Christmas and Christmas Eve Resources

1. A Great Light (Sermon for Candlelight Service)
2. Candlelight Service
3. Candlelight Service (Short Version)
4. No Room In The Inn
5. What Was Seen At Bethlehem
6. A Service Of Light

How a Baby Changed the World

1. Get Ready
2. John the Baptist and Mrs. Nolan
3. God's Will for Your Life
4. How a Baby Changed the World
5. How About Some Applause for the Creator?

The 2,000 Year-Old Preacher

1. Ready!
2. Stay—Tuned
3. Hark, The Herald... What?
4. Mary's Complaint
5. God Bless Santa!

We're On the Move Now!

1. I Have Been Gifted!
2. The Window Of Time Is Closing
3. Be Near, Ye Faithful
4. We Have All Become Nicodemus
5. Living In The “In Between” Time

How It All Began

1. How to Have a Rich Future
2. The God Who Comforts
3. Among You Stands One
4. The Most Generous Gift
5. How It All Began

Maybe Today!

1. Spiritual Gifts: God’s Gift of Fulfillment
2. The Fred Factor
3. But Is It True?
4. They Call It Grace
5. The Missing Piece

Mission Possible!

1. Three Things You Can Count On
2. While You Wait
3. A Light In the Darkness
4. Nothing Is Impossible with God!
5. The Joy of Christmas

Christmas Snapshots

1. Oh, That You Would Come Down?
2. Giving Comfort
3. Jesus' Advance Man
4. The Angel's Message
5. Christmas Snapshots

The World According to Jesus

1. Stay Awake!
2. Don't Get Stuck!
3. Get Out of the Jungle!
4. Jesus Matters
5. Don't Miss This

Hearers to Kneelers to Chosen: The Transformed Life

1. "Cathedra"
2. Wavering Notes by an Uncertain Trumpet
3. Standing in the Forecastle
4. Soli Deo Gloria
5. In diem natalem

Prepare the Way

1. Hope in the Shadows
2. A Way Made Ready
3. Where Meek Souls Will Recieve Him Still
4. The Gift of Me

The Near Edge of God

1. This Feels Like Where I Came In
2. I Am the Keeper of the Zoo
3. The Near Edge of God
4. And the Angel Said to Harry Potter
5. Won't You Come Home, George Bailey?

Joy to the World!

1. Oh, You'd Better Watch Out!
2. Blue Christmas
3. This Little Light of Mine
4. Mary, Did You Know?
5. Joy to the World!

Hope and Renewal in Christ

1. Jesus Brings Us to New Life
2. Jesus Will Lead Us Home
3. Jesus Rescues Us
4. The Faithfulness of God
5. The Christmas Message of Hope
6. God Makes All Things New

Worth the Wait

1. How to Know What to Know
2. When Did This Start? — Part 1
3. When Did This Start? — Part 2
4. How Can This Be?
5. Worth the Wait

The Light of Christmas

1. Waiting for a Savior
2. The Missing Figure in the Nativity Scene
3. Jingle Bells at a Funeral
4. Christmas Is a God-Thing
5. The Light of Christmas
6. Thank You for Coming

The Offense of Grace

1. Swept Away!
2. Road Rage
3. Disappointed in Jesus
4. The Power of Positive Dreaming
5. Vital Vulnerability
6. The Rest of the Story
7. Demonstrating the Divine

Expectancy in the Epistles

1. Expectancy
2. A Hope for Peace
3. Look Who Is Standing at the Door
4. A Gift for You
5. Grace Has Appeared
6. The Incarnation: What and Why?
7. With a Song in Your Heart

Christmasize Your Life

1. Predictable Surprises
2. Christmasize Your Life
3. The 4 LAWS of a Whole Personality
4. The Greatest Gift

The Perfect Gift

1. God's Best Gift in the Worst Times
2. The Perfect Gift
3. Naming the Divine Baby
4. Mary's Revolutionary Song
5. The Wolf and the Lamb Inside Us

With Our Own Eyes

1. With Our Own Eyes
2. Headed in the Right Direction
3. Are We There Yet?
4. Set Apart at Christmas
5. A Little Theology at Christmas

Jesus Makes All the Difference

1. Don’t Burn The Cookies!
2. Go, Johnny, Go, Go, Go!
3. The Coat Off Your Back
4. A Concert of Praise
5. Christmas Grass and Easter Tinsel
6. Tradition Can Be Changed
7. Fire! Fire!

