Under Wraps - Week 5 A Season of Joy Scriptures Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalm 96 NIV) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:8-14) Discussion Starters At this special time, God welcomes each of us home—home to a special gift that’s just for us, but we have to unwrap it. The gift is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We experience true joy when we say yes to that relationship and unwrap the gift. God loves each of us. God is jealous and wants our full attention. Yet God is faithful to us. God waits expectantly at the door. The gift is here. All you have to do is unwrap it. Those of us who have already unwrapped the gift celebrate with you. We invite you to share the joy of knowing that God loves you more than you can fully comprehend. God loves you today, tomorrow, forever. What can you expect after you’ve unwrapped the gift? A life of joy. A journey that will take you to places you’ve never imagined. Tonight God says, “I’m here. I’ve been waiting for you. I love you.” Welcome home.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 01:49:45 +0000
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