DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Park Cities Baptist Church

PCBC.ORG/CHRISTMAS 

2011 

DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Sunday, November 27 

Merry Christmas! 

You hold in your hand a Christmas gift from our church staff 

to you. We thought it would be fun this year to offer to you 

and your family a gift that you could enjoy throughout the 

holiday season. Throughout the Advent season we’ll be looking 

at “A Christmas Masterpiece.” We’re taking an artful journey to 

the manger as we consider the coming of our Savior. You will 

enjoy stories told and lessons learned from members of our 

great staff. We also hope you’ll take time to meditate on the 

Scripture and answer the thought-provoking questions. This 

devotional guide serves as a wonderful way for families to join 

together as well – to read, to discuss, and pray together each 

day as we approach Christmas Day. 

On behalf of our entire church staff, let me say that it is our great 

joy to serve our Savior, Jesus, with you throughout the year. 

We wish you and yours a joy-filled, Christ-centered Christmas. 

As a child, one of the favorite things I 

remember about Christmas was a 

tradition carried on by my grandmother. 

Instead of labeling the presents with 

who they’re to and from, she would 

label them with numbers. She would 

assign each person several numbers, 

which only she knew, so even if you 

were able to figure out one gift, it 

didn’t give away all the rest. As kids, 

trying to find the list and guess who 

each gift belonged to before Christmas 

morning provided for countless hours 

of fun and guessing for my sister and me. 

Not having grown up in a family that 

followed Christ, Christmas’s were not 

about celebrating the birth of our 

Savior. However, having trusted 

Christ as an adult, it’s overwhelming 

at times what Christmas and the gift 

of grace means to me now. Today, one 

of my favorite Christmas songs, by the 

Christian band, Third Day, says, 

“Halleluiah, the King is here, given 

for all men. For today the Holy Son of 

God, is born in Bethlehem.” 

The ultimate gift is here and the gift 

is for everyone - no guessing involved. 

Halleluiah! 

Ann Roberts is the Assistant to Miller 

Cunningham. She and her husband, 

James, have two daughters, Caroline 

and Mary Margaret, and live in Dallas. 

Dr. Jeff Warren 

Senior Pastor

Monday, November 28 

Tuesday, November 29 

It was a year of burgeoning 

independence and adventure that 

called for the fastest transportation 

and my best friend and I knew we had 

only to ask. So we went straight to 

our fathers. We were well loved, so 

that would be no problem. The 

minute my father and I stepped 

through the doors of the shop to 

check out the possibilities, my heart 

locked in on the beauty of the design, 

but more so, on the enamel candied 

apple red of my entire life’s dream ~ 

that 10-speed Schwinn was all I 

wanted for Christmas. 

I made several attempts to seal the 

deal, but my father fell silent. As our 

Advent calendar doors increasingly 

opened and the chocolates 

disappeared, I started to get a little 

nervous. There was no sign from my 

father. Then again there was always 

hope. After all, he was a good father. 

Christmas morning came and at the 

get go, my sister and I threw open the 

doors to see…no bike. My heart 

raced. Stockings, breakfast, and gift 

exchange came and went. Outwardly, 

I kept a stiff upper lip, but 

disappointment and doubt started 

tugging. As if he knew just what I 

was thinking, at just the right 

moment, my father tapped me on the 

shoulder and pointed me in the right 

direction, toward the living room. 

There, placed not as expected, was the 

sweetest gift I’d ever received….and 

my bicycle, too. The desires of my 

heart have changed over the years and 

the discipline of waiting, instilled in 

me by my earthly father, has become 

more anticipated as I counsel with my 

heavenly Father and see his glorious 

gifts revealed. 

“Since ancient times no one has heard, 

no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any 

God besides you, who acts on behalf of 

those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4 

“…but wait for the gift my father 

promised” Acts 1:4 

For Discussion: 

• Have you told God the desires 

of your heart, even the ones you 

think inconsequential? 

• Has God met these desires? 

If so, how, and were they as you 

had envisioned? 

• How do you wait on God? 

May your Christmas overflow with 

long awaited and unexpected joys! 

Stacey Rauscher is the Assistant 

to 20s/30s/40s, College & Prayer 

Ministry. She is the mother of Cole 

and KayAnne. 

I remember the first Christmas with 

my family after I had moved to Dallas. 

I grew up in Atlanta, and I have a 

very close relationship with my parents. 

My plane landed in Atlanta a few days 

before Christmas, my brother picked 

me up, and we drove to my parents’ 

home. I can still remember walking 

into the place I used to call home. 

Nothing had changed, and everything 

had changed. My mother stood at the 

door with tears in her eyes. My dad 

stayed a few steps behind her, and he 

grinned like I hadn’t seen him grin 

before. He let my mother hug me for 

as long as she wanted, and then he 

stepped in and gave me a hug of his 

own, patting me on the back and 

saying: “How are ya, boy?” It felt like 

a hero’s welcome. 

Although the circumstances are 

different, I think that is what the 

Prodigal Son’s father looked like from 

Luke 15:11-32. There was great 

rejoicing. Wrongs and errors were 

forgiven, and I felt that same feeling 

when I walked through the door. Any 

difficulty and stress I had caused my 

family by packing up and moving to 

Dallas was washed away in the 

rejoicing of having their missing 

member back home to celebrate the 

birth of Christ with them. 

I have never had a better Christmas 

than that one. I don’t remember what 

gifts I received, or even what we did, 

but I can still picture the look of joy 

on my parents’ faces. I can’t help but 

think that is what our Father looks 

like when we return to Him. “It is 

appropriate to celebrate and be glad, 

for your brother was dead, and is 

alive; he was lost and is found” (Luke 

15:32). I hope that this Christmas 

year, you are mindful of your Father 

in Heaven, and your relationship with 

Him. Some of us may need to turn to 

Him for the first time, others may 

need to return after being a straying 

sheep. In either case, our Father 

rejoices, beams with excitement, and 

waits to embrace you. 

Travis Cook serves as the Interim 

Minister to the Bridge (Young Single 

Adults). Travis likes baseball, soccer, 

history, reading, and writing...and he 

lives in Dallas.

Wednesday, November 30 

Thursday, December 1 

As a young mom I kept a journal where 

I wrote about the concerns and the 

funnies experienced by the mother of 

two preschoolers. I can look back now 

(30 years later) and laugh about some of 

those fears as well as remember some of 

the comical happenings. The empty 

nest perspective is an interesting one. 

