Cold winter nights and Christmas lights...

December 20th, 2024

There’s nothing quite like piling the family into the car for our annual Christmas lights expedition. It’s a favorite tradition in our house…part adventure, part chaos. We cram in (someone always ends up in the middle seat, begrudgingly), blast the Christmas music (think All I Want for Christmas Is You on repeat), and set off to take in the magic of the season.

The usual route takes us through the Plaza…then it’s a cruise down Ward Parkway, a detour through sidestreets, and finally back home. The whole time, we’re on the lookout for that one house that’s gone all in. You know the one… like Clark Griswold himself moved into the neighborhood. When we find it, we roll down the windows, snap a few pics, and marvel at the sheer electric bill of it all. By the end of the night, at least one or two of those photos will make their way to social media because, well, it’s tradition.

But tonight, we’re adding a little twist: a progressive dinner. Except, instead of fancy courses, we’re hitting up fast food restaurants. Here’s the plan: everyone gets $5 loaded onto their Apple Pay, and the challenge is to piece together a full meal using nothing but app deals. It’s like a scavenger hunt but with fries as the prize. Will we regret this? Probably. But we’ll laugh about it later, and that’s kind of the point.

This whole light-chasing, deal-hunting evening reminds me a lot of life. We’re often so busy chasing the next big thing…the next promotion, the next vacation, the next “perfect” moment…that we can miss what matters most. For us, the best part of the night won't be the lights or the dollar-menu deals. It will be the time spent crammed in the car, laughing, singing (badly), and just being together.

In Luke 4, we see Jesus step into a world full of people chasing after things that don’t satisfy. He reads from Isaiah 61 and declares that He has come to bring good news to the poor, freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, and healing to the brokenhearted. The love of Jesus breathes life into our brokenness, shifting our focus from what’s flashy and fleeting to what’s eternal and life-giving.

Just like Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds discovered when they encountered Jesus, the most extraordinary moments often come in the most ordinary settings…a manger, a field, or maybe even a cramped family car.

So tonight, I’m reminding myself not to miss the real magic: the relationships in the car and the presence of a Savior. This Sunday, we will study from Isaiah 61 and Luke 4 to discover how Jesus breathes love into brokenness. Bring your sense of wonder—and maybe some fries.

I sure hope to see you at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available), or you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or on our New Life website at 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Now to download a few apps ?,

Troy

P.S. I hope you can attend one of our Christmas Eve Services at 4:30 or 6:00 pm. We will sing, hear the Christmas story, and end with candle lighting and then some cookies and Hot Cocoa.