Sermon Info
Summary
Together, let's live as Christmas people, not just during the holidays. Let's live like Christ when we walk into our workplaces, when we interact with our families, when we enter our kids' schools and are a part of their activities, and when we get to know our neighbors. Everywhere we go, let's make a difference and live with an eternal perspective, knowing and trusting that we're in Christ – and He's made us new. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Content
Living as Christmas People Every Day
Christmas is over. It’s time to start boxing up the decorations, putting up the tree, and saying goodbye to family members in town. Every year, the “after Christmas” lull hits. The cheery feeling of Christmas fades, as the lights come down and the bright, fun Christmas music no longer plays on the radio or in stores. A shift happens as the days pass from December to January.
But that doesn’t mean that, as we are putting the Christmas decorations away, we box up Jesus with them. That doesn’t mean our joy and hope fades with the season. As Christians, our job is to live as “Christmas people” every single day. We are called to live like Jesus and to reflect all that the Christmas season means each day of our lives because we have the Holy Spirit in us and Christ’s love on display.
That means that when we interact with our families – those we live with or those we just see from time to time – with the love of Jesus. We talk to them about what God’s doing in our lives. We pray with and for them, showing them that we care deeply about them, but, even more than that, so does Jesus. We point them to Christ when hard things happen, and we are there as a helping hand through every difficult moment. We are a light to our families every day.
That means we are a light in our workplaces. We are fair and honest, no matter what those around us say or do. We are hardworking and show that we are working for the Lord and not for the world. We are kind and loving, and we care for our coworkers beyond what they can do for us. We invite them into our lives and families as our friends, and we share with them the Good News of Jesus when given the opportunity.
That means we use our kids’ schools and extracurricular activities as an avenue to put the Gospel on display. We are faithful, reliable parents who make our kids a priority in our lives. We are present parents, and we build relationships with the other parents and let them know that we care for them as individuals. We create margin in our schedules to have conversations with them that show them what we believe and encourage them to join us at church or a church-related activity.
That means we are intentional in our neighborhoods. We believe that the Gospel really does come with a house key, that we are inviting our neighbors into our homes and our hearts, that we know them by name. We are welcoming and hospitable, taking every chance to show them the love and grace of Christ, even if our living room may be a mess. We are a neighbor that our neighbors can come to when help is needed, and we don’t run out the door with something better to do. We are kind and bold and faithful in all things.
We will never do this perfectly, but these are ways that we can strive for what God has created His children to be. Together, let's live as Christmas people, not just during the holidays. Let's live like Christ when we walk into our workplaces, when we interact with our families, when we enter our kids' schools and are a part of their activities, and when we get to know our neighbors. Everywhere we go, let's make a difference and live with an eternal perspective, knowing and trusting that we're in Christ – and He's made us new.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17
