The Christmas story satisfies these longings of the heart. The search for significance, the desire for completeness, and the yearning for peace. We ponder these longings, among others, in quiet solitude. And perhaps share intimate thoughts about them with a few close friends. Yet, wonder why they are so scarce in our world today.
Here’s how the Christmas story speaks into them.
The Christmas story satisfies these longings of the heart. The search for significance.
Does my life matter? How can I make a difference? What is my legacy?
These ultimate questions frequently surface during the Christmas season. Because the Christmas story is about ultimate meaning. It’s a time of warmth and celebration for people surrounded by close friends and families. But lonely and full of despair for others. When you wonder if anyone cares. If there’s any real meaning to life. And contemplate your significance in it.
And the Christmas story shouts, “God cares!”
Because the story is about a God who created you. Who loves you so deeply he came to the rescue in human form. To demonstrate the depths of his love and how you can live a meaningful, abundant life that lasts forever.
The Christmas story satisfies these longings of the heart. The desire for completeness.
Of course, in honest moments, we acknowledge the brokenness in our world. Broken within each of us. And despite our best efforts, we can’t fix it.
And so perhaps, we avoid thinking about it. Shrug our shoulders and say, “well, nobody’s perfect.” Which is true. Or maybe extol our virtues to make ourselves feel more complete. Still, it’s all woefully inadequate.
But here’s the good news of the Christmas story. Because what is broken is our relationship with God. And the Savior, Christ the Lord, came to restore it. What’s missing within us is His presence. It’s what makes you complete. A gift he grants when you simply ask for it.
The Christmas story satisfies theses longings of the heart. The yearning for peace
The angels announced his arrival by singing, “Peace on earth goodwill toward men.” And yet violence surrounds us. Along with war. Injustice. Rage. And you’re wondering…just where is that peace anyway?
The answer begins with you and me. You see, peace from a Biblical perspective is not simply a lack of conflict. Or a quest for inner tranquility. Peace is represented by a right relationship that begins with God. And then others.
And Jesus is the key to that relationship. The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Through Jesus our broken relationship with God is restored. And from there we can restore our relationships with others. One relationship at a time. It is the only path to true peace.
May these longings be satisfied and your life filled with joy this Christmas season through Jesus Christ the Lord.
If the Easter story is real then it has an important meaning. One that extends from life on earth into eternity. It is this hope that millions of followers of Jesus live for. Many have died for. And why if the Easter story about a resurrected Savior is real, it should get your attention. Here are three meanings for you to consider.
If The Easter story is real it means God is pursuing you
The Easter story presents a radical idea. One you won’t find in any other religion or spiritual philosophy. That an Almighty God created you and loves you so deeply he came to earth in human form to tell you. Even more, demonstrated that love through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Other world religions and spiritual philosophies require you to pursue or placate a god. Unravel a spiritual mystery, or by your own effort, acquire some form of Godhood. Only in Christianity does God reveal himself, pursue you and declares it in his Word.
So if it’s real, then maybe you should stop running from, or ignoring God. And turn to meet him.
If the Easter story is real it means God has a plan for you
There’s a serious reason God is pursuing you and not waiting for you to reach him. Because you can’t. Scripture says it’s our sin that separates us from God. And only God can solve the problem.
That’s why Jesus came. To sacrifice himself and set us free from sin. It’s God’s eternal plan for you. To experience his freedom, forgiveness and to follow Jesus in a spiritual life of meaning and significance.
But it’s something you must want. Ask for. And receive from Jesus, the resurrected savior.
And when you do he leads you on a new path. Not always easy or pain free. But purposeful, joyful and totally worth it.
If the Easter story is real it means God has a future for you
But it’s not automatic. You must respond to God. Ask for a relationship with Jesus, and follow him. And the journey he leads you on is everlasting. In fact, one of the last things Jesus told his disciples on earth is that he was going ahead to prepare for them.
Because if Jesus was raised from the dead and appeared on earth in a resurrected body, then you can trust his promise that he will resurrect you too.
Easter was the fulfillment of Jesus’ mission. His crowning achievement. And while much of the world has mixed opinions, emotions, and beliefs about the Easter story, followers of Jesus are celebrating.
