Christmas | Innkeeper - How Easy it is to Miss Christmas: Christmas in a Minor Key - Part 4

Send us Fan MailINNKEEPER: HOW EASY IT IS TO MISS CHRISTMASChristmas in a Minor Key – Part 4Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith StewartDecember 24, 2022On Christmas Eve, we wrap up our series on the minor characters in the Christmas story by looking at the innkeeper - a man never even mentioned by name. Bethlehem’s inn has become the most infamous of all hotels, not because of what happened there, but because of what might have happened but didn't. You could say, the inn has become a symbol for the human heart. Why is life so much like the inn? Why is there no room in it for Jesus? SERIES: Christmas in a Minor KeyIn truth, Christmas is both joyous, because of what it represents, and dark, because of the reality of the world into which Jesus was born. For people who are struggling, facing loss, or lacking supportive families, Christmas becomes just another reminder of everything they lack. The original Christmas story is a message of hope for all people in all circumstances. Join us this December as we re-discover the real Christmas story in all its gritty, beautiful reality.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1.) Pastor Keith shared three plausible reasons as to why the innkeeper missed Christmas that still hold true to this day; preoccupation, indifference, and inhospitality. Have you ever been so preoccupied (or indifferent or inhospitable) that you missed out on the significance of what was happening in the moment? Describe that experience. While Pastor Keith focused on issues related to that first-century inn, there are plenty of other reasons why people today miss out on Christmas. Name and explain what other reasons people might be missing out on Christmas. What can we do as believers, without trying to force our values on others, that might help people better understand what this season is all about? 2.) In our overly crowded lives, none of us will ever find room for Christ. We have to make room for Him. This is true about so many of the things that we long to do. We often complain about not having the time to do what we want to do but we will never find the time we have to make time – we have to prioritize it over the other things that are taking too much of our time. When people say they don’t have time for their spiritual life, time to go to church, time for connecting to other believers, and time to seek God by engaging in spiritual disciplines, what do you say? Did you ever think the same way? What was the key to breaking out of that mindset? How do we ensure that Christ remains central to our Christmas celebration? 3.) Pastor Keith’s final story was about a young man with a learning disability who was asked to play the innkeeper in the community Christmas pageant. His tender heart couldn’t bear turning Joseph and Mary away so he flipped the script and offered them his room instead. Some thought he had ruined the play but others were so moved and touched by his tenderness that it helped them see Christmas in a whole new light. Truly, for each and every one of us, we are the innkeeper and each of us decides whether to welcome Jesus in. If you have welcomed Jesus into your life, describe why you did that, where you did it, when, and how.  Merry Christmas!https://www.springcreekchurch.org/#realspringcreekchurch #christmasinaminorkey #christmas #innkeeper #noroom #Jesus