Those exhausting early days of sleep 

deprivation, the “taxi” years, even the 

turbulent teen years – they’re all hazy 

memories. Early in their twenties my 

children suddenly morphed into quite 

pleasant young adults. Ron and I have 

realized we’ve crossed the parenting 

“finish line” – at least the time intensive 

part – and now it’s time for the BEST 

part of all, grand-parenting! 

Our daughter and son-in-law will 

present us with our first grandchild in 

November – according to the doctors, 

a boy. Parents have tremendous dreams 

for their children. We did and we now 

see it with our own children. Even 

during those challenging moments 

you still love them unconditionally 

and see their great potential. 

Although Scripture doesn’t indicate 

any of Mary and Joseph’s specific 

parenting thoughts, I have the image 

of them gazing down in wonder at 

Baby Jesus and suspect they had the 

same thoughts about Him. Probably 

more so knowing He was the Son of 

God, the long awaited Messiah. 

I have come to the conclusion that 

God’s love for me must be the same. 

No matter how challenging I am to 

Him, still He offers me His grace and 

forgiveness and continues to pursue 

an intimate relationship with me. As 

a parent I have a glimpse of how 

much God loved Jesus, and yet, He 

still loved me enough to send His Son 

to the cross because of my sin. 

No matter what your stage of life, 

find a few minutes this Christmas to 

thank God for your family and praise 

Him that He loves us so 

unconditionally. 

Merry Christmas! 

“This is love: not that we loved God, 

but that He loved us and sent His Son 

as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 

1 John 4:10 

Nora LaPrade serves as the Executive 

Assistant to Dr. Jeff Warren, the 

Senior Pastor. Nora and her husband, 

Ron, have two married children and 

their first grandchild due in November. 

My father-in-law suffers from 

Alzheimer’s disease and one of my 

favorite Christmas memories is from 

him recognizing my house last year at 

Christmas. I had driven to Marshall, 

Texas, to pick up he and my motherin-law 

to spend a few days in our home 

for Christmas. The whole trip from 

Marshall to Dallas he asked his usual 

questions over and over: Where are 

we going? Why are we going there? 

How long are we staying? How will 

we get home? After 2 ½ hours of 

answering his questions multiple 

times, we pulled into the alley-way 

next to my house. As soon as he saw 

the house, he said “I know the people 

who live here” and “I am so happy to 

be here”! His recognition of the house 

and family did not last long, but it 

was enough to give me a glimpse of 

God’s love for me and was the best 

gift I received. 

Psalm 139:1-3 says “You have 

searched me, LORD, and you know 

me. You know when I sit and when I 

rise; you perceive my thoughts from 

afar. You discern my going out and 

my lying down; you are familiar with 

all my ways.” 

We can take joy that God knows us, 

just as I received joy when my fatherin-law 

knew me and my home. 


• What is the best non-material gift 

you have received for Christmas? 

• What made it special? 

• If Jesus drove by your house, 

would he know you? 

Brenda Palmer is the Childhood 

Ministry Assistant. She and her 

husband, Joel, have three children, 

David, Jonathan and Katherine.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 

“Now faith is being sure of what we 

hope for and certain of what we do 

not see.” – Hebrews 11:1 

Christmas – just the word brings floods 

of memories – some good, some sad, 

some funny, some magical. I know we 

all feel that way. From my first memory 

of sitting in my great-grandfather’s 

lap on Christmas Eve to the pain of 

my first Christmas without someone I 

dearly love, I thought it would be a 

hard task to pick just one memory, 

but I was wrong. 

As I reflected on years past, one 

poignant moment stood out to me. 

That moment is as clear today as 

when it occurred 14 years ago. It was 

my daughter’s first Christmas Eve. 

We spent the evening, as I had for 

many years, with our dear friend Jane. 

Jane had been blind since her early 

twenties, but in all the many times I 

spent with her I never once heard her 

complain. She “saw” by feeling. As we 

entered her home that evening, she 

was sitting in her living room 

surrounded by friends and family. 

When she heard my voice she asked 

me to bring the baby over to sit in her 

lap. I immediately complied. The 

baby was wearing a soft, green velvet 

dress with a lace collar and lace trim. 

Jane felt her little cheeks and her soft 

dress and proclaimed, “Oh, she is 

beautiful!” And then, very softly she 

said just to me, “I wish I could see 

her.” In all my life, that is the only 

time I heard her say that. 

Many times since that evening I have 

thought of that moment and Hebrews 

11:1. Just as Jane was certain my 

daughter was beautiful (and she is!), I 

am certain in the love Christ has for 

us. I can’t see it, but I can feel it every 

moment of every day. That night was 

my most tangible example of faith. 

FOR DISCUSSION: 

Christ’s love this week. 

• In what ways can you be an 

example of faith for someone today? 

Kathie Smith is the Assistant to 

Rodney Schell, Executive Pastor. 

Kathie, her husband, Larry, and 

daughter, Alyssa, enjoy their life on 

the farm south of Dallas. 

One of my favorite Christmas 

memories came when I was in high 

school. As a family, my parents, three 

sisters and one brother-in-law, we 

went on a ski trip to Utah. We flew 

out early Christmas morning, and I 

can still remember us all getting up 

early and heading to the airport 

together. We spent a week on that 

trip, and I remember it as a great 

time of being together. Of course 

Christmas has always been one of my 

favorite times of the year, but my 

favorite thing about Christmas is 

being together--together with family. 

When you get right down to it, 

togetherness is what Christmas has 

always been about. God loved me so 

much that He sent his Son to earth to 

live a perfect life and die in my place 

so that He and I could be together. 

This Christmas season, as we no 

doubt, will all be together, let’s not 

forget the One who gave so much to 

be together with us. 

“For God so loved the world, that he 

gave his only Son, that whoever 

believes in him should not perish but 

have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV 

FOR DISCUSSION: 

• What are some of your favorite 

ways your family celebrates and 

experiences togetherness during the 

Christmas season? 

• How can you celebrate and 

experience togetherness with God 

in a new and special way this year 

at Christmas? 

Damon Berry, Minister of Sports 

Outreach, and his wife, Anna, have 

two daughters, Brailyn and Camdyn.

Sunday, December 4 

Monday, December 5 

Each December the snow-capped hills 

of the dense Maine forest would 

beckon us as we prepared to embark 

on our annual family journey to find 

that picturesque Christmas tree. As a 

young boy the days of November 

seemed to pass by with the swiftness 

of a snail as we waited with intense 

anticipation for that beloved day in 

early December. 

Awakening with the sun, my brother 

Patrick and I would inhale a bit of 

breakfast and then knock on our 

parents’ door to boldly announce with 

joy that the awaited day was upon us. 

