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What's So Special About Christmas?

Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise

What's Driving Your Life: A 10-Day Turnaround for a Fresh Start

The Purpose Driven Life Book

When man landed on the moon, that was big news. It was almost as if the whole world stopped to watch Neil Armstrong’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. But it is nothing compared to the news that God landed on the earth. Jesus Christ is God, and his birth is when God came to Earth. The Relevance of Christmas: God Came to Earth Jesus “always had the nature of God ...” (Philippians 2:6 TEV) Jesus was God, and he came to live among us for a while (John 1). That is the relevance of Christmas. Jesus didn't start in the stable. He existed even before Creation. The preeminence of Christ is explained in Colossians, where we are told he is the exact likeness of the unseen God, he existed before anything else, and, in truth, he is the Creator who made everything in Heaven and on Earth (Colossians 1:15-16). We may have a hard time relating to a vague being in the sky, but Jesus is God in the flesh. The Bible says if you've seen Jesus, you've seen God (John 1). If Jesus really is God and God came to Earth, then Christmas is the most relevant event of history. The Reality of Christmas: God Became Man The reality of Christmas was that Jesus Christ was a real man, flesh and blood, bones and hair. He was a real person — not a myth, not a fable, not a nice story. The Bible says Jesus “of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7 TEV). Why would Jesus come as a human being? Consider this: If God had wanted to communicate with dogs, he would have become a dog. If he wanted to communicate with birds, he would have become a bird. But God wanted to communicate with people, so he became a person. How is Jesus like us?

He was born like us. He gave up all he had and came into the world like billions of other babies. Yet, the whole history of the world rested in that one fragile infant. There was no flashy entrance that could be seen by everyone in the world. Jesus came in the middle of the night in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus was God in human form, born like us (Luke 2:5-7).
He grew like us. Jesus grew and developed and had growth spurts (Luke 2:52). Can you imagine what it would have been like to be in school with Jesus? You would know that he was a little bit different, but would you believe that he was God? He did not parade the fact that he was God. He was a human being and grew like us. He looked every inch a Jew from Palestine. He was a real man who worked as a carpenter — that's the reality of Christmas.
He was tempted like us. The Bible says Jesus was tempted, just like us, yet he was without sin (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus experienced the same pressures that you and I do, the same temptations and desires, but he never gave into them. This is important because it means Jesus can relate to you when you're struggling with temptations.
He suffered like us. Jesus felt pain and disappointment. He became tired and lonely. He grieved, he cried, he was human. In Gethsemane Jesus said, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me” (Matthew 26:38 TEV). Jesus knew what it was like to feel pain and to be under pressure. Jesus became what we are, so we can become what he is. That is the reality of Christmas.

The Reason for Christmas: Jesus Came to Die Jesus didn't stay in the manger. He went to a cross and voluntarily laid down his life for us. The Bible says, “He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8 TEV). Nobody put him there without his permission. Why did he allow himself to go to the cross? The Bible says he did it for two reasons:

To demonstrate God's love: The Bible says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT, second edition). His motivation was love. If you want to know how much God loves you, look at the cross. Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT, second edition). The Bible says that Jesus gave his life for us when we rejected him, before we even knew him, before we were even born.
To pay for our sins: When you break a law, you have to pay a penalty. When you break man's laws, you pay man's penalties. When you break God's laws, you pay God's penalties. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life: “Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24 TEV). What Jesus did over 2,000 years ago can make a difference in our lives right now. We can be completely forgiven for everything we’ve ever done wrong or will ever do wrong. That's the reason for Christmas.

