The calendar is not yet reading December 25, but I’ve already received several wonderful and generous gifts.  All the gifts I’ve received have shown that the person giving them knows me personally.  Every gift is thoughtful (I’m sure the word thoughtful is somewhere in the definition of gift), but some take more thought. 

A few months ago I was buying a birthday gift for a friend, and my youngest son happened to be with me.  He commented, “Wow, you’re putting a lot of thought into this…”  This is not to say I’m the end all/be all of gift giving; I’m not, but don’t we all long to give a gift that will tell the person- I know you, I care about you, and I’m giving you something I hope will tell you just that.  We all love gifts that we can tell took some thought…something that says we are known, even to the point of what brings us joy.

That brings me to Christmas.  Not to sound cliché, or fall into the “Stuff Christians Say” realm, but Jesus was the ultimate expression of a thoughtful gift.  God knows us.  He knows our deepest desires, He knows our sin, He knows what breaks our heart, and what makes it skip a beat with overwhelming joy. He had a gift in mind that would be everything we ever needed.  His gift would protect, provide, and redeem us.  His gift would love us tenderly, but at the same time with great fervor.  His gift would continue to give us other gifts, like hope, peace, and assurance.  His gift would be a gift not for one day, but for eternity.

We will all receive gifts next week. Many of them will be thoughtful, and others may fall (or be thrown) in the ‘return as soon as possible’ pile. No matter what we get next week, we’ve already been given the ultimate gift. The Giver was thinking of us corporately and individually when He gave it.  He gave it without regard to His own sacrifice.  He gave out of a love that we can’t even begin to comprehend.

As I watch the people I care about open gifts next week, I will take great joy in seeing their faces light up. I wonder if God watches us this way…waiting to see if our faces will light up, or if our hearts will skip a beat, as we fully and completely comprehend the extent of His gift to us.  We’ve been given the gift, but do we know how truly precious it is?

This Week’s Announcements:
Christmas Eve Services will be held at 4pm and 6pm on…Christmas Eve of course!  Each service will last an hour, but will vary in “feel.”  The first one at 4pm will be more interactive (great for kids) and will feature our student ministry worship team leading us in worship.  The second one will be more traditional. 

Drag everyone away from the tree for a little while, and join us as we celebrate Jesus’ birth together on Christmas Day at 11:00am.  (*Kids, feel free to wear your PJ’s to this service)

What God is Teaching Us:
Follow the link below to see this past Sunday’s curriculum: 
This link is no longer available

Funny Things Kids Do and Say…
This was overheard while one four year old was praying and thanking God for Christmas… “Jesus, I’m so sorry that I missed your first birthday.”