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By Dr. T.E. Merriweather Gipson Christmas can really be summed up in the most famous verse in the Bible: “God so LOVED the world that HE GAVE his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!” (John 3:16) That’s the whole purpose of Christmas…God so loved the world. God so loved the world that He gave the very first Christmas gift…the gift of His Son. It’s the greatest gift you’re ever going to receive.
To build the foundation of this article I want to read Romans 8:32, “Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, then can we not expect that, with him, God will freely give us ALL his gifts?” So, if God loves you enough to send Jesus Christ to come and die on the cross for you, he loves you enough to take care of all your other needs. Have you ever received a gift inside of a gift? You get a box; you open it up and there’s another box inside. You open it up and there’s still another box inside that one. Inside one gift is a bunch of other little gifts. At Christmas, God’s gift to you is Jesus Christ. That’s the big box that God gives you. But inside the big box are many other smaller gifts. Yet all of God’s gifts are wrapped in Jesus.
By: Dr. T.E. Merriweather Gipson People often say, “The spirit of Christmas is giving.” I’m going to shock you, but that’s wrong. The spirit of Christmas is not giving. Giving is a subset…a little box. It’s an application. The spirit of Christmas is not actually giving. The spirit of Christmas is actually receiving God’s gift to you. 1. God gives me a new identity.
Most people get their identity from one of three things: from their work, from their relationships, or from their possessions. Let me give you some very important advice as a pastor who loves you. Never, never, ever, ever base your identity on something you can lose. Never. If you build your identity around a relationship and you lose it, what happens to your identity? If you build your identity on your career, or on your job, and you lose it, you get fired, you get laid off, what happens to your identity? If you build your identity on your possessions and you lose them what happens to your identity? I’ve seen the rich become poor and most lost their identity. If you build your identity on your looks – remember…beauty fades. If you build your identity on something that can be taken from you, you’re going to lose it because it’s not your true identity. The only thing that cannot be taken away from you is God’s unconditional love.
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By Dr. T.E. Merriweather Gipson So, the first gift you receive from God is a new identity. But there’s a second gift God has for you. 2. God gives you new ability…through His Spirit. Not just a new identity, God gives me new ability. He gives me a new power, new energy, new strength, new capacity through His Spirit. You’re not just depending on willpower to change. How often do we try to change things in our lives on our own, but discover that approach doesn’t work? You eventually get tired or discouraged and give up. You don’t need will power; you need God’s power. God says he’s going to give you new ability.
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He says he’s not just going to be Around you. He’s going to put his Spirit IN you. Romans 5:5 says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” God’s Spirit is His second gift. He says I’m not just going to be working ON you – I’m going to be working IN you. Let’s be honest. We know the right things to do. We know the changes we want to make in our lives. We have the desire, but we don’t have the ability. God says I’m going to give you the desire and the ability to fulfill my purpose for your life. God’s Spirit gives you the ability and the power to keep going.
By Dr. T.E. Merriweather Gipson It’s not about trying it’s about trusting. It’s not about willpower, it’s about God’s power. It’s not about guilt, it’s about grace. It’s not about legalism, it’s about love. Love is what changes us and the more I’m filled with God’s love the more power I have to change. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God does not give us a spirit of fear, but instead He fills us with power, love, and self-discipline.” What an Amazing God!
CRISIS TOOLKIT FOR CHURCHES Here's what's inside the Crisis Toolkit Get access to a digital community designed to empower you to stand with other leaders, your people and community, even when you’re apart. Take the National Weekly Pastor Poll & See Results 1. Track the changing needs, demands, and health of pastors with weekly results and expert analysis. 2. Give your voice to the conversation and be heard. 3. Filtered by church size, location, denomination, and more. Send Customizable Weekly Check-Ins 1. Establish a cadence of connection with your community. 2. Four customizable surveys let you check in with your people, leadership teams, and the community as a whole. 3. Results are displayed in your personal dashboard. Get started absolutely free. No strings attached. When you sign up to create an account, you're accessing resources you can trust and opening new ways to connect with and engage your people and community in the gap between face-to-face meetings. www.stateofthechurch.com/churchpulseweekly
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CHURCH MINISTRY FUNDING GUIDE HOW TO THRIVE DURING COVID-19 IN 2020 AND BEYOND BY JOE PARK This funding guide is designed to: • Give you a framework to assess where you are right now and determine what’s next. • Equip you to identify what urgently needs your attention to reach your full ministry potential. • Provide a foundation to invite your staff, volunteer leaders, and financial leaders into shaping your ministry plan and funding plan for the remainder of 2020 and beyond. • Ensure you continue to make disciples and fund ministry while the social distancing restrictions are still in place until COVID-19 is eradicated. To help you realize these benefits, in the pages that follow you’ll find contextual information as well as key questions around each focus area to help you discern where you are right now and what you need to do next.
WWW.HORIZONS.NET
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