Three Sizes That Day

It's been cold this week. Physically painful. Not long ago I was hunting in windchills of minus 20-30 degrees. If I faced the wind too long with a bit of forhead showing I got a major "ice-cream headache". It hurt!

As physically damaging as windchill can be, a cold heart toward God is even more damaging. All week I have been studying about the heart-both physical and spiritual. Now I must admit I sometimes worry about the "old ticker"(mine has beat over 2 billion times). Sometimes I worry enough that I won't eat as much ice cream as I want. But I'd still rather get the real headache from eating than from walking. Nonetheless, I know deep down my heart before God is way more important than my physical heart BUT I don't always act like it is.

This weekend we are going to talk about how to grow our hearts toward God. I know it's easy to slide into a cold- two sizes too small heart. I also know God is in the business of growing hearts that desire to honor Him.

I am praying for each of us this weekend - that "the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!" If it can happen to a Grinch, my guess is God wants that to happen to us.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of Life. Proverbs 4:23

See You this Weekend.

Merry Christmas

Pastor Randy

PS: Don't Forget to Make Christmas Eve Services a part of your Family Traditions. 3:00 and 4:30 p.m.

Two Sizes Two Small

Every Who
Down In Who-ville
Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Grinch,
Who Lived just north of Who-ville,
Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.(The Grinch that Stole Christmas! Dr. Seuss)

My guess is most of us like Christmas with all the fixin's. My guess is a lot of us see Christmas as a wonderful time that stresses us a bit but we get it done. Having said that-My guess is some of us, though we do it, may still have hearts that are two sizes too small. The Bible consistently warns us about monitoring, challenging and cleanising our hearts. By a small heart I don't mean you aren't generous with gifts or meals or lights and ribbons. Small hearts can celebrate big without being big.

The next four weeks we will challenge our hearts to see If "maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" As a body of Christ what does it mean to have our small heart expanded and transformed so the celebrations, gifts, parties expand in expanding Christ's influence in our neighborhoods and communities.

I was thinking about another Christmas Classic--the one with Scrooge in it. It occurred to me that for as long as I have known about that story I never wanted to be like Scrooge. BUT without paying attention to my heart I easily fall into Scrooge like patterns of thinking and behaving.

This Week we will ask how a changed and expanded heart deals with expectations that sometimes crush our hearts at this time of the year. We will look at the only answer for mis-placed heart affections. I really think you will be encouraged to find lots of room in your heart for Jesus and the things that matter to Him. It would be a wonderful time to invite a friend. Most people I know want to have the best and right kind of celebrations-the best place to start is with the heart.

See you this weekend! Remember to Pray and Watch wherever you go this Christmas season. As you do I know God will give you many opportunities to use your life as an influence for His Name.

God Bless

Pastor Randy

PS: Don't forget to calendar our "Constance Christmas Concert" (December 11 @ 7:00 p.m.) featuring all the worship teams from Constance. Great night to invite a friend. I will personally be doing a number from Handel's Messiah!(JUST KIDDING!)