Dec 26, 2021
The Christmas Gifts – Myrrh
Series: 2021

Over the last two weeks we talked about the gifts of Gold and Frankincense

These were two of the gifts that the Magi brought to Jesus
 
If you ever wondered what Myrrh looked like:
 

Myrrh is a aromatic, sap-like resin derived from a small Commiphora myrrha tree

It was commonly used in perfume mixtures and especially for embalming a body during Jesus’ day

 
This passage speaks of a Holy anointing oil made with Myrrh
 
We see that here, Myrrh was used as a perfume
 
Myrrh also has pain relieving qualities and was used during crucifixions

Today Myrrh is still used for many things:

Inhaled, it is used to help congestion, respiratory issues and coughing,

It is used topically to prevent hair loss, give younger looking skin

It can be use medicinally to heal wounds, stop infection, and calm inflammation, among other things

One of the most common uses was by the Egyptians, as they used it during the mummification process

Which is probably how it came to be used as embalming fluid

While Myrrh has so many positive qualities, this isn’t what I want you to know most about it

You see, myrrh would eventually be used to anoint Jesus’ body before burial

Perhaps the wise men, having learned the prophecy of the Messiah from Daniel, knew more than we thought

Myrrh certainly represents Jesus as the Savior through His death burial and resurrection

Perhaps, the wise men were just bringing gifts suitable for royalty

Either way, we know that these three gifts were more than just gifts; they were telling of the things Jesus would be

Jesus is the gift from God to save the world. His death burial and resurrection was the ultimate purpose of His birth

He came that we might have life and have it abundantly

He came into the world to save the lost

He is our King, and He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

He is our high priest that sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes on our behalf

He came as a child, and died as the perfect sacrifice for your sins and mine

He is the ultimate Christmas gift, and I pray that you have received Him today.

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  • Dec 26, 2021The Christmas Gifts – Myrrh
    Dec 26, 2021
    The Christmas Gifts – Myrrh
    Series: 2021

    Over the last two weeks we talked about the gifts of Gold and Frankincense

    These were two of the gifts that the Magi brought to Jesus
     
    If you ever wondered what Myrrh looked like:
     

    Myrrh is a aromatic, sap-like resin derived from a small Commiphora myrrha tree

    It was commonly used in perfume mixtures and especially for embalming a body during Jesus’ day

     
    This passage speaks of a Holy anointing oil made with Myrrh
     
    We see that here, Myrrh was used as a perfume
     
    Myrrh also has pain relieving qualities and was used during crucifixions

    Today Myrrh is still used for many things:

    Inhaled, it is used to help congestion, respiratory issues and coughing,

    It is used topically to prevent hair loss, give younger looking skin

    It can be use medicinally to heal wounds, stop infection, and calm inflammation, among other things

    One of the most common uses was by the Egyptians, as they used it during the mummification process

    Which is probably how it came to be used as embalming fluid

    While Myrrh has so many positive qualities, this isn’t what I want you to know most about it

    You see, myrrh would eventually be used to anoint Jesus’ body before burial

    Perhaps the wise men, having learned the prophecy of the Messiah from Daniel, knew more than we thought

    Myrrh certainly represents Jesus as the Savior through His death burial and resurrection

    Perhaps, the wise men were just bringing gifts suitable for royalty

    Either way, we know that these three gifts were more than just gifts; they were telling of the things Jesus would be

    Jesus is the gift from God to save the world. His death burial and resurrection was the ultimate purpose of His birth

    He came that we might have life and have it abundantly

    He came into the world to save the lost

    He is our King, and He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

    He is our high priest that sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes on our behalf

    He came as a child, and died as the perfect sacrifice for your sins and mine

    He is the ultimate Christmas gift, and I pray that you have received Him today.

  • Dec 24, 2021Christmas Eve Service 2021
    Dec 24, 2021
    Christmas Eve Service 2021
    Series: 2021
  • Dec 19, 2021The Christmas Gifts – Frankincense
    Dec 19, 2021
    The Christmas Gifts – Frankincense
    Series: 2021
    So, what is Frankincense?
     

