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<div><span style="font-size: small">Sermons for Christmas 1 and New Year's </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Luke 2:41-52 - <b>"When Our Children Teach Us"</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Colossians 3:12-17 - <b>"Put On Some Clothes"</b> by Leonard Sweet</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">John 1:1-18 - <b>"New Beginnings"</b></span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">The full text of the following sermon is available at <a __removedlink__789804227__href="http://www.Sermons.com" target="_blank">www.Sermons.com</a>.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">Luke 2 <font size="4">- </font>the sermon title "When Our Children Teach Us" </span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Some
years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an
article by Dr. Paul Ruskin on the “Stages of Aging.” In the article,
Dr. Ruskin described a case study he had presented to his students when
teaching a class in medical school. He described the case study patient
under his care like this:</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">“The
patient neither speaks nor comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she
babbles incoherently for hours on end. She is disoriented about person,
place, and time. She does, however, respond to her name… I have worked
with her for the past six months, but she still shows complete disregard
for her physical appearance and makes no effort to assist her own care.
She must be fed, bathed, and clothed by others.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">“Because
she has no teeth, her food must be pureed. Her shirt is usually soiled
from almost incessant drooling. She does not walk. Her sleep pattern is
erratic. Often she wakes in the middle of the night and her screaming
awakens others. Most of the time she is friendly and happy, but several
times a day she gets quite agitated without apparent cause. Then she
wails until someone comes to comfort her.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">After
presenting the class with this challenging case, Dr. Ruskin then asked
his students if any of them would like to volunteer to take care of this
person. No one volunteered. Then Dr. Ruskin said, “I’m surprised that
none of you offered to help, because actually she is my favorite
patient. I get immense pleasure from taking care of her and I am
learning so much from her. She has taught me a depth of gratitude I
never knew before. She has taught me the spirit of unwavering trust. And
she has taught me the power of unconditional love.” Then Dr. Ruskin
said, “Let me show you her picture.” He pulled out the picture and
passed it around. It was the photo of his six-month-old baby daughter.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Now, I like that story for several reasons…</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining </span></span><span style="color: black"><a target="_blank" __removedlink__789804227__href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8ABgMLAARbDkkNAwNKDAtXUVw%3D"><span style="font-size: small"><font color="#0000ff">http://www.sermons.com/signup</font></span></a></span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black"> </span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">_______________________</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">The full text of the following sermon is available at <a __removedlink__789804227__href="http://www.Sermons.com" target="_blank">www.Sermons.com</a>. </span></span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black"></span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">Colossians 3 <font size="4">- </font>the sermon titled "Put on Some Clothes" by Leonard Sweet </span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Baptismal
rituals are very different today than they were in the early church.
There is a fourth-century rubric that instructs the bishop to enter the
baptistery and give this command in a loud voice: “Take off your
clothes.” Whereupon our ancestors were immersed in the water of the
font, with the men and women separated. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Did you ever imagine that those words “Take off your clothes” were part of Christian worship? </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">Everyone
knows the Hans Christian Andersen story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
A couple of smooth-talking swindlers convince an egotistical king that
he has just purchased the most gorgeous, elaborate, royal suit of
clothes ever stitched together by human hands. Only those who are
“hopelessly stupid” or “unfit for their position” can’t see the
beautiful clothes. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">In
reality, of course, the weavers have stripped the Emperor naked and he
is parading around in his birthday suit. Yet the Emperor is so convinced
he is wearing royal robes that none of his servants or secretaries,
cohorts or companions will dare tell him the truth. It is not until a
little child blurts out the fact, “But he isn’t wearing anything at
all!” that the Emperor sees and grasps his state of undress.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">This
week’s Colossians text is like that child’s voice. It tells us clearly
what naked faith looks like, and describes the garments worn by a
genuine community of Christ…</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining </span></span><span style="color: black"><a target="_blank" __removedlink__789804227__href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8ABgMLAARbDkkNAwNKDAtXUVw%3D"><span style="font-size: small"><font color="#0000ff">http://www.sermons.com/signup</font></span></a></span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black"> </span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black"><br>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: small">__________________________</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">The full text of the following sermon is available at <a __removedlink__789804227__href="http://www.Sermons.com" target="_blank">www.Sermons.com</a>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">John 1 <font size="4">- </font>the sermon title "New Beginnings" </span></span>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">Welcome
on this Sunday before a new year. Did you know that New Year’s Day is
the one holiday that is almost universal? It is the world’s most
observed holiday. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">I
trust you’ve made your New Year’s resolutions one of which is to be in
worship each week. Well done for this first Sunday. I won’t ask you if
you’ve resolved to lose the weight you gained between Thanksgiving and
Christmas, or if you’re planning on joining a health club, or if you’re
going to run five miles a day. Five miles, by the way, is my total
aggregate of a lifetime of running. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">The late Erma Bombeck made some memorable resolutions over the years: </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">1. I will go to no doctor whose office plants have died.<br>
2. I’m going to follow my husband’s suggestion to put a little excitement into my life by living within our budget.<br>
3. I’m going to apply for a hardship scholarship to Weight Watchers.<br>
4. I will never loan my car to anyone I have given birth to.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">Joke
writer Ed McManus has some words of comfort for those of us who are
setting resolutions: “Don’t worry about those 2013 News Year’s
resolutions,” he says. “You only have to deal with them until the end of
February and then you can give them up for Lent.” It sounds like he has
been spying on some of us.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">Resolutions
are good, especially if there are changes we need to make in our lives.
I heard about one poor guy who dialed his girlfriend and got the
following recording: “I am not available right now, but thank you for
caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave
a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of
the changes.” </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="font-size: small">It’s
good to make changes, for the most part. As we are often reminded by
our critics, our spouses or our children, none of us is perfect. In
fact, some of us might have some deep regrets about the way we’ve lived
our lives…</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: black">The rest
of this illustration, as well as many additional illustrations and
sermons for this week, New Year’s, and the upcoming year can be accessed
at <a __removedlink__789804227__href="http://www.Sermons.com" target="_blank">www.Sermons.com</a>.<br>
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