How to Have a Good Christmas

So I heard this sermon last night, and no I'm not going to preach, but I am going to share! It was a great little sermon and so appropriate for this day right before all the Christmas festivities happen! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Bro. Lovens started off the sermon by saying that more suicides happen from Thanksgiving to New Year than any other time of the year. People get so depressed during this time. I didn't realize that. I have to admit it made me said that "at the most wonderful time of the year" people get depressed. Bro. Lovens went on to say that part of the reason is because people get caught up in materialism and Christmas has become about what you get out of it.

He went on to read a lot of Luke 2 and then he headed over to Matthew 1 and 2. He read verse 1-2 of Matthew 2 and paralleled how to have a good Christmas with the wise men. He said 1. To have a good Christmas, start out by looking for Jesus. He talked about how we live in a entitlement world where they expect things. At this point I started thinking about a commercial I say this year and this dopey looking dad is talking about how his kids are hard to impress at Christmas but he thought he had done well this time because he got his son a Nokia tablet and his daughter a phone. I pray I have thankful kids. This year, they are getting a lot. It doesn't happen that way every year, nor would I want it to, but I have been stressing for the last two months with them, the need to be thankful. Bro. Lovens warned us to not expect people to give you something. Work for a living. He said Christmas isn't about us anyways! It's about God!

Then Bro. Lovens went on a rabbit trail. He read verse 3-6 and talked about how Bethlehem was adding city at the time. The term "It all goes to Bedlam" was morphed from the term "It all goes to Bethlehem". There was no real industry in Bethlehem, yet we sings songs about it. He talked about how we need to get the gospel out there and share it with people because Jesus can change a life, a community, a nation! He said that when a nation begins to fail, it always begins with their moral system! At this point my heart cried out to God to please help America! And to help me to bring America back to God. To point them to Jesus!

2. After that interesting and necessary rabbit trail we made it back to his notes, and Bro. Lovens read Matt. 2:7-10. He said to have a good christmas we need to make it a day of rejoicing. Make it a rule that on Christmas no one can complain. He said, Don't be the brat of the holiday. Get up and read the bible to yourself as a parent before you read it to the kids. He also said before any presents are opened, open God's word and read Luke 2. Teach your children to remember what Christmas is really about! On Christmas, count your blessings and rejoice! I told my husband later that he said things in that sermon that if heeded will make other christmases go well for others. I loved the Don't be a brat of the holiday. How many times have I wanted to say that. Lol. We all know those brats that want a special day to be about them and them only.

3. He said the third thing to do to have a good christmas is to give (Matt. 2:11) He said give of your time and self. Be a servant on that day. Seek to be a blessing to those around you. Help out. He gave some practical ways to help out. He asked What can you give FOR others and not to them.

I think my favorite part of the sermon was when he went to verse 12 and said the last part to having a good christmas is to go home. After the wise men saw Jesus they went home. Know when to go home. Don't overstay your welcome. When the party is over, leave. Lol. So TRUE!

He said that Christmas is about a Savior that was born to save the souls of mankind! This year we set up our tree 2 days early I think because of that, all season we have thrown tradition to the wind. We went on vacation during December, we are not having Christmas at our house like we normally do, we are not going over family's house either, we are going to a church family's house. We won't hang out in our pjs all day. We will go seek to be a blessing to another family and the neat thing is they are having us over to be a blessing to us . . . I just bet we are going to have a good Christmas if each of us and serving the other in Christ's love. I loved this sermon right before Christmas. Bro. Lovens did a good job of drawing our focus onto what was needful for the time.

I hope each of you have a good Christmas and remember to make Christ the reason for the season! (Oh, that was another thing he said, Don't make trite statements like Jesus is the reason for the season . . . lol, Merry Christmas anyways!)