    Frankincense is the gum or resin of the Boswellia tree, used for making perfume and incense.

    It was one of the ingredients God instructed the Israelites to use to make the sacred incense for the Holy place

     
    It is clear that this specific blend, including Frankincense, was to be used for Holy purposes

    Frankincense, itself, was also used in offerings to the Lord

     
    Frankincense was mainly used by priests
     
     
     
     
    Last week we discussed the gift of Gold, representing Jesus' kingship

    Today, as we look at Frankincense, it is clear that it represents Jesus' status as a priest

    He is our High Priest and the only one eligible for that role due to His holiness

    In all His holiness, Jesus grew up and suffered for you, in order that you might have life

    Frankincense tears are collected and ground up to make the incense and perfume
     

    It has been said that these tears represent the torture Jesus suffered during His crucifixion

    The sweet aroma of the Frankincense was pleasing to God as an offering

    Jesus was a sweet sacrifice, pleasing to God

     
    We are to be imitators of Christ, that same sweet smell, as we serve God

    Today, Frankincense is no more

    Oh wait, that is not true! You can even purchase Frankincense in an essential oil

    It is used to promote relaxation, peace, and overall wellness.

     
    The wise men came to worship Jesus and to announce His priesthood to the world

    As you consider today how God’s perfect plan unfolded so long ago, have you considered why?

    It was to make a way for you to receive salvation.

    This is the Christmas gift, will you receive it?

  • Dec 12, 2021The Christmas Gifts – Gold
    Dec 12, 2021
    The Christmas Gifts – Gold
    Series: 2021

    Many times people wonder about the gifts the wise men brought Jesus

    Each of the gifts had specific meaning, and the wise men knew this

    Today we are going to look at the gift of Gold.

    Gold, as a gift, was only given to those in a royal line

    Kings were given gold, and this was a symbol of their royalty

    Today, we know that Jesus is king of kings, but how did the wise men know this?

    These magi were not from Jerusalem or Bethlehem or anywhere close by

    Scripture says they were from the east. This is talking about the far east sometimes referred to as the orient

    This area included the lands of Babylon and surrounding areas

    Prominent Jew with much influence lived there and his name was Daniel

    Daniel had been given the vision concerning the Messiah, so certainly he would have taught that

    The magi were part of a group that Daniel would have had influence over

    It is important to know that Jesus was born to be King

    This prophecy clearly shows Jesus taking the throne of David and ruling forever

    Jesus, Himself, during His earthly ministry, said He was King

     
    Timothy reminds us in 1 Tim 6:13-15 about Jesus’ kingship.

    You see, the wise men, who learned from Daniel, knew that Jesus was a King; so they gave the appropriate gift

    For us today it is important to remember that, as Timothy said, Jesus is King of Kings

    Our world is so crazy sometimes to stop and remember that God is still in control and Jesus is still King brings peace

    Remembering that Jesus is King also helps us as we are faced with many things that want our attention

    Matthew 6:24 says no one can serve two masters

    This means for us to keep Jesus’ Kingship in mind and serve Him alone is paramount

    We see Jesus as King in Revelation as well

    When the end comes and the battle is over, Jesus is still King of Kings

    The wise men knew this and celebrated this with the gift of Gold

    Do you call Him King today?

    You can!

  • Dec 5, 2021The Miracle Called Christmas
    Dec 5, 2021
    The Miracle Called Christmas
    Series: 2021
    The Prophecy:
    Isaiah 7:14 NASB
     
    Jesus coming to save us from our sins wasn’t an afterthought

    The prophecy of a coming Messiah had been passed down for centuries before Jesus’ birth

    While it may not have been an afterthought, it was truly a miracle

    God chose to provide a sacrifice to pay the price of sin for every person

    He provided His Son Jesus through a virgin so that all would know this was a miracle

    He provided an earthly father to look after Jesus until His time had come

    It was a miracle that Joseph listened to the angel instead of saving face with people

