Weekly Once-Over (12.12.2013)
Weekly Once-Over (12.12.2013):
The Anticipation of Restoration: Christmas has been hijacked. What was meant to be a celebration of God's rescue of this world has become a frantic few weeks of stress, tension, consumerism and for many, deep depression and hurt. Even for Christians, there is a disconnect between what we say Christmas is about and what our lives show it to be about. We need to remember the story of a normal night in a nothing town when everything changed, when the long-awaited, desperately needed King was born.
3 Tips for Sharing Jesus With Others This Christmas: Even as our culture drifts away from Christendom, Christmas is still the most likely time of the year for non-Christians to consider matters of faith. Here are a few tips to help you step out of your comfort zone and talk to non-Christians in your world about Jesus.
Everlasting Joy Is Coming: Where do we find the strength to go on when our weakness and sin seems to drag us down? Listen for some good news.
The Dude's Guide To Christmas: We all want Christmas to be special, just like a scene from a movie. We want snow to be falling on Christmas Eve and we want to wake up to a warm, cozy house overflowing with gifts. More than that, we want our families to feel loved and cared for. We want what Clark Griswold wanted: for our families to grow closer over Christmas. Some of us try to force the Christmas spirit on our families, like our boy Clark. Others of us secretly hate Christmas as evidenced by our lack of passion and planning for it. Many of us are in the middle. We want Christmas to be meaningful, but we aren’t quite sure how to make that happen. Perhaps these suggestions will help you as you try to be the true and better Clark Griswold.
What To Do When You Don't 'Feel' God: These seasons of darkness are not only common, but are necessary for our maturity as followers of Jesus.
Help The Family of Slain Teacher Ronnie Smith: Buy His Excellent Book: Last week, the evangelical world was rocked by the death of Ronnie Smith, formerly a teaching pastor at the Austin Stone Community Church, who moved with his family to Libya to teach at the International School of Benghazi. On Thursday morning, gunmen shot and killed him as he was jogging near the U.S. consulate...