Everything we have is a gift from God and once you learn to appreciate what you’ve been given, giving back is a natural response. Generosity increases contentment and instead of striving for more, you enjoy what you have.
Jesus was referred to by the prophet as the “hope of Israel.” Hope always is looking ahead and those many righteous Jews down through the centuries living on tiptoe, anticipating Messiah’s coming, fulfilling the promise that He would arrive.
When was the last time you gave a gift to a loved one expecting a payment in return? Probably never because if you receive payment for a gift, it ceases to be a gift! Likewise, God’s gift of salvation has been freely given. We can’t earn it and He doesn’t expect payment for it. God wrapped His indescribable gift in eternity, equality, deity, and humility. Open it today!
In this message, Chuck Swindoll reminds us that no halo graced the head of Jesus when He was born. Nothing in His physical appearance set Him apart. And yet, this baby was God in the flesh, the eternal Son of God who came to save us from our sins.
The Christmas story is all about redemption. Just like the life-saving gift in this story, God’s gift of salvation saves us from death and gives us a fresh start.
From 2 Corinthians 12:2–10, Pastor Chuck Swindoll extracts Paul’s lessons and concludes that God’s grace is not only sufficient, but His power works best in weakness!
Paul called his disability “a thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). The downside of this “thorn” was the awful torment it brought. The benefit was that it kept Paul from being self-sufficient. The pain he endured forced him away from self-serving pride and toward an all-important discovery: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).
Strength in weakness—sounds like an oxymoron. However, when you are weak it is possible to be strong, just as Paul says in 2 Corinthians.
Tragic situations are transformed when God steps in. And He takes the most (seemingly) insignificant things to transform. Underdogs become overcomers, weaknesses turn into strengths, and obstacles are nothing but opportunities that launch significant events.
Listen to Pastor Chuck Swindoll explain how Saul experienced supernatural contentment in the harshest circumstances.
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