No Room for Peace

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¹ At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:1-7)

³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

is a peace repellant.

If the devil can’t get me to sin, he’ll settle for just keeping me .

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

1. Make the important, .

³⁸ As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴² There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

2. Make for God to move.

⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:8a)

3. Recognize my

⁹⁶ Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. (Psalm 119:96)

⁶ For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Additional Notes

What’s Happening at Crossroads

NEW HERE?

We’re so glad you’ve chosen to come to Crossroads today! We want to thank you for visiting and would love to get to know you. Stop by and say hello at one of our Welcome Centers, our First Step area, or check out ecrossroads.info for more. We can’t wait to meet you!

CHRISTMAS EVE GATHERINGS

Peace is underrated in a world that seeks happiness. As we look to the Christmas story, we find that peace is not circumstantial but a perspective of the heart. Come join one of our gatherings as we celebrate the arrival of Jesus and what that means in the gospel story.

• Downtown
  • Sunday 12/24 – 10:45am
• South
  • Saturday 12/23 – 5:00pm
  • Sunday 12/24 – 9:15am & 10:45am
  • Sunday 12/24 – 10:00pm*

*The 10pm family gathering will be a special time that includes Christmas carols, a Christmas message, and beautiful candlelight.
Childcare will be available for our youngest age groups at each gathering except for the 10pm family gathering.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVING

Everyone wants to be noticed and feel welcome! And we’d like to ask you to help make that happen during our Christmas Gatherings. You can do that through greeting, serving cookies and drinks, and more! Check out all your options at http://tiny.cc/ChristmasEve2023. We look forward to serving you as you serve others!

BLUE CHRISTMAS

Christmas isn’t always easy. Grief, loss, finances, past traumas, separations, and other hardships can contribute to sadness and loneliness during the holidays. South Creek Church of God, 5937 S. Park Road, will be hosting an intimate and gentle community Christmas service where “hope and grief can safely share space” on December 21 at 7 p.m. You can find more details at bluechristmas.info.