Welcome to the For the Gospel podcast, where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Kosti Hinn. And whether you're listening to this on Apple or Spotify or you're watching on our YouTube channel, I'm so glad you've joined me today. It is the Christmas season, so Merry Christmas, as I've been saying to you, every single week. And we're picking up right where we left off in our Christmas series to help you keep the focus on Christ. And that's what this episode is all about. It is something that every Christian is battling right now. I would bet if you've been following with each Monday's release of these episodes, this is December 15th. It's when I'm releasing this. We are in the second, going on the third week of December, and the pace is feverish. Keeping Christ truly the center is truly challenging. We've got recitals, we've got sports still going on. School hasn't quite gotten out yet. If you're homeschooling, you're still running the table. If you're in a private school or a Christian school, you've still got a lot of action. Recitals are on the horizon. All of the action is still at a feverish pace. Not to mention the shopping. Maybe you got your Black Friday shopping done, so you're done. Congratulations. You're the early bird. Like my wife, she just handled business early and we're done. Or you're one of those people that's been procrastinating, uh, or you're like me and you're married to someone whose birthday is on December 18th, and then you've got a baby with a birthday on December 23rd. And it's like, well, we got we got a lot going on here. Let's be honest. Christmas is one of the busiest seasons. And yet we're trying to celebrate Christ. And then we go even deeper. It's one of the easiest seasons to celebrate without Christ, even though it's supposed to be all about Christ, because we got a lot of wonderful things going on. We can love the atmosphere, the traditions, the music, the gatherings, all of it, and still somehow lose sight of the Savior the entire season. He's the one it's built on. And so today I want to offer you four biblical rhythms. All of them start with R, and these are going to help you anchor your Christmas in the worship of Christ. They're not complicated, they're simple. I've made lists for you that are very practical. And I thought about just providing some ways that you can put these truths into action. All of them are rooted in scripture. So let's start with the foundation. Number one, remember the story, not only the season. Why do I say it that way? Because every December brings about a cultural shift. We've got traditions, expectations, pressures. We've got memories. The season is sweet. Christmas is my favorite time. My house is beaming with Christmas action, decorations, all the like. We cut down our Christmas tree up in the mountains. It's sweet, full of traditions. I've got my Christmas mug out here on the podcast if you're watching it via video. My wife and kids came into the office on Sunday after church and they decorated my office with Christmas decorations. Everybody knows it's my favorite season. Yes, and amen to the seasonality, but we want to make sure that we keep Christ the center. And so we've got to keep the storyline central. I mean the storyline that the Bible proclaims. In Luke chapter 2, verse 11, there's this wonderful passage. And it records the angels making a declaration. I'm turning there in my Bible right now. If you're watching this, you can pause and turn your Bible there. If you're working out, doing some dishes, doing some cleaning in your car. Don't worry, I'll read it to you. Luke chapter 2, beautiful story about the Lord's birth. And in verse 11, the angels have already said in verse 10, don't be afraid, I bring good news of great joy. It's going to be for all the people. These are the shepherds, they're watching over their flocks. And it says in Luke 2.11, For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. That reminds us that Christmas is not only about a sentimental season and beautiful memories and wonderful traditions and special time with our family. It's a rescue mission. Christ was not born to create a holiday. He was born to save sinners, and now we take a holiday to focus on that. We don't want to have everything just slammed into the calendar and the season takes over, but the storyline takes a back seat. And now that we've learned about the incarnation last week on the podcast, we can apply John 1.14, where the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we see the Christmas story in one sentence that the eternal Son of God stepped into humanity, truly God, truly man, fully God, fully man, to redeem those who could never save themselves. That's us. And so what are some practical ways to remember the story, not just rejoice in the season? By that I mean the traditions and the Christmassy stuff. First, read Luke chapter two or Matthew chapters one and two weekly as a family. We do this in our home. We put the Christmas story front and center. It's embedded in those passages. Luke chapter two, the one I just pointed you to, and then Matthew chapters one and chapter two. We just read that every week. We visit it, we talk about it. And a second way that we do that is through an Advent calendar. And so use an Advent calendar to memorialize each day in the coming of Christ. We have this cute old one, it hangs on the wall, and every night one of the kids takes a turn pulling out one of the Christmas characters. We'll call them whether it's a sheep, an angel, it could be Mary, Joseph, what have you. And all the way through the 24 days leading up to Christmas Day, we pull out the Advent calendar, we pull out the Bible. There's little Bible verse cards, we read the text and we reflect on what it means. We pray, and every night there's this anchor point as we think about the Advent season. Third, anchor your devotions in incarnation passages. So you say, Costi, we we've done Luke 2 already, or we've looked at Matthew 1 and Matthew 2 already. What are some other ways we can get creative? Well, look at John chapter 1, Philippians 2, or Hebrews chapter 2. Those passages tie to the incarnation. And if you're just picking up or you jumped on this episode and you haven't started with us in previous weeks, go back, I think it's like 17 minutes, last episode on the incarnation, and learn what that big theological word means about how Christ came to earth and he took on flesh. And you'll see the reason that John 1, Philippians 2, and Hebrews 2 have wonderful significance for your family. It'll help you keep Christ the center, not just the season. Also, talk about the meaning of Christmas every single day, especially with your kids on the way to school, as you start the morning, sitting at the kitchen table, whatever that looks like, that's an important way to do it. And then finally, open scripture before opening presents to orient the heart before you get busy with the hands. I mean, kids love ripping open the presents. We enjoy it in our living room. But one of the traditions we've started, not by way of legalism or making this a big thing that, you know, you're not allowed to have anything until we open the Bible. We don't look at scripture as a punishment. We look at it as a priority. In our home, Christmas morning, we open the word of God. We have mom and dad have their coffee, we've got our breakfast, we open God's word, we read and we orient our hearts before unleashing the hands to open the presents. And that matters because if your heart is anchored to the story, you're not going to depend on the season or the circumstances to feel peace. The peace of Christmas and the purpose of Christmas comes from Christ Himself. So start by remembering the story. Number two, reorder your worship, not just your calendar. I encourage you, I push you, and I challenge you every year. You know this if you've been a part of the Further Gospel family for any length of time, to watch that calendar, prioritize it, manage your time well. I've done series in the past on time management and how to work hard and how to make sure there's margin. In that, I don't just want you to be very militant about your calendar. Make sure that you're reordering your worship. What does that mean? Well, we're not pushing Christ into the margins of our Christmas because, well, the schedule's not just full, but we actually have created lots of margin for rest and relaxation and we're feeling pretty peaceful. We just don't have a lot of Jesus in the peace. It's just a lot of us and selfishness. Matthew writes that when the wise men finally found the Lord, Matthew 2.11 says they fell down and they worshiped him. Before gifts, before rest, before conversation, before anything else, what did they do? They worshiped. And that tells us that a Christ-centered Christmas is not about fitting Jesus into our calendar as we make it the way we want, but it's about building the season around him completely. So how would you reorder your worship? Well, number one, protect the Lord's day. Don't let December busyness or December enjoyment replace corporate worship. Jesus is worthy of much more than just the leftovers of your time. Give him his day. Number two, simplify your schedule. Not every event is necessary. Leave room for spiritual focus. Number three, choose one night a week for family worship. Gather around your table, sing carols, go on a walk with the grandparents. Think about what Christmas is all about and talk about it together. Read the nativity story. Pray each night and center your hearts on Christ. Make the moments you're celebrating sacred. Bring worship into them. Number four, rest intentionally. Again, I would say we need to be careful that we don't build all this margin into our calendar to kind of kick back, relax, and go, yes, now I have everybody at bay and I can relax. Well, that's not worship, but rest is important. Overstimulation will dim your worship and stillness will awaken it. That's just a fact. When we calm ourselves down and we get into the quiet of rest with a focus on worship, everything shifts into perspective. Bethlehem, the night Jesus was born, is crowded and it's chaotic. And yet God's greatest miracle in sending his son for salvation happens quietly in a manger. That's just a great picture of how peace can be had in the middle of a fast pace. And so we just need to slow down and worship long enough to experience it. So don't just rearrange your calendar. Don't just reorder things to make it easier for you. Reorder your worship, make it a priority. Number three, reflect Christ through generosity. Christmas is not only a season to remember what God did, it's a season to reflect who God is. And one of the clearest attributes of Christ at Christmas is his generosity. He gives the gift of his son, gives the gift of grace, gives us as sinners the gift of new life. And during a time of year when many people are thinking about end of your giving or helping the poor or the giving of gifts, what drives our generosity is not what we can get back, but what Christ has already given to us. Paul the Apostle was teaching the Corinthian church about the right heart behind giving. And he says this in 2 Corinthians 8.9, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. He's talking about Jesus Christ. And though he was rich, the glory of heaven, he for our sake became poor. He came down to earth, and not just monetary poverty, but taking on human flesh was poverty for him. So he could do what? Make us rich. What else was poverty for him? Dying on the cross. What else is poverty for him? Laying down his life, dying a sacrificial death, taking on the wrath of God in 2 Corinthians 5.20, becoming sin when he did no sin, he did no wrong, he did nothing to deserve the punishment we did, and yet he does all that, becomes impoverished spiritually in a sense, gives it all up so we can become rich spiritually. That's the generosity of Christmas. That's the generosity of God's grace. And because Christ gave himself fully, willingly, and sacrificially, he's so generous, and then he blesses us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Well, Paul is saying that should motivate our monetary, our financial generosity. That's what 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and chapter 9 are about. It's about giving in the right way with the right heart, not money manipulation and not personal selfishness focused on ourselves. If you want a Christ-centered Christmas, you should include generosity. And what could be some practical ways to reflect Christ through generosity, grace-driven giving? First, bless someone in need. Do it privately, do it quietly. Don't post about it, don't announce it. Let it be true, Christ-like giving. You don't need to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, like the Bible teaches. Second, give gospel-rich gifts. Give Bibles, devotionals, Christ-exalting resources, especially to unbelieving family members or people who are hurting. Give them the gift of truth. That is gospel-rich giving. Third, give to advanced gospel work. Make sure dollars are being allocated to drive kingdom advancement forward in all of our investing, in all of our gift giving. Let's make sure what is eternal is being given a high priority. And also involve your children. It's another great way to give generously out of a heart that loves God and is thankful for his grace. Teach your children about what it means to give. Teach them to give before they receive, that it's more blessed to give than to receive. And then let them choose to give something away as well. Don't forget to incorporate your family in your giving. It teaches them what's most important. And finally, encourage someone who's hurting. Maybe it's a handwritten note. Maybe it's just a gesture. Maybe it's sending flowers to somebody who's going through a tough time of loss. Maybe it's remembering the person who is spending their first, second, or maybe their tenth Christmas without their loved one. Whatever ways the Holy Spirit would lead you, there are ways to encourage someone who's hurting with things that money has nothing to do with. This world will make Christmas all about consumption. Christ calls us to remember his compassion. He entered the world with a heart for sinners. And the world will make it all about what we can get. Christ makes it about what he has given. And so we reflect him through generosity. Finally, reach others through mission, God's mission. That's what Christmas is about. Think about the angel's announcement in Luke chapter 2, verse 10. I read it there just before reading verse 11. I'll read it to you again. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people. Christmas is global good news. And because we know the Savior, we're called to reach others with that good news. And so, how can you reach others practically through the mission of God during Christmas? How can you recenter or refocus things on the Lord Jesus Christ first? Share the gospel and please share it naturally. You don't need to be awkward or weird about it. Just talk to people. People are more open to spiritual conversation in December than many other times of year. And so ask simple questions. Questions like, oh, what does Christmas mean to you? How do you guys celebrate Christmas? Are you a person of faith? Do you incorporate faith into your Christmas season? Tell me why Christmas means so much to you. Can I share with you why Christmas means so much to our family? Just simple questions, simple conversations, or even, dare I say, break the awkward barrier and say, hey, how can I pray for you this Christmas season? I don't know if you're a person of faith or into religion, and I don't mean to presume anything about you at all, but I just wanted to offer prayer. Could I pray for you today? Do that in the Trader Joe's checkout line. Do that in the park. Do that at the tournament. Do that when you get off the phone, just before you're gonna hang up. Hey, can I pray for you? Show the love of Christ that way, be on