A CHANGE OF CELEBRATION

C. Tommy Wood

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How many of you feel like you’re ready for Christmas? Let me see

your hands. Totally ready! Not as many as I anticipated.

How are you showing it? Can you relate to this phrase? “The older I get

the faster time flies.” Can anybody relate to that? How about this: “The

older I get the less I want to hear Tommy speak.” Yeah.

When I was a child it seemed like Christmas took forever to get here. Christmas felt like the leap year thing. Every four years. Even if I was really, really good it took forever. Now as an

adult it feels like I just got done with last year’s Christmas activities. The reality is I just got

done paying for last year’s Christmas activities!

Had I known then what I found out several years ago– did you hear the news this week, that

the economists tell us we’re officially in a recession now. The news just came out this week.

And that they told us that we were actually in a recession last Christmas. How many heard

that news this week? If I’d have known last Christmas we were in a recession, I wouldn’t

have bought as many fruit cakes as I normally do. Actually I should have seen it coming. Because last Christmas I bought a toaster and they offered me a free bank. So I should have seen it coming.

Today we’re beginning a new Christmas series. As you pull out your notes you’ll see we’re

calling it “The Purpose of Christmas.” We’re going to talk about it all month.

But before we get to the joys of January we’ve either got to survive Christmas or celebrate it.

I want you to think of those two feelings as they relate to you this morning. When it comes to

Christmas right now are you feeling like, I’ve got to survive it. Or are you feeling like, I’m

going to celebrate it. I want you to be honest with those feelings. I’ve just got to survive it or

I’m going to celebrate it.

Let’s vote. How many of you feel like, I’m going to celebrate it. A lot of you. How many of

you say I’ve just got to get through it. I’m just going to survive it. You’re not alone. There’s a

lot of you. Some of you are like, “That’s not the Christian thing to do!” But you’re safe here.

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Those of you who said “survive” tell me why. Give me one word descriptions. Why are you

feeling like, I’ve just got to survive.

Money; the jungle out there; Christmas lights; parents; children – there we go! Let’s get

them all in; flying, the airlines. I hate travel around the holidays; in-laws; fattening food;

grumpy family member – I’m sorry. But it’s nice that you’re sitting next to them and brought

him to church.

In all honesty, if you’d asked me, just even a couple of weeks ago, I would have chosen the

word “survive” for me. Because when I think about the Christmas season for Tommy Wood,

it’s just a lot of tension. A lot of times it feels like, I’ve just got to survive that month.

There’s tension at home. I am the only one of the Wood family that does not love everything

that’s wrapped around Christmas. Doesn’t love the celebrating and all the stuff that’s put up

around the house. My thirteen year old grandson every day, starts counting how many lights

are up on houses on the way to his house. The number grows and there’s more guilt in his

voice when he says it.

Then I realize, the only reason why, for serveral years, I’m was the only one who doesn’t love

it is I’m the one who does the actual work for it. I’m the one battling the black widows in the

attic. I’m the one getting wrapped up in all those long green things whatever they’re called

that you wrap around everything. I’m the one when he opens the box gets scared by the

creepy angels and the fat cherubs. There’s always something broken and it’s always my

fault.

Then there’s the lights. You don’t find out the lights are working until they’re up. I tried to put

up my lights several years ago and I gave up I got so frustrated. There was tension in my home!

There’s tension in my schedule. How many of you would say there’s just too much to do this

month? Too many parties, too many invitations. For me preparing for the new year there’s

tension in my pace.

That doesn’t even hit shopping yet. I hate Christmas shopping. I don’t mind getting gifts for

people. I just hate crowds… which sounds weird. Let me rephrase that. I love you. The only

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good thing about the recession is I might have a parking space this year. The crowds and the

people, all that stuff – survive is the operative word.

You may be ready to celebrate it but let me just ask you this. Can you relate to any of those tensions? Yeah. I found for me, what snapped out of it for me, I found that I was so focused on the tensions

and survival and I wasn’t focused on Jesus.

