We love all the festive decorations, candles, lights, trees, and ribbons of Christmas around our house. In fact, Christmas music has been ringing and singing through our place since the beginning of November… or maybe even October. Memories of snowball fights, goofy red sweaters, sleigh rides, and hot chocolate warm my soul. How about you?
My wife, Stephanie, is always so creative and witty about our decorations. Here’s a picture of our living room right now:
Christmas 2015 at the Breznau Home
Yet through all the warm memories, shopping, and decorations, let’s recall the heart of Christmas. The Bible, God’s grand narrative of redemption and the coming kingdom, is a story most of all about Him.
Sure, there are many interesting men and women woven into the storyline of God’s Word. Kings and queens, small shepherd boys, villagers, carpenters, priests, and tax collectors all have intriguing parts in the Bible. The decisions of Abraham, the leadership of Moses, the perseverance of Ruth, the choices of David, and the courage of Esther teach us important lessons of wisdom, truth, love, and justice.
However, the Bible is primarily (and wonderfully) directing all readers toward one central character: Jesus the Christ. He is the heart of Christmas. The Bible beckons us to behold the glories of God’s love in the Good News of Jesus. Foretold in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, all those lost in darkness are called to come home to God’s love.
As we move toward our celebration of Christmas Day and just beyond, we here at North Park Baptist Church are going to journey home through four key trail-markers in Scripture:
- The Promise (Jer. 23:1-8; Isa. 9:2-7) – THIS Sunday at 10:30am
- The Anticipation (Zech. 3:6-10; 8:1-8, 22-23; Micah 4:1-7) –Sunday, Dec. 13 at 9:00am and 10:45am
- The Fulfillment (Matt. 1:1-25; Luke 2:25-38) – Sunday, Dec. 20 at 9:00am and 10:45am
- The Consummation (Dan. 7:9-14; Rev. 5:6-14; 19:1-6) –Sunday, Dec. 27 at 10:30am
Would you join me in praying for personal revival in all our lives as we return to the heart of Christmas together? Would you pray with me that men, women, and children will come home to God’s love through saving faith in Jesus Christ as we communicate the Gospel at North Park Baptist Church? Thank you! 
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)
Upcoming Sermons Here:
As we progress through The Heart of Christmas series, I’ll be posting the audio podcasts below, so that you can listen in or share the messages with a friend.
You can listen to these four messages by clicking the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
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