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December 22, 2013

WELCOME!
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel and pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

FAMILY NEWS

NO WEDNESDAY CLASSES DECEMBER 25 or JANUARY 1: A large number of our members are going to be out of town on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, so we will not have midweek classes on those Wednesday nights. When the Wednesday night class resumes on January 8, you will have a new class.

COATS: Our thanks to Bill and Patty for, getting the coats. Most of the coats were priced well over $40 and we got them for $11.00 each. We have already provided coats for a number of children with whom we had personal contact. The others are being distributed by Leon and Samantha through the schools in the area. This is an incredible project for a small congregation like ours, and some real needs in the community are being met.

PRAYER SHEET: We have a large number of people fighting illnesses and problems. Be sure to pick up and use the sheet Julie and Karl prepare to assist us in helping one another, sending cards, or making calls. Please call Karl at 574-514-1400 or e-mail him at marcusen@michiana.org if someone needs to be added to the list or a change made. On Sundays call before 8:00 am.

TODAY'S LESSON

CHRISTMAS - REAL AND IMAGINARY

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Matthew 1:18 – 3:6 and Luke 1:26 – 2:20

John Clayton

INTRODUCTION — We live in an age of skepticism.
A. People are especially skeptical of religion and the Bible
B. Christmas story is equated to Santa Claus.
1. Did Jesus turn a playmate into a frog?
2. Did wise men and shepherds converge under a star that stood over a manger?
I. CONFUSION COMES FROM CONFUSING CHARACTERS.
A. The shepherds never saw a star.
1. Luke 2:8 – 20
2. They were Jews — knew the prophesies.
B.The wise men were not kings nor Jews.
1. Matthew 2:1 – 12 — Only place recorded
2. Herod is a major player.
a. Appointed King by the Romans — a usurper.
b. Verses 4 – 5 — calls Jewish leaders to find the place.
c. Does not know when this happened.
d. Does not get data for two years (Verse 16).
3. Magi — from west —  saw his star in east.
a. Magi is a Persian astronomer/astrologer.
b. Kings' names made up centuries later.
c. Brought gold for a King.
d. Brought frankincense — prayer incense
e. Brought myrrh — embalming material — John 19:39; Psalm 45:8
C.The Magi did not go to Bethlehem or the manger.
1. Matthew 2:8, 11 — Herod sent them to a house.
2. The star was not a celestial star, comet, nova, etc.
a. No one else saw it originally.
b. May have been a syzygy (an alignment of three celestial objects) the Magi knew.
3. Shekinah likely — Exodus 13:21; 24:17; 40:36; Ezekial 1:28; 10 —a special act of God
III. THE PURPOSE OF THE STORY
A. Gentiles were involved in Jesus's ministry from start.
1. Jesus came to save all of mankind.
B. The birth fulfilled all of prophecy — over 100 of them.
1. Isaiah 7:14; 40:3; Micah 5:2; Hosea11:1; Jeremiah 31:15
C. What do you do with all of this? What do you believe?
1. People reject it because of sin in their lives.
2. People reject it because they think the consequences of rejection are far into the future.

THE BACK PAGE

BIBLE REVIEW

Here is a fun way to test your Bible knowledge. It is from a column by Chris Swinford in the Carlsbad, New Mexico, bulletin. Match the bumper stickers on the left with Bible characters on the right.

_____ 1. Support the ban on slingshots. A. Joshua
_____ 2. Save the whales. B. Balaam
_____ 3. Be kind to Senior Citizens. C. Jehu
_____ 4. Jericho must go. D. Moses
_____ 5. "Hotwheels" E. Daniel
_____ 6. Support your local Lions Club. F. Methuselah
_____ 7. Take a Hitite to lunch. G. Goliath
_____ 8. My stick can eat your stick. H. Uriah
_____ 9. Be kind to donkeys. I. Jonah
_____ 10. If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the side walk. J. Elijah

(The answer key for this review is in the December 29, 2013 issue.)

We wish you a most pleasant and joyful Christmas. May your holiday week be full of good things to eat, good friends, and happy times with family and with those you love.

— John Clayton