The Incarnation is the noblest idea of any world religion. God did not watch human despair from the safety of heaven. He clothed Himself in humanity. He ceased watching the human war and became a soldier.
Calvin Miller, in The Christ of Christmas
from the Movie The Nativity Story, 2006.
The story of Christmas is foundational for understanding Christianity in so many ways. God sent his very best, his own Son Jesus Christ, the God-man, on a daring rescue mission. In need of rescue was the human race including you and I. The mission included a display of love that led to the willing death of an innocent Rescuer for the sake of those he loved. In the end, the Rescuer wins the day, defeating all the bad guys, including death, sin and guilt, and Satan (Colossians 2:13-15, Hebrews 2:14-15). Here’s the real kicker: Now God desires that we repeat the process of being sent, loving, sacrificing, and rescuing through announcing/retelling this story to all (John 21:20, Acts 1:8, Philippians 2:3-5). When God wanted to save the world, he sent himself. He GAVE PRESENCE. Today, he continues to GIVE PRESENCE to the world through those he has rescued.
Here’s three lessons we learn about Incarnational Living from God’s giving to us. These have become filters for our church as we seek to live with a missionary posture toward our community.
God’s Big Give: Proximity, Responsiveness, Radical Generosity. The story of Christ and Christmas.
The Christmas story says a lot about the nature of true worship. And we can say that God sent Christ into the world so that we could have unfettered opportunity to worship Him. However, worship is misunderstood today as a place & time (“the Worship Service starts at…”) or an experience or element of a gathering (“the worship was great today”). We find a great definition of true worship in Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55.
Worship is humble surrender born out of knowledge of God.
Mary’s worship demonstrated three things:
1. Humility – “It’s not about me.”
Real Worship starts with the reality that life is about HIS value, and then wonder that I can be accepted, cared for, given to, by such an incredible God. Mary says, “my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant” Luke 1:46-47. “It’s not about me. It’s about Him.” And “who me? I get to be part of this?.”
2. Surrender – “My life is Yours Jesus.”
Mary was a true worshipper because her heart was surrendered. In Luke 1:38 she said, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your Word.” In Luke 1:48, she again calls herself “His Servant.” The world here is literally bond-slave denoting one that has intentionally surrendered themselves to be in servitude to another. To surrender is to make your whole self available to God for whatever He desires. To say, “Your way is best. I’m listening. I’m ready to respond with yes.” The opposite of surrender is to resist, to fight, to struggle, to run away. And to make our way best and essentially ourselves god, which is idolatry. Mary’s worshipped with a heart that was without resistance.
3. Knowledge of God – “He has done great things for me, and holy is his name” Luke 1:49.
In this song, Mary shows us that she knows God’s word, has a deep understanding of God’s purposes, she knows his work in history, and that she’s internalized his promises to be for her and all of that led her to worship Him.
What has God done for you? How has God worked in your life? You can’t worship what you don’t know. Humility and surrender will open your life to experience God which will lead you to a life of worshipping Him.
So, is life all about you? is there resistance in your heart when it comes to the will of God? can you point to God’s work in your life? If not, during this Christmas season, humble yourself, surrender your heart and will, and get to know His story. Worship Him.
Maddie & Grady Jenkins lived in their Madisonville home for 50 of their 58 married years. Isaac’s surge sent over two feet of water into the house 
and they’ve been displaced since that time. Several of our churches have been working on this project with the goal of getting them back in by Christmas. Here’s a list of things still to be done in case you, your church, or your personal network could help with this project over the next few weeks:
We have at least three more elderly homeowners in Madisonville still to be done. Let me know if you’re up for a spring mission trip to SE Louisiana to help with one of these projects.
“God has given man the ability to be the best thing or the worst thing that ever happened to a marriage.” Justin Buzzard in Date Your Wife calls men to initiate, 
pursue, and desire our wives like we did at first. To plan and implement a strategy of devotion like we would a hunting or golf trip or a business deal. It’s what God created men to do. This book is a short treatise on what it means to be a husband. And for a generation that has no idea what that means, its a desperately needed message. Very practical. Men, a great Christmas gift idea for your wife: get this book, read it, do it. Here’s a few favorite quotes:
Great list of 100 Ideas on how to be intentional about Dating Your Wife. Here’s a few:
Also, check out the author’s blog here.
Generosity and on mission living comes with a promise: It will “produce thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 ESV). Or as another translation says, “Then many people will thank God…” (2 Corinthians 9:11 CEV), as a response to the generous, on mission Christian. So, who is giving thanks today, because of you and your investment in God’s kingdom that has impacted them? Has your life of obedience to God produced thanksgiving in others? Is the community giving thanks for your church because of the on mission members scattering for their good?
A goal for next Thanksgiving: Produce Thanksgiving to God in others by following Jesus into an ON Mission life lived FOR Others.
“Give thanks in everything…” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB), may be one of the most challenging verses in the New Testament, because not everything in life is easy to give thanks for. It’s helpful to remember that this was written by a man who had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and more for trying to bring good to people by sharing Christ with them.
How do I give thanks in everything? Someone sent me this helpful exercise a few years ago:
I am thankful…
And if there’s nothing else to be thankful for, be thankful for Jesus Christ, and that because of Him, all the frustration WILL one day be out of sight.
Reflections on our recent Basic Training for #ChurchPlanters:
Wrapped up another Basic Training for Church Planters this weekend at ABC Camp in Eunice. We had about 20 church planting teams, preparing to plant new churches and campus’ across Louisiana. And we actually did this training simultaneously in English and Spanish. Find the Basic Training materials online here. Here are a few highlights:
Lane Corley 