Below is a letter that I wrote to my church family that went out via old school snail mail. Thought I’d post it here on my blog as well.

Grace Bible Fam!! Can you believe it’s already December!? Crazy! 

The Dallas Cowboys are terrible, but hey, we got Blue Bell back! Praise God 🙂

If your family is like mine, a couple of days after Thanksgiving, it’s all eyes on Christmas. I love it. Time with family, great food, and watching as many Christmas movies as I can leading up to the 25th. I even make my kids watch the old ones with me! 

There’s a lot I love about this time of year, but mostly, l love Christmas because it’s a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And it’s not just that He came, but HOW He came. The King of Glory came to this earth in the humblest of ways, wrapped in makeshift cloths, and laid in a manger. A manger – a trough used to feed livestock. 

Sounds funny, but the fact that His first bed was a manger means the world to me. See, Jesus showed us from the moment He was born, that He’ll go anywhere to fulfill His purpose. He came to save vile offenders, sinners – like me. As the old hymn says, “He sought me and bought me, with His redeeming blood”.  I know that’s your story, too. 

One of the things I hear consistently from people who visit Grace Bible is “these people are REAL.” To me, they mean the people of Grace Bible are common, everyday people. Our church family is made up of imperfect people with real struggles and heartaches, in desperate need of God’s amazing grace. We’re in awe that he would grace us with His presence, like he did that dirty manger 2000 years ago. That’s our Savior. That’s our King. 

I don’t know how you feel about Christmas. Sometimes strained relationships, the loss of a loved one, or a painful past can make a joyful time of year feel anything but joyful. You may feel down. You may feel unworthy of Jesus, even at Christmas. Remember, Jesus was right at home in a manger. He’s not put-off by our messes. He brought purpose and significance to a dirty manger. He can do that, plus bring never-ending, God-glorifying, JOY to you and your life. Focus on the fact that Jesus can, and will go anywhere. 

The longer I serve as pastor of Grace Bible, the more I feel at home. There’s no place like HOME for Christmas. Looking forward to it!

Love y’all,
Roy