Then one night as you and your friends sit out by the fire watching for predators, something truly startling occurs. The sky begins to burn brightly as if it is on fire and then angels begin to descend. Even the best and bravest of us would be freaking out.

So what would it take to calm you down? What thing could these heavenly beings say that would put you at ease? Well, when this scene that I just described actually occurred over 2,000 years ago, the message was pretty straightforward, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Fear not, that part seems pretty self explanatory, but what about the rest? What was this news and why was it good? To answer that question, you only need look in the mirror. Man is born with a nature that is totally corrupted by sin. We are separated from the creator who made us because we have rebelled against Him. We are lost in the darkness without any light to show us the way back home.

Then enters one man. But He is no ordinary man. He is the very Son of God, come to earth in the form of a baby. His mission is to live a sinless life, die a horrible death, and pay the sin debt that we rightly owed so that if we receive His forgiveness and claim His sacrifice by faith, then we can be welcomed into His family. We can see that light. We can find our way home.

This is what made that evening in Bethlehem so many years ago so special. The message of the angels was a message of hope. A message of deliverance. They might as well have said, Fear not, for I bring you the gospel. The word gospel means “good news” and it was indeed good news that they brought.

I hope that you will ponder this good news and receive it if you have not already. Then you like the shepherds will have the best reason to glorify and praise God.

Merry Christmas from Clapham Community!

If I took the opportunity to list all of the things that the Lord has blessed me with, this post would be too long to read. Instead, I want to focus on one particular blessing that surpasses all the others. The one thing for which I am most thankful is that God has given me Himself.

I have spent many seasons of my life focused on things that I wanted and didn’t have or on things that I thought were important but turned out to be a disappointment. In all of this distraction and frustration God has always been there speaking softly, sometimes just whispering, calling me back to Himself. He knows that our greatest need is for Him, not what He can provide us, but Him and Him above all. It is this sweet and mystical union with Him that makes food tastier, relationships meaningful, laughter deeper, and life purposeful.

Scottish theologian and pastor Henry Scougal put it best when he wrote

God hath long contended with a stubborn world, and thrown down many a blessing upon them; and when all his other gifts could not prevail, he at last made a gift of himself.

So when I think of all that I am thankful for this holiday, at the top of my list is Christ. I pray that we will not be distracted by so many good things that we miss out on the best thing of all. Christ is the greatest gift and for this I am thankful.

I strongly urge you to watch the 180 documentary. It only takes 33 minutes but the shocking power of truth will open your eyes. If you know Christ as savior it will encourage you and open your eyes. It will also be a powerful witnessing tool that you can share with your unbelieving friends.

Daniel is the Director of College Ministry and worship leader at my home church Providence Baptist. Daniel has to be one of the most refreshingly understated worship singer/songwriters in the business. He is theologically sound in his lyrical expression in a way that conveys the warmth and richness of the gospel message. His use of the English language to convey these deep truths is simplicity itself. I highly urge you if you have never taken a look at Daniel’s repertoire to wisely invest the time to do so. The worship experience that inevitable will result will make your affections glow with gospel fervor.

For your listening pleasure, I include a link to the following song that he wrote to accompany the Treasuring Christ children’s Sunday School Curriculum

http://youtu.be/artaAVw6mvI

Daniel’s music can be found on itunes at the following address: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/daniel-renstrom/id272599021

We Have Been Adopted And That Means Something

Why is the family of God so important? If you already have a family that you are born into and you go to a good church, what is the big deal about “the family of God”? Why do I need another family?

We explored these questions and more this past week in our youth small groups at my church. I was amazed at how well our youth get it. I stood in front of a group of 6th graders and heard them articulate how before Christ they were orphans but now after receiving Him they are adopted. Ive known adults that didnt get anywhere near this close to understanding the point of Ephesians 1.

The reality is that we are adopted into God’s family, He is our father and that makes us brothers and sisters. Yes moms and dads are called to be moms and dads but that the goal of parents should be to train their children how to be their brothers and sisters in Christ. After all, in heaven there will only be one Father. Our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ will long out live the other relationships we have here on this earth.