My mother would then layer us in 

wool and Gore-Tex until waves of 

heat were wafting from our bodies 

like wood stoves. 

With overwhelming layers to protect 

us from the frigid New England air, 

we would waddle through the sunglistened 

snow with the mobility of 

toy soldiers until we found the prized 

ornament of the year. My dad, amidst 

sips from a thermos of hot chocolate, 

would proclaim with glee, “This is 

the one!” We would scurry over to 

watch him prepare the tree. Soon the 

sweet aroma of dad’s hot chocolate 

mixing with the fresh cut tree was 

flooding the air. 

Today, I reflect on these Christmas 

memories with fondness. I can 

remember with great detail each tree 

and each story created, like the time I 

forgot to put on socks and snow 

began to fill my boots (not so smart). 

But what has profoundly impacted 

me and my family is the love, joy and 

unity that has stemmed from these 

incredible family interactions. There 

is something about those moments 

together as a family that brings 

unification. 

In Philippians 2:1-2, the Apostle Paul 

writes of a unity that only comes 

through Christ. Paul implores the 

believers of Philippi to bring him joy 

by being of the same mind and 

having the same love. May we pursue 

unity in our families not just for this 

season, but also for the days and years 

ahead. The sustainability of a unified 

family rests in the person of Jesus 

Christ alone. So may we fix our gaze 

upon Him. 


• How does Jesus bring unity? 

• What is your favorite Christmas 

tree adventure? 

Tim Bresnahan is a minister to the 

Young Married department. Tim and 

his wife Christen have been married 

for four years. 

“Now there were in the same country 

shepherds living out in the fields, 

keeping watch over their flock by 

night. And behold, an angel of the 

Lord stood before them, and the glory 

of the Lord shone around them, and 

they were greatly afraid. Then the 

angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, 

for behold, I bring you good tidings 

of great joy which will be to all 

people. For there is born to you this 

day in the city of David a Savior, who 

is Christ the Lord. And this will be 

the sign to you: You will find a Babe 

wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in 

a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 

One of my most vivid memories of a 

trip to Israel many years ago was 

standing on the hills where it was 

thought the shepherds heard the 

angels announce the birth of the 

Savior. I could just imagine the 

shepherds quietly watching as their 

sheep grazed. 

Then all of a sudden, an angel stood 

before them announcing the birth of 

the Savior and was joined by a 

“multitude of the heavenly host” 

gloriously praising God together! 

As I was growing up, we always read 

the story from Luke 2 every Christmas 

morning. Then years later, actually 

being able to stand on the hills where 

the shepherds were was a very moving 

experience for me. 

I love all the sights and sounds of 

Christmas! But one of my favorite 

times is late on Christmas Eve. As I 

drive home from a Christmas Eve 

service, there are very few cars on the 

road, and there’s just a quiet 

peacefulness in the air. I am reminded 

of that night on a quiet hillside where 

an angel announced the birth of our 

Savior and was joined by a choir of 

angels singing, “GLORY TO GOD 

IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON 

EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL 

TOWARD MEN!” 

This year, may we all take time for a 

quiet, peaceful moment to reflect on 

the singing of the angels as we celebrate 

the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Judy Johnston serves as Administrative 

Assistant for Properties & Services and 

Special Events. Judy lives in Dallas and 

in her spare time likes stitchery, 

reading and working in her yard.

Tuesday, December 6 

Wednesday, December 7 

Nothing compares to a white Christmas 

in West Texas. Years ago, when our 

boys were quite young, we woke up 

one wonderful Christmas morning to 

find 17 inches of snow!! Across the 

street from our house was a wide open 

field. The glistening snow was almost 

blinding. We bundled up our oldest 

son, Jonathan, and we ran out to play 

in the snow. It was glorious and 

wonderful. We scooped up the soft 

snow with our hands, but at 17 inches 

deep, it was as though we could not 

find the ground beneath. I will never 

forget that day. All I could say was, 

“Awesome!” 

I always think of the words of Isaiah 

1:18: “Come now, let us settle the 

matter,” says the Lord. “Though your 

sins are like scarlet, they shall be as 

white as snow; though they are red as 

crimson, they shall be like wool.” 

Coming to Christ in humble 

repentance brings the joy of coming 

out into a wide open space where 

there is only the pure white loveliness 

of forgiveness. Christ forgives sin. 

Awesome! 


• The Lord invites us to “settle the 

matter” of our sins. Have you done 

that today? 

• Once you have confessed your sin to 

God, and you believe you are 

forgiven, do you experience freedom 

from guilt and shame? 

Take time to thank God for his mercy 

and love in making you “white as snow.” 

Sam Silva is the Minister to Amigos 

de Dios at PCBC. He and his wife, 

Dee, have two sons, Jordan and 

Jonathan. 

I have always liked manger scenes. I 

have a number of them, from the 

little plastic Christmas ornament my 

3rd grader teacher gave to me to the 

carved olive wood set from 

Bethlehem. My favorite, however, is 

the one my mother purchased when I 

was a child. It was not very expensive, 

nor impressive compared to most 

nativity scenes. It is a simple replica 

of a stable made out of cardboard, 

with finely shredded paper glued to 

the top (implying a thatched roof). 

Attached to its base are the brightly 

colored plastic characters of the birth. 

On the roof is a glitter-covered 

cardboard star. An orange bulb in the 

back gives the whole scene an evening 

glow. It was placed under the 

Christmas tree as a reminder of our 

greatest gift. I remember lying in 

front of that manger scene, wondering 

about that first Christmas. 

Every Christmas after that, the 

manger scene was set in place. It was 

just part of the decorations. A 

tradition. But it was more than that. 

That cardboard stable always took me 

back to Bethlehem. And as I grew up, 

I would lie in front of it every year 

and be reminded of that wonderful 

night all over again. Now, over 50 

years later, the tattered cardboard is 

taped together and there’s less “grass” 

on the roof. The star has to be secured 

when it is displayed. But I still 

treasure it. And its images are fixed in 

my heart. 

How like Jesus, this manger scene, 

not flashy or expensive, limited to the 

sophisticated or rich, but simple and 

common, speaking to the simple. Not 

elevated for only a few to see, but 

placed where all could see, even a 

little boy lying on the floor. 

I think that this is what Christmas is 

all about: God wanting to make 

himself known to all, even to the least 

of these. Thank you, God, for making 

your love simple and putting it where 

I could see it. And, Mother, thank 

you for that manger scene. It has 

meant a lot to me. 

Jack Martin is Minister of Pastoral 

Care and is married to Melody. They 

live in Dallas.


Friday, December 9 

I always desire to have the latest 

technology for that “cool factor” to 

gain more credibility with students in 

hopes of making disciples for Christ. 