And why we proclaim with excitement on Easter Sunday: HE HAS RISEN INDEED!
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and freelance copywriter. He publishes humorous Christian drama, books and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.
The Bible story of Jesus and the adulterous woman has something to teach us today. It describes an encounter between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders who demanded his judgement over a women caught in adultery. But the lessons go beyond that.
The Bible Story Of Jesus And The Adulterous Woman Demonstrates That God Lets You Write A New Story
During this time period, adultery was a sin with a penalty of death by stoning. And the religious leaders presented to Jesus an offender caught in the act. An open and shut case. All Jesus had to do was pronounce judgement to end the story.
Because God wrote a new story with Jesus as the central character. He understands we sin. Has compassion for us. And the new story is the gospel. The good news that Jesus is the Son of God who sacrificed his life for our sin.
And because of his story, the woman could change her story.
So Jesus put the religious leaders on pause by turning the tables on them. God has a way of doing that too.
The Bible Story Of Jesus And The Adulterous Woman Demonstrates That God’s Grace Covers All Sin
Of course, the religious leaders weren’t really interested in the woman’s sin. They were challenging Jesus. Out to trip him up. Was he really serious about God’s laws? Prepared to follow through and pronounce judgment? Or would he try to wiggle out of it in the name of love?
Even today, the tug of war between God’s law and God’s grace pulls us back and forth. And Jesus appeared trapped in a no win situation.
But Jesus didn’t get rattled. Act defensive or uptight. Instead, he stooped and wrote in the dirt. We can only speculate what it said. Perhaps, he listed some sins of the accusers. The top 10 count down songs of the day. Maybe he just doodled as he prayed for a wise answer.
And when he stood, he delivered it with a divine, counter punch that challenged the moral purity of the accusers.
Maybe a good test for you and me? Before we jump on the bandwagon of our own virtue and condemn someone else, perhaps we should first consider our own righteousness?
The point is, we all sin. And the sacrifice of Jesus covers it all. There remains, of course, a tug of war between law and grace. Scripture teaches both are important. And the challenge is to avoid leaning too far either way.
The Bible Story Of Jesus And The Adulterous Woman Demonstrates That God Calls Us To Moral Purity
Although Jesus did not condemn the women, he acknowledged her sinful behavior. And challenged her to change her story by saying, “go and sin no more.”
Did she begin a new life or go right back to the old one? We don’t know. But she had the opportunity. We all do.
Ultimately, God will judge. But he prefers to offer grace. Change stories. Provide second chances. That’s what the gospel story is about.
So yes. God understands we are sinners. And has compassion for us. But that doesn’t mean he accepts a sinful lifestyle. Rather, he calls us to strive for moral excellence.
The apostle Paul compares it to a long distance race. That’s what a relationship with Jesus involves. To strive for righteousness as a Christ-follower. Knowing you won’t always succeed. But you press forward anyway. Because the stakes are high. And the rewards eternal.
The Bible Story of Ruth teaches about Godly love. It starts with the love of a daughter-in-law for her mother-in-law. Then between a man and woman. And finally, the redeeming love of God for mankind.
The Bible Story Of Ruth Teaches Godly Love Makes God A Spiritual Priority
In the Bible story, Ruth and Orpah were the daughter-in-laws to Naomi. All became widows. And life for a widow during this ancient time was difficult. Because women had little access to gainful employment. And were therefore, highly dependent on husbands and family members for support.
Naomi was a Jew, but Ruth and Orpah were a Moabites. So Naomi urged them to return to their families in Moab where they had a better chance of finding other husbands. While Naomi planned to return to her home in the land of Judah.
So Orpah returned to Moab, but Ruth stayed with Noami. Making it clear she would not only follow Naomi; she would also follow Naomi’s God.
It was not a practical decision. Because the prospect for two widows with no means of support was bleak.
For Ruth however, it was a spiritual decision. One that exercised faith. Not just in Naomi, but in Naomi’s God.
When God is a spiritual priority and you make decisions on faith, it often looks impractical from a secular viewpoint. But you do so because you know God has your back. And you don’t measure the size of your problems, but the size of your God.
