Christmas Calls Us to Give (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Episode Title: Christmas Calls Us to Give (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Key Points:

• Christmas is not just about receiving gifts, but also about giving.
• The ultimate gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ, is an example of selfless love and sacrifice.
• We are called to follow in Jesus's footsteps by giving of our time, talents, resources, and love to others.
• The Bible emphasizes the importance of giving throughout its pages.
• Giving is not just a duty, but a privilege and a pathway towards spiritual growth.
• There are many ways to incorporate the spirit of giving into your Christmas celebration, such as volunteering, donating, giving meaningful gifts, or performing acts of kindness.
• By actively practicing giving, we can experience the joy of generosity and contribute to a better world.

Call to Action:

• Reflect on the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ and how it inspires you to give to others.
• Look for opportunities to share your time, talents, resources, and love with those in need.
• Let your acts of giving become a beacon of hope and reflect the true spirit of Christmas.

Links:

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Greetings, friends.
Welcome back to Walking In His Word.
I'm your host Jason Gohl
and I'm so grateful you've joined me.
As we dive into the depths of Scripture,
discovering his timeless wisdom
and applying his teaching
to our daily lives.
Over the next week,
we'll embark on a special journey
leading up to Christmas Day.
Before we begin today's episode,
I'd like to invite you to subscribe
to the podcast
wherever you listen and share
the joy with family and friends.

(00:23):
You can also join our online community
at Walking in his workshop.
So sit back and relax
as we dive into the special
meaning of Christmas.
And let's keep walking
in his word together.
Today,
we dive deeper into the spirit
of Christmas,
focusing on a call to action
that is giving as we celebrate
the ultimate gift of God's Son,
we are reminded
that true joy lies not just in receiving,

(00:44):
but also in giving.
So let's explore this concept
through the lens of Second Corinthians
eight, verse nine, for,
you know, the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet
for your sakes,
he became poor, that you,
through his poverty, might become rich.
In this verse,
Paul reminds us
of the ultimate act of giving,
which was Jesus's sacrifice on the cross.

(01:06):
Though he was rich in divinity,
he chose to become poor in human form,
surrendering everything
for our salvation.
This act of selfless love
serves as an inspiration
and a challenge
for us to follow in his footsteps.
Christmas is a time
not only to receive blessings,
but also to extend those blessings

(01:26):
to others
in Philippians
Chapter two, Paul expounds
a little bit more on the sacrifice
that Jesus made for us, what Jesus did
for us, the gift He gave.
And we'll start in verse five,
Philippians chapter two,
verse five,
having this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with

(01:47):
God as a thing to be grasped,
really emptied himself
by taking the form of a servant
being born in the likeness of men
and being found in human form.
He humbled himself by being obedient
to the point of death,
even death on the cross.
That's what Jesus did for us.
He was equal with God

(02:08):
had the same mind as God
and was counted equally with God,
and He emptied himself
to become a servant,
to become
like those that he created in human form.
He humbled himself
and even allowed for himself
to be killed on the cross.
That's the gift that Christ gave us.
His ultimate act of humility, ultimate

(02:31):
act of sacrifice
in this act of selfless love
serves as an inspiration
and a challenge
for us to follow in his footsteps.
Christmas is not just a time
to receive blessings,
but also a time to extend
blessings to others.
The Bible emphasizes
as many different ways
the importance
of giving throughout its pages.
Proverbs 1125 says that a generous person

(02:53):
will prosper.
Whoever refreshes
others will also be refreshed.
Matthew 611 encourages us
to store up treasures in heaven
by giving to those in need.
Also, ex chapter 20,
verse 35 It emphasizes
that it's more blessed
to give than receive.
Let's read this verse
if our in our things.
I have shown you
that by working hard in this way,
we must help the weak.

(03:15):
Remembering the words of the Lord
Jesus, how
He himself said
It is more blessed to give than receive.
And again,
the focus here is on helping
the weak,
helping those who are less
fortunate in giving these verses
remind us that giving
is not just a duty, but a privilege
and a pathway towards spiritual growth.
As we approach Christmas,
we're often bombarded

(03:36):
with messages
that focus on consumerism,
material desires and so forth.
And it's easy
to get caught up in that frenzy
of giving and receiving gifts.
However, Christmas is
also a time to remember
that the greatest gifts
we can offer
a person is not wrapped in a box
or adorned with bows and lace.
The greatest gift we can give

(03:56):
is is our time,
our talent, our resources,
and most importantly,
our love to those who are in need.
This act of giving transcends this season
and reflects
the true spirit of Christmas.
So here are some ways
you can incorporate the spirit
of giving into your Christmas.
Volunteer your time at a local charity
or a soup kitchen.

(04:17):
You can donate to organizations
that support causes you care about.
Give meaningful gifts
that reflect the recipient's
needs and interests.
You can also perform
acts of kindness and service
for friends, family
and strangers alike,
and most importantly, share
the gift of faith
by spreading the message of Christ's love
with others.
By actively practicing giving,
we can experience

(04:37):
the joy of generosity
and contribute to a better world.
So look for opportunities
of how you can help someone.
Does it have to be
any of the things that I've mentioned?
Maybe you see somebody.
Maybe you just see
somebody who might be in need.
When you go into Starbucks,
maybe you grab an extra sandwich
and give it to that person
and say, God bless you.
There's many different ways
that we can reflect
God's love through giving

(04:59):
as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Let's
let us all
remember his ultimate gift
of love and sacrifice.
He gave his life for us.
He gave up his throne temporarily
to come to Earth and live as a human,
to walk in our steps to later groundwork
for us,
and then to die for us
so that we could live.
So let this season inspire us

(05:21):
to emulate his example.
Open our hearts to the joy of giving.
May our acts of love and generosity
become a beacon of hope
and a light in the world
and reflect the true spirit of Christmas.
Thank you for joining us
and walking in His Word.
As we celebrate the holidays together,
we have a lessons
learned and stories shared
inspire you
to spread joy, peace

(05:41):
and love throughout this holiday season
and beyond.
Remember, the spirit of giving
doesn't have to end with the holidays.
You can connect with us online
by walking in his word
that com to share your experiences
and to continue to walk in his word
with others.
So until next time,
may God bless you
and fill your holidays
with happiness and love and
keep walking in his word.