During the Christmas of 2005 trying 

to get an XBOX 360 was next to 

impossible. Raven (my wife) kept 

asking me what I wanted for Christmas. 

I told her “Don’t get me anything for 

Christmas, get me an XBOX 360!” 

When Christmas arrived, I woke up 

that morning excited, believing the 

Lord had done the impossible! Raven 

told me that she loved me, but she 

couldn’t find the XBOX 360 between 

Dallas to Oklahoma. I jumped in my 

truck and started praying for Jesus to 

guide me. I pulled into a Best Buy 

with an empty parking lot, got out of 

my car, and stood in a small line 

forming outside of the store. 

A Best Buy manager told the crowd, 

“We have a limited supply of XBOX 

360s. One per costumer only. Thank 

you.” I learned the store normally carried 

less than 30. I was handed number 

17 and I proceeded to the checkout. 

Sharing a bit of my story with the 

cashier, she responded, “This is a 

really cool idea, I am going to talk to 

my manager and see if he will allow 

you to purchase a second one for 

yourself.” I came home an hour later 

and told my wife. “Honey, you are not 

going to believe this.” She said, “You 

got an XBOX 360, didn’t you?” I 

responded, “No, honey… I got 2!” 

That Christmas a student had openheart 

surgery. During the time of 

crisis and recovery, the Lord used the 

XBOX 360 online gaming capability 

to share Christ with this student and 

his family. It was then I realized why 

the Lord had me seek, knock and 

receive what I asked for and opened 

the door to an XBOX 360. 

“And so I (Jesus) tell you, keep on 

asking, and you will receive what you 

ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will 

find. Keep on knocking, and the door 

will be opened to you. For everyone 

who asks, receives. Everyone who 

seeks, finds. And to everyone who 

knocks, the door will be opened.” 

Luke 11:9-10 


• How should we seek? Why? 

• Who should we ask? Why? 

• Is it worth knocking until our 

knuckles hurt? 

• What’s your next move, if the Lord 

door opens the door? 

Dr. Roddy Willis is Associate Minister 

of Sports Outreach & Associate 

Minister of Preteens. He is married 

to Raven Willis and they have one son 

Roderick C. Willis III who is three. 

For me Christmas is filled with images 

of being reared in North Carolina. 

Almost 30 years has passed since this 

particular image was etched so vividly 

in my mind. As a fifteen year old 

sophomore in high school, I was loving 

life and enjoying my teen years, but 

my grandmother—Granny was 

battling cancer. She was a warrior who 

fought this terrible, ravishing disease 

with every fiber of her being. 

My earliest images of church are 

sitting beside her and my mom. She 

loved Christ and her family. Even 

when she was sick from the chemo 

and radiation treatments, she was up 

entertaining and preparing meals for 

her family. She was always serving and 

loving on her family as she hosted 

gatherings throughout the year. 

Granny’s faith was the most important 

thing she possessed. Her faith sustained 

her throughout the battle with cancer. 

Her desire to pass her faith to the 

family was evident in all she did. She 

even planned graduation gifts and 

wedding gifts for me and my siblings 

because she knew that she would not 

be there on those special days. She 

was an amazing woman who lived life 

to the fullest. 

The image that is etched in my mind 

is the last Christmas. The entire 

family had gathered. No one knew 

the surprise that she had for us. The 

cancer treatments had taken her 

beautiful hair. In 1981, on Christmas 

day, Granny revealed to the family a 

small gift that had been given back to 

her. Her hair had grown back. Her 

hair was more beautiful than before 

– it was an indescribable gift. 

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 

9:15 “Thanks be to God for his 

indescribable gift!” As we celebrate 

the birth of the indescribable gift, 

Jesus Christ, take the time to share 

with those close to you images of 

indescribable gifts. Share with those 

close to you what it means to know 

the indescribable gift of Jesus, to 

grow to understand the indescribable 

gift and to show others the 

indescribable gift of Jesus Christ. 

Kelly Hamilton is the Minister to 

30’s and 40’s. Kelly and his wife, 

Candace, have two children, Ann 

and Alex.

Saturday, December 10 


When I was five years old, I asked 

Santa Claus for a baby sister. I got my 

wish five months later when Leslie was 

born. Santa Clause was my Dad’s boss 

and he knew my mother was pregnant 

so he said, “Oh, that’s a great wish, 

I’ll work on that.” Of course, he went 

and told my parents. From the moment 

I was told about my present I knew I 

would love her no matter what happens. 

She was supposed to be born on my 

6th birthday, but my mother got very 

ill and my sister was born two days 

early. I got to name her, and I chose 

the name Leslie after a friend from my 

first grade class. I just liked the name. 

I’ve always viewed her as this gift, this 

present, and I’ve always treated her like 

she’s super special. It’s through the gift 

of a sister that I asked for that I’m really 

able to see God’s love - for me and my 

mistakes and compassion for Leslie 

and her shortcomings and successes. 

My love and protection of my sister 

could be compared to God’s love and 

protection for humanity. And that’s 

why he gave us the greatest gift at 

Christmas – Jesus! 


• Think of the gifts and presents in 

our lives and the love with which 

they are given. 

• As a family, list some of your 

favorite gifts you have received and 

thank God for the people who gave 

them to you. 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, 

for love comes from God. Everyone 

who loves has been born of God and 

knows God.” 1 John 4:6-8 

Robbie McCormac is the Production 

Director at PCBC and lives in Dallas. 

His hobbies include listening and 

creating music, reading and enjoying 

time with friends and family. 

I stepped outside. It was still there. 

Did I awake in New England? No, in 

Dallas, Texas, with snow was covering 

the ground in 2009. My family had 

been here for one year. Even in North 

Carolina we had not seen a white 

Christmas. I suppose a White Christmas 

was due after 51 years of living! My 

family played and enjoyed the beauty 

of Christmas. In other areas of the 

country, this may be nothing new at 

Christmas. We welcomed Christmas 

in that year as a memory we will 

never take for granted. 

It is amazing that snow can cover dirt, 

rocks, trash, leaves and everything 

around leaving them all white. I was 

reminded of Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, 

let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though 

your sins are like scarlet, I will make 

them as white as snow. Though they 

are red like crimson, I will make them 

as white as wool.” No matter what 

lurks in our hearts or minds, the love 

of Christ can cover it and make it 

white. Snowfall gives me a sense of 

peace and contentment. The joy of 

Jesus gives me the same peace and 

contentment. 

fulfillment of a Savior cover our paths. 

Walk boldly knowing that God knows 

each step you take — at Christmas 

and for all time. 


