Traditions

This is the time of year where we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  With this comes family traditions that may have been passed down year after year for multiple generations.  Maybe this includes special meals or certain sweet treats that are only made this time of year, decorations handed down from grandparents, nativity scenes, or other one time a year things we do or put out for Christmas.  For us, it is reading the Christmas story in Luke on Christmas Eve followed by the opening of one present each.  Everyone already knows what these presents hold, matching family pajamas.  We also look forward to the homemade cinnamon rolls each Christmas morning that my wife makes. These traditions hold a special place in our hearts.  But we must not lose focus on the real reason for Christmas.

Traditions are not necessarily bad; in fact, some are very good things that we hold to.  But if we are not careful, we can focus on the wrong things, even during the time we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  We must make sure that we are always focused on God’s commands… even when celebrating family traditions.

“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Mark 7:8

This year we would like to introduce a new family tradition that will hopefully become a favorite of your family for generations to come!  This year, start on December 1st with reading the gospel of Luke.  You and your family will read one chapter per day, together, for 24 days straight.  On Christmas Eve you will finish by reading the final chapter in Luke and you will have read about Jesus’ birth, His childhood, His ministry, His death, His resurrection, and the final days before His ascension to heaven.  What better tradition could we start than to be focused on Jesus, the true reason for celebrating Christmas, and doing this with our families every single day leading up to Christmas Day!

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Let’s start a new tradition this year.

A tradition that is a “Legacy Builder” and is also multigenerational… 

ONE THAT IS KINGDOM FOCUSED!