Gift Exchange
Advent & Christmas 2017
Christmas Eve • North Oak
December 24, 2017 • Mark Sheets
Finding the perfect gift can feel elusive. It has to be a surprise, can’t break the bank, needs to be memorable years down the road, fit perfectly, not wear out, or go out of fashion. The more people on our list, the more impossible gift-giving can become. Maybe that’s why we get gift receipts with everything we buy. It’s like a built-in "I’m sorry" for a gift that falls flat. How is God’s Christmas gift to us different?
Christmas Eve • Platte County
December 24, 2017 • Adam Mustoe
Finding the perfect gift can feel elusive. It has to be a surprise, can’t break the bank, needs to be memorable years down the road, fit perfectly, not wear out, or go out of fashion. The more people on our list, the more impossible gift-giving can become. Maybe that’s why we get gift receipts with everything we buy. It’s like a built-in "I’m sorry" for a gift that falls flat. How is God’s Christmas gift to us different?
Christmas Eve • Gladstone
December 24, 2017 • Kayla Meredith
Finding the perfect gift can feel elusive. It has to be a surprise, can’t break the bank, needs to be memorable years down the road, fit perfectly, not wear out, or go out of fashion. The more people on our list, the more impossible gift-giving can become. Maybe that’s why we get gift receipts with everything we buy. It’s like a built-in "I’m sorry" for a gift that falls flat. How is God’s Christmas gift to us different?
Nothing to Give • North Oak
December 17, 2017 • Mark Sheets
Every now and then, we fall prey to the feeling we have nothing to give. We either believe we don’t have the ability, the financial resources, or the intelligence. Feeling like you have nothing to offer can be debilitating. The shepherds could’ve easily felt the same way. A low position in life career-wise, without a clear ladder to climb for success. But these night-shift shepherds were the ones God chose to reveal his son to, and they gave the most important gift they had - their presence.
Nothing to Give • Platte County
December 17, 2017 • Adam Mustoe
Every now and then, we fall prey to the feeling we have nothing to give. We either believe we don’t have the ability, the financial resources, or the intelligence. Feeling like you have nothing to offer can be debilitating. The shepherds could’ve easily felt the same way. A low position in life career-wise, without a clear ladder to climb for success. But these night-shift shepherds were the ones God chose to reveal his son to, and they gave the most important gift they had - their presence.
Nothing to Give • Gladstone
December 17, 2017 • Cathy McIntire
Every now and then, we fall prey to the feeling we have nothing to give. We either believe we don’t have the ability, the financial resources, or the intelligence. Feeling like you have nothing to offer can be debilitating. The shepherds could’ve easily felt the same way. A low position in life career-wise, without a clear ladder to climb for success. But these night-shift shepherds were the ones God chose to reveal his son to, and they gave the most important gift they had - their presence.
White Elephant • North Oak
December 10, 2017 • Mark Sheets
White elephant gift exchanges offer people an opportunity to wrap up something they no longer want and anonymously exchange it within a group. Sometimes one person’s trash is another person’s treasure – other times it’s just trash to everybody. It’s difficult to give a gift you’re not sure the other person wants. The gifts Jesus receives from the magi are so strange that you can’t help but wonder, “What would a baby do with gold, frankincense, and myrrh?”
White Elephant • Platte County
December 10, 2017 • Adam Mustoe
White elephant gift exchanges offer people an opportunity to wrap up something they no longer want and anonymously exchange it within a group. Sometimes one person’s trash is another person’s treasure – other times it’s just trash to everybody. It’s difficult to give a gift you’re not sure the other person wants. The gifts Jesus receives from the magi are so strange that you can’t help but wonder, “What would a baby do with gold, frankincense, and myrrh?”
White Elephant • Gladstone
December 10, 2017 • Kayla Meredith
White elephant gift exchanges offer people an opportunity to wrap up something they no longer want and anonymously exchange it within a group. Sometimes one person’s trash is another person’s treasure – other times it’s just trash to everybody. It's difficult to give a gift you’re sure the other person wants. Most of the time we just hope for the best. The gifts to Jesus from the magi were so strange that you can’t help but wonder, “What would a baby do with gold, frankincense, and myrrh?”
The Unexpected Gift • North Oak
December 3, 2017 • Mark Sheets
Inevitably, life surprises us with events, circumstances, or curveballs we didn’t plan. These events can be opportunities for us to learn, grow, and experience life in a way we might never have chosen on our own. As a teenager, Mary gets a surprise visit from an angel telling her that she will bear a son, though still a virgin. Surprise! What can we learn from Mary’s response to the angel?
The Unexpected Gift • Platte County
December 3, 2017 • Adam Mustoe
Inevitably, life surprises us with events, circumstances, or curveballs we didn’t plan. These events can be opportunities for us to learn, grow, and experience life in a way we might never have chosen on our own. As a teenager, Mary gets a surprise visit from an angel telling her that she will bear a son, though still a virgin. Surprise! What can we learn from Mary’s response to the angel?
The Unexpected Gift • Gladstone
December 3, 2017 • Kayla Meredith
Inevitably, life surprises us with events, circumstances, or curveballs we didn’t plan. These events can be opportunities for us to learn, grow, and experience life in a way we might never have chosen on our own. As a teenager, Mary gets a surprise visit from an angel telling her that she will bear a son, though still a virgin. Surprise! What can we learn from Mary’s response to the angel?
Black Friday • North Oak
November 26, 2017 • Bryan Rezen
Every year following Thanksgiving, retail stores around the country offer huge discounts in order to jumpstart the Christmas shopping season. Large crowds, high demand, and low supply make it a day for only the bravest shoppers looking for that perfect gift. When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Caesar demanded a census be taken for tax and military purposes. This would be a financial boon to the economy, but also meant lots of travel and large crowds as each family returned to their hometown to be counted. For Mary and Joseph, it would mean no available lodging and navigating uncomfortable circumstances.
Black Friday • Platte County
November 26, 2017 • Cathy McIntire
Every year following Thanksgiving, retail stores around the country offer huge discounts in order to jumpstart the Christmas shopping season. Large crowds, high demand, and low supply make it a day for only the bravest shoppers looking for that perfect gift. When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Caesar demanded a census be taken for tax and military purposes. This would be a financial boon to the economy, but also meant lots of travel and large crowds as each family returned to their hometown to be counted. For Mary and Joseph, it would mean no available lodging and navigating uncomfortable circumstances.
Black Friday • Gladstone
November 26, 2017 • Kayla Meredith
Every year following Thanksgiving, retail stores around the country offer huge discounts in order to jumpstart the Christmas shopping season. Large crowds, high demand, and low supply make it a day for only the bravest shoppers looking for that perfect gift. When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Caesar demanded a census be taken for tax and military purposes. This would be a financial boon to the economy, but also meant lots of travel and large crowds as each family returned to their hometown to be counted. For Mary and Joseph, it would mean no available lodging and navigating uncomfortable circumstances.