How To Profit From The Prophets

1. How to Profit from Prophets
2. Why Prophets Get Under Our Skin
3. Someone Greater Than a Prophet
4. The Long Lonliness
5. A Voice to be Heard
6. The Unexpected Universe
7. The Star Thrower
8. The Inner Galaxy
9. The Second Naiveté: Babies, Angels, Shepherds, And God

The Peace of Christmas

1. Who Owns the Cloud: Google or God?
2. At the Intersection of Heaven and Earth
3. The Peace of Christmas
4. A Difficult but Joyous Journey
5. The Light Still Shines
6. No Angels, No Shepherds, No Star

God Is Coming

1. In the Meantime: Between the First and Second Comings
2. On the Threshold: From Law to Gospel
3. Waiting
4. What Do You Do When the Lights Go Out?

The Light of Bethlehem Shines On

1. In the Darkness of Despair, There Is the Light of Hope
2. In the Darkness of Suffering, There Is the Light of Life
3. In The Darkness of Oppression, There Is the Light of Salvation
4. In the Darkness of Fear, There Is the Light of Joy
5. In the Darkness of Anxiety, There Is the Light of Peace
6. In the Darkness of Uncertainty, There Is the Light of Wonder
7. In the Darkness of Suspicion, There Is the Light of Devotion

A Star, A Stable, and A Song

1. Who Are You Waiting For?
2. Miracles In Contrast
3. Such A Babe In Such A Place
4. A Star, A Stable, and A Song
5. Christmas Is On Top Of A Steep Hill

Let Us Go To Bethlehem

1. Advent 1: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Faith of Christmas
2. Advent 2: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Promise of Christmas
3. Advent 3: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Peace of Christmas
4. Advent 4: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Christ of Christmas

Paul’s Pastoral Passages of Promise

1. Thanksgiving and Thanksliving
2. Taking the Long View
3. Apostolic Instruction
4. Secret Revealed
5. Training for a Purpose
6. Precious and Privileged Children
7. Deep Calling to Deep

Something's About To Happen

1. When Something Is About To Happen
2. What Do You Mean, "Repent"?
3. There's A Man Going Around Taking Names
4. Where's The Treasure?
5. Shepherds and Bathrobes
6. They Also Serve Who Wait
7. We Interrupt This Service

Navigating the Sermon in Advent

1. Drowsy Disciples
2. Changing Times
3. We Are Not The Light
4. Dust Off The Throne
5. Night of Light
6. Still Surprised After Christmas

Announcing His Coming

1. An Announcement about Our Future
2. An Announcement from the Wilderness
3. An Announcement from Our Lord
4. An Announcement to a Virgin
5. An Announcement from a Stable
6. An Announcement in Song

Words for a Birthing Church

1. Time for a New Wardrobe
2. Denial Ain’t a River in Egypt
3. A Level Playing Field for God
4. Claiming a Do-Over Faith
5. No More Camping Out
6. Living Out the Promise of This Child
7. Time to Come Home

Preparing for the King

1. The Days Are Coming
2. Preparing for the King
3. An Unbreakable Christmas
4. Mary's Witness
5. One Life-Changing Word

Gifts of Thanksgiving

1. Thanksgiving Means Giving
2. Jesus - The Leader of Our Team
3. Rejoicing Brings Peace
4. Leading Others to Jesus
5. Learning the Recipe for Love
6. The Hidden Gifts of Christ

Focus on Jesus

1. Why Did Jesus Come?
2. A Commitment to Hope
3. A Commitment to Righteousness
4. The Song of Servanthood
5. It's All About the Messiah

New Beginnings in Christ

1. Don’t Fear the Wait
2. Blazing a Path to Christ
3. A New Day Is Coming
4. Perceiving the Presence of God
5. A Promise Fulfilled: A Gift Given
6. Discipleship: The Beauty and the Cross
7. Accepting the Lord Once Again

Meeting God at the Mall

1. Ordering Up A Set Of False Gods On Amazon
2. God’s Evite: Wait!
3. Joy on an Elephant
4. The Gift Of — Darn It! — Waiting
5. The Best Gifts

