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Devotions from 2010-2011 holiday season sermons at Harvest Church in Pensacola.
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Lord, Show Me How to Live
Through the Holidays!
Sermons from Harvest Church-- Pensacola
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NOTE:
These Devotions are entirely from notes of sermons delivered at Harvest Church in Pensacola.
These sermons covered topics that are especially applicable at Thanksgiving and Christmas. May you be blessed as you study these Scriptures!
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Contents Thanksgiving .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Attitude of Gratitude ................................................................................................................................ 5
Christmas ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Simply Christmas: Trees ......................................................................................................................... 10
Simply Christmas: Lights ........................................................................................................................ 13
Simply Christmas: Stars .......................................................................................................................... 16
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Thanksgiving
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Sermon series: It’s All in Your Mind
Attitude of Gratitude
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s
will for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about
everything. Tell God what you need, and thank
him for all he has done.
Psalm 104: 1-3, 31-35
Praise the LORD, I tell myself;
O LORD my God, how great
you are! You are robed with
honor and with majesty; you
are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry
curtain of the heavens; you
lay out the rafters of your
home in the rain clouds. You
make the clouds your
chariots; you ride upon the
wings of the wind. …
May the glory of the LORD
last forever! The LORD
rejoices in all he has made!
The earth trembles at his
glance; the mountains burst
into flame at his touch. I will
sing to the LORD as long as I
live. I will praise my God to
my last breath! May he be
pleased by all these thoughts
about him, for I rejoice in the
LORD. Let all sinners vanish
from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear
forever. As for me -- I will
praise the LORD! Praise the
LORD!
Big Idea: Valuing gratitude may or may not affect your life in large ways. However, living in such a
way that you cultivate the virtue of gratitude will lead to enormous transformation in the way that
you see and do everything!
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant; to enact gratitude is generous and noble; but to live
gratitude is to touch Heaven.” --Author: Johannes Gaetner
2010 October 24 sermon
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A lot of times we are thankful, but also discontented. It is possible – and common – to be both at the
same time.
Two Common Contentment Thieves:
1. Comparing
Matthew 20:1-16 –
"For the Kingdom of Heaven is
like the owner of an estate who
went out early one morning to
hire workers for his vineyard.
He agreed to pay the normal
daily wage and sent them out to
work. "At nine o'clock in the
morning he was passing through
the marketplace and saw some
people standing around doing
nothing. So he hired them,
telling them he would pay them
whatever was right at the end of
the day. At noon and again
around three o'clock he did the
same thing. At five o'clock that
evening he was in town again
and saw some more people
standing around. He asked
them, 'Why haven't you been
working today?' "They replied,
'Because no one hired us.'"The
owner of the estate told them,
'Then go on out and join the
others in my vineyard.' "That
evening he told the foreman to
call the workers in and pay
them, beginning with the last
workers first. When those hired
at five o'clock were paid, each
received a full day's wage.
When those hired earlier came
to get their pay, they assumed
they would receive more. But
they, too, were paid a day's
wage. When they received their
pay, they protested, 'Those
people worked only one hour,
and yet you've paid them just as
much as you paid us who
worked all day in the scorching
heat.' "He answered one of
them, 'Friend, I haven't been
unfair! Didn't you agree to work
all day for the usual wage? Take
it and go. I wanted to pay this
last worker the same as you. Is
it against the law for me to do
what I want with my money?
Should you be angry because I
am kind?' "And so it is, that
many who are first now will be
last then; and those who are last
now will be first then."
2. Coveting …unquenchable desire for more…
“Coveting wants not only what one does not have, but what one cannot have. In brief, coveting wants
more.” -- Bob Deffinbaugh
“An ungrateful person is only one step away from getting their needs met in illegitimate ways.” – Dr. D.
James Kennedy
Deuteronomy 7:25 – Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you
will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the Lord your God.
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4 Areas in Which Satan Likes to Steal Our Contentment
1. Material and Financial Discontentment
■Luke 12:15
Then he said, "Watch out! Be on
your guard against all kinds of
greed; a man’s life does not
consist of the abundance of his
possessions."
■1 Timothy 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment
is great gain.
■Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has
money enough; whoever loves
wealth is never satisfied with his
income. This too is meaning-
less.
2. Relational Discontentment
■Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
Relationships can be tricky – but we need each other. Celebrate your relationship with other people!
Celebrate your relationship with God!
3. Circumstantial Discontentment
Philippians 4:11-13
Paul: …I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I
know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who
gives me strength.
