How many electronic devices do you carry around with you?  How many TVs and radios do you have?  How many hours a day do you spend talking on the phone or texting or e-mailing?  How often do you watch TV while you’re doing something else?  Our lives are full of noise and distraction and busyness.  We are a fast paced culture that never sleeps.

I love watching the old films that guessed about the technological advancements we would have today and how much time they would save us.  There were people who were seriously worried that our modern technology would free us up from so much work that we’d wind up with too much extra time on our hands.  But it seems like we can put those fears to rest.  With every new modern advancement, it’s like we learn to multitask another level.

Have you ever just stopped?  Put down the devices and books and magazines, turned off the electronics, and sat down and listened for the voice of God?  The Bible describes the leading of the Holy Spirit as a still, small voice.  How much have you missed of God’s voice because your life was too full of busyness and noise?

Perhaps it’s time to be like Jesus and choose to make some solitude and silence in your life.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:26 — 18.5MB)

Christmas is a great time for cute little stories.  I’m sure millions of people’s e-mail inboxes get filled with forwarded emotional drivel to make people go “aaaww.”  But the real Christmas is not cute things on cards and in movies.  The real Christmas is about God who so loves the world, that he was willing to come to Earth and make the biggest sacrifice possible to save the people who turned their backs on him and lost themselves in sin.  The whole world needs to hear about the real meaning of Christmas and how it can completely change their lives!

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It’s amazing to think about just what Jesus came to Earth to do.  We like to sing the songs and share the presents and enjoy the decorations and festivities.  But Jesus didn’t come to have fun and to celebrate.  He came to die.  And if you stop to think about what he gave up in Heaven and all the sorrow and pain he suffered during his life on Earth, it can put an entirely different feeling to the Christmas season.  But the great thing is that Jesus was willing to go through all that.  His mission was a volunteer one, and he did it for the joy of the results of giving people a way out of evil and death and into goodness and life.  Christmas is definitely a time worth celebrating.  It’s worth celebrating all year long!.  But don’t miss exactly why it’s worth celebrating.

This continuation goes into some of the prophesy that foretold the coming of Jesus (his birth, life, death, and even resurrection).  As if it wasn’t enough proof to have eyewitness accounts of his life and the things he said and did and how he rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, God gave us prophesy about it all before it ever happened to make sure there was no mistake exactly who the Messiah was.  I just think that’s so cool!

What do you think?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:44 — 15.4MB)

So lots of churches celebrate the Season of Advent.  It’s kind of a traditional thing.  And there are lots of traditions that go with it.  Sometimes they hang Christmas decorations and greenery.  They usually have different colored candles that are lit on different Sundays during the season.  And it’s all very churchy and Christmassy.  And then outside of church we have all sorts of traditions that go along with the Christmas season.  People hang lights on their houses and put up Christmas trees and stockings and eat lots of food.  And I often see a few decorations or cards that say “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  But you don’t see much Jesus amongst the decorations.  Where is Jesus in all those traditions—at church and at home?  Would anybody be willing to throw out all the traditions, the candles, the lights, the presents, the food, the music, and simply spend the season in prayerful thankfulness for the birth of our Savior?  What would really have to happen to take our focus off of the stuff we buy and decorate and eat for Christmas and instead put that attention on the miracle of God sacrificing the glory and honor and joy of Heaven’s throne to be born a human being and offer himself up as a sacrifice to save the world?  Because there will be a second advent of Jesus Christ.  And depending on how much you pay attention to Jesus now will affect how he feels about you when he comes again.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:50 — 13.7MB)