Waiting and Watching

1. Here We Go Again
2. Is There Anything I Can Do?
3. What Will They Think Up Next?
4. Poor Mary
5. They Grow Up Fast

God with Skin On

1. Crisis Management
2. Wilderness Work
3. Telling the Truth
4. The Future Present
5. God with Skin On

When God Comes with a Blessing

1. Signs of the Times
2. Seeing the Good News
3. God's Anxiety Reduction Plan
4. When God Comes with a Blessing

The Waiting Season

1. In the Waiting Room
2. A Voice in the Wilderness
3. A Day of Singing
4. Small Towns
5. No Room for Jesus
6. Family Matters

Signs of Christ's Coming

1. A Voice Calls in the Wilderness
2. Peace Comes to Our Hearts
3. A Small Town Is Blessed
4. The King Born in a Manger
5. The Word Became Flesh

Shoots of Tomorrow

1. Shoots of Tomorrow
2. Preparing the Way
3. An Invitation to Joy
4. A Little Town of Great Renown
5. The Light of Christ
6. The Boy Grows Up

They All Were Looking for a King

1. A Cry in the Dark
2. The Peaceable Kingdom
3. A Dance in the Desert
4. King Jesus
5. The Wrong Gift

Building a Victorious Life

1. First Things First
2. Repentance Is Relationship!
3. What Shall We Become?
4. Mary’s Magnificat
5. Bethlehem: Where Extremes Meet
6. Our Task: Acceptance and Challenge

All I Want For Christmas Is

1. All I Want for Christmas is Hope
2. All I Want for Christmas is Peace
3. All I Want for Christmas is Joy
4. All I Want for Christmas is a Savior

Christ's Grand Entrance

1. Stay Awake
2. Much Love. Hope Sent.
3. Have Your ID Ready
4. What We Learn from Love
5. Christ's Grand Entrance Song
6. Out of the Darkness

Be Different

1. Christmas Is Out of Control
2. Have a Very Messy Christmas!
3. John and Frank
4. Being Different
5. Ponder This!

Lose the Cape

1. Lose the Cape
2. Find Joy Again!
3. Inside Out
4. Why Christianity?
5. Get the Grinch

Christmas Grace

1. Wake Up Call
2. Unity and Hope
3. Waiting for Christmas
4. The Total Gift
5. The Best Gift of All

Becoming the Salt and the Light

1. Ruining the Christmas Spirit
2. Hard Words to Hear at Christmas
3. Looking at Jesus from Behind Prison Bars
4. Center Stage
5. A Shepherd's Story

Did You See That Gorilla?

1. Is It Time Yet?
2. From “Uh-oh” To “Ah-hah!” — An Axe, A Stump, And A Shoot
3. The Holy Way
4. Stop, Drop, Cover, and Roll!
5. What About the Baby?

Wake Up!

1. Wake Up!
2. Hope from a Stump
3. Be Patient
4. A Man of God
5. O Holy Night
6. The Story of Christmas

God's New Possibility

1. Beyond Judgment
2. Claiming Hope
3. If You Are Looking for a Savior...
4. Look Again
5. Called to Participate

When the Messiah Comes: Words of Anticipation from the Prophet Isaiah

1. There Will Be Light
2. There Will Be Peace
3. There Will Be Singing
4. God Will Be With Us
5. A Child Will Be Born

Grace and Peace

1. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
2. Less Fear; More Fruit
3. Preparing the Way
4. The New Moses
5. Surprised by Joy

God's Most Welcome Gift

1. A Vision of Beauty and Hope
2. Get the Garbage Out!
3. Join in the Singing
4. Joseph, When Did You Know?
5. God's Most Welcome Gift

Won't You Let Him In

1. Advent 1: Won´t You Let Him Into Your Heart?
2. Advent 3: Won't You Let Him Into Your Gift-Giving?
3. Advent 4. Won't You Let Him Into Your Christmas?

Born In Bethlehem

1. God's Gift
2. Finding Redemption in the Midst of Judgment
3. Hope Again!
4. Born at Bethlehem — Hope
5. Born in Bethlehem — Light
6. Hidden Potential
7. From Tragedy to Salvation

The Difference a Baby Makes

1. Open the Window, Aunt Minnie, Here It Comes!
2. A Road Straight to Your Heart
3. Made for Joy
4. Mary's Song
5. The Difference a Baby Makes
6. No Angels, No Shepherds, No Star

The Cast of Christmas

1. Simeon and Anna: The Quiet of the Country
2. Angels and Shepherds: Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul
3. Mary and Joseph: His Obedient Servants
4. Jesus: What's in a Name?