    I want you to understand that every part of this familiar story is a miracle

    A young woman’s miracle conception that she probably didn’t really understand

    The fiancé that went against his instincts to protect them both and became an object of ridicule

    All of this was done as God had designed

    He made the preparation for man’s salvation from the moment He decided to give us free will

    We say the words “From the manger to the cross” but sometimes it is hard to really grasp that reality

    What if you were told you were going to have a child and that child’s purpose was to die

    That would be unimaginable

    But God

    He loved the world so much that He gave His only Son

    This miracle that we call Christmas is the celebration of the most important gift to the world

    So I’m begging you all, this year, please don’t let the miracle of Christmas become an afterthought in your celebration

    We decorate our homes, we buy wonderful gifts, we make delicious food and all these things are good

    But what if the true miracle of Christmas becomes lost in the celebration

    I saw a scene once that had all these giant secular objects to celebrate and off to the side a tiny manger scene

    That is how the world sees Christmas if the manger exists in the celebration at all

    The miracle that will never be repeated has been pushed into the background

    By Christians

    If we don’t actively celebrate the Miracle of Christmas the world will forget it was even a thing

    The question for you today is, do you believe in the miracle called Christmas

    If you believe, the scripture says you shall be saved by this miracle

    Will this be the year that you truly celebrate the miracle of Christmas?

  • Nov 28, 2021Thankful For God’s Protection
  • Nov 21, 2021Thankful For God’s Blessings
    Nov 21, 2021
    Thankful For God’s Blessings
    Series: 2021
    Today we will celebrate our Thanksgiving together after the service What, exactly, are we thankful for each year at this time?
    Many answers to that question may come, but, let me say, the greatest reason to be thankful is God’s blessings
     
