This morning I want us to work our way through an entire book of The Bible. And this particular book of The Bible has also been made into a movie. The difference being while this movie is less than 2 hours long it will only take you 6 and a 1/2 minutes to read through the book that we're going to work our way through this morning. Turn with me to the Old Testament book of Jonah. As we work our way through these 4 chapters...just 48 verses in total, I believe God has something for each of us. I believe that there are some very practical lessons that we can learn from Jonah. Chapter 1.

This morning I want us to work our way through an entire book of The Bible. And this particular book of The Bible has also been made into a movie. The difference being while this movie is less than 2 hours long it will only take you 6 and a 1/2 minutes to read through the book that we're going to work our way through this morning. Turn with me to the Old Testament book of Jonah. As we work our way through these 4 chapters...just 48 verses in total, I believe God has something for each of us. I believe that there are some very practical lessons that we can learn from Jonah. Chapter 1.

If you have been at The Heights during this Christmas Season you have heard us talking about prepositions, two in particular: around and in. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, many homes, many churches turn to Matthew 1-2 or Luke 1-2 and read the Christmas Story, the real one, the historical one about Jesus. And in those stories, we learn a lot about what went on around Jesus at His arrival. Around Jesus was Bethlehem, a star, a manger, shepherds, and angels. What went on around Him is important because it helps us identify that this baby is indeed the very Son of God. There is a unique Christmas passage though where the focus is what went on in Jesus and from that comes a Christmas command. Listen. Read Philippians 2:5-8.

If you have been at The Heights during this Christmas Season you have heard us talking about prepositions, two in particular: around and in. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, many homes, many churches turn to Matthew 1-2 or Luke 1-2 and read the Christmas Story, the real one, the historical one about Jesus. And in those stories, we learn a lot about what went on around Jesus at His arrival. Around Jesus was Bethlehem, a star, a manger, shepherds, and angels. What went on around Him is important because it helps us identify that this baby is indeed the very Son of God. There is a unique Christmas passage though where the focus is what went on in Jesus and from that comes a Christmas command. Listen. Read Philippians 2:5-8.

It is good a good thing to not use our body for evil, but that does not mean we’ve used it for good. The way so many our living in our culture today gives a lot of us a chance to feel very self-righteous because I’m not like them. I haven’t done that. But the command of Christmas is more than just not doing that. The command of Christmas directs me to think and act just like Jesus, to have the same attitude He had about a body. What was His attitude? Let’s look at Philippians 2:5-8. This is our third week with this passage as this is where we are spending Christmas.

It is good a good thing to not use our body for evil, but that does not mean we’ve used it for good. The way so many our living in our culture today gives a lot of us a chance to feel very self-righteous because I’m not like them. I haven’t done that. But the command of Christmas is more than just not doing that. The command of Christmas directs me to think and act just like Jesus, to have the same attitude He had about a body. What was His attitude? Let’s look at Philippians 2:5-8. This is our third week with this passage as this is where we are spending Christmas.

It is Christmas, and that means we focus on Christmas passages that give us the Christmas story. These passages tell us what is going on AROUND Jesus at His birth. Around Him there were angels praising and delivering messages. Around Him was a virgin birth. Around Him was a mom and dad traveling to Bethlehem. Around Him was a star and shepherds. And we love what was going on around Him. Our Christmas decorations are made up of what was going on around Jesus: a manger scene in the yard, maybe as a centerpiece on the table, a star on top of the tree. Christmas programs: shepherds, angels, stars, and mangers. We build Christmas on what is going on around Jesus. But there is no command to do that, and that is oaky, but there is a command to build Christmas on what was going on in Jesus. Let’s look at that Christmas passage that tells us what was going on IN Jesus, and the command that goes with it. Look with me at Philippians 2:5-8.

It is Christmas, and that means we focus on Christmas passages that give us the Christmas story. These passages tell us what is going on AROUND Jesus at His birth. Around Him there were angels praising and delivering messages. Around Him was a virgin birth. Around Him was a mom and dad traveling to Bethlehem. Around Him was a star and shepherds. And we love what was going on around Him. Our Christmas decorations are made up of what was going on around Jesus: a manger scene in the yard, maybe as a centerpiece on the table, a star on top of the tree. Christmas programs: shepherds, angels, stars, and mangers. We build Christmas on what is going on around Jesus. But there is no command to do that, and that is oaky, but there is a command to build Christmas on what was going on in Jesus. Let’s look at that Christmas passage that tells us what was going on IN Jesus, and the command that goes with it. Look with me at Philippians 2:5-8.

I love Christmas ____________ . What goes there in the blank for you? Lights? Cookies? Movies? Music? Gifts? Bonus! Quite a few words can go in that blank. Elf on a shelf is not one of them. Doesn’t fit. I have word that I don’t think anyone would put there, but should. It is not as natural or easy to say as Christmas cookies or Christmas music, but it is so much more what Christmas is all about than cookies and music and almost all the other words. It is the word body, a Christmas Body. I hope that by time we get to Christmas that will be the first word that comes to our mind. It really is what Christmas is all about. Jesus got a body for Christmas, and in that is our opportunity to see how we can be just like Him.

I love Christmas ____________ . What goes there in the blank for you? Lights? Cookies? Movies? Music? Gifts? Bonus! Quite a few words can go in that blank. Elf on a shelf is not one of them. Doesn’t fit. I have word that I don’t think anyone would put there, but should. It is not as natural or easy to say as Christmas cookies or Christmas music, but it is so much more what Christmas is all about than cookies and music and almost all the other words. It is the word body, a Christmas Body. I hope that by time we get to Christmas that will be the first word that comes to our mind. It really is what Christmas is all about. Jesus got a body for Christmas, and in that is our opportunity to see how we can be just like Him.