GIFT EXCHANGE
Discovering God’s Gifts at Christmas
Pastor Gary Moritz
pastor@cityunited.church
INTRODUCTION
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! But let’s face it, it is one of the most stressful times as well. Many will wait with expectation to exchange tangible gifts from under the Christmas tree, but many will also miss the intangible gift that was given to us on THE TREE (the cross).
God is the exchanging God. He desires to exchange your imperfect feelings for His perfect “gift.” He takes those who have nothing and gives them everything. He takes your negative feelings and exchanges them for something far better. He takes your fears and exchanges them for His peace.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” —James 1:17 (NKJV)
In this teaching series you will discover:
Dec. 1 Exchanging Grief for Joy
Dec. 8 Exchanging Greed for Generosity
Dec. 15 Exchanging Hurts for Healing
Dec. 22 Exchanging Worry for Peace (Christmas Sunday)
Dec. 24 Exchanging Hopelessness for Hope (Christmas Eve)
Dec. 29 Exchanging Discouragement for Encouragement
TEXT: Matthew 6:24-34 (CSB, New Testament)
TODAY’S TAKEAWAY:
Time spent worrying is wasted time. (Tweet this)
(To share on Instagram/Facebook, use @cityunitedchurch and #bestdecemberevah)
GIFT EXCHANGE WEEK 4:
EXCHANGING WORRY FOR PEACE
I.
FACTS ABOUT WORRY (6:25, 34)
God says not to worry. Therefore …
A. Worry is
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” —Philippians 4:6
“… and everything that is not from faith is sin..” —Romans 14:23b
B. Worry is a sign of spiritual
“Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” —1 Peter 5:7
C. Worry is assuming responsibility for things God never intended for you to
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” —Psalm 55:22
Worry allows your mind to imagine fabricated negative outcomes beyond your actual control.
II.
OF WORRY (6:24-25c, 34)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
III.
OF WORRY (6:25d-32)
A. It is
-Worry focuses attention on the external rather than the eternal.
B. It is
-Worry makes you think less of yourself.
C. It is
-Worry can’t change the past or control the future. It can only corrupt the present.
-Worry damages your body.
D. It is
-Worry indicates a misunderstanding about God.
E. It is
-Worry is practical atheism. It is saying you believe in God but don’t trust Him.
IV. HOW TO
YOUR WORRY FOR PEACE (6:33-34)
A.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.” —Psalm 23:1
“Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” —Philippians 4:9
B.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:19
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” —Philippians 4:6-7
C.
- There are certain days in the week upon which we should never worry. They are
“Give us today our daily bread.” —Matthew 6:11
- When you worry about tomorrow’s
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” —Psalm 118:24
Worry less, live more.
CONCLUSION:
We must re-focus our minds on the goodness and the gifts of God rather than the problems around us that lead to worry. Do you Worry? Exchange your worry for His peace.
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