I remember thinking as a teenager, “It’s beautiful to give gifts to each other at Christmas, to
This year at FTN, we want that thought to be the primary focus of the Green Bean Project. Not just giving because it’s the holidays, but giving to honor, adore, and worship Christ. We want to turn our hearts from the busyness that this season brings, to the quiet and humility of that cattle stall.
Giving to honor, adore, and worship Christ.
As in other years, our “Green Bean” ministries have shared specific needs with us, which we have passed on to you. But first and foremost, we want to focus on partnering with you to make our giving a gift for Christ.
O Come Let Us Adore Him
The angels, the heavenly host, met his birth with proclamation and praise. The shepherds sought the Savior with haste. The wise men brought not only their gifts but also their worship. I want part of my gift for Christ this Christmas to be a Christmas spent adoring Him.
The Angels
What joy when a child is born to a family. The hopes, the dreams, the love that
The angels came to proclaim that a son had been born, not to someone else, not even to God Himself, but to us. To the Shepherds. To Mary and Joseph. To the Wise Men. To those who would bless Him and those who would curse Him. Those who would believe and those who would walk on in unbelief. The Son of God was, without losing even a drop of His deity, becoming the Son of Man.
And so on that night when their light filled the sky, the angles brought a message of peace and joy. They announced the Baby’s birth, they declared where to find Him, and they filled the night air with the sound of praise and glory.
The Shepherds
The shepherds responded to this message without delay. They went to Bethlehem “with haste.” And when they found Him they didn’t just come, see, and leave. No, they came, they saw, and they declared it. They spread the word all over town, and people marveled at what they heard.
The Wise Men
The Wise Men rejoiced when they found Jesus. They knelt before Him. They worshiped Him. They brought gifts which reflected who He was: Gold for His kingliness, Frankincense for His deity, and Myrrh to foreshadow His death.
Our Gift For Christ
This Christmas, I want my celebration and actions to reflect the events of those days in Bethlehem. I want it to be one of praise and proclamation, bringing a message of peace and joy and telling others how to find the Savior. I want to haste to see the Savior, and when I have truly seen Him, I want to declare it to others. And I want to bring Him gifts that reflect who He is.
This is where the Green Bean Project comes into play. If you have followed FTN long, you know the fatherless are close to God’s own heart. Caring for them not only fulfills His command but also pictures His redemptive plan. What we give to the “least of these” we are giving to Him. (Matt 25:31-46) Through our giving, the Green Bean Project gives us the opportunity to reflect to the world around us who He is. We can turn our giving into a gift that says, “Here is my gift for Christ because of what He has done for me.”
It gives us the opportunity to express our joy (because we have found Him!), to declare Him, and worship Him as He desires. (James 1:27)
This year, I hope you will join us in Giving a Gift for Christ. Click here, to find out more about the Green Bean Project, or give now:
