According to some current projections, holiday spending may decrease in 2025 from the anticipated $1,007 dollars per person back in October to an adjusted budget of $778 for Christmas gifts. Many who completed the survey indicated they plan to reduce spending this year by 55% compared with 2024 expenditures. Of course, we must keep in mind that record high spending was marked in both 2023 and 2024 with spending surpassing $ 950 billion. For comparison, 2008 was $501.5 billion and 2010 was $528.8 billion.

So, I have a question regarding Christmas. My question is are we as a people actually like the description given by historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., who said that he saw in American society an “inextinguishable discontent”? If so, we need to run to the words of Philippians 4:10-20 and learn the secret of contentment.

The letter written by the Apostle Paul from a prison cell as a thank you note has many lessons that contemporary Americans can and should learn, especially during the Christmas holidays. He speaks of a life lesson that he had learned regarding contentment in whatever circumstances he was in. Let’s pull up close to Paul and let his whisper in our ear the secret to contentment.

Rejoice in Christ's Sovereignty, v. 10

Readiness to Study, v. 11

Regardless of the Situation, vs. 11-12

Reflection upon the Sweet Things in Life, vs. 14-18

Riches of His Supply, v. 19

Refocus the Spotlight, v. 20

Learning Christmas Contentment (Philippians 4:10-20)

Have you started decorating your tree yet? I saw this year the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center is 75’ tall imported from Norway. They hung 50,000 Christmas lights on the tree in celebration of the season.

As far as I can tell, many believe lighting the Christmas tree originated with Martin Luther in the 16th century, who lit his tree after walking in the woods and seeing the stars twinkling between the branches of the trees. It made him remember the wise men who followed the star to where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. So, he came back home and attached candles to his Christmas tree.

Galatians 4:4-7 reminds me of the illumination Paul gave to the churches across Galatia regarding the coming of Christ and the incredible impact His coming made on the world. His words form what could viewed as five strands of beautiful lights, summarizing what Christmas is really all about.

1. Incarnation of the Son, 4:4

2. Redemption out of Slavery, 4:4-5

3. Adoption into Sonship, 4:5-7

4. Reception of the Spirit, 4:6

5. Description of the Share, 4:7

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

The Hanging of the Christmas Lights (Galatians 4:4-7)

What would you say was the greatest Christmas gift you ever received? Among the greatest some people consider the best are gift like…a new vehicle, time, handmade cards from children, birth of a child, extension to life for one diagnosed with a terminal illness, visits from family, cash, voucher booklet from a teenager promising the completion of various chores, etc.

The angel told Joseph in a dream, “She (Mary) will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” An angel announced to a group of shepherds out in the fields, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Passages like these remind us that salvation through Christ is the greatest Christmas gift we will ever receive!

Peter wrote the letter known as 1 Peter to encourage a group of persecuted followers of Christ back in AD 63. He would remind them of the magnitude of their salvation in Christ despite the loss of material possessions and the cost of martyrdom of family and friends in Christ. As a matter of fact, over the next four years Peter and Paul would both be put to death for their faith in Christ. Yet, they died with courage and hope, cherishing the priceless gift of salvation given to them through Christ.

In this study of 1 Peter 1:10-12, the Apostle will focus on four beautiful aspects of salvation in Christ: the prophets’ investigation of salvation, the Spirit’s inspiration regarding of salvation, the apostles’ instruction about salvation and the angels’ interest in salvation.

Together, let’s admire this precious Christmas gift as we agree with Paul who wrote of it, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15.

The Prophets’ Investigation of Salvation, 1 Peter 1:10-11

The Spirit’s Inspiration regarding Salvation, 1 Peter 1:11

The Apostles’ Instruction about Salvation, 1 Peter 1:12

The Angels’ Interest in Salvation, 1 Peter 1:12

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

The Greatest Christmas Gift (1 Peter 1:10-12)

“I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.” 116:17

Luke tells us in his Gospel account that during His last supper with the disciples, Jesus took the bread and the cup, and then, gave thanks. This was the night before His death. Obviously, He was not giddy in His emotions, but He was deliberate in the exercise of His will in obedience to Father’s plan as He offered what I would call, a “sacrifice of thanksgiving”.

Similarly, some scholars believe the historical setting of Psalm 116 was the trauma King Hezekiah experienced when Isaiah the prophet announced the king’s terminal illness. The background can be read in 2 Kings 20:1-11; 2 Chronicles 32:24-26 and Isaiah 38.

This psalm is extremely personal as the author refers to his own experiences 37x, ranging from the good, the bad to the ugly. Let’s run this psalm through a slow-motion replay and listen as Hezekiah gives us a frame by frame commentary on what he was going through spiritually.

William Bradford must have offered a “sacrifice of thanksgiving” as the Pilgrims offered thanksgiving in the early autumn of 1621. Less than one year before that Thanksgiving, while the Mayflower was anchored off Provincetown Harbor, the Pilgrims sent out several expeditions of men to explore the region to seek out the best place to build their colony. While William Bradford was away on one of these explorations, on December 7, 1620, his wife, Dorothy, fell off the Mayflower into the freezing waters of Provincetown Harbor, and drowned.

We can arrange our learning from this psalm around five fingers that King Hezekiah will slowly open up to the Lord as he offers to God his “sacrifice of thanksgiving.” As we approach Thanksgiving, perhaps this is a tougher year than unusual for you. If so, then follow Hezekiah’s example in offering thanks to God and praying about your hardships, praying not based upon feelings but faith. Giving thanks to God not because you are in a comfortable situation but because the Lord is worthy of praise.

