Christmas causes us to ask the question, “Who is this?” If you were to ask the people of Nazareth, they may say: “he was Mary and Joseph’s son, who grew up a carpenter.” Jesus was not warmly received by everyone. In Mark 6, He went to his hometown of Nazareth and was coldly received byContinue reading “The Greatest Gift of All”
Tag Archives: Christmas
Our Gift to One Another
To listen, What do you get the person who has everything? This is a common question at Christmas time. We ask this because we think that Christmas is about gifts. But I would argue that the gifts that Christmas is about are not those that you can buy at Wal-Mart, the mall or the outlets.Continue reading “Our Gift to One Another”
A Reasonable Response
How do you respond when someone presents you with a gift? Surprised? Grateful? Embarrassed? How would you have responded by receiving the following gifts? Police detective Robert Cunningham liked to hang out at Sal’s Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. One day in 1984, in lieu of a tip, Cunningham offered waitress Phyllis Penzo half interestContinue reading “A Reasonable Response”
God’s Gift to Us
As I approached this Advent season, I thought about the one thing that seems to be common among most Americans. That is the purchase of gifts. The day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, has become just as popular as any day of the year. A week or so ago, I read that thereContinue reading “God’s Gift to Us”
A Series of Gifts: Worship
The following message is based on Matthew 2:1-11 and presents the subject of worship, taking the example of the Magi. Their example reminds us that worship is an action of adoration directed to Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. It was delivered on Christmas Eve, 2012 at the Central Schwenkfelder Church. When we reflect on the original ChristmasContinue reading “A Series of Gifts: Worship”
“A Series of Gifts: Assurance”
The following message is taken from Luke 1:26-38, the passage which tells of the angel Gabriel visiting Mary, telling her of God’s special plan for the birth of Christ. It was preached on December 16 and 23, 2012. What is assurance? Webster’s uses such words as security, a being certain in the mind, confidence ofContinue reading ““A Series of Gifts: Assurance””
A Series of Gifts: Good News!
The following message is based on Luke 2:8-21, when the angels appeared to the shepherds, announcing the birth of Jesus. It was delievered on December 9, 2012 An announcement is news made public. Announcements are as useful to today as they were 2,000 years ago. They come in varied mediums, whether they come across the ticker atContinue reading “A Series of Gifts: Good News!”
A Series of Gifts: Forgiveness
The following message is based on Matthew 1:18-25 which tells us of the angel’s message to Joseph. It was delivered on December 2, 2012. Christmas is the season of giving. Some gifts are those we find in a department store, in a catalog or online. Others are such that a pricetag cannot be placed upon them. Continue reading “A Series of Gifts: Forgiveness”
Central to Life 