Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Welcome to the Weekday Podcast of Sugar Hill Church where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: Well, hey friends, welcome back to another edition of the Weekday Podcast. If you're listening to this in real time, it is Christmas Eve and we are so excited about Christmas Eve gatherings today at 2, 4 and 6, 2 o'clock in the worship center, 4 o'clock in the worship center and the chapel, and 6 o'clock back in the worship center. And Sugar Hill Espanol is meeting off site for an incredible, incredible night. And so please join us in person if at all possible and celebrate Christmas Eve with us, complete with a candlelight ending to the night. It's going to be a great, great day together. Well, today on Christmas Eve, I can't think of a better thing to talk about today than the joy of coming home. Malachi 3, verse 7 says, Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. Now you may have heard the story that Pastor Chuck mentioned a couple weeks ago from John Newton, where he was a slave ship captain and he turned into a hymn writer who gave us amazing grace. But before he could write about Amazing grace, he had to experience that grace himself. In the middle of a violent storm, at his lowest point, he found Jesus. Or maybe a better way to say it is Jesus found him and it totally changed his life. Now your storm may not be on the high seas. Maybe it's that empty chair at the Christmas table this year. Maybe it's that relationship that drifted as far apart as that couple in the old pickup truck. Maybe it's the numbing routine of taking, I don't know, Nyquil that some people might call the Baptist bourbon every night, just trying to get through another day. But here's the thing about Jesus. He specializes in homecomings. He really does think about the prodigal son. He didn't have to clean himself up first. He didn't have to fix his life. He just had to turn toward home. And there was the Father running to meet him. And I think that's what Jesus offers us today on this Christmas Eve. Not a complicated journey back, not a lengthy to do list of spiritual achievements, just a simple turning of our hearts because he's here right now. The only distance between us and joy is the distance between us and surrender. And so your prayer doesn't need to be eloquent it can be as simple as Jesus, I'm coming back to you. Or if you've never known him before, Jesus, I want to know you. That's it. That's the doorway to joy. Want to give your children or grandchildren the greatest gift that they could ever receive? Give them an example of someone who loves Jesus. Not perfectly, none of us do that, but authentically, daily, consistently turning back to Him. Because when we celebrate Jesus, joy happens. It's not just something that we achieve, it's something that we receive. And he's right here with arms wide open, waiting, always waiting for us to come home. Would today be the day that you decide to come home to Him? Have a great day and merry, Merry Christmas. We love you.
[00:03:03] Speaker B: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11, and we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome.