God has given me everything that I need in order to do what He wants me to do – and at this very
moment, I lack nothing to accomplish His perfect will!
4. Spiritual Discontentment
It is good to want more of God – but it is bad to think that God isn’t doing enough for you!
We must choose contentment.
We must choose gratitude!
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Gratitude
1. A grateful person is humble, while
ingratitude reveals pride.
2. A grateful person is a loving person who
seeks to gratify and bless others, while an
ungrateful person is bent on gratifying
himself.
3. A grateful heart is a full heart, while an
unthankful heart is an empty one.
4. A grateful person is easily contented,
while an ungrateful person is subject to
bitterness and discontent.
5. A grateful heart will be revealed and
expressed by thankful words, while an
ungrateful heart will manifest itself in
murmuring and complaining.
Gratitude will affect your speech! Thankfulness is a huge element in cleaning up your speech.
►Practice speaking thankful words!
►Daily practice being thankful!
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Christmas
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Sermon series: “Simply Christmas”
Simply Christmas: Trees
History of The Christmas Tree:
■The tradition began in the early 700’s in Geismar, Germany.
■St. Boniface (672 – 754), a priest, cut down the “tree of Thor” in order to defy the pagan Norse god to
which the tree was dedicated.
■Boniface saw a fir tree, representing life, growing nearby. Taking this as a sign of the Christian faith, he
said, “Let CHRIST be at the center of your households!” Thus he used the fir tree as a symbol of life in
Christ rather than death in false gods.
■From that point, it became known as the “Christ Tree.”
Important Trees in the Bible:
■ THE TREE OF LIFE and THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
Genesis 3:1-19, 22:
Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the
creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he
asked the woman. "Did God really say you must
not eat any of the fruit in the garden?" "Of
course we may eat it," the woman told him. "It's
only the fruit from the tree at the center of the
garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says
we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will
die." "You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God
knows that your eyes will be opened when you
eat it. You will become just like God, knowing
everything, both good and evil." The woman was
convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and
delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she
ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her
husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.
At that moment, their eyes were opened, and
they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So
they strung fig leaves together around their hips
to cover themselves. Toward evening they heard
the LORD God walking about in the garden, so
they hid themselves among the trees. The LORD
God called to Adam, "Where are you?" He
replied, "I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid
because I was naked." "Who told you that you
were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you
eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?"
"Yes," Adam admitted, "but it was the woman
you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate
it." Then the LORD God asked the woman, "How
2010 December 5 sermon
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could you do such a thing?""The serpent tricked
me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." So the
LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have
done this, you will be punished. You are singled
out from all the domestic and wild animals of the
whole earth to be cursed. You will grovel in the
dust as long as you live, crawling along on your
belly. From now on, you and the woman will be
enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will
be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will
strike his heel." Then he said to the woman, "You
will bear children with intense pain and suffering.
And though your desire will be for your husband,
he will be your master." And to Adam he said,
"Because you listened to your wife and ate the
fruit I told you not to eat, I have placed a curse on
the ground. All your life you will struggle to
scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and
thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.
All your life you will sweat to produce food, until
your dying day. Then you will return to the
ground from which you came. For you were made
from dust, and to the dust you will return."
…Then the LORD God said, "The people have
become as we are, knowing everything, both
good and evil. What if they eat the fruit of the
tree of life? Then they will live forever!"
Adam and Eve sinned; they brought a curse (death).
The central lie is the lie that God isn’t good. The serpent used this lie to trick Eve, telling her that God
was withholding good from her. However, Genesis 1 establishes that God is good! The first work that
the enemy does is to cast doubt and cause you to reason.
■THE FIG TREE
Matthew 21:18, 19:
In the morning, as Jesus was returning to
Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig
tree beside the road. He went over to see if there
were any figs on it, but there were only leaves.
Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit
again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up.
■THE CROSS
Galatians 3:13
But Christ has rescued us from the curse
pronounced by the law. When he was hung on
the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our
wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures,
"Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
1 Peter 2:24
He personally carried away our sins in his own
body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and
live for what is right. You have been healed by his
wounds!
Christ took our curse (death) and opened the way for righteousness and healing.
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RESPONSE: Whenever we see trees in the Bible, the subject deals with response to God!
God is always looking for a response: Obedience! Usually this obedience revolves one issue.
The tree is cursed (dies) -- because of unresponsiveness.
The curse is on lack of response (to the Son of God). The new order is response in the form of worship.
