Tuesday, December 4, 2007

New Message Series for Christmas

"This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."
1 John 4:10


We grow up believing that life is all about “me.” We want to call the shots; we want things done our way; we want the power and control. And our selfish thinking causes us to misuse, mislead, and mistreat people—often in ways that can be more harmful than we realize.

The problem results from focusing on ourselves and refusing to loosen our white-knuckle grip on the reins of life. We are afraid of giving control to anyone else, particularly a baby in a crib. But from his crib, that is exactly what Christ tells us we need to do. He tells us, “Give up your crown. Loosen your grip on the reins and let me call the shots.”

He tells us that life is not all about “me,” it is about giving him control and focusing our efforts on others. He tells us that through love, not selfishness, we will gain true power and control. And by acknowledging that God gave his son for us out of love, we will begin to realize that life is truly about giving, not getting.

This week, look to the crib of Christ and follow the example of love that it represents. Take the lead by loosening your grip of control. Surrender the reins of your life to the true King and transform your selfish nature by allowing the attitude of unselfishness and love to flow from Christ’s crib to yours.

See you this Sunday as we start our Christmas Series: "Cribs: The Crucial Relationship Initiated By the Savior."

In His Grip,

Brett

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