We started our new message series yesterday on the Grinch's of Christmas. I love the Grinch story! It was just a couple weeks ago that I was watching it with my kids that I noticed how much meaning is behind just a simple story. The next few weeks we will be talking about the Grinch's that try to steal Christmas away from us.
This past week we talked about the Grinch of Stress. Isn't true that Christmas is a stressful time for some. Just go to the malls and you can see stress written all over people's faces. God wants to teach us a few things about stress.
1. God wants us to see His purpose in stress- When we are stressed, things can get ugly. I remember working at Toys R Us at Christmas time and seeing how mean people get. Maybe God wants to teach us about our character when we are stressed. What do I become when I get stressed. Am I irritable, angry, emotional? Don't ask God why am I going through this stress but ask God, "What do you want to teach me?"
2. God wants us to see His presence in stress- Psalms 23 is a great example of how David when to God in his stress. David said things like, "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters, yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me." How could David say such a thing? David has the presence of God in his life. We have a choice in our stress. Will I draw near to God's presence or away from God's presence? It is our choice entirely.
God is not the author of stress, but God may want to work in our stress for an eternal glory. Remember that next time you get stressed out!
Monday, November 27, 2006
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3 comments:
This is definitely one of those times during the year where we all get stressed. Sounds like a great series. I like keeping up with your ministry by reading your blog, it is very encouraging. God bless
What a great sermon on Sunday!! Whenever I start to feel stressed out now, I will run to God for the RAID - Reject Anger Impatience and Distress! (Kills on contact and keeps killing.) Thanks Pastor Todd for your memorable teaching!
Don't you think that the only reason we have such a hard time with this time of year is because we make too much out of a "tradition of man"?? We as a Church in the world and a nation have made the Christmas idea an idol almost... God never comanded us to celebrate Jesus birth, and i really doubt he is in Heaven upset that some try to take the Christ out of it and replace it with an "x" or as a Holiday. Wasn't the whole Christ-Mass thing a Catholic idea to compete with pagan rituals at the same times and seasons??
just asking...
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