Christmas | Wise Men: This Changes Everything - Pt. 2

Send us Fan MailChristmas | Wise Men: This Changes Everything - Pt. 2Springcreek Church | Lead Associate Pastor Jessica Fernandez, PhD.November 28, 2021WISE MEN: This Changes EverythingJesus changed everyone He ever met. His birth caused people to question their beliefs on who they should be following, their purpose, and who the true King is. This is exactly what the wise men experienced when they saw the star that would lead them to Bethlehem. During this season, let’s look at how His birth changed the lives of the wise men.SERIES: This Changes EverythingIn these days leading up to Christmas, we’re going to look at how Jesus’ coming into the world transformed the lives of those who experienced a genuine encounter with Him. The truth is, Jesus changed everyone He ever met. There was hardly ever a hint of ambivalence in most reactions toward Jesus. You were either decidedly for Him or against Him. But in those whose lives were changed for the better, their life and testimony is an encouragement for us all to surrender to the One Who loves us like no other. Join us for this journey into the lives of those most changed by Christ’s coming into the world.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. Compassion, education, the value of children and women (twogroups that have been marginalized in many societies forthousands of years), art, literature, music, civil rights, the slavetrade, community transformation, and many other sectors of life.Take some time to discuss or reflect on some of the ways Jesuschanged the world whether they were examples given in themessage or others that you have thought about andconsidered.2. There have been truly evil things done in the name ofChristianity, like the crusades, the inquisition, witch trials andslavery. Pastor Keith talked about the difference between thosewho call themselves Christians and those who are genuineChrist-followers. People who’ve done evil in the name ofChristianity have done so not because of what it teaches but inspite of what it teaches. Take some time to discuss or reflect onthese evils perpetuated in the name of Christianity, the thinkingthat was used to justify such atrocities and your own critique asto why it was absolutely incongruent with Christ’s teaching andexample.3. A church is a community of people who present living proof of aloving God to a watching world - living proof of a loving God toa watching world. Is that what we are? Does the world seeevidence of a loving church when He looks at your life andmine? In all the ways Jesus has left an indelible mark on history,those are all the ways we continue to shine His light into a darkworld. The last thing we would ever want as Christ-followers isto eclipse the teaching of Christ by our failure to live out Hislove at work, at home, and in our community. Yet it’s likely we allhave failed from time to time to do just that. Share with thegroup times when God has used you to be an example of Hislove and at least once when it did not happen. When we fail atthis, why do we fail? What do we do with that failure? How dowe redeem those failures that have happened?https://www.springcreekchurch.org/​​​​​​#RealSpringcreekChurch #thischangeseverything #wisemen #followthestar #bethlehem