The Bible Story Of Ruth Teaches Godly Love Is Redemptive
According to Jewish law at this time, a kinsman-redeemer was a male relative who acted on behalf a relative in trouble, danger, or need. And Naomi and Ruth qualified for all three.
Ruth ended up gleaning for food in the fields of a rich, Jewish man named Boaz, who just happened to be a distant relative of Naomi and qualified as a kinsman-redeemer.
And Ruth caught his attention. Not just because of her physical beauty, but also the inner beauty of her character. Like every good love story, the two fell in love, married and had a son named Obed. And in his line of descendants was Jesus Christ.
That’s why the story of Ruth is so important. It illustrates, not just how people demonstrating Godly love can redeem others, but how God redeems us.
As people separated from God by sin, we too are in spiritual need. And Jesus Christ rescues us as our kinsman-redeemer.
The Bible Story Of Ruth Teaches Godly Love Is Sacrificial
Ruth’s faith decision required a willingness to sacrifice. What if she had gone back to Moab with Orpah?
That would mean no marriage to Boaz. No son Obed. No Jesus Christ. And where would that leave us?
Of course, Jesus made a significant sacrifice too. Which involved dying on a cross and resurrection three days later. Which he did willingly to demonstrate God’s love for us.
It’s remarkable isn’t it? How God weaves what looks like so many random stories into a very clear, intentional work of redemption for mankind. But God doesn’t just care generally about humanity. He cares specifically for you. And your story. And wants to change it from bondage in sin to freedom in Christ.
But like Ruth, you have to make a spiritual decision. On faith. And accept the redeeming gift of Jesus Christ.
And when you do, you’ll experience a new kind of love story. One with a happily ever after. That lasts for eternity.
The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace teaches about Biblical integrity. Here are three lessons from this Bible story in the book of Daniel.
The Story Of Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego Teaches That Biblical Integrity Is Uncompromising
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three Jewish young men taken captive when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C. As the brightest among Jewish young men, they were educated and assigned jobs within the Babylonian empire.
But as faithful Jews, they also obeyed the ten commandments given by Moses. And the first was to worship no other gods before the God of Israel.
So when King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone in Babylon worship a golden image, they refused. Because it compromised their moral integrity to God’s command.
Today, the Bible is our guide for the Christian faith. It is God’s absolute truth for right living. Of course, we still sin, so perfection isn’t achieved. But Biblical integrity strives to live uncompromisingly according to its moral standards.
The Story Of Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego Teaches That Biblical Integrity Stands By Its Word
King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the young men brought to him and gave them a last chance. Bow before the gold image or burn in a fiery furnace. It was the ultimate test in character. Were they willing to die for their commitment to God? Yes. The three young men stood by their word. Why?
Because God stood by His word. They even audaciously claimed God could deliver them from the furnace. But even if not, they wouldn’t worship the idol.
An interesting disclaimer. What does it mean? God can deliver us, but just in case, we won’t comply because we’re religiously stubborn?
No, the point is God’s rewards aren’t always claimed in this life. But always promised in eternity. So they would stand firm. Standing by our word is still God’s expectation for us. One Jesus also consistently taught.
Such impudence made King Nebuchadnezzar really hot. Emotionally speaking that is. How dare they defy him! He ordered the furnace heated up seven times hotter than normal, the three men tied up and thrown in.
But they didn’t burn! In fact, when Nebuchadnezzar called them out of the furnace, not a hair on their head was singed. They didn’t even smell like smoke.
The Story Of Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego Teaches That Biblical Integrity Magnifies God
King Nebuchadnezzar was amazed. And perhaps a little fearful. He praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Decreed that no one in the kingdom speak against their God. And gave the three young men job promotions.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could have strutted their stuff. Proudly proclaimed, “I told you so” or present false humility–a form of pride. But they didn’t.
Instead, their integrity was based on the word and character of God. Rather than elevate themselves, they elevated the name of God.
And that is what Biblical integrity does. Rather than herald your accomplishments or abilities, it proclaims the glory of God. It honors and magnifies His name.
The uncompromising integrity of these three young Jewish men influenced an entire Babylonian nation. And in today’s world of moral ambiguity, the integrity of God’s people influences the culture today.
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