Tomorrow marks a New Year and often there is a desire to make a resolution about how next year will be different then this year. So how will you make 2009 different from 2008?
Here at Free Union we will begin a new sermon series this upcoming Sunday. I will be breaking down our vision statement: Refreshed, Renewed, Revitalized. I will also be focusing on our purpose statement, “Being revitalized into a relevant church reaching our community for Christ!”
God has been placing within my heart some exciting visions that will grew out of 2009!
Until then begin to wrap your mind around the first sermon of the new series:
“Refreshed”: 2nd Corinthians 12:1-10

Blessings!
- Pastor Kevin

Christmas is just two days away and I ask, “are you ready?”
Laura and I did something freeing this year. Other then one last minute Christmas gift on Sunday, we finished our shopping back around Thanksgiving. Of course I mean the royal “we”. Laura shopped, picked out, asked me for my opinion which was followed by some mumbling and then I stood in line to pay for what was picked out.
Right now I am reveling in what has been a peaceful week. I don’t do a Christmas eve service, not because I don’t believe in it, but because so many others do it. Free Union Baptist celebrate there Christmas eve service the Sunday before Christmas.
This past Sunday night we had 35 worship with us. Our hearts were lifted up with music provided by Valerie and David Long, Sandy and Doug Harris, and Bradley Rogers. I always enjoy quality music and that is what was provided for us this past weekend.

I want to leave you with some Christmas thoughts, not mine mind you but some that I found on a friends blog:

The One who created all things, left that which was comfortable in order to take on a form that was unnatural.

The Creator became created.

The Omnipotent One became dependent.

The One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills was born in abject poverty.

He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we may have life.

Today I received an email from the SBCV executive director Jeff Ginn. It was a story on the Wright brothers first flight and the telegram that was sent to their sister in Dayton, OH. Instead of focusing on the fact the Wright brothers had made history by the first flight, the local newspaper focused on the fact that the boys would be back in town for Christmas.
So often at this time of year we can get caught up in the moment of Christmas that we miss completely the message of Christmas.
With two small children it has been interesting to watch people interact with them during this time of year. Hallie has been asked several times if she has written a letter to Santa and if she knows what she wants for Christmas. People have been down right furstrated with her when she answers no. And of course the people looked at Laura and I like we have programmed our daughter to think she is getting nothing for Christmas. But with that quiet voice Laura simply tells Hallie to let the people know why we celebrate Christmas. And Hallie, as only a cute 4 year old can do, simply says “we celebrate Jesus’ birth.”
Not all of my theology comes from books and sometimes the greatest thoughts of God come from the lips of my wife. Yesterday in the car on the way home, Laura stated that what upsets her most is that people begin to believe that they receive their Christmas blessings based on whether they have been good or not. And if a child does not receive that gift then apparently they were bad. But that isn’t the message of Christmas. Grace came down from heaven for us regardless of our behavior, regardless of whether we are good or bad. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
There is the message of Christmas. It is not merely a moment that happens while we sit around the Christmas tree opening presents. It is the ever present message of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This year celebrate the message of Christmas.