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Christmas Card

You may have heard Christians say, "They will know us by our love." They are referring to John 13:35.  It says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  

This is a verse that has been on my mind lately. As the holiday season gets rolling the pace of life seems to pick up.  The "to do" list includes decorations, baking, and shopping for gifts. There are Christmas parties to attend and movies to watch. It's easy to get caught up in the litany of things to do and pass over the opportunity presented by the season.  

As the shopping centers get crowded and tempers rise, we have a chance to be different.  By sharing kindness and grace we can make a small impact in our circles. The things of this world take over in our modern Christmas season. By anchoring ourselves in Jesus we can be different when someone runs into us with a shopping cart or cuts us off in the parking lot. 

They say supply chain will impact the gifts you may want to give.  This seems to add to the frenzied mentality. I think it is a tremendous opportunity for us as Christians. We can purposely choose to give another gift this Christmas season. A gift that will never break or fade away. When you are staring at a shelf with the last of the season's hottest item, be the glimmer of light and let them have it.

We get to love and show the world that we follow Jesus.  Maybe by our example, someone will choose to check out church this Christmas and hear the Gospel for the first time. Through our kindness someone who has been hurt by the church may decide to give it another try. They may see that there is an entire group of people who love in a way that they stand out from the rest of the world.  

Last week Pastor Tim shared that we have these cards with our Christmas service times printed on them.  I encourage you to take a handful and share them with people you encounter. Embrace the season and the opportunity it presents.  Choose to show love in the me-centric, materialistic modern Christmas season.  Let everyone know you follow Jesus by the way you love and live. Then do something bold and invite them to join us at Westside. 

Merry Christmas,

Matt



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