mission. Number two, invite someone to church. Christmas services are obviously gonna be the easiest entry point for unbelievers. That's why we make a big deal about them. It's not to hype it up and not to make it something. It's simple. People are gonna be open to coming to church on Christmas. So why not encourage them with the hope and the truth of the gospel? And it's right there for you. As a pastor, one of my great privileges and one of my great mandates and pressures in a good way is to deliver the good news. I know I have a job to do on December 24th for our Christmas Eve services. I'm not playing around. If people are going to invite family and friends or unbelievers, I want to make sure that I encourage them with the hope and the truth about Jesus Christ because that may be the only time they hear the gospel this year. Third, use your home missionally. Talk about reaching others with God's mission. Hospitality is a powerful tool. Invite a neighbor over, invite a coworker, invite some friends for a meal, break bread, and pray before you gather and practice some of your Christmas traditions with them alongside, observing what you do in your home. Number four, pray for opportunities and boldness. Ask the Lord to open gospel doors and gospel conversations for you in your normal December rhythms. And let me just remind you, oftentimes we are thinking, well, God, I'm just waiting for you to answer that prayer. And through circumstance, it's as though God has already showed us it's right there. Are you just going to open your mouth or are you going to stay silent? We have plenty of opportunities to love on people and to share the gospel and the hope of Christ. Sometimes we just need to open our spiritual eyes. That's what the shepherds did after seeing Christ. In Luke 2, 17, it says, when they had seen this, that's the baby in a manger. This is Mary. They've come and looked, and oh, there's Mary and Joseph. Oh, there's the baby. And then in verse 17 of Luke chapter 2, when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. What did they do? Oh, Christmas joy overflowed into Christmas mission. And so ours should too. So how do you keep Christ the center of your Christmas? How do we hit reset or refresh right now, December 15th, kind of at the halftime point? Four simple biblical rhythms. Let me just remind you in summary. Number one, remember the story, let the incarnation anchor your heart. Number two, reorder your worship, prioritize Christ, not the culture. Number three, reflect Christ through generosity. Give in the ways he leads you, the way he gave. And fourth, reach others through the mission of God. Share the good news of the Savior. When you live out these rhythms, Christmas becomes so much more than a holiday. It becomes worship and mission and joy rooted in the glory of Christ and His grace. What does that mean? The glory of Christ is his majesty, his goodness, his worthiness of praise and his grace. You kidding me? Unmerited favor? That he would save you and save me. Sinners, people that are a mess. Not just like a little bit broken. I mean a total breakdown, dead, lost, damned, with no hope. And then he decides, because of his kindness and his rich love and grace with which he's loved us, to send his son to die. Where the Bible says in Romans 5.8 that even while we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us. What is better than that? Nothing. The greatest gift, the greatest grace from the greatest and only God. Christmas, it's all about Jesus. And to that, we can say a hearty amen. Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. And as we get closer to the big day, I pray that you continue having a Christ-centered Christmas. As you pray about the end of year and if the Lord has stirred your heart, I've been encouraging you as our uh for the gospel family and friends to join our gospel patron community if you haven't already and help us raise our 2026 budget by the end of the year. We would love to partner with you in that. Our goal is to raise $400,000 by the end of this year. So far, we've seen more than 40% of that. And God has been so kind to us. We've still got a couple weeks to go. And as we tell you these things as a ministry, it's a couple of reasons for that. Number one, I always want to be transparent with you and honest. I don't like playing games with God's money and what people are giving that we should steward. And second, we want you to know we pre-raise so much of our budget ahead of time to be diligent stewards because Proverbs 6, verses 6 to 8 actually says we should go to the ant, look at it, and see the way it prepares in seasons ahead. And so we always love to raise as much of our budget as we can for the coming year and then hit the ground running in January as faithful stewards. If you feel a desire to partner with FTG, I'd count it a privilege to get to steward your support and be a part of that and put out resources that are really out because of your support. So thank you for that. Those of you who are already doing that, we appreciate you, we love you, and we're excited to head into 2026 as partners together in gospel work. If you would like to become a gospel patron, go to forthegospel.org, click give, and you can go there to give a one-time gift as well. I'll be back next Monday with another episode. Keep on living for the gospel.