Christ came to Earth to pay for our sins so that we could spend eternity with a Holy God.\u00a0 But it wasn\u2019t just about eternity!\u00a0 It was also about\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 today\u2026the here and now.\u00a0 Jesus said: \u201cI have come so that you may have life and have it more abundantly.\u201d\u00a0 The gift of Jesus was for now AND for later!<\/p>\n
Imagine what your life would be like if Jesus had not come to earth!\u00a0 Jesus gives us hope for the future, but also hope for today!\u00a0 The Bible reminds us that God\u2019s mercies are new each morning.\u00a0 The baby in the manger in Bethlehem is the most precious gift any of us can ever receive. We give gifts at Christmastime as a symbol of our love\u2026yet we often try to match or\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 adequately compensate for gifts that we receive from others, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 The gift of Jesus is one that can never be matched nor repaid, only graciously and joyously accepted.\u00a0 And through this acceptance, we receive salvation, but Jesus is so much more than salvation!\u00a0 Jesus is also about our daily living \u2013 reflecting His light and His love to others, so that those living in darkness may come to know Him as their friend and savior, as well.<\/p>\n
Because Jesus is the Way, we choose to follow Him.\u00a0 Because He is the Truth and Life, we are charged to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.\u00a0 Through the gift of Jesus we have hope for the future\u2026.both in this life and ultimately for eternity.<\/p>\n
Folks, Jesus came to model all of the Fruits of the Spirit for us and give us life!\u00a0 Jesus IS love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.\u00a0 These are attributes that we are to\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 increase in and show to others every day.\u00a0 Let the joy of Christmas penetrate our hearts and souls, changing us to love others as we love ourselves, and love God above all things.\u00a0\u00a0 This Christmas I pray that we would all remember a quote mistakenly attributed to the theologian John Wesley.\u00a0 We are really not sure who said it, but it is quite appropriate:<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/em><\/strong>Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Merry Christmas and God bless!\u00a0 Thank you for all the love you have shown me this year.\u00a0 I love you all!\u00a0 It is so good to be your pastor!<\/p>\n In the Lord\u2019s service till the last fish is caught, <><<\/p>\n Pastor Chris<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christ came to Earth to pay for our sins so that we could spend eternity with a Holy God.\u00a0 But it wasn\u2019t just about eternity!\u00a0 It was also about\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 today\u2026the here and now.\u00a0 Jesus said: \u201cI have come so that you may have life and have it more abundantly.\u201d\u00a0 The gift of Jesus was for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-connection-article"],"yoast_head":"\n