Just a couple of weeks ago, you’re not going to believe me but this is actually true, what

snapped me out of it is, I bought a copy of the book The Purpose of Christmas. by JOHN MAXWELL;( WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR) ...Key word: I bought. I bought it. I GAVE AWAY THIS BOOK FOR YEARS --$10,000 WORTH AND I Worked side by side with him for six

years you think I’d get a free copy? No! One sitting on my desk with a little note? No! I

bought it. Retail price. But there was something (after I prayed about my bitterness) I sat down and I read it. It really is a good book and it snapped me out of my funk. It was easy to read. It was well written. It was what my I would call a one-sitter. I read in a place that you can imagine. would

categorize all his books by sittings. I'd say"! Good book. You ought to read this – five sitter.”

.

But I want to read you a paragraph out of this book. “Ironically at most Christmas parties the

person whose birthday you’re supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. He’s never

even mentioned. Although Jesus is the reason for the season, he’s often overlooked or

merely mentioned along with Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Clause, the Grinch, the

elves and a long list of celebrated fictional characters. He’s often overlooked.”

That hit me. That’s why I move into survival mode during the Christmas season, is because I

often overlook or forget about Jesus. I would say the same would be true with you. If you

feel in the survival mode, chances are you’re focusing on all the tensions and you’re

overlooking Jesus. When you overlook Jesus you move to survive. When you focus on Jesus you celebrate.

Really, that’s the message of today. That the purpose of Christmas is to celebrate. I realize

that with a crowd this size there are people here you don’t share that same purpose. You

don’t have a relationship with God. You’re checking Jesus out. We’re thrilled that you’re

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here. You’re investigating. You’re asking questions. You’re wondering. And my prayer for

you today is that you will understand why we celebrate Christmas. But I also know there are many followers of Jesus Christ here. If I could help you focus on Jesus this season would you be interested? Let me take that a step deeper. If I could help you to remember to focus on Jesus not just this season but all the seasons, would that

interest you? Yeah. That Jesus is not just the reason for this season but he’s the reason for

all seasons, January through December, three hundred sixty five days a year. That’s what I

want to go after. Not just how we celebrate him this month, but how do we always celebrate him. I think I have a way to help.

Let’s dig in. The birth narrative of Jesus is found in Luke 2. I

encourage people during the Christmas season to read this over and over and over. When you do you not only learn about what happened when Jesus was born but you see the first people to celebrate him were not the kings, they were not the elite, they were the ordinary shepherds.

It starts in verse 8 “That night some shepherds were in the field outside the village

guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and

the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them and they were terribly frightened, but

the angel reassured them, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘I bring you good news of great joy

for everyone. The savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born tonight in Bethlehem the city of David. This is how you will recognize him. You will find a baby

lying in a manger wrapped snuggly in strips of cloth.’ When the angels had returned to

heaven the shepherds said to each other, ‘Come, let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see the

wonderful thing that’s happened which the Lord has told us about.’ So they ran to the

village and they found Mary and Joseph and there was the baby lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks glorifying

and praising God.”

You see, there was something about their encounter with Jesus that triggered something within their soul that made them celebrate. It says when they went back they told everyone. They were glorifying and praising God. There was something there. There was this uncontrolled excitement.

I realize the text we just looked at is about the birth of Jesus but hidden in there

is really an appropriate response to Jesus. It’s about celebration.

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What did they do? Just about hearing about Jesus, they ran! They told everyone. They glorified and praised God. Let me ask you a personal question. Can you remember back to the time when you first encountered Jesus? Can you remember the excitement around that time? The thrill of being

a new believer and all of a sudden going, “Wait! I am saved? I’m forgiven?” And there’s this

new excitement. I see it all the time as I talk with new believers. People grab a Bible and

they actually start reading it. They read the stiff part in the front. You can tell they’re excited

because they’re telling you and they’re not pronouncing the names of the books right.

