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92 - The Problem Of Preaching At Christmas

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Content provided by Dr. Alan Carr. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Dr. Alan Carr or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

Preaching a compelling Christmas message is a challenging assignment. How can we stay fresh year after year? Let me offer a few suggestions.
1. Capture the true wonder of Christmas. Set it in the total context of the drama of redemption.
2. Avoid allegorical and sentimental approaches. Christmas messages focusing exclusively on the “sweet, precious baby in the manger” are inadequate and irresponsible. Like the flood account of Genesis, the Christmas story is a story of God’s supernatural provision of Himself as Immanuel. At the same time, Scripture indicates that Immanuel was born to be our Savior, who would die as our substitute to deliver us from judgment.
3. Explore less familiar texts. Tackle texts like Micah 5:2-5 contain the prophecy related to Bethlehem and assert the coming of the One who will be great to the “ends of the earth.” Consider also Zechariah’s Benedictus in Luke 1:67-79. In this passage, Zechariah refers to Jesus as the “Horn of Salvation,” referring not to a musical instrument but to an animal’s offensive weapons—horns.
The following Bible passages make excellent preaching texts.
Old Testament
Numbers 24:15–17
Isaiah 11:1–10
Psalm 2
Isaiah 40:1–11
Psalm 8
Ezekiel 34:22–24
Isaiah 9:1–7 (esp. v. 6)
Micah 5:2
New Testament
Matthew 1:18–25
John 1:1–4
Matthew 2:1–11
John 1:1–14
Matthew 2:13–23
2 Corinthians 8:9
Luke 1:5–25
2 Corinthians 9:15
Luke 1:26–38
Galatians 4:4–6
Luke 1:39–45
Philippians 2:1–8
Luke 1:46–56
Colossians 1:15–20
Luke 1:57–66
1 Timothy 1:15
Luke 1:67–80
1 Timothy 3:16
Luke 2:1–7
Hebrews 2:14–18
Luke 2:1–20
Hebrews 4:14–16
Luke 2:21
Hebrews 10:5–7
Luke 2:22–38
4. Connect the cradle and the cross. While Jesus entered this world as an infant in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, called disciples to follow Him, healed the sick, and fed the poor, the author of Hebrews asserts that He was born to die (2:14-15).
5. Intensify exposition of the wonder of the incarnation. Remind hearers that the Word did indeed become flesh. Help them grasp in some measure the reality of the Almighty as an infant of inches. Don’t allow them to think of the infancy of Jesus with

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Subscribe to this podcast. Leave us a review. Point your friends to this podcast.
Contact me at: alancarr@gmail.com.
The podcast is a ministry of Dr. Alan Carr and The Sermon Notebook (http://www.sermonnotebook.org)
If you would like some Preaching Matters Podcast merch, you can support the show while advertising for the show.
Podcast T-Shirt: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1477329809/podcast-logo-preacher-gift-sermon-notes?click_key=10bfd3485c9c310cd30c1ea506644847488583b2%3A1477329809&click_sum=c33942ee&external=1&rec_type=ss&ref=landingpage_similar_listing_top-1&frs=1
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Chapters

1. 92 - The Problem Of Preaching At Christmas (00:00:00)

2. [Ad] Fellowship One:Seven (00:18:33)

3. (Cont.) 92 - The Problem Of Preaching At Christmas (00:19:16)

129 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 385338380 series 3321737
Content provided by Dr. Alan Carr. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Dr. Alan Carr or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

Preaching a compelling Christmas message is a challenging assignment. How can we stay fresh year after year? Let me offer a few suggestions.
1. Capture the true wonder of Christmas. Set it in the total context of the drama of redemption.
2. Avoid allegorical and sentimental approaches. Christmas messages focusing exclusively on the “sweet, precious baby in the manger” are inadequate and irresponsible. Like the flood account of Genesis, the Christmas story is a story of God’s supernatural provision of Himself as Immanuel. At the same time, Scripture indicates that Immanuel was born to be our Savior, who would die as our substitute to deliver us from judgment.
3. Explore less familiar texts. Tackle texts like Micah 5:2-5 contain the prophecy related to Bethlehem and assert the coming of the One who will be great to the “ends of the earth.” Consider also Zechariah’s Benedictus in Luke 1:67-79. In this passage, Zechariah refers to Jesus as the “Horn of Salvation,” referring not to a musical instrument but to an animal’s offensive weapons—horns.
The following Bible passages make excellent preaching texts.
Old Testament
Numbers 24:15–17
Isaiah 11:1–10
Psalm 2
Isaiah 40:1–11
Psalm 8
Ezekiel 34:22–24
Isaiah 9:1–7 (esp. v. 6)
Micah 5:2
New Testament
Matthew 1:18–25
John 1:1–4
Matthew 2:1–11
John 1:1–14
Matthew 2:13–23
2 Corinthians 8:9
Luke 1:5–25
2 Corinthians 9:15
Luke 1:26–38
Galatians 4:4–6
Luke 1:39–45
Philippians 2:1–8
Luke 1:46–56
Colossians 1:15–20
Luke 1:57–66
1 Timothy 1:15
Luke 1:67–80
1 Timothy 3:16
Luke 2:1–7
Hebrews 2:14–18
Luke 2:1–20
Hebrews 4:14–16
Luke 2:21
Hebrews 10:5–7
Luke 2:22–38
4. Connect the cradle and the cross. While Jesus entered this world as an infant in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, called disciples to follow Him, healed the sick, and fed the poor, the author of Hebrews asserts that He was born to die (2:14-15).
5. Intensify exposition of the wonder of the incarnation. Remind hearers that the Word did indeed become flesh. Help them grasp in some measure the reality of the Almighty as an infant of inches. Don’t allow them to think of the infancy of Jesus with

Support the Show.

Subscribe to this podcast. Leave us a review. Point your friends to this podcast.
Contact me at: alancarr@gmail.com.
The podcast is a ministry of Dr. Alan Carr and The Sermon Notebook (http://www.sermonnotebook.org)
If you would like some Preaching Matters Podcast merch, you can support the show while advertising for the show.
Podcast T-Shirt: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1477329809/podcast-logo-preacher-gift-sermon-notes?click_key=10bfd3485c9c310cd30c1ea506644847488583b2%3A1477329809&click_sum=c33942ee&external=1&rec_type=ss&ref=landingpage_similar_listing_top-1&frs=1
Podcast Mug: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1468678138/coffee-mug-the-preaching-matters-podcast?click_key=372978b5d3b54393df102deea8e8e4a635954690%3A1468678138&click_sum=7538cce4&external=1&rec_type=ss&ref=landingpage_similar_listing_top-8&frs=1

  continue reading

Chapters

1. 92 - The Problem Of Preaching At Christmas (00:00:00)

2. [Ad] Fellowship One:Seven (00:18:33)

3. (Cont.) 92 - The Problem Of Preaching At Christmas (00:19:16)

129 episodes

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