Unforgettable Christmas Big Idea of the Series: Sometimes, it’s difficult to enjoy Christmas when we’re too busy to stop and savor the holiday. For most of us, it feels like the Christmas season gets shorter and shorter every year. This sermon series takes congregations back to the foundation of the Christmas story, revealing the joy and celebration it brings to all those who place their faith in Christ. What to have an unforgettable Christmas? Make Jesus the center of your life. Even when times are tough, He will never leave or forsake us. He is “God with us.” Week 1 Text: John 1:1-18 Topic: Incarnation, The Word Big Idea of the Text: Christmas isn’t an abstract holiday or idea; Jesus came to earth (as a human) in order to reconcile us to God. We can rejoice because the nativity story makes possible our salvation! Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1.   Most of us get irritated when we hear of individuals or corporations taking “Christ” out of Christmas. It’s important to examine, however, how we treat Jesus during the holidays. How much of Him, and His love for others, do we include in our schedules? We shouldn’t regulate Christ to simply our speech and/or holiday announcements, we must take on his mission in our everyday lives. He came in the flesh to redeem the world. We can be a part of that cause today. The best Christmas ever is the Christmas that never ends.

2.   “Sandra McCracken, on her album Live Under Lights and Wires, shares a story of two young boys in Missouri who spent their summer playing by some sandbag levees that had held back some of the extreme flooding that happened over the past decade on the Mississippi River. Tragically, the two boys found themselves in some quicksand resulting from a breach in the levy. When rescue workers

finally found them and came to them, they found only the younger boy standing in the sand. “Where is your brother?” asked one of the rescuers.“I’m standing on his shoulders,” answered the young boy.The older brother had sacrificed his life to save his younger brother.’ Just as this young boy needed saving, we, too, were once sinking in the sand of our sin, and it took our older brother Jesus to sacrifice himself so we could be saved” (Mark Driscoll, Who Do You Think You Are?, 69-70).

3.   “The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but a baby, and before that a fetus in a woman’s body.” – C.S. Lewis

4.   “Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.” - Steve Maraboli from Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience.

5.   “The word ‘made’ (egeneto) has the meaning ‘became’ rather than ‘constructed.’ The action refers to an event rather than a process. The visible universe with all its complexity owes its origin to the creative mind and power of God. Apart from his Word, existence is impossible. The priority of Christ over creation is taught here and it also is mentioned in Colossians 1:16 and Hebrews 1:2” [Merrill C. Tenney, "John", in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (ed. Frank E. Gaebelein; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 28-29].

Week 2 Text: Luke 1:26-38 Topic: Humility; Purpose Big Idea of the Message: Jesus wasn’t born into a wealthy family with powerful connections, the situation was awkward at best; his earthly parents included a teenage girl and her middle to lower class fiancé. Your life, family, or situation might not be ideal, but don’t worry, the nativity story teaches us that God can use all for His glory Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1.   Share a story about a terrible Christmas experience or play a clip from the film, Christmas Vacation. Use this as a segue to talk about how the first Christmas didn’t seem to go well either. A teenage girl was pregnant; there was no place for Mary and Joseph to stay; Jesus was laid in a feeding trough! Don’t be discouraged by the less than ideal, Jesus came into a world that was less than ideal.

2.   “Since betrothal often took place soon after puberty, Mary may have just entered her teens. This relationship was legally binding, but intercourse was not permitted until marriage. Only divorce or death could sever betrothal; and in the latter event the girl, though unmarried, would be considered a widow” [Walter L.

Leifeld, "Luke", in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke (ed. Frank E. Gaebelein; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 830].

3.   Notice the difference between how Mary and Zechariah respond. One was a great priest, yet didn’t believe. The other was a teenage girl—she said: “Let it be.”

4.   It was in December of 1903, that after many attempts, the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground and into the air at Kitty Hawk. Thrilled over the accomplishment, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news-for the first time in human history, man had flown! (Source: Daily Bread, December 23, 1991.) Will we miss Jesus because we’re too busy concentrating on far less important matters?

Week 3 Text: Matthew 2:1-12 Topic: Service Big Idea of the Text: The wise men found Jesus and offered Him gifts as a sign of worship. Like the wise men who worshiped Jesus, we must let our light shine by offering our lives as gifts to God. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1.   Jesus came to serve; will we serve too? What are you planning to do for others this holiday season?

2.   “Bringing gifts was particularly important in the ancient East when approaching a superior (cf. Gen 43:11; 1 Sam 9:7–8; 1 Kings 10:2)…Frankincense is a glittering, odorous gum obtained by making incisions in the bark of several trees; myrrh exudes from a tree found in Arabia and a few other places and was a much-valued spice and perfume (Ps 45:8; Song of Songs 3:6) used in embalming (John 19:39). Commentators, ancient (Origen, Contra Celsum 1. 60) and modern (Hendriksen), have found symbolic value in the three gifts—gold suggesting royalty, incense divinity, and myrrh the Passion and burial. This interpretation demands too much insight from the Magi. The three gifts were simply expensive and not uncommon presents and may have helped finance the trip to Egypt” [D. A. Carson, "Matthew", in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke (ed. Frank E. Gaebelein; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 89].

3.   During this especially busy season, how are you worshipping God with your life? How are you sharing his love with others?

4.   This is a good week to encourage individuals to volunteer for a church wide service opportunity in your city.

Week 4 Text: Matthew 2:13-23 Topic: Salvation, God’s Sovereignty Big Idea of the Message: No matter how hard he tried, Herod could not halt the plans of God. Despite the difficult circumstances that come your way, know that nothing can separate you from God’s love, forgiveness, and redemption.

1.   God had a plan to bring grace and mercy to humanity through Jesus Christ. Nothing could stop this from happening. You might face difficult circumstances—even evil—but be rest assured that though those things may hurt the body, they cannot touch the soul that has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

2.   Christmas is a time when we come together with family, release our troubles, and celebrate the holidays. But what do we do when Christmas isn’t a joyful season? What about when it brings more hurt than it brings happiness?

3.   Take time during the service to pray for people who find the Christmas season difficult because of past experiences. Jesus has come to heal our brokenness.

4.   Evil shines brightly in this passage. Jesus came into a dark world to shine a bright, redeeming light. Use a string of Christmas lights as an example of what we are called to do as Christians—shine lights into the darkness.