On Sunday, December 29, 2024 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on a number of New Testament passages (John 1:12-13, 14:1-6, Ephesians 2:19-22, Hebrews 11:13-16).  This message was part 5 of the “Home for Christmas” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read John 1:12-13, John 14:1-6, Ephesians 2:19-22, Hebrews 11:13-16
3. When do you typically decorate for Christmas?  When do you take the decorations down?
4. Where do you consider to be your “home”?  What makes it “home”?
5. According to John 1:12-13 and John 3:3, how does one become a child of God?  Have you experienced this inclusion in God’s family yourself?
6. What about you is most important?  If you were to have a business card for your life, what kinds of things would you include on it that mark your true identity?
7. What are some of the promises of God that you have only seen “from afar” … but that you have faith will come about in eternity?  What are you most looking forward to?
8. Are you living today like your home is in  heaven or like your home is on earth?  How can you tell where your true home is found?
9. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To listen to audio offline, click the link:

Home For Christmas #5 12.29.24

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The timing of Christmas decorations at our homes is a matter of great debate.  When do you put the lights UP, decorate the tree, and set out the nativity?  Some argue that you should not do this until after Thanksgiving, while others begin to set out Christmas things in early November.  And (even more relevant for these days post-Christmas) when do you take the decorations DOWN, box up the baubles and take out the tree?  Many would say around New Year’s Day or at the time of epiphany, while others want the house de-garlanded (is that a word) by the time the sun sets on December 26.  When do the decorations go UP and DOWN for you in your house?

While I understand the practicality of these comments, I have to say that I am always a little sad this time of year.  I love the look of most places around Christmas-time, and things always look a little too plain to me in January.  I always find myself wishing more endured from the Advent season.  Anyone agree with this sentiment?

Over the past five weeks, we have been walking through a sermon series at Wildwood called “Home for Christmas.”  In this series we have been talking about how we can make our home in Him, not just at Christmas, but always.  We have done so by investigating a number of the locations mentioned in the Christmas account in Scripture.  This Sunday, we will be in the fifth and final installment in this series.  This week we will be looking at John 1:12-13; 14:1-6, Ephesians 2:19-22 and Hebrews 11:13-16 as we remind each other where our true Home is, and how we can represent our home as we live out our everyday lives.

To be clear, Wildwood’s Christmas decorations will still be up, we are still going to sing one Christmas carol in our time of worship together, and we will still be in our Christmas series of messages … but we will be talking about an important part of Christmas that we should never box up in our attic.  Jesus came for us, and made the way for us to be included in His household.  Let’s remind each other of this great enduring truth on Sunday as we gather at 9:45 or 11:00 worship service at Wildwood Community Church.  See you Sunday … and bring friends!

NOTE:  This Sunday is an “all in” Sunday where we will not have children’s ministry, student or adult classes (or our 8:30 service) but will all be gathering together in the worship center together.  Our classes and the 8:30 service will return on January 5.  See you Sunday!