By Marcell McGee Do you remember the joys of Christmas growing up as a child? Your mom, brothers and sisters, decorating the Christmas tree? Then, the anticipation of finding that special gift from Santa under the tree? Remember the afternoon trip to Grandma’s house for Christmas dinner? For most, Christmas has always represented anticipation, joy, family, love, and hope. But for many, hope is a difficult commodity to come by these days. Our hope dims with every negative story we hear, every report of violence we receive, every personal tragedy that we experience. The Christmas season for many, if not all of us, does not always represent thoughts of hope in our lives. We are confronted with individual pain, the memory of lost loved ones, the darkness of obstacles standing before us. Maybe somewhere down the line you have disappointed your parents, your wife, your kids, maybe even God. There comes over us a sense of helplessness or hopelessness. The plans that we had in our youth for a happy life are just a faded memory. With our plans dashed, we begin to think, “Can I ever recover?” “Is there any hope for me?” But, then we are reminded of what that little baby in the manger offers to us all. The Christmas season is a … [Read more...]

By David Cranford “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished him for the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6, CSB) Slick Willie Sutton was an infamous bank robber. Estimates are that he stole over 2 million dollars from banks during his career. A reporter asked Slick Willie, “Why do you rob banks?” Slick Willie reportedly said, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.” Although he later denied saying it, nobody can deny his logic, which came to be known as “Sutton’s law.” The simplest answer to the question “Why did Jesus come to earth on that first Christmas?” is that Jesus came to earth because that’s where the need is. “What love is this?” It is a love that is prescribed to meet our deepest personal need. Just as medicine is prescribed to meet our physical illness, Jesus the Savior is prescribed to meet our spiritual illness. Jeremiah was crushed by the condition of his people. “I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?” (Jeremiah 8:21–22, CSB) Can’t you shake your head and agree with Jeremiah? Aren’t … [Read more...]

Christmas can be hard. But it also can be good even when circumstances are difficult. Life is filled with difficulties. The circumstances of life sometimes make any celebration–birthdays, holidays, etc–difficult. I remember so well as a teenager when someone close to me was killed in a traffic accident. I couldn’t get over the fact that life for most people went on. How could they be happy when we were so sad? Those kind of events and the feelings associated with them make the holidays hard. What should you do during difficult times? First, worship the risen Christ. His story is the only story of hope for all human beings. While you may not be able to laugh through the holidays, you can worship through the holidays, knowing that God sent His Son to give us hope in the midst of difficult times. Second, spend as much time as possible with other people. For the most part, once you get past your teenage years, Christmas celebrations are about Christ and the people around us. Don’t isolate yourself. Spend time with as many people as possible. Third, take advantage of Christmas celebrations, especially those celebrations that exalt Christ and remind us of His birth.  For First Baptist Church, we will have … [Read more...]