Worshippers are those who are responding to God. The curse is the consequence of lack of response.
Respond to God with thanksgiving and worship!
9 Great Exchanges that Took Place at the Cross:
1. Jesus was cursed so that I could be blessed.
2. Jesus was punished so that I could be forgiven.
3. Jesus was wounded so that I could be healed.
4. Jesus was made sin so that I could be made righteous.
5. Jesus became poor so that I could become rich.
6. Jesus took my shame so I could share in His glory.
7. Jesus was rejected so I could be accepted.
8. Jesus was estranged from the Father so I could be reconciled to Him.
9. Jesus died so I can live!
►To respond to this, thank God for each of the above points!
Revelation 22:1-3
And the angel showed me a
pure river with the water of
life, clear as crystal, flowing
from the throne of God and of
the Lamb, coursing down the
center of the main street. On
each side of the river grew a
tree of life, bearing twelve
crops of fruit, with a fresh crop
each month. The leaves were
used for medicine to heal the
nations. No longer will
anything be cursed. For the
throne of God and of the Lamb
will be there, and his servants
will worship him.
I John 5:11, 12
And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has
God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.
No more curse (death) on anything or anyone – LIFE is forever enjoyed by those who serve and worship
Christ! There will no longer be a curse …and His servants will worship Him forever.
►Whenever you see a tree now, let it remind you to respond to God with obedience, thanksgiving, and
worship!
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Sermon series: “Simply Christmas”
Simply Christmas: Lights
History of Christmas Lights:
■Early Christians were persecuted for having worship meetings. A candle would be placed in the
window to identify where the worship gathering was to occur that week for the Christians in the
community.
■The tradition of using small candles to light up the Christmas tree dates back to Queen Victoria’s reign
(mid-1800’s). Through immigration this tradition spread to North America and Australia.
■In her journal for Christmas Eve of 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote, “After dinner…we
all went into the drawing room, near the dining room. There were two large round tables on which
were placed two trees, hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents were placed around the
trees.”
■Miniature candles were (and in some cultures still are) used until the development of the inexpensive
electrical light in the mid-19th century.
(RECAP: “Trees” = RESPONSE)
“Light” = SEPARATION:
“to disconnect,”
“to sever,”
“to set apart”
LIGHT MUST BE SEPARATED FROM DARKNESS
►Genesis 1:1-4
In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.
The earth was empty, a
formless mass cloaked in
darkness. And the Spirit of God
was hovering over its surface.
Then God said, "Let there be
light," and there was light. And
God saw that it was good. Then
he separated the light from the
darkness.
God separated the light from darkness. In this passage we see that darkness is associated with
formlessness, emptiness, and dysfunction.
2010 December 12 sermon
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►John 1:1-9; 3:16-21
In the beginning the Word already existed. He
was with God, and he was God. He was in the
beginning with God. He created everything
there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life
itself was in him, and this life gives light to
everyone. The light shines through the
darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish
it. God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone
about the light so that everyone might believe
because of his testimony. John himself was not
the light; he was only a witness to the light. The
one who is the true light, who gives light to
everyone, was going to come into the world.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his
only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
will not perish but have eternal life. God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to
save it. "There is no judgment awaiting those
who trust him. But those who do not trust him
have already been judged for not believing in the
only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this
fact: The light from heaven came into the world,
but they loved the darkness more than the light,
for their actions were evil. They hate the light
because they want to sin in the darkness. They
stay away from the light for fear their sins will be
exposed and they will be punished. But those
who do what is right come to the light gladly, so
everyone can see that they are doing what God
wants."
The light shines in the darkness.
The first evidence of becoming a Christian is that you become separated from darkness. God does the
same work in you that He did for the earth in Genesis 1 – He separates the light from the darkness in
you!
►Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world -- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide
your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your
good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
You are the light of the world!
►2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Don't team up with those who are unbelievers.
How can goodness be a partner with
wickedness? How can light live with darkness?
What harmony can there be between Christ and
the Devil ? How can a believer be a partner with
an unbeliever? And what union can there be
between God's temple and idols? For we are the
temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live
in them and walk among them. I will be their
God, and they will be my people. Therefore,
come out from them and separate yourselves
from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy
things, and I will welcome you.
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Do not have harmony with unbelievers, going the same way as them.
God wants to give you a stand, an area of influence. He wants to make you a light!
►Ephesians 5:8-13
For though your hearts were once full of
darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord,
and your behavior should show it! For this light
within you produces only what is good and right
and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the
Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil
and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them.
