Speaker: Bill Simpson

If you ever get fed up with you. And if you ever get fed up with something that seems to control you. If you ever get fed up with the self-destruction that you bring on yourself and the self-destructive habits that destroy the relationships that are most important to you. Christmas is a standing invitation from your Father in heaven. You have been invited into a relationship where sin no longer has to be your master, because you’re not under law, you’re under grace. You are a candidate for the gift of Christmas.

God staged a demonstration and documented it so the world would know. Because He knew we needed to see it to believe it. And it wasn’t enough to say it. He had to send His Son to pay the price that we owed in such a way that once we embraced the truth of the story, and once we embraced who Jesus was, we would never, ever, ever, ever doubt God’s love for us. He had to be with us so that we could know He was for us. We needed a demonstration.

Through Christmas, we are reminded in the most remarkable way imaginable that God is active, even when it seems like He’s not that God.

The bottom line is … YOU WILL NEVER DO WHAT YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT FIRST.

What is difficult? To put your interests below the interest of others when those others are your enemies, or they think radically different than you.
We have been freely served by Jesus. Therefore, it is so easy for us to freely serve others.

We’re then able to discern His will for our lives. Our lives are transitioned into His will. It’s not a distorted life. It’s not a dysfunctional life. It’s not unhealthy. It is a pure life, a life that’s free to obey. A Life that is free to worship the King.

What do you give your time to? What do you dream about? Would you give your money to? What do you give your thoughts to? Who has your heart? What has your heart? Because the answer to that is what you worshipped.

What comes into your mind—Comes out in your life.

In the New Testament “make disciples” applies to both helping someone with the initial act of conversion as well as helping them grow the rest of their life. You are supposed to be involved in all of that.