12 Steps of Faith

1. Step One - Honesty
2. Step Two - Hope
3. Step Three - Faith
4. Step Four - Courage
5. Step Five - Integrity
6. Step Six - Willingness
7. Step Seven - Humiltiy
8. Step Eight - Love
9. Step Nine - Discipline
10. Step Ten - Perseverance
11. Step Eleven - Spirituality
12. Step Twelve - Responsibility

For the Love of God Is...

1. For the Love of God Is...
2. For The Love of God is Giving
3. For the Love Of God is Forgiving
4. For The Love of God Is Empowering
5. For The Love of God is Creative
6. For The Love of God Is Contagious
7. For The Love Of God Is Biblical

The Seven Wonders of the Faith

1. I Wonder if God Exists
2. I Wonder Why Bad Things Happen to Good People
3. I Wonder Why My Prayers Go Unanswered?
4. I Wonder about God’s Will for My Life
5. I Wonder about the Miracles in the Bible
6. I Wonder about The End of the World
7. I Wonder about Life after Death
8. Step Eight - Love
9. Step Nine - Discipline

Elephants in the Room

1. Elephants in the Room: Abuse – I Have a Secret
2. Elephants in the Room: Sexploitation
3. Elephants in the Room: Anxiety
4. Elephants in the Room: Addiction
5. Elephants in the Room: Depression

Pop Verses

1. Pop Verses!: Philippians 4:13
2. Pop Verses: Romans 8:28
3. Pop Verses: John 3:16
4. Pop Verses: Lamentations 3:22-23
5. Pop Verses: Jeremiah 29:11
6. Pop Verses: Isaiah 40:28-31
7. Pop Verses: Proverbs 3:5-6

Faces of Failure

1. Faces of Failure: Nicodemus
2. Faces of Failure: The Disciples
3. Faces of Failure: Jesus’s Family
4. Faces of Failure: Judas Iscariot
5. Faces of Failure: Peter
6. Faces of Failure: Pontius Pilate

Fulfill the Vision

1. Praying Our Way Forward
2. Fulfilling the Vision
3. Making Wise Investments
4. Following the Footsteps of the Faithful

The Ships of Faith: Discipleship

1. An Invitation to Christian Discipleship
2. Doing What Disciples Do
3. The Difference Disciples Make

When It's Time

1. When It’s Time to Seek Direction
2. When It's Time to Reconcile
3. When It's Time For Forgiveness

The Genesis Project

1. Finding Our Place in All Creation
2. Building Boats That Float
3. Hearing the Questions of Children
4. Finding Answers to Family Feuds
5. Climbing the Right Ladder
6. Wrestling Alone at Night
7. Dreaming Impossible Dreams

Questions at the Crossroads of Faith

1. Will I Really Live Forever?
2. Does Prayer Make Any Difference

The Ships of Faith: Stewardship

1. Getting in S.H.A.P.E. for Ministry
2. Embracing an Endless Line of Servants
3. Deciding To Excel In Everything
4. Finding Our Place In All Creation

The Ships of Faith: Fellowship

1. The Uniting Peace of Christ
2. The Fellowship of Kindred Minds

The Ships of Faith: Citizenship

1. How To Triumph Over Terrorism
2. How to Make Heaven Our Home

The Ships of Faith: Membership

1. Why Join a Church?
2. Why Am I A United Methodist?

Christians Under Construction

1. Convening A Construction Crew: Nobody Builds Alone
2. Engaging the Master Designer
3. Foundations are Critical
4. Using the Best Materials
5. The High Price of Short Cuts
6. Furnishing It with Love
7. Let the Living Begin

The Building Blocks of Belief

1. We Believe in Jesus Christ
2. We Believe in the Holy Spirit
3. We Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins
4. We Believe in Life Everlasting

The Mystery at the Manger

1. Whose Child Is This?
2. How Can This Be?
3. What Power Has He?
4. Where Is He?

WWJS

1. What Would Jesus Say About Me?
2. What Would Jesus Say About Modern Churches?
3. What Would Jesus Say About the Marginalized?
4. What Would Jesus Say About Materialism?
5. What Would Jesus Say About Marriage?
6. What Would Jesus Say About Medical Care?
7. What Would Jesus Say About War?
8. What Would Jesus Say About the Media?