“Tommy , I was reading in the Philippines… Malachi, was he an Italian prophet? And Psalmie

and things like that. I read Job. There was nothing about employment but that dude’s life

sucked!” There’s all this enthusiasm. When they get kids they’re going to name them

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They’re going to sleep in a manger. We’re going to feed

them manna. We’re going to have a camel who’s a pet. Jesus was everything! Remember

that excitement?

So here’s my million dollar question. What happened? Why did the

good news stop being good? What happened in your life that the enthusiasm of being a

follower of Jesus fell away? Why isn’t Jesus worthy of being celebrated three hundred sixty

five days of the year?

The answer is he is worthy. The problem isn’t with his worthiness. The problem is with our

forgetfulness. If you’re anything like me and I know you are, we forget. We just forget about

the wonder and the majesty. So the good news evolved into news. Sometimes, for some, old news. Heard that, been there, done that.

The news of God’s word is informational. It’s no longer transformational. We have so much

in life going on that we think and we worry about all this other stuff and we loose that focus and we forget about Jesus.

Here’s what I want you to write down in your notes because this is the essence of what I want

to go after. Really we are a people of forgetting. We are a people of forgetting and yet our faith is strengthened by remembering. I want to remember. I want to remember all that God has done for me. God wants me to remember. As a matter of fact, one of these days I want to do a series just on that word

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“remember” in the Bible. It’s used hundreds of times where we’re told to remember. If you

are forgetful, you’re not alone.

As a matter of fact there’s a long legacy of forgetful followers. In the Old Testament, if you go

back to the Old Testament, book after book, chapter after chapter is filled with these God followers who were so forgetful. God is providing for them, meeting their needs, loving on

them one day. The next day they’ve turned their back on him and they’re worshipping idols.

They are forgetful people. In a classic event that you may know about is when Moses goes up to the mountain to

receive the Ten Commandments. While he’s up there (he’s gone for some days) his

followers, and not just his followers – his key leaders all of a sudden forget about God and

they start melting down their gold to make idols to worship. Exodus 32 “Then the Lord said to

Moses, ‘Quick! Go down the mountain! The people you brought from Egypt have defiled

themselves. They have already turned away. [circle “already turned away.” I think those

describe us.] from the way I commanded them to live. They’ve made an idol like a calf and

they’ve worshipped and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who

brought you out of Egypt.’” This type of situation is what comedies are made of. This would

be funny if it wasn’t so true and tragic.

And not just Old Testament. Fast forward to the New Testament. In the New Testament you have God in the flesh in Jesus. God, in flesh and blood walking around, surrounded by his best friends the disciples, his closest followers. And they are forgetful all the time. You may have heard of one time, Jesus fed five thousand people by providing a miracle with

just a couple of fish and five loaves of bread. Then a few days later they’re with another

crowd and Jesus says, “Don’t let these people go hungry. Feed them.” And one of the

followers says, “Where will we get the food?” Really??? You’d think they’d go; A couple days

ago you did that little thing with bread and fish. Do it again! Do the water into wine. You’re

God. You’ve proven you’re God. Do it again. That was awesome. These people are

hungry, feed them. This time give them desert, Jesus. I’ll pick up the left over Twizzlers and

it’ll be awesome!”

Look what Jesus says when they said, Where will we get the food? “Don’t you remember the

five thousand I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of food that were left over? Don’t you

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remember the four thousand I fed with seven loaves and the baskets of food left over?” Don’t

you remember? Don’t you remember? Please don’t forget. Remember that. Remember

this. Don’t forget. I wish I could distance myself from the knuckleheads in the Bible. But I

can’t. Because they remind me too much of myself. And unfortunately for you they remind

me of you as well. That we’re all right there, painfully forgetful.

I hate to stand before you and admit that. I hate to stand before you and admit that as far as

I’ve walked in my journey with Jesus there are times I forget to celebrate his goodness. I

forget to worship him for all that he’s done. I need to celebrate. I’m not talking about you

right now, just me. I,CARL THOMAS WOOD, need to celebrate (that I’ve got a sweet middle

name) and I need to celebrate. I need to celebrate that because of Jesus, I’ve been saved.

Because of Jesus, I don’t have to pay for my sins. Because of Jesus, I have God’s power in

me today. Because of Jesus, there’s a place reserved for me in heaven. Because of Jesus, I

can keep growing while I’m here and changing and I don’t have to be the same.

Is there anybody here like me that just needs to be reminded? You know how they reminded people in the Bible? The followers of God in the Old Testament

had tassels. Little tassels that they would wear on their clothing. So when God’s people

would get dressed they would see these tassels on their shoulder and these tassels

throughout the day would be a reminder of God and his provision and how to obey God’s

ways.

So even as they’re walking through the streets and they see people worshipping idols or other

things, they might see other followers of God with these tassels on their clothing and those

tassels were a reminder to them. Numbers 15 “The tassels will remind you of the commands

of the Lord and that you are to obey his commands instead of following your own desires and

going your own ways as you are prone to do.”

Even today you might see some orthodox Jews have these tassels on their prayer shawls.

But I checked tassels.com to see if I could get 100 tassels and I couldn’t. So I came up with

another way that I’m going to help you remember. I’m going to help you to remember to

celebrate. It’s a very easy way. We’re going to make this all about you now.

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How do you remember to celebrate? I have an idea. No matter where you are, whether

you’re here in the worship center, I need you to have a coin in your hand. I need you to reach

in your pocket, into your purses, if you want to share with people in your row. . And I only want you to take them if you need them. So ushers, only if people raise their

hand and need them. But I need everybody to have a coin. Raise your hand if you don’t

have a coin. Maybe people next to you can hand you a coin. I want everybody touching one. If you have some you can jingle them if you want. Hang on to them. I want people with coins

in their hands. I want everybody playing. I’m going to point you out if I don’t see you holding

a coin.

I know some of you are thinking, “Wait a second! This is not how we normally do church.” I

know. It’s kind of like reverse offering here. You take something out of the offering. Who

doesn’t have a coin? Somebody around them or the ushers, get them a coin. I want

everybody holding a coin.

For some of you you’re holding your life savings right now after the 401K crash. I understand

that. Everybody get one.

How many by show of hands, you’re typically a plastic person all the way? You rely on plastic

all the time. There’s some of you.

But there’s coins everywhere. There’s coins on the ground. There’s coins in the bottom of

your car, under cushions. You can always have access to coins. When you go into

Starbucks they have tip jar – reach in. Grab a coin. You can always get coins even if you rely

on plastic.

We’re going to go very practical here. I’m going to start with the penny.

When you see a penny here’s what you’re going to celebrate when you see a penny. When

you see a penny you’re going to celebrate your past. But not just your past. Penny-past.

Remember that. Here’s what I want you to write after that. You’re going to write “My past is

forgiven.” You’re not just going to celebrate your past. You’re going to celebrate that your

past has been forgiven. Because of Jesus we can celebrate the fact that he came to wipe away our past.

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Please listen very carefully. There is no past that Jesus can’t forgive. Some of you need to

hear that. Because I keep hearing your story of guilt over the pain of the past and things like

that. I say, “Have you asked for forgiveness?” and you say yes. “Then start living that way.”

There’s no past that Jesus can’t forgive.

I realize some of you have had some wild pasts. I’ve heard your stories. I would watch that

on television. That would be a mini series. You’d make Jerry Springer look like the ANGELS

. I understand that you’ve done some bad things, have some wicked relationships. Maybe

some evil in your life, some disobedience, some selfishness, but hear it again: There is no past that cannot be forgiven.

That’s why Jesus was born. That’s why we celebrate Christmas. So when you see a penny

remember: My past is forgiven.

Look what Jesus said in Mark 2 “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor.

It’s the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Why did Jesus come? To save those of us who are sinners. He was born so that I could be forgiven.

Romans 4 “Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,

whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin

is no longer counted against them by the Lord.” If you have been forgiven

your sins are no longer counted against you. If you’re forgiven you’re safe.

What am I safe from? You’re safe from spending eternity with God’s enemy which would be

hell. Colossians 1 says this, “For he has rescued us from the one

who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom

with his blood and has forgiven all of our sins.”

If you’re here today and you have never taken advantage of God’s forgiveness and that free

gift of salvation, it’s free. It doesn’t even cost a penny. Although you know it cost Jesus his

life but it’s free for you and it’s free for me. If you’ve never asked him to I want you to think

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about that. Because at the end of this message I want to give you the opportunity to just say a simple prayer where you ask God to forgive you.

So when you see a penny you are to celebrate your past is forgiven.

When you see a nickel… Who’s got a nickel in your hands? N for nickel

reminds of us of Now.

Then just don’t stick with now but I want you to write next to that: God’s Spirit is in me. Now

God’s Spirit is in me. That’s why you can celebrate. You can celebrate

that when you said yes to God and you invited him into your life he, in however he does it,

invaded you with his Spirit. And God’s Spirit lives in your life right now. You don’t have to go

through life alone.

Personally I believe most of the mess we get in in our lives is because we forget that God’s

Spirit resides in us. I think most of the mess, the counseling, the conversations I’ve had.

People just forget that God’s Spirit is in them so they live these disobedient lives kind of

forgetting and thinking God’s this kind of distant God as opposed to Now; that his Spirit lives

within me.

Romans 8 says this “When God lives and breathes in you as he

does, as surely as he did in Jesus, you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as

Christ.”

Track with me for a minute. As God’s Spirit is in you, just as surely – notice that! – just as

surely as God’s Spirit was in Jesus.

John 3, John the Baptist describes the Spirit of God in Jesus. He

says “When the Spirit of God was in Jesus it was without measure

and without limit. For God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or

limit.” So if that same Spirit is in you now… think about that. That it’s without limit. That it’s

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without measure. That I can celebrate that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. That the God of the universe personally and powerfully fills you with his Spirit. That is worthy of celebration.

So when you see a nickel remember Now. That God’s Spirit lives

in me now.

I got a text from a friend this morning. . She said, “I found a nickel on the kitchen floor this

morning and I remembered that God’s Spirit is in me now. I needed that reminder this

morning.”

The dime. How many of you have a dime in your hands?

D – Determined destiny. You can remember that either way. Destiny

determined. But next to that I want you to write this “I have a place in heaven.”

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you’ve been forgiven of your sins, you have a personal

relationship with him, your destiny has been determined. There’s a place for you in heaven.

That is worthy of celebration.

Why do we celebrate? We celebrate because when my life ends here it doesn’t end. That if

you are a follower of Jesus Christ death has no sting whatsoever.

Death just kicks the door open into eternity. Jesus said in John 5 “I assure you, those who

listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. [you believe, you belong] They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from

death into life.”

My wife and I have talked about funeral BEFORE she pased. I want my funeral to be a

party. I really do. I’ve been to too many and I want it to be a celebration. I want there to be

laughter. I want stories to be told. I don’t want people to grieve. I want them to celebrate.

(Maybe a little bit of grieving…) But really! I want it to be a party. I’ve already picked out my

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favorite song that I want to be played – Celebrate! I may be dead but disco isn’t! Celebrate!

Taco Bell for everyone! It is going to be a party. You won’t want to miss it.

Romans 5 “So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s

wonderful kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If you are a Christ follower you’ve got to celebrate that.

Celebrate!

So a Dime – My destiny is determined.

The Nickel – Now. God’s Spirit is within me.

Penny – past. My past is forgiven.

If you’ve got a quarter, raise your hand. Next to quarter I want you

to write Spiritual Growth.

Some of you are thinking, “Where’s the Q word? You’re throwing me off. How am I going to

celebrate if I can’t remember the Q word?” You’re going to remember this. Spiritual growth.