Anguish beneath my praying, 116:3, 6, 10-11

Attention to my praying, 116:2, 4

Answer to my praying, 116:1-2, 6-9

Attitude with my praying, 116:5, 15-17

Advancing after my praying, 116:7, 13-14, 18-19

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Offering to God the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving (Psalm 116)

The author of the sweet song about Heaven entitled, “Beyond the Sunset” was Virgil Brock. One evening he and his wife attended a party at Rainbow Point, Indiana. Most of the guests were faculty from the Rodeheaver School of Music there at the Winona Lake Bible Conference.

Upon seeing a breath-taking sunset, those present began to describe the exquisite beauty of the closing to that day. As the guests eventually grew silent in their admiration, Virgil’s blind cousin, Horace Burr, exclaimed, “It is the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen!” When asked how he was able to “see” the twilight without vision, he replied, “Oh, I see through the eyes of others, and I think I often see more – I see beyond the sunset!” These words inspired Virgil to write of the magnificence of Heaven which remains just out of sight of those living upon the earth.

Through the eyes of the Apostle John, we can catch glimpse of the glories of God’s presence above as described in Revelation 22:1-11. These words can boost us when grieving over the loss of a loved one who knew Jesus but who is no longer here with us here on this earth.

Arrangements beyond the Sunset, 22:1-5

Assurance beyond the Sunset, 22:6

Alert until the Sunset, 22:7

Attitudes toward the Sunset, 22:8-9

Announcements of the Sunset, 22:10-11

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Beyond the Sunset (Revelation 22:1-11)

The true story of Horatio Spafford and his family has always stirred my heart. He was a devoted Christian and a hard-working attorney in Chicago back in the mid-1800s.

The Spafford family unfortunately knew what it was like to grieve. Tragically, Mr. Spafford’s son, Horatio, Jr. developed scarlet fever and died in 1870 at only four years of age. The next year, a fire swept through the city, burning all of his investment properties. Two years later his wife Anna’s health began to fail, so they planned to go to England for some rest and recuperation as a family. One of his client’s had an unexpected and urgent need, so his wife and their four girls took the boat and sailed ahead of him. Unfortunately, their ship collided with another vessel in the Atlantic and sank on November 22, 1873. His wife survived, but all four of their daughters drowned.

As you may know, on his subsequent trip over to Wales to meet and comfort his wife after the tragedy, he wrote a song entitled, It Is Well with My Soul.  The lyrics and music of that hymn have comforted many others through the years.

The biblical character Job also knew heartache personally after the sudden loss of all his children in a terrible wind storm along with the loss of most of his livestock. Eventually, his health also began to suffer. What he wrote about his journey with grief in the sixteenth chapter is both comforting and instructive when walking through a prolonged experience of sorrow.

Exchanges during a journey of grief, 16:1-4

Experienced with grief, 16:5

Extensions of grief, 16:6

Exhaustion from grief, 16:7-8

Expressions of grief, 16:9-14

Exposure during grief, 16:9-12

Extraction of grief, 16:15-22

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

A Journey of Grief (Job 16)

Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

Comfort in a Crisis (2 Corinthians 1:1-11)

If you enjoy the award ceremonies of the Olympics, or the Academy Awards in filmmaking, the Grammy Awards in music, the Emmy Awards for television, The Tony Awards for Broadway, etc, then you will love the first nine verses of the third chapter of First Corinthians as they introduce us to the context for the award ceremony of the ages presented in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, the one that will take place in front of the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12).

From 1 Corinthians 2:12-3:4, we are reminded that congregations usually have a mix of three different levels of devotion to the Lord: the natural man (2:14), the spiritual man (2:13, 15; 3:1) and the carnal man (3:1-4). Often times all three types are “serving” the Lord.

The church in Corinth was heavy with carnal Christians, making it clear why they divided up over which preachers they liked best. Paul, however, shifts the discussion in verses 5-9 to the Lord not man. Pastors are there on God’s assignments (v. 5) as He causes growth (vs. 6-7) in His service (vs. 8-9). Paul mentions His rewards to His servants in verse 8 with these words, “…and each will receive his wages according to his labor.” Paul will take the next six verses (vs. 10-15) to explain how these rewards will be given by Christ and on what basis or criteria.

Motivation towards Labor for the Lord, 3:10
Illustration of Labor for the Lord, 3:10
Maturation for Labor in the Lord, 3:10
Foundation when Laboring for the Lord, 3:10-11
Edification in Laboring for the Lord, 3:10, 12
Evaluation of Labor for the Lord, 3:13
Remuneration for Labor for the Lord, 3:14
Salvation is not Labor for the Lord, 3:15

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

The Reward Ceremony before Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

The letter to the Romans has been divided by most bible scholars into two primary sections – a doctrinal section presented in chapters 1-11 and a practical section that begins in chapter 12 and unpacks the Christian life until the end of the letter in chapter 16. I would like for us to look into that last section where we are instructed in how to live a victorious Christian life today.

Romans 15:4 is a parenthesis in which Paul reminds the reader of the validity of citing Old Testament texts as a basis for ethical exhortation to Christians, whether they were living in Paul’s day in the city of Corinth, an ancient day described in the Old Testament such as David’s time period or in our day in any of our modern cities.

Citations from the Scriptures
Inspiration of the Scriptures
Generations for the Scriptures
Exhortation from the Scriptures
Fortification through the Scriptures
Consolation through the Scriptures
Expectations based upon the Scriptures

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Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations  
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison  
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam Street
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/

The Relevance of the Word of God	(Romans 15:4)

An Inside Look at a Burden for the Lost	(Romans 9:1-5)

Weekly Biblical devotions that help us Grow in Grace. Real stories and absolute truths from Scripture that provide strength, hope and encouragement. Hosted by Victor Morrison, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Columbus, Texas, USA.

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