Recognizing Divine Interruptions

Matthew 1:18-25:

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, ...

The Neglected Joseph Davidson

Introduction

I think I had better introduce myself. My name is Joseph Davidson. Many of you already know me. I've been hanging around Christmas for a long ...

If Christ Had Not Come

Several years ago, a group of historians met and asked a number of intriguing questions. What if the Moors had won in the great historic battle in Spain? ...

The Hard Side of Epiphany

From the editor:

January 6th is Epiphany—the day that many Western Christians commemorate the visitation of the Magi to Jesus. With that date just ...

The Wise Men Cry Glory

From the editor:

Here's a great sermon from one of our featured preachers—Mark Buchanan—that explores the story of the Magi and Herod through ...

The Christmas Plunge

From the editor:

Who doesn't love reflecting on the amazing story of Mary, a teenage girl swept up in something so unexpected, so epic? The Incarnation ...

A Tiny Gift—Strangely Wrapped, Silently Delivered

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:15
Topic: How God wrapped the indescribable gift of Jesus.

From the editor:

It's not yet Thanksgiving, but we suspect you are well ...

God's Protection and Delight

The Refining Love of God

Introduction

In this Advent season, we are looking at the theme of God's promise of better days for our lives. That is the hope of Advent and Christmas, ...

The Power of Hope

Introduction

In this Advent season, we are looking at the theme of God's promise of better days for our lives. That is the hope of Advent and Christmas: ...

The Peace Jesus Brings

Introduction

In this Advent season, we are looking at the theme of God's promise of better days for our lives. That is the hope of Advent and Christmas, ...

What Child Is This Who Came Not to Bring Peace?

From the editor

One of the more popular texts in the Advent and Christmas season is Isaiah 9:1–7. Preachers love to explore the beauty of our having ...

Immanuel

From the editor

Here's a short, to-the-point Christmas sermon from Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, and author ...

The Virgin Birth

From the editor:

In the conversations I've had with seekers, Paul's assertion in 1 Corinthians 1:23 is spot on: the mysterious death of Christ is quite ...

God in Our Sorrow

Text: Isaiah 53; John 11
Topic: How God meets us even in our sorrow

From the editor:

You can be so enraptured by the sights, sounds, and smells of the Christmas ...

Simeon: A Song of Hope

Introduction

In the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted a famous experiment that has come to be known as "The Marshmallow Test." Groups of 4-years ...

Mary: A Song of Trust

Introduction

A lot of people travel at Christmas. During this time of the year, many of us would like to be with family to celebrate, so we load up the ...

Angels: A Song of Peace

Introduction

We've been looking at Christmas songs preserved for us in Scripture. Some, like Zechariah's song last week, are completely foreign to most ...

Zechariah: A Song of Faith

Introduction

As familiar as we are with the songs of Christmas, there are four songs recorded in the Bible sung by people surrounding the birth of Jesus ...

God on the Ground

From the editor

In this sermon, Knute Larson examines the Incarnation through an Old Testament lens. Learn ways to help your audience make connections ...

Herod the Great

Topic: Which king will you choose?
Text: Matthew 2:1–8

Introduction

If we look at facts and figures, "Herod the Great" had a pretty good administration. ...

Redneck Christmas

Editor's note: The following monologue is delivered in character by a shepherd named Larry. There was a live nativity scene on stage for the Children's ...

Prepare for God's Visitation

Introduction

I have a friend named John who is a medical doctor. He was once making a commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean, when a teenage boy who ...

Expect God's Visitation

Introduction

In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge lies down on Christmas Eve hoping to enjoy a good night's rest. In the course ...

The Miracle of Christmas

Introduction

In Luke 11:33–35, Jesus says, "Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live in wide-eyed wonder and belief, your body ...

The Promise of Better Days

Introduction

As a 5th grader at Cornelia Elementary School in Edina, Minnesota, I always felt sorry for a fellow student named Gary. With his high squeaky ...

If Jesus Had Never Been Born ...

Text: John 1:14–18
Topic: What the world would be like if Jesus had not been born

Introduction

Several years ago, a group of historians met and asked ...

Be Prepared

Introduction

Most of us have heard of Billy Graham. Since the 1950s, Dr. Graham has conducted hundreds of evangelistic crusades throughout the world. Most ...

The True Spirit of Christmas

Introduction

In one Peanuts comic strip, Lucy was saying that Christmas is a time for kindness and a time to forgive one another. Charlie Brown says: "Why ...

A Christmas To-Do List

Introduction

Most of us have heard the Christmas story so many times that we think we know what it's all about, but the fact is we might have passed over ...

The Bad News About Jesus ...

Introduction

Charles Swindoll has written a rather telling poem about what many feel on the day after Christmas:

'Twas the day after Christmas, When all ...

The Love That Brought Him

Introduction

One of the greatest Georgians who ever lived was Bishop Arthur Moore, the beloved Methodist bishop of our state. Bishop Moore once said that ...

Christ's Birth and Your Birth

Introduction

On the wall in my church study, I have a precious photograph that was taken in a hospital room a couple of years ago. It's a picture of a ...

Christmas Through Heaven's Eyes

Introduction

Jesus did not deserve to be hung on a wooden cross to suffer for the sins of the human race. While that's exactly what the Christmas story ...

Merry Tifton

Introduction

Once upon a time, long ago and far away in a strange land, there lived a man by the name of John Baresford Tifton—a man of incredible ...

Christmas Through Mary's Eyes

Introduction

December 21st is the shortest day of the year. On that day, something happens that makes human beings look out at the world—and particularly ...

For Better, but Worse

Introduction

When the great Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer, he began a speech as ...

Dream Child

Introduction

A man shared with me that for years he went to church and watched as the advent candle was lit by these beautiful families, so well-dressed ...

Long Past Prime

Introduction

One of the happiest memories I have from this past Easter was the chance to see Judy and Ralph's daughter, Katie, coming into her prime. I ...

The Neglected Joseph Davidson

Text: Matthew 1:18–25
Topic: The Christmas story from Joseph's perspective

Who was Joseph?

I think I had better introduce myself. My name is Joseph ...

Christmas 365 Days a Year

Introduction

We often talk about the night before Christmas, but what do you think about on the morning after Christmas? I've been thinking about this ...

Great Expectations

Introduction

There is a lot of hype to the holidays. We buy presents; we attend countless parties and holiday events. We travel to see relatives. We ...

Make Room

Introduction

There is a wonderful story that comes out of the treasury of Jewish humor about a family from the lower east side of New York City. The ...

A Perfect Christmas

Introduction:

There was a church in the northern part of the United States that had held a Christmas pageant for forty-seven years with the same director. Perfection ...

What Christmas Is All About

Every year I tell myself that I should keep a list of all the things people say Christmas is supposed to be about—because every year it seems the ...

God Is with Us

When Jesus came into the world 2,000 years ago, he changed history. Not just because he taught a new ethic to live by—though he certainly did that. ...

The God Who Is There

Note: this message follows the lectionary reading for December 27, but obviously can be preached before Christmas if you change the introduction.

Do ...

The Gift of Jesus

For the last three weeks we've been talking about the gifts that God has given us. Today, we're going to talk about the greatest gift of all—the ...

A Christmas List for Family and Friends

For as long as I can remember, I've heard people complain that Christmas is too commercial. Even in the movie A Miracle on 34th Street, which was filmed ...

How to Beat the Holiday Blues

There's a myth that during the Christmas holiday season suicides increase. It's not really true. In fact, The Mayo Clinic reports that a recent 35-year ...