Sermon Tone Analysis

“The Greatest Gift”

I Love Gifts.

I love to get gifts!

Sometimes their meaningful - Bibles

Sometimes their memorable – Trips

Sometimes significant – Savage model 15-A

And sometimes their just FUNNY!

CORNU-CAP-IA

I Love To Give Gifts

Sometimes I don’t know what a person wants

Often I don’t know what a person needs

GOD ALWAYS KNOWS THE PERFECT GIFT!

Sometimes they are a blessing at just the right time

Sometimes it’s His presence in a difficult time

Sometimes it’s the Difficult times that helps us to grow in just the right way!

Some would argue that Life is the Greatest Gift!

Favorite Movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”

George Bailey in Bedford Falls - Pottersville

Even in knowing what we have in every breath, knowing what we have in our spouse, and knowing what we have in our children…even in the most spectacular gift we could ever give or receive here on Earth, there is nothing that can compare to the Greatest Gift that has ever been given.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

PRAY

Some would say that life is the greatest gift ever given, but if we are specific, the greatest gift that has ever been given is eternal life, and that gift came packaged in the form of a little human.

How many of you like to know ahead of time what gift you are getting?

I am not anti-surprise, but whenever possible, I like to know what I am getting ahead of time.

Sometimes there are additional pieces of the puzzle that are necessary for the gift to be complete.

Sometimes, it’s nice to have a little input into what you would like the gift to be.

For example, Kristi almost always knows what her gift is going to be.

Conveniently, that’s because she typically picks it out herself.

I have always said that I am pretty easy to buy for, but as I have gotten older, the things I want have narrowed.

With that said, Kristi has started paying attention more to the things I talk about.

I know what I am getting this year.

Kristi told me, it was going to work out, but now I am eagerly anticipating it!

As we look at Christmas and the Greatest Gift, we can look back and we can see that this was a gift that should have been anticipated because it had been promised for thousands of years.

This was a gift that the people needed, and this was a gift that was announced and promised.

I.

The Greatest Gift was Promised

a. Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

b.