========================================================================
  NOT PRESENTS, BUT HIS PRESENCE
  by Greg Laurie
========================================================================

Summary: Christmas is not about buying presents, but about God's
presence in our lives.

Topics: "Christmas Meaning", "Gods Presence"
Scripture References: Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 6:33, Luke 10:41, James 4:8

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greg Laurie emphasizes the danger of losing sight of God amidst the
busyness of Christmas celebrations, drawing attention to the story of a
mother and her child getting caught up in the material aspects of the
season. He highlights how many can easily forget the true meaning of
Christmas, focusing on worldly symbols rather than the birth of Jesus.
Laurie reminds listeners that while we may lose sight of God in our
lives, God never loses sight of us, always present and attentive to our
needs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me
with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." - (Isaiah 29:13)

I heard the story of a mother who was out Christmas shopping,
frantically trying to get everything done. She had her small child with
her, but for a moment, she lost sight of him. In sheer panic, she
started retracing her steps and found him with his nose pressed against
the glass of a store display, looking at a manger scene.

The boy said, "Mommy, Mommy! Look! It is Jesus in the hay!"

"Let's go," she said, as she took him by the hand and led him away. "We
don't have time for that."

Exactly. That is the whole problem with this time of year that we call
Christmas. We can be so busy celebrating Christmas that we forget all
about Christ. In a sense, we can actually lose God in the midst of it
all. We can very easily lose God in the so-called celebration of Jesus.

For many, the Christmas story is the one about Scrooge being visited by
the Ghost of Christmas Past, or maybe Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or
Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus.

But technically, can we lose God? No, we really can't. You can't lose
someone if you know where they are. If you know where they are, then
they are not lost. But you can lose sight of someone. And some have lost
sight of the Lord in their lives, especially at this time of the year.

Maybe you've had the experience of talking with someone who was checking
their texts or updating their social media as you're trying to tell them
something important.

God never does that. God is never disinterested. God is never
distracted. And even if we forget about Him, He never forgets about us.
Christmas is not about buying presents; it is about His presence in our
lives.

========================================================================
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/greg-laurie/not-presents-but-his-presence/
========================================================================