Matthew 11:2-11

Sammy: Good morning everyone! It’s the second third Sunday in Advent, Pastor.

 

Pastor: Yes it is, Sammy. 

 

Sammy: I noticed today that there are a lot of greens around the church. This place looks great!

 

Pastor: Yes our church looks beautiful. We are preparing for Christmas.

 

Sammy: Is decorating the church part of preparing for Christmas?

 

Pastor: Yes it is. When we decorate our church, we are including symbols of the season and icons to help us remember the reason for Christmas.

 

Sammy: What is the reason for Christmas again?

 

Pastor: Boys and girls, would you please help me answer Sammy’s question? What is the reason for Christmas?

 

[Allow time for responses]

 

Pastor: That’s right! The reason for Christmas is Jesus. We are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus and we are waiting for his return. That’s what Advent and this time of year are all about.

 

Sammy: That’s what John the Baptist did, right? He prepared the way for Jesus. He was helping people get their hearts ready for Jesus. But wait, we don’t have John the Baptist anymore. Who is supposed to help us get our hearts ready for Jesus’s return?

 

Pastor: Well, Sammy, that’s partly my job. 

 

Sammy: Oh no.  

 

Pastor: I know–it’s a big job for just one person. Our church has me as the pastor and the power of the Holy Spirit. God is working in our hearts because of the gift of the Holy Spirit to each believer in Jesus. We can prepare our hearts for Jesus every day.

 

Sammy: I am glad that we have you and the Holy Spirit, Pastor.

 

Pastor: Well, thank you, Sammy. 

 

Sammy: Pastor, how can I prepare my heart? What can I do by myself to prepare for Jesus like John the Baptist wanted us to prepare?

 

Pastor: We can do a couple of things. We can read our Bibles, say prayers, sing to God, and love Jesus and each other.

 

Sammy: I like that. I think I can do all of those things with the help of the Holy Spirit. And maybe with a little encouragement from you, too, Pastor.

Pastor: That’s great, Sammy. Boys and girls, will you pray with me? Let’s fold our hands and bow our heads. Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us to be ready for you. Help us to pray, listen, watch, and stay ready for your return. Thank you for loving us. Amen.

 

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

 

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

“And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed” (Mark 5:20).

No one is beyond the need for salvation that is possible only through Jesus.  We all have demons that plague us.  In Christ, we have been freed to live into a new life.  That freedom, given by Jesus, is a gift and it belongs to all who live by faith, understanding that they have been set free from sin, death, and the devil by Him.  Sinners love to celebrate notoriety.  By grace through faith, we recognize that all who are in Christ have undergone a wonderful transformation.

Lord of grace and mercy, I sometimes am awed by stories that amaze me – of a rabidly possessed man – thinking myself normal.  But what is normal?  Are we all not born in sin and in need of Your grace?  You have come and set me free also.  That is the amazing story of grace I can tell.  This world thinks in terms of greater and less, but You have come to make us all children of the Heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus, You have come to set this captive free.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to go to the places You send me and proclaim what great things You have done.  I once was fully caught up in this world, but You have set me free to live into the life You have given me by grace.  Guide me, Lord, to live into the new life You have given me and not fall back into the traps and snares of this world.  Amen.