• Sing one verse together of “Silent 

Night, Holy Night.” 

• Ask each family member to picture 

images from the song. 

• Ask children to draw a picture of 

one image from the song. 

• Parents, share a special time you 

might have sung the song when you 

were younger. 

Read Isaiah 9:6-7. 

• Ask family members to name one 

quality they can remember from 

this prophecy about Jesus (for 

instance, “Prince of Peace”). 

• Ask family members to remember a 

time in the life of Jesus when this 

quality was demonstrated. Share 

these thoughts together. 

As we all celebrate the birth of Jesus 

take time to remember the snows of 

2009. The snow was nice but we do 

not need snow for joy and contentment. 

Let the promise, deliverance and 

Marty Lewis is the Minister to 

Childhood Education. He and his 

wife, Nanette, have two children, 

Ethan and Hannah.


Tuesday, December 13 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday 

and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 

My eyes are closed, my head is bowed 

and I feel the family gathered around 

the table. I hear the sound of my 

father-in-law’s voice offering a prayer 

of thanksgiving for another year of 

trials and blessings we received as a 

family. For 27 years, this consistent 

scene every Christmas has been a 

comfort to us especially as we are so 

far away from our families every day. 

But even this consistent scene is not 

without changes. 

The only thing that remains the same 

on this earth is change. So while the 

feeling this yearly gathering invokes 

is the same, many things around that 

table have changed - notably, my own 

children. The tiny hands of my girls I 

once held have grown into the hands 

of capable young women on their 

own. The same is true for several 

around the table – young boys I once 

tossed a ball with are now tossing the 

ball to their own children. The faces 

around the table have changed, some 

have gone from this life and others 

were only with us for a season. A 

strong legacy of faithfulness and 

service is passed through generations 

of our family each year, but even that 

has changed over the years as we all 

minister in a different way from the 

generation before us. 

In the midst of change and diversity 

one thing remains the same, even more 

constant than family – our Savior. He 

is the unchanging One - the same 

yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is 

always on His throne and always by 

our side. 

Rodney Schell is the Executive Pastor. 

He and wife, Maria, have two 

daughters, Emma and Molly. 

The Christmas I remember best was 

covered in snow when I was eight 

years old. I remember playing with 

my cousins in the front yard of my 

grandparents’ house. I was dodging 

snowballs when I looked up and saw 

my grandfather through the living 

room window. 

My grandfather was one of my best 

friends when I was little. I went to 

stay with him every summer and we 

would play every sport that existed 

and some that didn’t exist until I 

made them up. I remember drinking 

diet Dr. Pepper with him as we watched 

the “Price Is Right” together. I loved 

him as much as any grandson could! 

That Christmas Eve, I saw him 

through the window on an oxygen 

tank and started to cry. He was sick 

and he couldn’t play with me 

anymore. I missed him so much and I 

didn’t know what to do about it. My 

mom called us in and told us that we 

were going to go look at Christmas 

lights. I didn’t want to go, but I got 

in the car and went. We drove to the 

nicest neighborhoods in Amarillo and 

I was stunned by the display of lights. 

When I think back on that Christmas, 

I think about lights. I remember all 

the beautiful lights decorating the 

houses and the greatest light that 

shined in my grandparents’ house. 

The most wonderful light I remember 

about that Christmas is the light my 

Papa showed me. It was my last 

Christmas with Papa, but what shines 

in my mind the most is the way he 

loved me! 

Jesus said it best in John 13:35, “By 

this everyone will know that you are 

my disciples, if you love one another.” 

I think that is what Christmas is 

about, letting the light of our love 

shine in the lives of those around us! 


• Why do you think Andrew’s 

favorite Christmas memory was his 

last Christmas with his Papa? 

• How do you think we can love each 

other best in our family? 

• Who do you think we can love in a 

special way this Christmas outside 

our family? 

Andrew Heard is the Minister to 

High School Students. Andrew and 

his wife, Bailey, have one beautiful 

daughter, Ellie.

Wednesday, December 14 


One of my favorite Christmas events 

was when the Orchestra played for the 

sick children and their families at 

Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. 

We played symphonic arrangements 

of traditional Christmas carols in the 

beautiful Butterfly Atrium. I wish 

you could have seen the radiant faces 

of the children as we played. It was 

such a privilege to bring a bright spot 

to their lives during a difficult 

Christmas season. 

At the end of the concert, we chose a 

child from the audience to conduct 

the orchestra on “Sleigh Ride.” He 

was terrified to stand in front of the 

massive ensemble, but he finally gave 

in to the encouraging cheers from the 

crowd and orchestra and clenched the 

baton. I helped him start the piece 

and told him to keep moving his arm 

until the music stopped. I slowly 

backed away as he gained confidence. 

He had no idea what he was doing, 

but the orchestra was competent 

enough to carry him through the 

piece. It was such a meaningful 

experience for the little boy that he 

was talking about it days later. 

The child’s helplessness in leading the 

orchestra reminded me of our 

helplessness before God, “like sheep 

without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). 

We are completely dependent upon 

Christ to bear our sin and shame, 

clothe us in His righteousness and 

carry us through the Christian life. 

“His grace is sufficient for us, and His 

power is made perfect in weakness.” 

(2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Christ said, “I have come into the 

world as a light, so that no one who 

believes in me should stay in darkness” 

(John 12:46). As Christians, we are 

called to reflect the light of Christ. 

How can you be a light for Christ in 

our dark world this Christmas season 

and throughout the year? 

Johnny Fuller serves as the Associate 

Minister of Music. He and his wife, 

Heather, have three children, Hannah, 

Isaac and Andrew, and live in Allen. 

“ 

Dear friends, let us love one another, 

for love comes from God. Everyone 

who loves has been born of God and 

knows God. Whoever does not love 

does not know God, because God is 

love. This is how God showed his love 

among us: He sent his one and only 

Son into the world that we might live 

through him.” 1 John 4:7-9 

It was a few days before Christmas and 

my newly-turned one year-old daughter 

was crying at the top of her lungs. No 

reason: just…wailing. I offered to take 

my daughter into her room and spent 

the next hour pulling out every trick 

in the book to try to make her happy. 

Nothing worked. 

Finally, I acted oblivious to the fact 

she was crying, rocked her, held her 

close, and sang. “Away in a Manger” 

and got to the line in one version I’d 

heard before: 

“Raise, raise, your song on high, the 

virgin sings a lullaby. 

Joy, joy, for Love’s been born. 

The babe. 

The son of Mary.” 

