Don’t make the mistake of enjoying the wrapping of Christmas—activities, time with family, gift exchanges, traditions—without enjoying what is behind the wrapping—the gift. Quite simply, Jesus is the gift of Christmas. And, with Paul, we exclaim, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

I recently read a survey asking this question: “What makes your family great?” Among all the different answers, the most common was, “The time we spend together.” You cannot develop family memories if you are not spending time together! Evaluate your schedule, allow some spontaneous activity every now and then, and delight in the simple joy of being together!

Sermon outline: This is an abbreviated outline with the complete sermon downloadable at the bottom of the post. Luke 2:14 has been called the first Christmas poem. I don’t know that it was sung (verse 13 used the word “saying”), but it is certainly worthy of our attention. There we see the angels glorifying God at the birth of the Saviour. There is no envy present in their carol of praise, no tinge of jealousy, no desire for the attention that belongs to Christ and Him alone.

We were looking forward to getting back to our home in Indiana for the Christmas season. As an evangelist, I look forward to those times spent off the road with family and friends. Our last meeting was in northern Wisconsin the second week of December. Snow had already covered the ground, and temperatures were well below freezing. It was easy to get into the Christmas spirit.

Christmastime may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also pass in a flurry of frenzied activity, with no time to enjoy the significance of the season.

I received a wonderful little handmade card earlier this year from “Kelly.” She is a little girl who has started coming to our children’s ministry on Wednesday evenings as a result of our summer Open House Outreach BBQ. I always enjoy cards and notes from kids—they really help to encourage a preacher and keep him focused on the work of God.

On a hot summer day in 1975, God answered my mom’s prayers, and my dad was saved from a life of alcohol addiction. At a service station, my parents picked up a church tract which resulted in our family attending Fairfax Baptist Temple. After hearing Pastor Bud Calvert preach the gospel, I received the Lord as my Saviour.

In the midst of one of the greatest works for God in the Old Testament, Nehemiah reminded God’s people, “…the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Why the reminder? Because God’s people need joy, and one of Satan’s first line of attacks to weaken our hands in the work is to take our joy.

No one likes confrontation. And yet, the Bible tells us that the reproofs of instruction are the way of life. All of us face situations in our ministry where we must deal with a situation, but we know that when we do so, it is quite likely to cause trouble.

In the last two articles we have seen how to preach Bible stories by using running narrative, and why preachers should be transparent in their sermons. Let’s see another tip that can transform your delivery: