Community of Faith - 9:30a

CHRISTMAS AND THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

Infinite Circles are built into God’s universe. 

• LOVE

“We love because He has first loved us.  If someone claims, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, whom he has never seen.  He gave us a clear command, that all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.”    1 John 4:19-21

• PRAYER

“And this is the boldness we have in God’s presence: that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us.  If we know he hears us every time we ask him, we know we have what we ask from him.” 1 John 5:14-15 

 “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4

• JUDGEMENT AND FORGIVENESS

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 
Luke 6:37-38 

THE INFINITE CIRCLE OF CHRISTMAS – GIVING

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40

“Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” James 1:26-27

“For I am the Lord—I do not change. That is why you are not already utterly destroyed, for my mercy endures forever.  “Though you have scorned my laws from earliest time, yet you may still return to me,” says the Lord Almighty. “Come and I will forgive you. “But you say, ‘We have never even gone away!’ “Will a man rob God? Surely not! And yet you have robbed me. “‘What do you mean? When did we ever rob you?’” You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings due me.  And so the awesome curse of God is cursing you, for your whole nation has been robbing me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in! “Try it! Let me prove it to you!   Malachi 3:6-10