The angels said, “This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord!” (Luke 2:11 TEV) Jesus came to be the Savior of the world. If you didn't need a Savior, God wouldn't have wasted all the effort to send one. The very fact that Jesus Christ did come to Earth, gave up all the glory of Heaven, became a human being, was born as a little baby, grew up to be a man with pressures and temptations like our own, and then died on a cross and was raised from the dead means you definitely need what God has to offer. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted all that energy. Salvation through Jesus means freedom — freedom from guilt, worry, fear, purposelessness in life. You are free to live the way God meant for you to live, and you can rest in the freedom of knowing Jesus has given you eternal life. So the Cross of Christ is not the end of baby Jesus in the manger. He is alive, and he came on a mission to bring you home to the Father. That's the reason for Christmas. The Result of Christmas: Jesus Is Lord The Bible says that because Jesus was willing to walk in humility, “God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 TEV). But God already knew Jesus would succeed at his mission because, when he was born, the angels proclaimed him Lord: “This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord!” (Luke 2:11 TEV) What does it mean to be a Christian, to be a believer, to be saved? It means to say, “Jesus is my Lord. I acknowledge the fact that he is God, I believe that he has everything under control, and I commit everything I have to him.” What does it mean to say, “Jesus is Lord”? a) I acknowledge that Jesus really is God. He's more than a man or a prophet. He is the Lord over my life, meaning I will do what he tells me to do — it is a test of my commitment to him. b) I believe that Jesus has everything under control. To say “Jesus is Lord” is a statement of comfort and encouragement. Even if everything looks bleak, Jesus is Lord, and I know he's got everything under control. I may not see the pattern or exactly what is happening, but Jesus is Lord, and I recognize the truth that he has everything under control. Nothing escapes his care or concern because he is Lord. To say “Jesus is Lord” is to say that I don't know what the New Year holds, but I know who holds the future. c) I commit all of my life to Jesus. He has the right to determine what's right in my life and to direct me. I seek to live according to his plans. The Bible says one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. It will happen. All of the arrogance in this world that puts itself up against Christ and all the arguments that deny Jesus is Lord will fall by the wayside, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. That is the result of Christmas: Jesus is Lord. We need to rediscover this phrase that has been used for centuries as the test of a believer: JESUS IS LORD. It’s what it means to be a believer: “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 TEV). You may think evil is winning, but Jesus is Lord. You may think you can’t go on because circumstances are piled up against you, but Jesus is Lord. You may think your problems are too big for anyone to handle, but Jesus is Lord. When you’re discouraged, say, “Jesus is Lord.” When you're tired, when you’re worried, when you’re afraid, when you’re lonely say, “Jesus is Lord.” Say it when you're grieving and you don't understand why someone you love just died. Say it when you don't think you can go another mile. Say it this Christmas and make it the theme of your life: Jesus is Lord. photo by Marian Trinidad via CreationSwap.

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The Kind of Leadership That Lasts

You can build a crowd on personality, and you can build momentum on skill. But you can’t build a ministry that lasts on charisma alone.That’s because the foundation of leadership is character, not charisma.Charisma is real. In fact, it’s a gift. Some leaders can walk into a room and settle everybody down. Some can tell a story and you can feel the temperature change.But charisma won’t hold you up when the stress hits—when criticism comes, when you’re tired, and when you’re tempted. In those moments, who you are matters more than what you can do.I’ve watched leaders with real charisma lose their influence because their private life couldn’t support their public life. That’s why charisma can’t be the foundation. If people can’t trust you, they won’t follow you for long.Credibility—the real testA lot of organizations confuse position with leadership. They think a title creates influence. It doesn’t.And the same mistake happens in ministry. A platform can make you visible, but it can’t make you believable. Here’s the difference: Reputation is what people say you are, and character is what you really are.Character is what you are in the dark, when nobody’s looking, when you could cut the corner and no one would ever know.What Scripture says to look for in leadersThe Bible says, “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7 NIV).Notice what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say, “Consider their talent.” And it doesn’t say, “Consider their style.”It says, “Consider the outcome of their way of life.” God builds lasting leadership on a life you can trust.That Hebrews passage gives you three simple things to watch for:A message worth rememberingWhen you speak, are you giving people truth they can build on or just something that sounds good in the moment?A lifestyle worth consideringDo the people closest to you see the same person the crowd sees?A faith worth imitatingAre you depending on God, or are you living off adrenaline and ability?When you have those three things—a message worth remembering, a lifestyle worth considering, and a faith worth imitating—that’s character. And character outlasts charisma every time.How leaders are madePastor, don’t ask, “Do people like me?” Ask, “Is my life worth following up close?”That’s not a question meant to shame you. It’s a question to give direction, because you can’t lead people somewhere you refuse to go yourself.If you feel a gap between your public leadership and your private life, don’t panic. Just get honest.Character isn’t built in a weekend. It’s built one decision at a time—when you tell the truth and it costs you, when you do the right thing and nobody sees it, and when you keep your conscience clean before God.That’s where leaders are made. And that’s the real measure of leadership.

