Mission-Minded Christmas — Surrender

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, surrendered everything when He came to this earth — not only to save us, but to provide His salvation for the whole world!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

(John 3:16)

Focusing on SURRENDER:

This Christmas . . .

What if God would ask your family to give something BIGGER than ever?

What if He would ask you to give something even greater than gifts to your loved ones, or a special missions-offering, or a few extra dollars in that red Salvation Army bucket?

Brace yourself . . . as you consider . . . “What if . . . “

What if . . .

• What if God wanted you to sell something of value, specifically to support MISSIONS, and to help expand the kingdom of God . . . perhaps even something really really BIG . . .
• What if God wanted your family to pray about taking a short-term mission trip in 2012?
• What if God would want you to prepare yourself and your family . . . to perhaps pack up everything, and to move overseas to begin a season of fulltime foreign missionary work?
• What if God would ask you, as a loving parent, to release one of your own precious kids or young adults into fulltime, international, and perhaps even dangerous, Christian service?
• What if someday one of your own big kids, out of direct obedience to God’s call, was called to live across the world . . . and he or she wasn’t always able be with you and your family for Christmas?

YIKES!!! YIKES!!!

As parents, would you be supportive and encouraging toward God’s call on your child’s life . . . or would you be God’s greatest hindrance?

I know it can be scary; but I also know that whenever God calls an individual to follow Him, He also provides His GRACE and JOY (and if God would someday call one of your kids to something a bit “out-of-your-comfort-zone” or downright SCARY, He also has a GRACE and JOY for you, as parents, to be able to handle it.

Mission-minded Christmas carols:

• “Go, Tell it on the Mountain!”
• “Silent Night”
• “Joy to the World”
• “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

William Booth, Founder of Salvation Army, (1829-1912)

Did you know that “General” William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, had a fervent PASSION for SOULS?
In the early days of his ministry, he had banners with the words “BLOOD and FIRE!” and one of his famous mission motto’s was “Go for souls, and go for the worst.” He and his wife, Catherine Booth, also had a great love for their family. All of their eight children loved the Lord and devoted their lives to fulltime Christian service.

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