."

The question is: what about you? Does going to church spark gladness, joy, and excitement? Or does preparing for and going to church breed bad attitudes, rushing around the house, and grumpy spirits? In this episode, I give you 11 EXTREMELY PRACTICAL tips and tools that you can USE to arrive at church and be glad about it!

At the end of the episode, we play a song from the CD - "O Holy Night - Piano Solos by Caleb Galvan". (Used by permission from North Valley Publications) You can purchase your own copy of the CD at the following link:

https://nvpublications.org/products/o-holy-night

In this episode, I give some of things that I have learned as a Youth Director over the past 8+ years. God has taught me so much and I want to share some of the tips and truths that I have learned…with you! This episode is filled with philosophical and or practical tips to help a Youth Director impact teens for the cause of Christ. In a world where the average Youth Director lasts 18 MONTHS, we need more men and women who are willing to make in a difference in the lives of our youth.

If you have any questions about today’s episode or would like for me to send you some of my notes/resources on a particular subject, feel free to email me. My email is:

[email protected]

In this episode, I give some of things that I have learned as Youth Director over the past 8+ years. God has taught me so much and I want to share some of the tips and truths that I have learned...with you! This episode is filled with philosophical and/or practical tips to help a Youth Director impact teens for the cause of Christ. In a world where the average Youth Director lasts 18 MONTHS, we need more men and women who are willing to make in a difference in the lives of our youth.

If you have any questions about today's episode or would like for me to send you some of my notes/resources on a particular subject, feel free to email me. My email is:

[email protected]

Sandy Creek Stirrings is not a political podcast. We don't usually discuss or talk about the "newsy" current and cultural events that take place in our nation and world. But! An event that only happens every four years just occurred and I want to share some of my thoughts on the 2024 election with you. In this episode I share some of my thoughts on:

- Why we should praise the Lord for the outcome of this election.

- Why electing conservative, Biblically leaning leadership is good for Christianity and our nation.

- The often overlooked area that is so great about the election results.

- The blatant misuse and misunderstanding that was committed by so many Christian on election day/night concerning God's sovereignty and man's freewill.

- My biggest fear concerning politics and government.

- Why the trends are scary.

- The importance of fulfilling our Christian responsibility over the next 4 years.

- How to truly make America great again...

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Here is another “Things I Think” episode! This episode is a completely different format than what we usually record on Sandy Creek Stirrings. In this episode, I share with you a few random thoughts that have been on my mind – some musings, some “ponderings”, some things that I have been meditating on. Like:

- Why I am excited about the next generation of Christians.

- Why fundamentalism is not dead.

- The main concern I have for the next generation of Christians.

- Why the term "Christian" has been overused.

- A failure I had on Episodes #111 & #112 when considering the vaccine debate in regard to abortions.

This episode is going to be a very niche episode that deals with questions I have received recently. I have received many questions from men, lately, on the subject of attire, wardrobe, and dressing your best - along with many more practical questions in regards to the subject of clothing. This episode is geared toward those who are going into ministry, those who want to start dressing sharply for church, or those who want to improve their closet in general. In this episode, we discuss:

- Why this subject matters.

- How to find and purchase quality clothing on a budget.

- Where to find and purchase quality dress shoes and suits.

- The one thing that is more important than quality.

- Why versatility is your friend.

- What items are needed in your closet.

- What items you don't need in your closet.

- And much, much more!

I get very specific in today's episode and I hope that it will be a blessing to you.

In this episode, I present 10 different things that can help someone identify the overall health of the church. Now, none of these 10 reasons, in-and-of- themselves or by themselves, can determine the health of a church. Yet, they do give a good idea concerning the overall health of a church when grouped together. The items discussed today are not meant to be a coroner's report - they are to be a yearly check-up! They are to identify how we can enable our church to be MORE HEALTHY!