Lead with Mercy When People Are Hurting

Jesus’ ministry was all about mercy. He showed mercy everywhere he went.If you want to know what mercy-shaped leadership looks like, watch how Jesus meets people in three moments pastors face all the time: shame, disappointment, and death. Luke 1:78 says, “A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful” (GW). Because Jesus is merciful, you can’t just talk about mercy. Mercy has to shape the way you shepherd.Watch how Jesus treats the ashamed, how he answers disappointment, and how he speaks hope when death is close. Then go do the same in your ministry.1) When people mess up, protect their dignity and refuse to throw stones.In John 8, a woman is dragged into public shame. The religious leaders are not trying to restore her. They are trying to use her to trap Jesus.I love what Jesus does first. He slows the whole moment down, protects her dignity, and refuses to let her become a spectacle.When they keep on questioning him, he straightens up and says to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7 NIV). One by one, the accusers walk away. After they all are gone, he assures her he doesn’t condemn her and then says, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11 NIV).Pastor, that is where mercy begins. Jesus refuses to shame her, but he does call her to change.That is the kind of mercy people trust.It tells the truth without public humiliation.It makes room for repentance.It offers a next step instead of a permanent label.And if you are honest, you need that mercy too. When you have stumbled, overreacted, or said something you wish you could take back, Jesus is not looking for a chance to shame you. He is ready to restore you.Jesus says, “I have come to save the world and not to judge it” (John 12:47 NLT). If you lead like a judge, people will hide. If you lead like a shepherd who has received mercy, people can finally be honest.2) When disappointment settles in, don’t let it harden you.A lot of anger is really disappointment that has been sitting too long. Pastors know that feeling.In John 5, a man has been lying by a pool for 38 years. That is a long time to live with disappointment. So when Jesus asks, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6 NIV), the man does not really answer the question. He explains why nothing has changed: Somebody else always gets there first.Let disappointment sit long enough, and blame starts to feel normal. You stop expecting much. The heart gets hard.Jesus does not shame the man for that. He answers him with mercy: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8 NIV). Mercy gives him something to do, and the man walks.Pastor, sometimes the impossible is not a dramatic turnaround by Sunday. Sometimes it is the quieter miracle of staying soft when you have been let down, obeying God in the next small step, and refusing to let disappointment train you into cynicism.God’s mercy makes room for hope again.3) When death is close, offer people more than comfort; offer them mercy.Sooner or later, every pastor walks into a room where eternity is no longer theoretical: a hospital room, a graveside, or a conversation where death is suddenly close enough to touch.In Luke 23, two criminals hang beside Jesus. One mocks him. The other admits the truth: “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41 NIV). Then he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42 NIV).And Jesus answers, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NIV).That is more than comfort. It is mercy.It reminds you that the people in front of you do not mainly need better religious performance. They need a Savior, and so do you.So, pastor, carry mercy into the rooms waiting for you this week.Carry it into the hard conversation with the person who failed, into the long disappointment that is tempting you toward cynicism, and into the hospital room, the funeral, and the private places where fear gets loud.Mercy cannot simply be something you preach about. It has to shape the way you care for those you lead.Isaiah 30:18 says, “The LORD wants to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you” (NCV). That is God’s word to your people.It is also God’s word to you.