    We looked at this verse last week when we talked about God’s Grace Today, I want to look at it through the lens of blessings The first part of this verse says “all things are for your sakes” Understand, that this means the things that are good and the things that we call bad are for our sakes In other words, blessings can come in heartache as well as happiness We need to realize this and thank God for all the blessings I know that it is really hard to give thanks in everything because some things feel so bad Sometimes things happen to us and, at the moment, we can’t see how it is a blessing But God uses these things to change our direction or reinforce our trust in Him When we finally understand that God’s plan for us is never to hurt, but always to bless, it is an amazing revelation God’s blessings in every form give us peace, if we look for them Are you thankful for God’s blessings today?
    The greatest blessing we can be thankful for is found in Romans 5:8
    The KJV says while we were still sinners Christ died for us. The greatest blessing to be thankful for is that Jesus paid for our sin on the cross and He overcame the grave Prior to Jesus death He gathered His disciples together for the Passover meal During this time, He told the disciples that the bread represented His body and the wine His blood He told them to take this supper and remember Him until He returns Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for the blessings God has given us Have you ever received the blessing of salvation?
  • Nov 14, 2021Thankful For God’s Grace
    Nov 14, 2021
    Thankful For God’s Grace
    Series: 2021
    We celebrated Veteran’s day last week, so you would think that is what we would talk about today; Instead, I want to talk about something even more powerful.
    America, America! God shed His grace on you.
    God’s grace. What a wonderful thing to think about. It is only by the grace of God that we can have salvation As we spend November to Remember, think about how great the grace of God is in your life If God withheld grace and only gave us what we deserve, every single one of us would receive damnation But God! God gives us His incredible grace, and it is the thing we should be thankful for every day.
    Just to get a great picture of God’s grace, look at Psalm 103:1-12 NASB
    If you took all the rest of this passage out and only focused on verse 12, it is the most amazing thing But you can’t take the rest of the passage out because God’s grace is all over us every day What should we do with the knowledge of God’s grace in our lives? Praise Him and thank Him daily. Live our lives graciously, remembering His grace To realize how much God’s grace has done for us and not live thankful is beyond comprehension Knowing God’s grace has covered us in our shortcomings should make us thankful to God for eternity What grace should really do is cause His people, who are called by His name, to extend grace to others in this world Reality is, the very people who are so blessed with God’s grace are the same people who rarely extend grace to others The slave whose debt was forgiven, refused to give that same grace to those who owed him Christians are some of the most brutally judgmental people in the world, but we should give the most grace Understand that as God gives us so much grace, when we also give it to others it spreads When grace is spread, God is glorified In modern day language we would say “Pay it forward” As God gives grace to you, give it to all those around you. “Grace, Grace, God’s Grace, Grace that is greater than ALL our sins” Have you ever experienced God’s grace? Have you trusted Him and realized that, because of His grace, your sins are cast as far as the east is from the west? You can experience the Grace of God that is available today Once you do….pass it on!
  • Nov 7, 2021Thankful For God’s Love
    Nov 7, 2021
    Thankful For God’s Love
    Series: 2021
    Welcome to Fall! When the weather turns cool and foliage changes, I’m blown away by how Great God is! This is when the world seems to look toward Christmas November is a great time to remember to be thankful to God for everything
    Over the course of 4 weeks we are going to see how to use November to Remember
    Probably, most of us could quote John 3:16, but have you ever dwelled on it? “For God so loved the world” Think about the most loved you have ever felt, isn’t that wonderful? God’s love makes that look tiny. God SO loved, meaning a love that was everything He has And He gave it to ALL! Understand that God’s love is not withheld from anyone Yes! God loves even what we call “bad” people. He loves every person! That is a love that is amazing, right? I’m thankful that God loves me, even when I know I’m not a perfect person. I’m thankful that God loves even the “bad” people, because it is so easy to become one. Now that we are all feeling thankful for God’s love, let me ask you something; What do we do with that Love? You see being thankful means we live graciously. If we live graciously, then we follow the example given to us in our Savior and love EVERYBODY I know “that’s impossible!”, right? It is, in the flesh, for certain. We all struggle to love, when we can’t even like everyone. For believers, one stumbling block to loving everyone, is when people are blatantly living in sin. Think of it this way, those are the people who need God’s love most urgently. If we don’t live the love God gave us, then how will they see it? You see, being thankful means it actually changes your life. You live thankful every day. God’s love is the most amazing gift that anyone can receive. Have you experienced God’s Love and the Salvation it brings? Are you ready to live that love everyday?
  • Oct 31, 2021Beware Of The Monster
    Oct 31, 2021
    Beware Of The Monster
    Series: 2021

    As children, we seem to have irrational fears about monsters

    We see them in the closet, under the bed and especially in the shadows

    Over time, we learn that there is no such thing as monsters and our fears mostly subside

    I say mostly because we still see monsters as we grow up

    What if I told you a fear, or at least a healthy respect of monsters is a good thing

    Today is Halloween and people all over will dress up and celebrate fear

    The thing about fear is that it is a mechanism to keep you safe

    I titled this sermon “Beware of the Monster”

    In our scripture today, we see is that satan is seeking people to devour like a lion

    Remember how I said, as we age, we are taught there is no such thing as monsters

    Well I want you to know today that there is one monster, and he is in this world, and his name is satan

    On Halloween, people, who are normal looking, dress up as something scary

    Satan, who is scary, masquerades as an angel of light according to 2 Cor 11:14

    We normally fear scary things, but the problem is, satan doesn’t appear scary

    Our text says satan is seeking to devour, yet people are not afraid

    People treat satan as if he is a child in a costume

    Satan can’t destroy those who have given their life to Christ, but he can make us miserable

    Look at verse 9

    Being firm in our faith, we can resist satan

    Because of satan, we will have suffering

    What we have to understand is how to overcome the suffering through Christ

    Beware of the devil but don’t dwell on him. Instead dwell on Christ.

    “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” Phil 4:13

    Look back at vs 6-7 of our text

    The best way to be on the alert is to humble ourselves and cast our anxiety on Christ

    I don’t tell you to beware of the monster so that you dwell on him but so you recognize his attacks

    If we can recognize the enemy, we know how to defeat him

    The question is; do you know the only One that can defeat him?

