Hey MABC family & friends!
If you didn’t make it last night to the Christmas program…you missed it! And when I say “it” you missed the story of a young girl who didn’t believe in Jesus, the virgin birth…you know, the whole Christmas thing. As she was led through the biblical account of Jesus’ birth, she slowly began to see the “light!” You know, the light we have been talking about the past couple of Sundays in worship. Please check out the MABC Video Live Stream on YouTube.
The truth is there are a lot of people celebrating Christmas this year who don’t believe in Jesus or at least don’t have the right relationship with Jesus. While a recent Lifeway Research study found most Americans (72%) say Christmas celebrates a historical event, many aren’t sure exactly why Jesus came to earth. Another study finds only 22% of Americans believe they can retell the entire biblical Christmas story accurately. If they are not sure why Jesus came to earth, I doubt they can have a right relationship with him. Maybe, just maybe, they need to attend a worship service this year so they can begin to hear why Jesus came to earth! Maybe, just maybe, they need a personal invitation to attend that worship service. Maybe, just maybe, that personal invitation comes from you. You have two Sundays left before Christmas and a Christmas Eve service. Would you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone that you know, may encounter, cross paths with who needs a personal invite to worship? If you are intentional about it…pray earnestly about it…I am sure that someone will be brought to mind.
If you are a Facebook person, would you please do me and our church family a favor? First of all, like our Facebook page. The more likes we get the better exposure we get on Facebook. Two, share our posts with your friends and family. Again, our message has a greater reach when it is shared. I am not just talking about getting people in the doors but maybe a Monday morning recap of the sermon strikes a chord with someone and compels them to seek out Jesus like the shepherds did. I just posted about our Christmas program from last night. Share that with your friends and family. Do you know if any of your “Facebook friends” are like the little girl in our program…they just don’t quite believe? You can participate in sharing our desire to be a “neighborhood church’ and resource by sharing our “Parents Day Out” event and post so that the word can spread about that little church in the Delano District doing something cool! Who knows, just maybe, a child from a family who doesn’t go to church will show up and hear something about Jesus? Maybe, just maybe, that child shares what they heard about Jesus with their family? Maybe, just maybe, they make their way to a church between then and Christmas. Any church…as long as they find one!
Don’t forget to pick up some invite cards and share them. I know you will be out and about over the next couple of weeks. Share a card with someone whether it is the Advent series card or the MABC card. The good thing about the MABC card is that they can scan the QR code and hear the gospel. Maybe, just maybe, they seek out a church family to learn more about Jesus and Heaven will rejoice.
I am working from home today. Having some hardware issues and data retrieval I am working through. Don’t forget our Christmas night with AWANA and youth group tonight. Going to be a blast!
Pastor Rick