Then here’s what we celebrate: I can continue to grow. I don’t have to stay the same. I can

celebrate that I can continue to grow and spiritually develop.

It’s not as easy to remember, this quarter, but here’s how you’re going to remember it. That

when Jesus told a story about a farmer, in this story, this farmer planted seed. And of the seed only one quarter of that seed grew. Only one quarter. Think about this. Seventy-five

percent didn’t grow. Only one quarter grew. You celebrate that growth.

Matthew 13 it says “As he scattered the seed some of it fell on the road, and the birds ate it.

Some fell in the gravel and it sprouted quickly but it didn’t put roots down, so the sun came up

and it withered away just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds. As it came up it was strangled

by the weeds. Some fell on good soil [circle “good soil” that’s your heart.] and produced a

harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”

What percent grew? Twenty-five percent. One quarter growth. How many can remember

that? It’s a little tougher, I realize. I’m stretching you. But that is worthy to celebrate. We

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don’t have to be the same. I don’t have to stay the same. Because of God’s Spirit working

within me, while I’m alive here on planet earth, I can grow and I can change beyond my

wildest dreams.

Spiritual growth is a gift. It is a sacred privilege and it’s a reality for those of us who pursue

and are faithful in obedience to God’s ways. There’s a lot to celebrate, a lot about Jesus to

celebrate. Not just this month, not just one day. But three hundred sixty five days of the year. Dream with me just for a second. What would your life look like if you were to go through life with a daily attitude of celebration? That you had some trigger that every time you saw a penny, whether it be on the ground or next to your sink or in an ashtray in your car, you just

celebrated. You said, “Thank you, God, that my past is forgiven!” Imagine what your life

would look like.

That when you saw that nickel you’re reminded that God’s Spirit is in you now. And God’s

Spirit is without measure and without limit.

Or that dime. You saw a dime and you’re going, “My destiny is determined. I’m alive right

now but I’ve got a place waiting for me in heaven because of what Jesus did on the cross.”

Or when you see the quarter you go, “I can change. I can grow. Spiritual growth is a part

of my reality. I don’t have to be the same.”

What do you think your life would look like? I think your life would be a lot richer. I think your

faith could be a lot stronger. I think your struggles, I think they’d still be there but I think they’d

be a lot lighter. I think your perspective in life would be brighter. Your attitude would be positive. Your purpose would be clearer. Your relationships would be deeper. Celebration

wouldn’t be limited to a season. To a month. To a day. Every day could be like Christmas.

We’re just dreaming, but what if? What if we became people who instead of being known for

being forgetful, we were remembered for having an unforgettable faith. An unforgettable attitude of celebration. What if? I gave you a little trigger, a little thing to remember. As I hold it in my hands and I make some

noise, it’s Jingle Bells. It’s Emmanuel, God is with us. Let’s celebrate.

Prayer:

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God, I pray for those of us in here who are approaching this season and most seasons,

we’re approaching it in survival mode. Thank you God, for all you do through us and offer

us through Jesus. What a gift! God, I pray that this coin illustration would be like tassels

for us to remember all that you’ve done and continue to do and to celebrate that. You

drive it deep into our minds so that we can remember to celebrate you daily.

If you’re here today and you’ve never asked God to forgive your past, why don’t you ask

him right now? You don’t need a special prayer to memorize. Just in the quietness of

your heart you can say, “God, forgive me.” Just repeat after me in the silence of your

heart: “God, I beg you to forgive me for all I’ve done that’s created a separation between

you and me. I confess to you that I’ve done some things in my life that are wrong and I

want to change. I don’t know why you’d want to forgive me but I accept that free gift of

forgiveness. In turn, I offer you my life. I invite you into my life to save me. I invite your Spirit to dwell within me and guide me. I thank you for saving me a place in eternity with

you and for allowing me the privilege to grow spiritually while I’m here. I want to know you

more.” We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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