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The SermonCentral.com Weekly Newsletter - December 10, 2001

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Theme: Christmas (Part 3)

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Dear SermonCentral.com user,

Christmas is coming! We have a ton of resources for Christmas sermons, so we will be looking at a variety of sermons and

illustrations on Christmas for the next few weeks. We hope that these sermons and illustrations on Christmas will help you find the

best material fast.

Forward this email to a minister friend so they can subscribe to the FREE SermonCentral.com newsletter, too. They just need to

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In This Issue

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1. Top 5 Sermons On Christmas (Part 3)

2. Top 5 Illustrations On Christmas (Part 3)

3. SermonCentral.com News - SermonCentral Pro

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1. Top 5 Sermons On Christmas (Part 3)

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THE LINE OF A KING? by Shawn Drake; Matthew 1:1-17

Through my many years of school, I have taken many history classes. One of the things that always interested me was in trying to

figure out if any of those famous people were in my family line. I remember one day talking to my Mamma, my dad's mother, about her

parents and grandparents. I was writing a paper for school and I just knew my Mamma would have some stories of some very ....

To view the rest of this sermon click here:

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=41047

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THROUGH THE EYES OF ... JOSEPH by Melvin Newland; Matthew 1:18-25

If you were going to make a list of the great loving couples of history, who would be on your list? Romeo & Juliet? Anthony &

Cleopatra? Napoleon & Josephine?

Probably Mary & Joseph would not be on your list, for when we think of them we don't normally think of them in that way because

they're usually on the sidelines, & the spotlight is on Jesus, where it should be.

To view the rest of this sermon click here:

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=39258

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THE BIRTH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Doug Dickerson; Luke 2:1-7

Take the year 1809. The international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody

then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some terribly significant births.

For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England's finest statesmen. That same year,

Alfred Tennyson was born ....

To view the rest of this sermon click here:

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=41622

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THE GIFT OF JOY by Steve Malone; Luke 2:10-11

Show "The Grinch Video Clip".(when he thinks they will be sad on mountain about to push over toys - new Grinch) - "maybe Christmas

means more..

As your pastor I felt the need as Christmas 2001 shifts into high gear

to talk about, to remind you, to remind me, to remind us, of what the true meaning of ....

To view the rest of this sermon click here:

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=41414

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WHY JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM, THE HOUSE OF BREAD by Brian Atwood; Luke

2:4-4

Five or six miles southwest of Jerusalem lay the tiny town of Bethlehem in the Judean hills. It was here that man's eyes first saw

God in the flesh. Why this place and not another of so many other possibilities? Of course it was the home of Joseph and Mary's

ancestors - the city of David. But it was more. Like the shepherds who received the first Christmas greeting from the angels, let

their ....

To view the rest of this sermon click here:

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=41268

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2. Top 5 Illustrations On Christmas (Part 3)

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THREE WISE WOMEN

Again, there's a great deal of Internet research and revisionist thinking going on about these characters in the Christmas story.

Some of have suggested that things would have been considerably different if these wise men had actually instead been wise women.

And things sure would have been different. If it had been 'Wise Women' instead of 'Wise Men, they would have asked directions,

arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts from Baby's-R-Us,

including diapers, wipes, bibs and formula. But that's an entirely different story ....

Contributor: Kyle Meador

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CHRISTMAS TWANG

There was an art contest held in a local school one Christmas season a few years ago in East Texas. One of the prize winners was a

picture drawn by a nine year old boy showing three men, offering gifts to the baby Jesus in his manger. What made the picture

unique is how the three gift presenters arrived - there was fire truck on the side of the picture.

The principle asked the boy about his decision to draw the truck and theboy, in his heavy East-Texas accent, was quick to reply:

"Well, the Biblesays the wise men came from a-far.

Contributor: Kyle Meador

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PARODY OF LUKE'S NATIVITY

Here is a parody of Luke's account of the birth of Christ, that really

underscores just how far our world has let the true meaning of Christmas

slip away from them.

"And there were in the same country children keeping watch over there

stockings by the fireplace. And lo! Santa Claus came upon them, and they

were sore afraid. And Santa said unto them `Fear not, for behold, I bring

you good tidings of great joy that is for all people who can afford them.

For unto you will be given great feasts of turkey, dressing and cake; and

many presents; and this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the

presents, wrapped in bright paper, lying beneath a tree adorned with tinsel,

colored balls and lights. And suddenly, there will be with you a multitude

of relatives and friends, praising you and saying, `thank you so much, it

was just what I wanted' And it shall come to pass as the friends and

relatives have gone their away to their own homes, the parents shall say to

one another, What a mess to clean up! I'm tired, let's go to bed and pick it

up tomorrow. Thank goodness, Christmas only comes once a year!' And they go

with haste to their cold bed and find their desired rest."

Year after year, Christmas comes around and yet the majority of people never

give a second thought to the only reason we have christmas to begin with.

They don't understand that without Christ their Christmas is just mas.

God because He loved the world so much: came into the world, put on human

flesh, and he even started out the same way you and I did, as a soft and

tender crying baby >>> yet far too many people don't ever take the time to

go and see this king -- to bow down and worship him.

Contributor: Steve Malone

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JOY TO THE WORLD

A pastor was preparing a Christmas message and fell asleep in his study at

the church. He dreamed that he was in a world into which Jesus had never

come. He walked out on the streets, but no church spires pointed to heaven.

He was summoned by a weeping child to visit her dying mother, but on

arriving found that his Bible ended with the OT. The NT with all its

promises of heaven had disappeared from his Bible. He bowed his head and

wept in bitter despair, for he could offer her no hope beyond the grave.

Suddenly the pastor was awakened by the choir down the hall practicing the

familiar Christmas carols. Joy filled his soul as he realized as never

before why we sing "Joy to the World the Lord Has Come!" (Our Daily Bread,

Dec 20, 1992)

Contributor: Harold Miller

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DAVE BARRY CHRISTMAS

To avoid offending anybody, the school dropped religion altogether and

started singing about the weather. At my son's school, they now hold the

winter program in February and sing increasingly non-memorable songs such as

"Winter Wonderland," "Frosty the Snowman" and--this is a real song--"Suzy

Snowflake," all of which is pretty funny because we live in Miami. A visitor

from another planet would assume that the children belonged to the Church of

Meteorology.

Dave Barry in his "Notes on Western Civilization", Chicago Tribune Magazine,

July 28, 1991.

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