Perspective On Christmas

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Christmas 2018
How hard is it to see Jesus because of Christmas.
Where does our faith come from
We try to get our faith from
Faith from our feelings
Faith from our experiences
Faith from traditions
Faith from religious leaders.
What takes us so long to grow our faith
We need to have a trusted source.
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬
We hear the message. But how do we respond to it.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬
A little acorn can turn into a big tree
Some of us just wants to stay the acorn.
““Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:3-8, 13-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.us/111/mrk.4.3-8,13-20.niv
How soft and open am I to gods word.
We need to allow God into a soft heart.
When we are not growing as a christian it is because something else became more important that our salvation.