Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church

The poem below is from OC International (One Challenge), an international mission agency that connects with the global church to empower local ministry so they can impact nations (https://onechallenge.org).

I thought I would share it with the LCPC family as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Enjoy Advent and your Christmas preparations.

Celebrating Christmas

We are

Fooled and foolish

Deceived and deceitful

Enslaved and enslavers

Maligned and malicious

But God

Loves us anyway

Loves us actively

Loves us lavishly³

So, He gave

First and freely

Fully and sacrificially⁴

We deserve nothing, but

We celebrate.

Scripture References:

¹ Titus 3

² 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Luke 15, Ephesians 2:1-3

³ John 3:16, 17

⁴ 1 John 4:19, Romans 8:32

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?”

“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth…

He who keeps Israel will neither

slumber nor sleep”

 (Ps 121:1-4 NRSV)

David’s words in this Psalm remind us that in all of life’s circumstances, God is with us. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. The God of creation, the One who created the world, and you and me, is the One that we can turn to in times of need. He is also the one that we give thanks to when life is good. In all things, we give thanks.

So, this week, as you gather with family and friends, go around the table and ask each person to share one thing for which they are thankful and then give thanks to God, who sustains us and provides for us in all of life’s circumstances.

^“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

Being generous doesn’t come naturally. Just ask the parent of a preschooler.

Sharing is something that the parents of preschoolers have to teach their kids. These parents will model generosity, they will talk about sharing, and they will give lots of praise when their child shares with another. That’s when a big smile comes across that parent’s face.

As adults, some of us have the same problem about sharing and being generous. It can be hard, especially if we fear that we aren’t going to have enough if we are generous.

In the Bible, Jesus modeled generosity in His life and in the church, we see it reinforced in one another’s lives. In addition, as we give, many times we experience generosity in return.

Ultimately, generosity is a form of discipleship. It shapes our hearts as much as it meets needs. When we as a church model and teach generosity—not as obligation but as overflow of our life in Christ—we cultivate communities marked by gratitude, compassion, and trust. We as the church have the opportunity to stand out as living examples of our abundant and generous God.