Love In the Cross

Because the baby that came into this world with His first bed a manger, so that He could grow up to die on a cross for our sins, to be raised from the dead three days later....

BECAUSE of THAT 

He gives us...(Light each candle)

Hope in the cross
📖 Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
5

Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old. Psalm 25:4-6

Peace in the Cross
📖  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Joy in the Cross
📖  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11

Love in the Cross
📖  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.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

Christ...(light the Christ Candle)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  Roman's 5:1-8

Because of THAT cross; a baby came into this world .....that is LOVE

Because of THAT cross; He bled and died, taking the punishment for our sin so that we would not have to suffer that Cross.... that gives us PEACE

Because of THAT cross; He died, but rose again three days later... that brings us JOY

He will return, and will not have to suffer THAT cross again..in that we have HOPE

So at Christmas time the Cross is just as relevant as the manger!
🙏 I pray this Christmas we celebrate all Christ's  Hope, Peace, Joy and Love given to us. Amen!
Have a Hopeful, Peaceful, Joyful, Loving Christmas❤✝️