Christmas Lights at New Friendship has now come and gone. Even though the day is now over with the story lives on. The story of Christmas Lights lives on in each of us every single day. It lives on through the Christmas season and even into the rest of the days of the year. These Christmas Lights – the story of hope, the story of love, the story of rescue – lives on through us because we have now been given life from the author of the story. We have been given salvation through Jesus – the Light of the world.
A beautiful picture of this took place in three baptisms from our 11 a.m. worship gathering yesterday. See the story of hope and rescue… See the promise of Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection. See that salvation has come to everyone who will believe in Him.
Not only through baptism, but also through a story of someone who had never heard that someone was willing to die for them, and the promise of new life in Christ. Through Emily’s story we hear that we are no longer identified by our family life, or by our economic status, but we are identified by Christ. We are sons and daughters of the King. We are given the promise of being heirs with Christ. We are loved no matter what is going on at home or around us. We have been life. And what do we do with this life? We proclaim the life-changing, life-giving salvation of Jesus.
And the best part of all of this… Sharing the good news of Christ isn’t left up to the adults or the religious elite. It isn’t left up to only pastors and church staff, but to everyone. Even the smallest ones. The Gospel resonates with all people. Even the ones who can barley sing, and stay on beat.
Christmas Lights is more than just a time where we come together and enjoy some Christmas music, but a time of renewing our hearts and navigating away from the distraction of the season to see Christ in His glory and see that the Lord has us here for such a time as this, to take the Good news of Christ to the ends of the earth for His glory and renown.
May Christmas Lights be a reminder of the hope we have in Christ and the purpose for which we were created…
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:19-20
Foundations 
Amen