Sermon Cloud

"How the Grinch Steals your Christmas"

Big Idea: 

Christmas means God is With Us and all that is His Can Be Ours

"The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)."  matthew1/23nlt (isaiah7/14)

"God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth... to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph... The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus... ‘How will this be... since I am a virgin?'  The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God... For nothing is impossible with God.'  ‘I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said'... ... Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly... luke1/26>38; matthew1/18>19

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  proverbs3/5>6

I must re-order my life...

From My Plans to Trusting God

"(Mary was) pledged to be married to a man named Joseph..." luke1/26

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart..." proverbs3/5

From Doubt to Obedience

(Mary) "How will this be..."  luke1/34

"...lean not on your own understanding"  proverbs3/5

From Confusion to Faith

(Mary) "‘May it be to me as you have said'...'  luke1/38

"...in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight ." proverbs3/6

From Self to Others

"Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly..." matthew1/19