All of a sudden, the beauty of the 

reminder that Love had come on 

Christmas far outweighed the upset child 

I was rocking in my arms. The crying 

didn’t change, but my perspective did. 

I was reminded in those brief moments, 

that if I keep love as prominent – first 

and foremost – I will not be far off 

from the life that God desires for me. 

Holding a child brought me back to 

something simple in my life and 

simple in my faith: That we are 

ultimately about loving God and 

others. Jesus was the epitome of love. 

I suddenly became keenly aware that 

the room was quiet, except for my 

rather off-key singing. 

My baby was asleep, and I was 

exhausted, but uplifted, reminded of 

the love of the Savior. 

I put her down and kissed her little 

head. And I knew, deep down, that I 

had just learned a profound truth and 

had a Christmas memory that I would 

never forget. 


• Love is the dominant trait in the life 

of Christ – is it in yours? 

• What would those outside of the 

church walls think of us if we grasped 

the concept that Christ is love? If 

we made that ultimate in our lives? 

• How can you (and your family) 

become someone with love as 

central in their lives? 

Jim Gribnitz is the Junior High Minister 

and he and his wife, Nikki, have three 

children, Hannah, Seth and Abigail.

Friday, December 16 Saturday, December 17 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 

Christmas! I have such fond memories 

of Christmas from my youth. Preparing 

for the holidays meant decorating the 

house inside and out, baking homemade 

cookies, shopping for and wrapping 

gifts, enjoying the church events and 

more. It also meant that my father 

would be on the hunt for the “perfect” 

Christmas tree. Every season, we would 

pile in the car and that’s where the 

adventure began. Dad had an image 

in his mind of what the perfect tree 

looked like and he didn’t stop until 

we found it. 

My cousins and our family would 

gather to celebrate Christmas at my 

grandparents’ home. I still can smell 

the aroma of the turkey, hear the 

crackling of the fire in the fireplace 

and remember the joyful voices of the 

family members throughout the house. 

When it was time for Christmas 

dinner we sat at the proverbial “adult 

table” and a “cousin’s table” which 

just happened to be right by the 

Christmas tree. Throughout dinner 

the kids would gaze at the glittering 

Christmas tree and discuss with great 

anticipation what might be inside of 

the beautifully wrapped presents. 

These are all wonderful memories 

from my childhood which I keep in 

my heart. 

As I grew older, married and had 

children of my own, our family has 

developed our own traditions. 

Hopefully, my children will look back 

on their lives with fond memories 

and, when they are grown, continue 

to make their own traditions. As a 

parent you try to foster the best in 

your children’s lives. It’s similar to 

what Christ tries to do for us. He’s 

there for us when we stumble and fall, 

through our joys and sadness. He’s a 

God of grace and forgiveness. “So 

that, having been justified by his 

grace, we might become heirs having 

the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:6-8 


• Start a family tradition of your 

own! Gather the family and discuss 

what you would like your tradition 

to be. 

• Do something for someone else this 

season – rake your neighbors’ leaves 

or volunteer at a shelter. You will 

be blessed! 

Julie Punjak is the Director of 

Communications. She and her 

husband, Marc, have two children, 

Hunter and Maribeth, and live 

in Dallas. 

The early ‘90s were full of great 

things; from Michael Jordan’s Bulls, 

fanny packs, to the Macarena. But for 

me, as a young boy, it was about two 

great brothers, The Super Mario 

Brothers! The second edition of this 

game was released when I was about 

12 years old, and the craze was high, 

especially since Christmas was just 

around the corner. I knew it wasn’t 

worth even asking for; it was an 

impossibility, pigs would fly and the 

Saints would win the Super Bowl 

before a poor kid like me would get 

the prized possession. 

So there I was, Christmas Eve night, 

digging into all of the presents: socks, 

a truck, and even flannel pajamas. 

Little did I know my mom* had 

saved the best for last. She handed 

me one last gift to open, and as I did, 

my eyes lit up as I tore the paper. 

Much to my surprise, I held in my 

hands the greatest game ever made; 

“Super Mario Bro 2.” I can still 

remember the great joy and smile on 

my mom’s face as she watched me 

celebrate my new treasure. 

Our heavenly Father is like this. He 

gets great pleasure in giving us what 

we need. He gives us Himself. The 

image that comes to mind during 

Christmas for me is the heavenly 

babe, born in the lowliest of places. 

He was born to be a gift for you and 

me. Can’t you just see the Father’s 

face with pure joy and happiness 

when we accept the greatest 

Christmas gift ever given? 

Ephesians 4:7-8 states, But grace was 

given to each one of us according to 

the measure of Christ’s gift. 

Therefore it says, “When he ascended 

on high he led a host of captives, and 

he gave gifts to men.” 


• When a good gift is given, who 

tends to receive more joy, the gift 

giver or the recipient? Why? 

• What are some of the greatest gifts 

God has given you? 

• What can you do this holiday 

season to show God’s love to others? 

David Huey is the Minister to 

Students, he is married to Amy and 

they have one son, Eli 

*written in memory of my mom who 

passed away in 1996.



When I think of the images of 

Christmas, I recall the night Christ was 

born in a stable in Bethlehem, a mere 

moment when history was forever 

changed. I wonder what was going on 

in Joseph’s mind hours before Christ 

was born. 

One of my favorite memories of 

Christmas occurred when I was a little 

kid. I was chosen to play Joseph in 

the Christmas Pageant at Little Folks 

Day School. I remember my best 

friend playing the donkey and a girl I 

was friends with played Mary. Other 

members of our class played angels 

and shepherds, and a plastic baby doll 

played Jesus. 

Reflecting back on my role as Joseph 

today, I see a different perspective of 

Joseph’s thoughts. My mind wonders 

what Joseph was thinking when all 

the events were taking place before 

him. Did he question over and over 

again if he could be used by God? 

Did he ask why me? Regardless of the 

questions Joseph had, he opened 

himself up to be used by the Lord for 

His glory. 

The lesson of Joseph making himself 

available to be used by God is a lesson 

I believe is relevant to many today. 

The Lord has deployed us across many 

spectrums of business, school and life. 

All we need to do is follow the actions 

of Joseph in that moment of 

uncertainty and be available for the 

Lord to use us. Unsure of what the 

cost would be, or the circumstances in 

life, Joseph, said “Here I am Lord, use 

me.” The words of Isaiah 6:8 prompt 

us to say: send me Lord. 

Verse: Then I heard the voice of the 

Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? 

And who will go for us?” And I said, 

“Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8 


• What areas in your life have you 

made unavailable to God for his use 

for his glory? 

• Do you have a limit to where God 

can “send you”? 

• How can you become more available 

to the use of God? 

