The Christmas Sermon

 SERMON What Do I Do with My Heartache at Christmas? We can rest in the relief of Christ's coming—and wait well on God. SCRIPTURE:Luke 2:21-35 What Do I Do with My Heartache at Christmas? Steve Luxa Sermon Outline: Introduction I. Waiting on God II. Relief, not resolution of Christmas III. Resolution through sorrow Conclusion Introduction During this Christmas season, we're talking about the "Real Questions of Christmas"—because we all enter into every Christmas season with visions fit for a Norman Rockwell painting, but we end up living something akin to a National Lampoon Christmas. As we live in that gap between Christmas expectations and Christmas reality, we end up raising really profound questions about Christmas: questions that were, in fact, raised and wrestled with in the very first Christmas. So we're trying to go back to the first Christmas to answer a handful of these questions we raise. To get us thinking about what we do with our heartache at Christm

 SERMON Connecting the Dots at Christmas Sometimes seemingly imperfect timing is perfect for accomplishing God’s purposes. SCRIPTURE:Galatians 4:4 Connecting the Dots at Christmas Ken Shigematsu Sermon Outline: Introduction I. 'Fullness of time' II. Christ's coming was at the right time for many evident reasons III. God can use difficult circumstances to accomplish great good in his timing IV. God uses our choices for his perfect purpose Conclusion Introduction My professor Haddon Robinson from seminary tells a story about a married woman who decided to go on her own private vacation to Europe. She went from the Midwest to London and then she was planning to go to Paris, Rome, and Vienna. When she got to London she called her husband back home in the Midwest and said, "How are you doing?" Her husband said, "I'm doing fine but our cat Lucy died." So his wife starts bawling her eyes out on the phone. But when she regains her composure, she says, "

 SERMON The Purpose of Christmas Because Christ came, we have a joy that transforms our lives. SCRIPTURE:1 John 1:1-41 John 1:1 The Purpose of Christmas Tim Keller Sermon Outline: Introduction First John 1:1-4 gives us the teaching and the purpose of Christmas. I. Christmas is frankly doctrinal. II. Christmas is boldly historical. III. Christmas makes you deeply mystical. IV. Christmas makes you happily material. V. Christmas makes you fiercely relational. VI. Christmas makes you free to be emotional. (c) Timothy Keller The Purpose of Christmas was preached 12.19.99. First John 1:1—4: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fe