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Advent 2009
Giving and Receiving
Christmas Presence
Rev. J. Paul Brunstetter, preaching
November 29 - December 24
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 more than 50 years ago, one of the
characters complains that most people are too caught up in the material
aspect of the holiday. It has probably always been this way. As long as
Christmas has been celebrated, I'm sure there have been people warning
us about the dangers of it becoming too self-serving.
When did Christmas become all about us? Jesus didn't
even make Christmas about him. He made it about giving his life for the
world God loves. And as you look at the story of how God entered
this world, the stark reality of what Christ’s birth was like stands in
contrast to the Madison Avenue version with angels, glitter and gold,
and cheap plastic Santas and snowmen.
This Advent series will try to get us past that. Over these weeks,
we’re going to look at ways we can make this a Christ-centered
Christmas—one in which we grow closer to him and connect with our loved
ones on a deeper level; one in which we learn to avoid the craziness
that often plagues our lives in December, and in which we discover, in
the process, what Christmas is really all about. And maybe, in doing so,
we can really get in touch with the priority of what God wants to do in
the world and in our lives.
— Rev. J. Paul Brunstetter, Senior Pastor
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THE GAME OF LIFE:
Biblical Lessons Learned From Coaching
I love sports. Sad to say, there may have been a time
when my participation in sports was more important than my education.
But then again, sports provided a form of education. Some of my
coaches, especially those who were Christian, played important roles in
my life development.
My years spent coaching (high school basketball, soccer, track and
field, tennis, golf, and gymnastics) grew out of my love for the game,
but more importantly, were fueled by a desire to help impact the lives
of the young men and women. During this time I enjoyed doing Bible
studies with many players and came to understand my own philosophies of
the game were principles in the Bible. Indeed, understanding these
principles not only made me a better coach, but better at life in
general.
This series of sermons will just scratch the surface of some of these
values, but I hope will help you understand some of the parallels in
life. You don’t need to be a sports fan - whether your interests are in
personal and spiritual development, or success in business, career,
relationships, church, or life in general, we all could benefit from
reflecting upon these themes.
After all, the games we play are, in many ways, a
shadowing of the game of life.
“Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who
competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a
crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last
forever.” (I Corinthians 9:24-25)
The Game of
Life
September
13: I. Keep It Simple (Hebrews 12:1-2
20: II. Practice Makes Perfect! (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews
12:3-13; Matthew 5:46-48)
27: III. Focus on Effort, Not on Winning (Philippians 3:12-14)
October
4: IV. No “I” in Teamwork (Psalm 133:1-3; Colossians 4:7-18; Romans
15:5)
11: V. The Effectiveness of a Well-Timed Time Out (Mark 1:29-34)
18: VI. The Team That Makes the Most Mistakes – WINS! (John 21:1-14)
25: VII. Bouncing Back from Defeat (John 21: 15-19)
November
1: VIII. Finish Strong! (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
8: Laity Sunday
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