Brandon Boyd is Associate Minister of 

Missions. Brandon and his wife, 

Kelsey, live in Dallas. 

My favorite Christmas memory is a 

family tradition. Every Christmas Eve 

my brothers and I would gather around 

the living room with our parents to 

read Luke 2. After reading the account 

of Jesus’ birth we would head upstairs 

to go to bed. Our tradition was to sleep 

in the same room; this was something 

that I took for granted until I moved 

away to college. 

Looking back, my favorite memories 

came from that room. We would sing 

Christmas songs along with the radio, 

wrestle, and, of course, never sleep. 

Now that I’m the old married brother, 

I miss these nights. I remember most 

clearly the anticipation of Christmas 

morning. This anticipation changed 

as we grew up. As kids we were 

anticipating gifts and presents. When 

we were older we anticipated the 

magnitude of the incarnation. Jesus, 

the Son of God, came for us…that is 

something worthy of anticipation. 

I am reminded of Zechariah’s 

prophecy in Luke 1:76-79, and the 

ultimate anticipation. As John would 

“go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 

to give knowledge of salvation to his 

people in the forgiveness of their 

sins.” I can’t imagine the anticipation 

John must have felt as he prepared the 

way for Jesus, ministering in his 

waiting. As we celebrate the birth of 

Jesus Christ today we are given a new 

anticipation, that of His return. Today 

the church stands tall in her anticipation 

for the second coming of Jesus. 

I love how these memories point us 

back to our Savior. Christmas is a 

celebration of the birth of Jesus and 

the extreme anticipation of His return. 


• How can we as a family celebrate 

Christmas this year in light of this 

extreme anticipation? 

• What family traditions are leading 

us back to Jesus and motivating us 

to carry His name well this 

Christmas season? 

Stephen Partrick is our Minister to 

College Students and Interim Young 

Adult Minister. He and his wife, 

Megan, are about to celebrate their 

second Christmas together.

Tuesday, December 20 Wednesday, December 21 

What comes to your mind when you 

think of Christmas? What is the 

home movie that plays in your head? 

For me, it is the image of my family 

transforming into modern day Magi. 

Every year someone from my family 

would hide the baby Jesus from our 

nativity scene. Then, the rest of us 

would follow the clues that person had 

left behind to be the first to find Jesus. 

I remember loving to get to be the 

one who hid Jesus. Not because he 

was lost, but because I knew where he 

was—and I got to be the one who left 

the clues for my family to find Him. I 

would spend hours looking up the 

perfect verses and song lyrics to leave 

as clues. I wanted to make sure my 

clues were difficult enough to ensure 

those looking really had a desire to 

find what they were looking for, but 

clear enough that they ensured the 

success of the Christ child being found. 

All thoughts of presents and Christmas 

dinner were forgotten because we had 

to find Jesus. He became our sole 

focus. The search for Baby Jesus 

became a very visual reminder for me 

of the Christmas Story. 


Read together the story of the first 

search for the Christ child. 

(Matthew 2: 1-12) 

This is a great time for you as a family 

to share about the time you found Jesus. 

• Look at verses 10-11. How did the 

Magi respond when they found Jesus? 

• What can we learn from this? 

Read Jeremiah 29: 14. 

Here it is from The Message, “When 

you come looking for me, you’ll find 

me. Yes, when you get serious about 

finding me and want it more than 

anything else, I’ll make sure you 

won’t be disappointed.” 

• What is it that you are searching 

for? 

• What clues have you left for your 

family? What are they leading 

them to find? 

Erin Edwards serves as the Girls 

Minister to junior and senior high 

students. Erin is very close to her 

family. She loves holidays, hot 

chocolate, and curling up with a good 

book. Erin loves ministering to teenage 

girls and spends much of her free time 

hanging out at school musicals, 

volleyball games and pep rallies. 

Celebrating Christmas as a child at my 

grandparents’ home gave me many 

wonderful memories, and also shaped 

my celebration of the glorious holiday. I 

can still remember smelling homemade 

kolaches and chicken noodle soup in the 

kitchen and walking around my 

maternal grandparents’ home to see 

all the decorations in their places: the 

handmade stockings by my grandmother 

hanging by the fireplace, the ceramic 

snowman with black top hat by the 

glass door, and, of course, the beautiful 

Christmas tree reaching to the ceiling 

with every branch full of ornaments. 

But the one Christmas image that 

first comes to mind when I think of 

those Christmases is the nativity 

music box that was always placed on a 

table for all to enjoy and (I think) 

especially for me to reach, turn on and 

get a good view of the wise men as 

they rotated around the stable that 

held Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. 

As I think about holding that music 

box in my hands and hearing “Silent 

Night” play, I see God reaching out 

to me even then. I find it so amazing 

that in the midst of all the Christmas 

in my grandparents’ home (and I mean 

a lot of Christmas!) this nativity music 

box was the most special thing to me. 

We know that Jesus “is the reason for 

the season” and that He is the Father’s 

gift to us. Scripture tells us: 

“For God so loved the world that he 

gave his one and only Son, that 

whoever believes in him shall not 

perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 

Praise God that I accepted Jesus as 

my Lord and Savior years later. I am 

thankful that God kept reaching out 

to me and drawing me to Himself. In 

what way is God drawing you to Him 

this Christmas season? What 

memories are you making for your 

family? Let God lead you this year 

and pass it on to those most dear. 

These days, I have the privilege of 

celebrating Christmas not only with 

loved ones from my childhood, but 

also with my husband and his family. 

I carry on many of the traditions from 

my childhood and even make the 

homemade chicken noodle soup! And 

a few years ago, I found a tiny small 

nativity music box that I gave to my 

husband as a gift which we proudly 

display in our home. I still get that 

special feeling when I look at it and 

hear the music. 

Merry Christmas to your family from 

ours – Melissa and Eric McNeil 

Melissa serves as the Prayer and 

Women’s Administrator.


Friday, December 23 

John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the 

Word, and the Word was with God, 

and the Word was God. 2 He was 

with God in the beginning.” 

John’s Christmas story goes all the 

way back to the beginning and gives 

us a glimpse at God’s relationship 

WITH Jesus (the Word). Verse two 

restates something that John already 

communicated in verse one. Jesus was 

WITH God in the beginning. The 

close proximity of their divine 

relationship was important enough to 

tell us twice. 

My image of Christmas is family. All 

of my greatest Christmas memories 

involve being WITH my family. I 

remember playing games WITH, 

eating WITH, watching football 

WITH, sitting around the tree 

WITH and just sharing life WITH 

each other. I can’t imagine Christmas 

without the ones I love. 

