A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away?

One of the tasks I do at Emmanuel Baptist Church, and I love doing it, is writing up the weekly email we send out.  Not sure how many people read the whole thing but one of the reasons I love doing it is because it helps me focus on what God is teaching me in my Bible reading, lesson preparation, sermon listening and living life in general.

I wanted to share a couple of thoughts I had in my writing that email this morning, the day after Joel and I watched Star Wars:  The Force Awakens.  [Disclaimer with no spoilers:  I REALLY enjoyed the movie.]

Below is part of the email I sent to Lauri, the administrative assistant at church.  My additional comments are in red.

Here is an email for today.

It may be a little long but as I was reading the advent (http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/the-christmas-model-for-missions) devotional this morning and thinking about Christmas, it was challenging to be short. 

Joel and I went to see Star Wars last night and it was a great story and movie

BUT I was thinking this morning about Christmas and the Gospel, I was thinking how much MORE AWSESOMER (I know, not great English) this story is. 

And my job, as a pastor, is to consider it, teach it, share it, trust it.  How much more personal it is than a story from “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”

Going off again on a slight rabbit trail.

I love the fact that Joel and I have some common interests like sci-fi, especially Star Wars.  

Even more so I am hoping and praying and trying to lead Joel and the rest of my family to love God.

Here is my personal, slight tweak to the David Platt quote to the left.

"My goal in parenting is not ultimately that my kids like the same things I love, or enjoy the same hobbies, or play the sports I love.  My goal is for them to love my Great God."

Anyways, here is possible email but know that if you edit anything out, you will be ripping my heart out  : )

  

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Merry Christmas!!  God is with us!! Take the Word to the World!!

An appropriate seasonal greeting, our Christmas series title and 2015’s theme?
What do they have in common?

  EVERYTHING!!!!

The advent reading on today’s advent reading on church app’s daily reading link and today’s  ekidzministry.blogspot.com post is entitled “The Christmas Model for Missions.”  The devotional is taken from John 17:18.

“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

The devotional goes on to say 

“Christmas is a model for missions. Missions is a mirror of Christmas. As I, so you.”

At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God, the father sent Jesus, God the Son, to face danger and death for God’s glory!

Because of what Jesus Christ did in his life, death and resurrection and why He did it, we need to face dangers in this world.

But here is the big conclusion in the devotional.

“The greatest danger a missionary faces is to distrust the mercy of God.”

We can and should take the Word to the World because God, himself, had a plan to send His Son

as not merely an example of self-sacrifice and love but even more so a personal, wrath-appeasing, life-giving Savior.

Then it was better that Jesus go, so that the Holy Spirit would come and we could go with His power to the ends of the earth.

Are you trusting in God?

What is your next step in helping EBC take the Word to the World?

As we celebrate the gift of God’s grace and mercy, Jesus, and prepare to enter a new year,

how are you planning to grow in your faith and trust in God?

For more go to today’s blog at www.blog.emmanuelbaptist.com