Springfield First Church of the Nazarene Podcast

It began with a "silent night, holy night" and ended "on a hill far away." On this Christmas Day we begin a survey of the life of Christ through the Gospel of Luke that will take us to Easter Sunday. The revolution of love has begun!

On this final Sunday of Advent 2011, we conclude what has been an exciting father/son roundtable discussion talking about various aspects of Christmas with a lively talk about why Jesus Christ is better than Santa Claus.

No discussion regarding Christmas would be complete without talking about some of the allegories found in Christmas songs as Pastor John and Caleb talk about Christmas music in this week's 10/40 roundtable.

Pastor John and Caleb continue their father/son roundtable discussion looking at various aspects of Christmas including the significance of the lights, visuals, signs, and symbols we experience this time of year.

In a roundtable format, Pastor John and his son Caleb (as well as other kids) talk about various aspects of Christmas in this fun, lively, and interactive Advent dialogue looking at Christmas through the eyes of children.

As we strive to embody divine love we come to realize that we cannot do so without being entirely sanctified, which is the only means of achieving "the greatest of these" as God pours His love into our hearts.

If faith is the first essential step in pleasing God on our way toward achieving love, then hope is the intermediary bridge between faith and love that keeps us solidly grounded as we press on toward "the greatest of these".

It is often mistaken that because love is "the greatest of these" that faith and hope are inconsequential in light of the greater quality of love. Yet we must think of faith and hope as essential stepping stones on our way toward achieving Christlike love.

Even as Las Vegas is known for its exuberant shows making it the entertainment capital of the United States, we only continue our compulsive addiction to be entertained and amused as author Neil Postman so "prophetically" anticipated in his book published 26 years ago entitled "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business."

The title of the message is a euphemism for the drunken indulgence that so vividly characterizes Vegas, but also describes the alcohol problem in the United States as examined in Ken Burns' PBS documentary looking at the Eighteenth Amendment entitled "Prohibition: A Nation of Drunkards".