Sunday, at Centerpointe Church, we begin a new sermon series called "An Everyday Story." I have to say that I am very excited about it for multiple reasons. Yes, I love celebrating Christmas and the holiday season. I love the music and the atmosphere the season brings. And we will have all of that in each of our services.
But there is more to this series than those things.
This series speaks to what I believe our church should be doing throughout the year: Inviting, Welcoming, Growing and Serving.
We begin this week by examining the message of the angels to the shepherds. The angels in Luke 2 invited the shepherds to Bethlehem to meet the Savior of the World. Their lives were changed and they became the messengers of hope. In the same way, we are invited to meet the Savior and experience the joy He brings.
The second week is about belonging. It is all about authentic and loving relationships. My wife Esther is speaking about the story of Elizabeth and how she welcomed Mary, a young, single and pregnant cousin into her home. It is Christianity at its best.
The third week Pastor David will share a message about the wise men offering their gifts to Jesus. Each gift was meaningful in the life and death of Jesus. We each have gifts to bring to Jesus.
Finally, on the last week, I will come back to the angels and their new mission after meeting Jesus. We have to be as passionate about sharing God's love as the shepherds were.
This leads us to one of my favorite services of the year: Christmas Eve. It is a time of personal reflection and a great time to spend a couple of minutes thinking about the true meaning of Christmas.
I am believing God that Centerpointe Church will be full of guests in December, because my desire is for us to see many people introduced to Jesus.