Receiving the Gift of Christmas

Coastal Church

Receiving the Gift of Christmas

The Gift of Christmas

December 24, 2023 • Pastor Dave Koop • 1 John 1:1–2, 1 John 1:3–4, Ephesians 2:8, John 1:1–2, John 3:16–17

For a gift to be complete it must be received. Christmas is all about God extending His gift to us. As Christians, Christmas is more than a nostalgic feeling, it is a time to reflect deeply on what God truly gave us.

Why Should We Celebrate Christmas?

December 25, 2023 • Pastor Dave Koop • John 1:14, Matthew 1:23, 1 John 4:9–10, John 14:2–3, John 14:6

Christmas itself has now far outstripped Easter in popular culture as the real celebratory center of the Christian year–a move that completely reverses the New Testament emphasis. We sometimes try, in hymns, prayers, and sermons, to build a whole theology on Christmas, but it can’t in fact sustain such a thing. Easter, however, should be the center. Take that away and there is, almost literally, nothing left.

Christmas is about Light

December 24, 2023 • Pastor Dave Koop • Isaiah 9:2–6, John 8:12, John 1:4–5, Matthew 5:14–16, John 1:5

Christmas is about the light coming to earth. In the Gospel of John, we find the beautiful proclamation that encapsulates the essence of Christmas: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. - John 1:5, ESV

Responding with Worship

Pastor Dave Koop • 2 Samuel 24:24, Matthew 10:32, John 4:23–24, Matthew 2:2, Matthew 2:11

Exploring the account of the Wise Men in Matthew chapter two, we discover an enduring lesson that speaks directly to all of us on how we too can respond to the extraordinary gift of God sending His Son.