
Pastor Shane Bengry
12.4.2022
a GIFT of GOLD - What Do You Really Want?
MATTHEW 2 (NIV)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” … 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
- YOU WANT YOUR OWN WAY
- YOU WANT TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
- YOU WANT PERPETUAL PLEASURE
- YOU WANT IT NOW
DOESN’T REGRET ALWAYS BEGIN WITH “I WANT”?
JAMES 4 (NIV)
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask (badly), that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
GOD DOESN’T WANT SOMETHING FROM YOU - HE WANTS SOMETHING FOR YOU
WHAT DO YOU VALUE?
“Open a Gift” worship experience
interactive worship experience to help you discover the value of Christ & Christmas
GOLD COIN - What is a valuable part of your life that HAS NOT yet been yielded to Jesus?
(i.e. family, job, dreams of success, finances, kids, a past regret, a broken relationship, someone you need to forgive)
~ Use the action of PLACING GOLD COIN into the MANGER as a spiritual representation of handing this valuable part of your life to Jesus, and reflect upon how giving Jesus control over this part of your life impacts you
NAME TAG - We often assign our value based on what we have been labeled or our past titles.
~ WRITE ON THE NAME TAG a name, title, or term that you has represented you (i.e. abused, betrayed, divorced, alone, worthless, etc)
~ STICK the NAME TAG to the board, as you let go of the negative label and assume a new value from Jesus
“You are loved. You are forgiven. You are new creation. You are valued.”
ORNAMENT - What do you want from Jesus for Christmas? What is your biggest prayer need?
~ WRITE ON THE ORNAMENT your need.
~ PRAY for this NEED as you HANG THE ORNAMENT on the Christmas tree.
~ TAKE a ANOTHER PERSON’S ORNAMENT from the tree, and PRAY FOR THIS REQUEST during the season.
CHRISTMAS BULB - Who is someone in your life that needs the light of Jesus this season?
~ RETURN the BULB to the Christmas Light Strand.
~ As the light comes on - PRAY for that “someone” and how God can use you to SHOW the LIGHT during this season.
CHRISTMAS CANDY - enjoy this sweet chocolate and remember how special you are!
GIFT TAG - this is your invitation to participate in the The Best Gift Exchange Ever at DFMC on 12/18