Tag Archives: Christmas shopping

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – No Lines, No Wait

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Did you know more than one in every three Americans shop on Black Friday? According to research, 37 percent participate in the most famous shopping day of the year. Why? While a few go for enjoyment, most will admit to joining the chaos for a great deal. People like to get a jumpstart on Christmas shopping and want to buy their gifts at rock bottom prices. They wait in line for hours, camp out the night before, and push and shove their way to save a dollar.

The free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Romans 5:15

In today’s passage, Paul speaks of a free gift – one where pushing and shoving aren’t necessary. It’s the gift of grace through Jesus Christ. This unique present is in unlimited supply, and you can get it year round.

Do you get more excited about saving money than saving souls? Christ died on the cross for the sins of everyone. And everyone is eligible to receive His salvation. Ask God to create a passion in you for sharing that gift with others now and into the coming New Year. Then pray for your nation’s leaders to discover and accept His free gift of grace as well.

Recommended Reading: Romans 6:15-23

 

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Not Presents, but His Presence

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And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” —Isaiah 29:13

I heard the story of a mother who was out Christmas shopping, frantically trying to get everything done. She had her small child with her, but for a moment, she lost sight of him. In sheer panic, she started retracing her steps and found him with his nose pressed against the glass of a store display, looking at a manger scene.

The boy said, “Mommy, Mommy! Look! It is Jesus in the hay!”

“Let’s go,” she said, as she took him by the hand and led him away. “We don’t have time for that.”

Exactly. That is the whole problem with this time of year that we call Christmas. We can be so busy celebrating Christmas that we forget all about Christ. In a sense, we can actually lose God in the midst of it all. We can very easily lose God in the so-called celebration of Jesus.

For many, the Christmas story is the one about Scrooge being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, or maybe Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus.

But technically, can we lose God? No, we really can’t. You can’t lose someone if you know where they are. If you know where they are, then they are not lost. But you can lose sight of someone. And some have lost sight of the Lord in their lives, especially at this time of the year.

Maybe you’ve had the experience of talking with someone who was checking their texts or updating their social media as you’re trying to tell them something important.

God never does that. God is never disinterested. God is never distracted. And even if we forget about Him, He never forgets about us. Christmas is not about buying presents; it is about His presence in our lives.