Five Reasons to Rejoice This Christmas

December 18, 2015

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17

1. HE IS HERE. The good news of Jesus can change everything in a moment. When a Pharisee named Nicodemus asked Jesus how to be born again, Jesus replied with words that resound through time: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”

2. IT IS MADE CLEAR. Jesus came to replace confusion with peace, doubt with clarity. While He was on earth, He fulfilled every prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. Then at age 33, He laid down His life to redeem us and bring us back into closeness with God.

3. YOU ARE DEAR. You are of great value to God. God loved the world so dearly that He was willing to pay the price and ransom us from sin and death.

4. YOU DON’T NEED TO FEAR. On the night of Jesus’ birth, angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields and said, “Do not be afraid.” And because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we don’t have to live in constant dread and apprehension. Jesus came with good news and great joy for all people (Luke 2:10).

5. YOU CAN DRAW NEAR. Sin, disappointment, and our own failures can weaken our faith, but when we draw near to God and get into His Word, we can get strengthened (Isaiah 40:31; Romans 10:17). God is offering you hope and radical change—draw near to Him today.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, I open my heart wide to You. I ask for Your forgiveness and mercy to come into my heart and my home. I receive Jesus as my Lord and King. Heal the relationships around me. I pray this will be the best Christmas that I’ve ever had. I pray blessing on our city, our country, and our world. Thank you for new beginnings! In Jesus’ Name, amen!

dear, adjective
Loved and cherished. Greatly valued; precious. Highly esteemed or regarded.

Copyright © 2015 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Dear.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.