Christmas Day Devotional

We won't be having worship at either the Matthews or Blakeney Campus on Sunday and one reason is to give families and friends a chance to spend some time together after all the craziness of Christmas that will culminate in our three Christmas Eve services.

Here's an idea - why not take some time with your family, friends, or roommate on Sunday morning and reflect on the Christmas story together. In case you'd like an idea of how to start, here's one example:

Read together Luke 2: 8-12 and ask each other the following questions:

-Why do you think the angels had to tell the shepherds to not be afraid? (Hint: Angels were VERY bright beings - I mean dazzling light - and every time in Scripture an angel as a messenger from God appears people get freaked out!)

-What are the things that make you the most afraid?

-What was the reason the angels gave for why the shepherds did not have to be afraid? (Hint: Jesus had come to fix the broken relationship between God and people and if our relationship with God is right then nothing else in the world can scare us because he will love, protect, and take care of us no matter what we have to go through)

-Pray a prayer something like this one: "Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of Jesus that we celebrate this Christmas. Thank you that his coming to die for our sins and be raised from the dead means we have nothing in life or in eternity to fear. When we are tempted to be frightened of things, remind us of this great truth and this great gift".

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