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

1. The Kingdom for Which We Long
2. The Bread We Daily Need
3. The Forgiveness Which Oils the Human Machine

Beyond the Doors: Sharing a Life that Really Matters

1. The Door of Hospitality
2. The Door of Prayer
3. The Door of Forgiveness
4. The Door of Celebration
5. The Door of Service

Revelation for Today

1. Singing With the Saints of Glory
2. Making Sure Our Robes Are Washed
3. Welcoming God Into Our Homes
4. Living on Full Alert

Critical Questions for American Christians

1. What is the Connection Between Church and State?
2. What Is the Future of United Methodism?
3. What is the Future of Marriage?
4. Can the Rich Be Saved?

Rejoice! The River Is Here!

1. Checking Out the Scene
2. Stepping Into the Stream
3. Diving Deeper

Embracing the Christ of Christmas

1. Watch!
2. Repent
3. Believe
4. Does Christmas Make Any Difference?

Reaching Out

1. The Calling of Our Baptism
2. Finding Our Reason For Being
3. Come to the Party
4. Lost and Found
5. The Greatest Story Ever Told
6. When You Are Up And Out
7. News Too Good To Tell

It Takes A Family

1. The Church As Family
2. The Family As Church
3. The Fundamentals of Family Ties

Empowering God’s Ministries Together

1. The Power of a Vision
2. The Power of a Helping Hand
3. The Power of a Single Life
4. The Power of a Personal Commitment

How to Handle Suffering

1. By Faith
2. By Believing
3. By Enduring
4. By Belonging
5. By Humbly Doing Good

Go Light Your World

1. Work, For the Night Is Coming
2. This Little Light of Mine
3. Brightening the Corner Where We Are
4. Fanning the Flames of Family
5. Lighting up Your Neighborhood
6. Embracing Christ—The Light of the World
7. A Thousand Points of Light

Angelic Messages for Our Time

1. Be Silent
2. Reconsider
3. Surprise
4. Come and See
5. Get Up and Go

The Quest for Christian Values

1. Honoring God in a Pluralistic Society
2. Loving Our Enemies, Christian or Crazy?
3. Sexual Ethics for the 21st Century
4. Valuing Life Without Playing God

The Jesus I Want to Know

1. The Joyful Provider
2. The Loving Friend
3. The Gentle Healer
4. The Resurrection and Life
5. The Humble King

Stepping Forward to a Better Life

1. Keeping Company with the Weary
2. Loosening Up for Better Production
3. Making the Most of Small Beginnings
4. Finding Plenty in the Midst of Scarcity

What Makes a Church?

1. Hot Air or the Holy Spirit?
2. Marketing or Disciplemaking?
3. Conversion or Credentialing?
4. Males or Females?
5. Greed or the Gospel?

Sharing God’s Blessings

1. Sharing God’s Blessings
2. Living in Gratitude
3. Rejoicing in God’s Saints
4. Giving Our Gratitude
5. Praising Our Savior

Extreme Spiritual Makeover

1. From Laziness to Passion
2. From Pride to Humility
3. From Greed to Generosity
4. From Envy to Gratitude
5. From Lust to Love
6. From Hunger to Satisfaction
7. From Anger to Courage

The Power Points of Life

1. The Power to Rise Again
2. The Power to Belong
3. The Power to Make a Difference
4. The Power to Begin Again
5. The Power to Be Saved
6. The Power to Do Good
7. The Power to Look Up

How to Strike it “Rich”

1. Encountering Incomparable Riches
2. Make Disciples—Intentionally
3. Serving the Poor—Compassionately
4. Develop Leaders—Humbly
5. Reaching Up—Reaching Out

Christ Himself Is Christianity

1. The Compassionate Christ
2. The Forgiving Christ
3. The Exalted Christ

Christians at the Roundtable of World Religions

1. Why Am I a Christian?
2. What Can Christians Learn From Jews?
3. What Can Christians Learn from Muslims?
4. What Can Christians Learn from Hindus?
5. What Can Christians Learn from Buddhists?

Heroes of the Faith

1. Ezekiel: The Problem of Dry Bones
2. David: The Problem of Family
3. Ruth: The Problem of Grief
4. Amos: The Problem of Justice
5. Jonah: The Problem of Mercy
6. Daniel: The Problem of Power
7. Habakkuk: The Problem of Evil
8. Esther: The Problem of Opportunity

Doing What Disciples Do

1. Work
2. Love
3. Follow
4. Pray
5. Join
6. Worship

The Road to Bethlehem

1. The Road of Peace
2. The Road of Joy
3. The Road Home
4. The New Road