Focus on What Lasts

Your ministry will shrink to whatever is right in front of your face.Let that sink in.If you only look at this week’s pressure, you’ll end up building your schedule, your budget, and your emotional energy around what is urgent, not what is eternal.But God is looking for leaders with foresight. That’s what happens when you lead in light of eternity.Set your mind higher than the moment.Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV). The Living Bible paraphrase puts it like this: “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.”There’s a saying that goes, “They’re so heavenly minded they’re no earthly good.” That can be true of some people. But I also know people who are so earthly minded they’re no heavenly good.I think the message the church needs to hear is simple: There is more to life than just here and now. Most people are only interested in what Christ can do for them today, this week, and in this season.But the Bible keeps calling us up and forward: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. . . . But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV).If you want foresight, build on what lasts.Pastor, I want you to get serious about answering one question for your ministry: What is going to last?These four things will still matter when everything else disappears.1. God’s Word will last.God’s Word is going to last. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35 NIV). So I build my life—and I want you to build your ministry—on God’s Word.2. Faith, hope, and love will last.The Bible tells us faith, hope, and love are going to last. So build your life on them.3. People will last.People are going to last in one of two places: heaven or hell. Where I spend my time now may determine where they spend their eternity.4. Prayer will last.Prayer is going to last. Revelation 5:8 says the prayers of the saints are stored up in vials in heaven. God hears prayer. There are prayers being answered today that were prayed a hundred years ago.Don’t pour your best into what will burn up.Here is the tragedy I’ve seen over and over: Most Christians spend their time, money, energy, and effort on things that are going to burn up at the judgment.Cars are not evil. Nice clothes are not evil. The issue is what happens when the present becomes the main thing.I have seen it so many times: People get preoccupied with “right now,” and they end up getting set on a shelf spiritually.A focused life is a finished life.I really believe that Jesus, since he was perfect, never wasted a second. He knew when to relax. He knew when to have fun. He knew when to be serious. He was perfectly balanced. He knew when to be intense, and he knew when to lighten up.When Jesus was 12 years old, his first recorded statement was, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49 KJV). When Jesus died on the cross, some of his last words were, “It is finished!” (John 19:30 NKJV). Not “I’m finished,” but “It is finished.”What was finished? The Father’s business. Those are bookends on a successful life.

7 Ways to Prevent Staff Burnout

One of my life verses is Proverbs 14:30, “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life” (TLB). I always think about that verse as it relates to the people I lead. Ministry carries eternal implications. We need those we lead to last in ministry. We need to make sure they don’t burn out. That’s why I’ve always encouraged what I call relaxed concern. That sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s important to the longevity of your ministry team. Relaxed concern means we realize that heaven and hell hang in the balance of what we do, but we also know we can’t live tightly wound all the time. The quickest way to burn out your staff is to never relax. I’ve seen it happen in hundreds of churches. I don’t want that to happen to your church. It’s absolutely critical that your team learns to develop a relaxed attitude so ministry doesn’t drain their energy unnecessarily. Over four decades of ministry at Saddleback, these seven practices helped to limit burnout.Don’t expect every staff member to work at the same energy level all the time. It’s unrealistic. We’re all made differently. You can’t expect people to give more than they have. Some people are racehorses. Others are turtles. Most people fall somewhere in between. Spend the time to learn how the people on your time work so you can adjust accordingly.  Be aware of external drains on energy and compensate. When team members are in the midst of a major life event, such as an illness, personal crisis, or adding a new child to the family, it’ll inevitably drain their capacity. You need to be aware of those drains so you can compensate in other ways. Expecting people to put in the same amount of energy regardless of what’s going on in their lives isn’t realistic.Plan your year according to energy cycles. At Saddleback, we often organized our calendar around two primary campaigns—one in the spring and one in the fall. Those were intense periods of work for our staff, but we didn’t try to keep up that pace for the entire year. Everyone needs breaks (including the pastor!). Plan those cycles into your calendar so your staff knows what to expect.Allow flexible schedules. I was never interested in the time people put in at the office. I was interested in productivity. That’s why I always allowed people to go home when they got their jobs done. Also, when people had to work late, I compensated for that by letting them take some time off the next day.Work smarter, not harder. The Bible tells us, “A dull ax means harder work. Being wise will make it easier” (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NCV). Don’t let your team settle for working with a dull ax. Encourage them to develop their skills, so they are constantly becoming more efficient in their ministries. As a leader, give your team resources to learn and grow in their fields.Focus on the long haul. You’ve heard it said that Rome wasn’t built in a day. That’s also true of ministries. Long-term results, rather than short-term gains, are what we need to focus on. Part of that long-term focus is building long-term relationships. At Saddleback, I always used the Billy Graham team as a model. They were together for decades, and it helped their work. When you’ve been together with people for 35 years, ego isn’t a problem. You can read the moods of others. Make the work fun. The most successful people are those who get paid for doing what they like to do anyway. You’ll wear people out if their work is drudgery. Plan excursions and encourage your team to enjoy what they do.  We all want our ministry teams to last, not just for the sake of our ministries, but for their own flourishing. With these seven principles, you’ll help your leaders endure.

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