It is shameful even to talk about the things that
ungodly people do in secret. But when the light
shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these
things are.
Live as people of light.
True Christians should be defined by what they are for, not by what they are against.
Separate yourself from unbelievers by not acting like them. For example, don’t laugh at dirty jopkes,
don’t steal, don’t lie, etc. You are now light; act like it!
►Revelation 22:1-5
And the angel showed me a pure river with the
water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the
throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down
the center of the main street. On each side of
the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops
of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The
leaves were used for medicine to heal the
nations. No longer will anything be cursed. For
the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there,
and his servants will worship him. And they will
see his face, and his name will be written on
their foreheads. And there will be no night there
-- no need for lamps or sun -- for the Lord God
will shine on them. And they will reign forever
and ever.
God is the light in heaven …There is no darkness in heaven!
Every time that you see Christmas lights, remind yourself that you are now the light of your world; you
are now separated from darkness!
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Sermon series: “Simply Christmas”
Simply Christmas: Stars
Matthew 2:1-12
Jesus was born in the town of
Bethlehem in Judea, during the
reign of King Herod. About that
time some wise men from
eastern lands arrived in
Jerusalem, asking, "Where is
the newborn king of the Jews?
We have seen his star as it
arose, and we have come to
worship him." Herod was
deeply disturbed by their
question, as was all of
Jerusalem. He called a meeting
of the leading priests and
teachers of religious law.
"Where did the prophets say
the Messiah would be born?"
he asked them. "In
Bethlehem," they said, "for this
is what the prophet wrote: 'O
Bethlehem of Judah, you are
not just a lowly village in Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for
my people Israel.' " Then
Herod sent a private message
to the wise men, asking them
to come see him. At this
meeting he learned the exact
time when they first saw the
star. Then he told them, "Go
to Bethlehem and search
carefully for the child. And
when you find him, come back
and tell me so that I can go and
worship him, too!" After this
interview the wise men went
their way. Once again the star
appeared to them, guiding
them to Bethlehem. It went
ahead of them and stopped
over the place where the child
was. When they saw the star,
they were filled with joy! They
entered the house where the
child and his mother, Mary,
were, and they fell down
before him and worshiped him.
Then they opened their
treasure chests and gave him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and
myrrh. But when it was time to
leave, they went home another
way, because God had warned
them in a dream not to return
to Herod.
Stars are an important part of our Christmas celebration. The wise men followed the star to Jesus. It
“appeared to them,” “guided them,” and “went ahead of them.” It led them to the object of their
worship: Jesus!
2010 December 19 sermon
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THREE QUESTIONS I MUST ASK MYSELF THIS CHRISTMAS
1. WHAT AM I SEEKING?
Hebrews 11:6b – “Anyone who comes to *God+ must believe that He exists and that He rewards those
who earnestly seek Him.”
Earnest = Ekzeka = To investigate; to crave; to demand
The wise men saw the same thing that everyone saw. They recognized the significance of what they saw
because they investigated.
2. WHAT AM I FOLLOWING?
Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.”
We can use Scripture to justify anything that we want to do.
John 16:13 -- When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting
his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
God lives inside you! You need to take this into account in your daily life. The Holy Spirit inside you
leads you the right way …Follow Him!
Life is a progression. Follow the path that God has set for you – one step at the time. If you’ve gotten
off the right road, then God always has an On-Ramp for you to get back on the right road!
3. WHAT AM I OFFERING?
a. Gold = Earth, symbolizing the Son of Man
i. Gold symbolizes that God became human, made of earth.
ii. Hebrews 2:17, 18 – Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect
like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful
High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the
sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation,
he is able to help us when we are being tempted.
iii. If Jesus could not have sinned, then His sacrifice would have been worthless.
Jesus had to become human!
b. Frankincense = Prayer
i. Jesus lived a life of prayer!
ii. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “Pray continually.” This verse tells us to live a
life of communicating with God!
iii. John 12:50 – “Whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say.”
c. Myrrh – Death
i. John 12:24 – “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains
only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus knew that His
life would be given as a seed.
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ii. Myrrh was an embalming element. It spoke of Jesus’ death.
iii. We die to self by focusing on other people and choosing to bless them. We die
to self by making time for others.
The star on top of the tree represents Journey. It represents the steps that we take as we follow God’s
plan for our lives.
The overall question that I must ask myself this Christmas season:
IS THE PATH I’M ON LEADING ME TO A LIFE OF WORSHIP?
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