Twas the Saturday before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…except my son who already left for work. It left me wondering, what has happened? A young man getting up on a Saturday and leaving for work before 6 am. It amazing to realize that your kids quickly grow up and then begin displaying maturity and responsibility in a variety of areas. Earlier this week, I visited with another young adult and was also impressed with the mature manner in which they were working through some things. Even though it makes me feel old, it also gives me hope for the future.
Christmas Eve Service
Our Christmas Eve service will be at 5:00 pm this Thursday (yes, that is the 24th). Omar and his team have been working hard on the Christmas choir. It is going to be a special night with communion and then candles to conclude the service. It is going to be a great way to celebrate Christmas together.
CIC Christmas Offering
Our offering on Christmas Eve (unless you designate it otherwise) will help support our missions efforts such as the orphanage in Haiti, two churches in Mexico, and our local efforts.
Of course, you can give at any time the remainder of this year to support missions. Simply designate it on your offering. From our neighborhoods to the nations, God is using CIC to support the advancement of the Gospel.
Michelle and I were watching TV last night (I know, we need a better hobby) and a commercial for a law firm showed over and over. In it, the lawyer boasts, “I HAVE A BIG TIME STAFF, I TAKE BIG TIME CASES, I GET BIG TIME RESULTS!” This commercial, along with several others like it, have been on TV for a while. One of the first times I remember seeing the commercial my thought was, “You have a big time ego, too.” Another one of his commercials talks about how great of a football payer he was. I guess the results he got on the field will now translate to results in the courtroom. Whatever the case, it all comes off like some serious boasting. Of course, we want lawyers, and other professionals, to have confidence. I’m not sure a lawyer who couldn’t make eye contact with a judge, jury, or their clients would make it very far. However, there is a difference between healthy confidence and arrogance. BTW, a disclaimer here – I have never met this particular lawyer and he may be the greatest guy on earth. And, it could be his advertising agency came up with this stuff. This is solely my personal reaction when I see the commercials (my lawyer advised me to include that).
Anyway, all of that reminds me we need to do our best to keep our egos in check. Obviously, some people struggle in this area more than others. But, that is pretty much true of all of our sins. One thing that is notable is that it is not just high paid professionals that struggle with this. Of course, you expect it from some of the multi-million dollar celebrity athletes but you hear it from little league coaches and parents as well. You don’t have to be in conversations very long until you hear someone talking about how fantastic their little Johnny or Susie is at something. It could be sports, grades, music, science, or whatever. They even sell parents stickers for their cars so they can brag about it to the people stuck behind them in traffic. Now, please don’t get me wrong, we should be proud of our kids. We should talk about them. Let’s just not try to make it a game of one-upping everyone around you. If you do, then maybe it is more about you then them. Just saying.
In all areas of our lives, we need to try to keep the right perspective. We need to be confident in what we are doing without becoming arrogant. If God has given you the ability to do something, give Him some of the credit. If you have a lot of education, money, talent, power, etc., then praise God from whom all blessings flow.
It is this time of the year when we celebrate Jesus coming in the form of a baby, born humbly in the manger. A reminder of the greatest act of humility that ever took place. The very Son of God, coming down from heaven, taking on human flesh, living perfectly in this sinful world, and then willingly dying for our sins. The words of Philippians 2 capture this beautifully.
1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. 3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.
7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man in His external form,
8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—even to death on a cross.
9 For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Amen and amen.
Love God. Love others. Impact our community. Change the world.
Pastor Larry
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