sunday's scuds (december 9, 2007)

We're continuing the All I Want for Christmas series. Week one covered Wonderful Counselor, this week, it was Mighty God. A Mighty God is a God who rescues us. What do you want for Christmas? Someone to rescue you? Here are the scuds:

• And we assume God views us through the lens of our performance or lack thereof.
• The Christmas story is this opposite of this approach.
• One word defines our relationship with God: Savior.
• If we can begin to view our relationship with God through the lens of, "He sent me a Savior to rescue me," it takes all the "ought-to's" out of your religion.
• If you can ever begin to embrace Jesus as Savior, it will transform your relationship with Him.
• For some of you, your whole Christian experience is the thought that Jesus is trying to interfere with your life (just leave me alone with the Jesus stuff...I am fine!).
• When you don't think you're in need of being rescued, the idea of a Savior is a big nuisance.
• God's approach to saving us often times reinforces our confusion about him because he's never going to barge in and just save the day. His strategy for saving you is patience, kindness, and tolerance...not threats and/or scare-tactics. (Romans 2:4).
• If you're here today and you're not sure about whether or not you need a Savior, let me just tell you, you need one.
• Not just heaven and hell...If you can't save yourself now, what are you going to do in eternity?

You don't need a Savior because you might die tonight. You need a Savior because you have to live tomorrow. --Rick Warren.

• When someone saves me...that person doesn't have to ask me follow them. They don't have to make me...or beg me...just name it...YOU SAVED ME! That's way different than, "Well, I guess I ought to..."
• Anything you're willing to lay at the feet of the Savior, He will save.
• The first step to embracing the message of Christmas is to acknowledge, "I need a Savior." And that acknowledgement is an invitation for God through His Son to begin rescuing, delivering, saving you.

Thanks, Dwight, for the opportunity to teach about one of my favorite subjects.