    Without a relationship with Christ, satan can not be defeated

    Are you sure of your salvation today?

  • Oct 24, 2021Funerals For Good Living
    Oct 24, 2021
    Funerals For Good Living
    Series: 2021

    Hebrew 9:27 says “it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement”

    In the last 8 days I have been a part of three funerals

    Knowing this was the week ahead, I began to think about eternity and how many people live like there isn’t one

    I found an article about a service in South Korea that is offered to all

    Free funerals for the living

    Since it began in 2012 more than 25000 people have participated in “living funerals”

    These simulated death ceremonies are designed to help you appreciate life and inspire gratitude and even forgiveness

    Death is the destiny of everyone and the living should take it to heart

    I saw many pictures at the funeral home this week that were different

    One had a coffin being transported to the grave in a fishing boat

    Another had a set of golf clubs leaned against the coffin

    I’ve even heard of someone being buried with their rifle in the coffin

    While all of these things were meant to show the things people loved to do in life, they were sad to me

    Because there is no hunting, fishing, golf or football in heaven

    If there is a service for me one day, the only item I want people to see is my Bible

    Because, if death is the destiny of everyone, then, as a living person, we need to understand what really matters

    So why do I say funerals for good living? To remind us that we only have a finite amount of time here

    That should help to remind us do what Matt 6:20 says and store up treasures in heaven

    Look at verse 4

    This is saying, instead of living in this life to pleasure ourselves, we need to remember what is ahead

    Think about this…if you die today what would your funeral look like?

    Would people be talking about what a great football fan you were?

    Maybe they would even say you were a good person and many other nice things

    But what about you….do you know what is going to happen after your death?

    Have you laid up any treasure in heaven?

    Will you be in heaven?

    It isn’t automatic that you are going to heaven

    When we spend time at funerals, it makes us think about our own mortality

    One day death will come for you. So, the question is: Are you ready for what happens after that?

    Have you ever given your life to Christ and accepted the salvation that He offers?

    Let the Funeral help you live better by trusting in God and living every day for Him

    Will you give your life to Jesus today?

  • Oct 17, 2021Don’t Settle For Less
    Oct 17, 2021
    Don’t Settle For Less
    Series: 2021

    Have you ever heard someone say “I got a better offer”

    Sometimes people say that and others looking on don’t think it is a better offer

    Sometimes it is just taking an offer in a moment when it wasn’t thought through

    Often times that better offer ends up being much less than what you could have had

    Don’t settle for less!

    Look with me today to
    Eph 3:14-19 NASB
     
    Paul was writing this passage to the church at Ephesus

    He wanted them to understand that, even if he was in prison, they could still be filled with the Holy Spirit

    Surely after Paul was put in prison they may have felt as if all was lost

    Maybe what they had was as good as it was going to be

    Look at verse 13
     
    Because he knew their weakened state, he prayed for them

    He was praying in 16 that they would be blessed and strengthened through the Holy Spirit

    He knew there was more and he didn’t want them to lose heart and settle for less

    Sometimes it isn’t losing heart as much as it is losing sight of the things ahead

    Believers sometimes get so wrapped up in the here and now they forget about the eternal

    The problem with doing that is we are settling for something temporary

    Instead of striving for something more

    John 10:10 Jesus says “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly”

     
    Paul is still praying here that believers would live in Christ and be rooted in love

    That believers would see the breadth and length, height and depth

    Before we settle for the tiny things this life has to offer we need to see how much more we could have

    The prince of this world, satan, tries desperately to make this world beautiful and pleasing to you

    He knows that if you look past this world you will not settle

     
    “that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”

    If we allow ourselves to be satisfied in this world, we have not received that fullness God offers

    When we are only partially filled, it is much easier for satan to make us ineffective by settling for less

    The only thing that will lead to is buyers remorse

    Do you long for a life that is full and abundant?

    Do you know the one that can give it to you?

    Don’t settle for less when the best is available!