Emmanuel = God WITH us 

John 1:14 “the Word became flesh 

and dwelt among us…” 

The Word (Jesus) became flesh and 

came to be WITH us! The incarnate, 

eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful 

God loved us enough to come and 

spend time WITH us, live WITH us, 

teach us, and die for us. When you 

think about getting time WITH the 

ones you love, think about what Jesus 

did to be WITH you. 


• What is something that you would 

enjoy doing WITH our family 

during Christmas? 

• How can we intentionally include 

Jesus WITH us as we celebrate? 

Sam Holm, Associate Pastor of 

Teaching and Minister to Singles, and 

his wife, Rebecca, have one daughter, 

Anna Grace. 

It doesn’t take too many years of life 

for the focus of gifts at Christmas to 

wear thin. Whether you were the 

recipient of bigger and better Christmas 

gifts, or you come from a family that 

could not afford as much as your 

friends, the same thing happens. The 

thrill of the gifts does not meet the 

expectation. I don’t know the exact 

year it happened for me, but I do 

remember what began to replace it. 

I have a large family and it was rare to 

find myself alone in my home, 

especially since I shared a room with 

two brothers. One year, as the hype of 

Christmas was wearing thin, somehow 

I found myself where the Christmas 

tree stood all lit in its glory while the 

rest of the house was dark. I walked 

into the room and just sat in front of 

the tree able to take in the full force 

of its gentle light in the very dark and 

unusual quiet of the hour. This became 

my favorite ritual of Christmas after the 

first year I discovered this solitary jewel. 

It reminded me of the meeting I had 

with my pastor after I prayed to 

accept Jesus as my Savior when I was 

seven years old. The pastor said he 

wanted to show me something and he 

led me to the small prayer chapel 

within his office. We walked into the 

room and he stood me right in the 

middle, then he turned out the lights 

and it was so dark you couldn’t see 

anything in the room. The pastor told 

me that this darkness is how my heart 

was before I asked Jesus into it. Then 

he turned on the light and told me 

that this light is how my heart is now. 

As I sit in a dark room illuminated 

only by the lights on the Christmas 

tree, perhaps I am unconsciously 

thinking of that important spiritual 

lesson regarding light that I learned 

so early in my spiritual journey. It is a 

beautiful and peaceful experience 

where my soul finds rest. Jesus said 

He is the light of the world. I’m so 

glad I have that light in my life. 

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am 

the light of the world. Whoever follows 

me will not walk in darkness, but will 

have the light of life.’” John 8:12, ESV 


• How has Jesus rescued you from the 

darkness and brought you into light? 

• What are some of your favorite 

lights of Christmas? 

• How did the Christmas star bring the 

wise men out of darkness into light? 

Dr. Brian Newman, Minister of 

Congregational Care, and his wife, 

Debi, have two grown children, 

Rachel and Ben.

Saturday, December 24 


Some years ago I had the brilliant idea 

to recreate the Christmas manger 

scene in a barn for a music video. We 

had some dairy farmers in our church 

who graciously offered their barn to 

us. We spent days preparing the barn 

for filming…moving cows, spreading 

hay, running power cables, hanging 

lights…everything needed to make 

the scene look authentic. 

When the day of the video shoot arrived 

we got there very early to make sure 

everything was in place. We chose the 

perfect cows to be “lowing,” some 

sheep, a donkey, and a manger. With 

the actors in place we began to film 

the scene where the Son of God was 

born on earth. It was magical. It was 

moving to everyone who was there. 

We filmed most of the day. 

What we didn’t know was that the 

video lighting was overloading the 

electrical transformer out on the 

street. With a sizable explosion, the 

transformer went out and all the 

power to the farm went with it. The 

good news was that there was no fire. 

The bad news was that without power 

all the milking machines would not 

work and it was time for all the cows 

to be milked. So….we all learned to 

milk by hand. I’ll never forget it. I 

got home very late and very tired. I 

had spent the day in the barn with all 

the animals and I smelled like it. 

Our dog, Alex, who was half terrier 

and half basset hound (think about it) 

went crazy. He was on smell overload. 

I smelled like I had spent the day in 

the lowliest of places…covered with 

the stench of the place where farm 

animals live. Then it occurred to 

me…I have been where Jesus was 

born. I had been in the place where 

Jesus came to find me…..the lowliest 

of places. Jesus Christ, the Son of the 

Living God, had left heaven and all of 

its glory to come to earth and bring 

me home. He humbled Himself and 

became a man….so I could know Him. 

The distance of His great “comedown” 

was farther than I could possibly 

imagine. What love! What a Christmas! 

Miller Cunningham is the Pastor of 

Ministries. He and his wife, Ginger, 

have two sons, Scott and Ben. 

“This will be a sign to you: You will 

find a baby wrapped in cloths and 

lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12 

How far we have come from that first 

Christmas! Consider the contrast. Our 

Christmases are marked by lights, 

decorations, malls, Santas, shoppers, 

parties, food, toys, trees, reindeers, 

elves and much, much more. The birth 

of Jesus is cause for a global celebration, 

but the first Christmas focused on one 

solitary life – one little baby, born in 

a little-known town to a Bedouin 

teenage couple. He was then placed in 

a feed trough. The newborn’s cry split 

the air. It sounded just like the cry of 

any other baby. But through the tiny 

veins of this baby pumped the blood 

that would be spilled on Calvary’s 

cross. His soft little fist would be 

opened and penetrated by the spike of 

a Roman executioner. Those tiny feet, 

yet to touch the earth, would grow 

calloused through the miles and miles 

of carrying the never-heard message of 

God’s unfailing grace. Who could’ve 

known that this little baby had come 

to change the world? We know. You 

and I know exactly who this baby was 

and even still, who He is today. He is 

the Lord of all creation. And He 

desires to be Lord of your life. 

I love the sights, sounds, and colors of 

Christmas. But this Christmas I 

resolve not to get lost in the busyness 

that the season has become. Instead, 

through intentional, quiet moments 

with my Savior, I will hear His cry 

again. But this time, it will resound 

clearer than a baby’s cry, because now 

this Jesus lives in me. And if I listen, 

really listen, it will be my feet, my 

hands, and my lips that will spread 

the message of His unfailing grace. 

This Christmas season, that will be 

my gift to the King. 


• What about you? What will be 

your gift to Jesus this Christmas? 

• How will you change the rhythm of 

your life in order to hear from Him 

this season? 

Dr. Jeff Warren, Senior Pastor, and his 

wife, Stacy, have three children, 

Whitney, Emily, and Travis.

DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Park Cities Baptist Church

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