Christmas Eve Service - 4.30pm (2)

In one paragraph

This was the Christmas Eve service at First B Jackson, built around a reading of the nativity story from the New Living Translation. The message centered on Jesus as the light of the world, tracing that theme from His birth through His own words and into the lives of those who follow Him. No single extended sermon was preached; the evening moved through scripture readings, music, a candle...

Read together

1. John 8:12 Galloway family read it at the Christ candle lighting: 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'
2. Isaiah 7:14 Read as part of the nativity scripture reading: 'the virgin will conceive a child and she will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel which means God is with us'
3. Isaiah 9:6-7 Read as part of the nativity scripture reading: 'For a child is born to us, a son is given to us... Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'
4. Micah 5:2 Read as part of the nativity scripture reading: 'But you, oh Bethlehem... a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you'
5. Matthew 1:18-24 Read as part of the nativity story: the angel appearing to Joseph in a dream and telling him to take Mary as his wife
6. Luke 2:1-20 Read as the core nativity story: the census, the birth in Bethlehem, the shepherds and the angels
7. Matthew 2:1-11 Read as part of the nativity story: the wise men arriving in Jerusalem and following the star to present gifts to Jesus
8. John 3:16 Quoted before the offering: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his son Jesus that whoever believes in him wouldn't die but have eternal life'
9. John 1:5 Quoted at the candle lighting: 'the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it'
10. Matthew 5:14-16 Quoted near the close: 'you are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden...'

Talk about it

1. The Galloway family said that as they lit the Christ candle, their hope was to 'devote our lives to reflecting his light.' What does reflecting the light of Christ actually look like in your day-to-day life, and where do you find that hardest to do?
2. The pastor read that when the angels appeared, the shepherds were terrified, but then immediately got up and went to find exactly what they had been told about. What makes it difficult to act on what God has clearly told us, and can you think of a time when you did or did not respond that way?
3. Mary 'kept all these things in her heart and she thought about them often.' What is something God has done in your life that you need to slow down and sit with, rather than move past quickly?
4. The wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh as acts of worship. The pastor connected their giving to the church's own giving to people in need. What does it mean to you that giving to others in their time of need is an act of worship rather than just charity?
5. The pastor closed by pointing out that Jesus says 'I am the light of the world' and then turns around and says to us 'you are the light of the world.' How does it change the way you think about your ordinary life to know that God has put that responsibility on you?