It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Not so secret, I love to celebrate Christmas all year long. It’s the best, and I love it for every possible reason. But, my favorite reason to love Christmas because it celebrates the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. One of my favorite ways to celebrate this honoring season is to blast Christmas Carols. Oh yes, you better believe November 1st beings nothing but Christmas music. We’re going to dive into my top 8 Christian Christmas Carols that point back to celebrating the long awaited arrival of Jesus.
Now’s a great time to mention the second edition of Faithful & Festive: A Curated Christmas Catalog for Christians by yours truly. It’s a exactly how it sounds, and it’s perfect for busy Christian moms like you! It’s got gift ideas for everyone, fun games, articles by a variety of authors, and of course, a focus on the real reason for the season. Guess what? It’s FREE if you’re a BCM Insider! Head to brookecollier.com subscribe to the email list, and you’ll get the catalog in your email as soon as it’s released. Better hurry, this is only free until the end of the year. Don’t wait, subscribe and become a BCM insider with fun perks and inside scoop on the ministry!
Each week leading up to Christmas, we’ll talk about a song that serves a deeper purpose. I’ll cover my favorite lyric from the song, tie its meaning to scripture, and call us to step into action as followers of Christ. We’ll gain perspective and prompting to spread the good news this holiday season.
EP 100: O, Holy Night: The Hope We Have in Jesus
I feel like I’m going to say this every week, but this is one of my favorite Christmas Carols! We’re kicking if off with the ultimate vocal jam, O, Holy Night. This is one a proudly belt out in the privacy of my vehicle, because this song touches all the notes. When I hear this one in church services, I say a little prayer that whoever is singing can hit that high note at the end with ease. It’s a lot of pressure to get that one right, so shout out to all you amazing singers, because it ain’t me!
Favorite Line:
“The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.” Did you know that there was a 400 year gap between the Old Testament and New Testament? Some call it the 400 years of silence pertaining to having no prophetic voice or written revelation from God. I don’t necessarily love it’s called that because it can be easy to misinterpret if we’re not all up in our Bible history. God is always working, and He works in ways we can’t always comprehend. That’s another episode for another day.
These 400 years must have felt like forever with generations and generations passing down their beliefs and values. That takes commitment and deep faith. Now picture Mary hearing from the angel Gabriel that she is the one who will be Jesus’ earthly mom. After the shock wore off and the potential freak out between her and Joseph, can you imagine the absolute thrill?!
Do we ever know what we’re doing as parents? No way. But weren’t you pumped when you finally got to hold that baby in your arms? Heck yeah! The thrill of hope. Jesus is coming, and he’s going to save us all from an eternity in hell. Such hope for us in this weary world.
Scripture
The prophet Isaiah said this from Isaiah 9:6-7
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Isaiah 9:6-7
Now flashback to Mary. This is the guy she’s giving birth to and raising on this side of Heaven. What?! There is so much hope all bundled into this baby being born. And he’ll grow up knowing exactly what it takes to get us into Heaven and defeat sin. If that’s not the best definition of hope, I don’t know what it.
Call to action
As we step into this holiday season, focus on hope. As Christians, we hope differently than others. We have a glimpse into Heaven and get to experience a deep, loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Oh what a day it’ll be when we get to go hug God. Running into his arms, I’ll probably add a hop, skip, and a jump in there from the excitement, and do the twirl me around in the air thing like when I was a kid with my dad. I cannot wait!!
Don’t you want that same experience for your kids? For your friends? For everyone who has yet to come to know Jesus? A thousand times yes! We have so much hope because of Jesus, so let’s get out there and spread the love of Christ in how we live our lives and interact with people.
- Is someone experiencing sorrow or grief? Have a conversation about hope in Jesus.
- Know someone who is open to coming to a Christmas Eve service? Get them excited, the thrill of hope!
- Is your kid peeking under the tree everyday or looking for that dang elf? Channel that thrill into the everlasting thrill of getting to be with God for eternity
Pray and ask God to give you nudges and open conversations that focus on hope during this holiday season. Have fun with it. Watch people’s faces light up, and go have a chat. The worst that could happen is they hear about Jesus, which is pretty amazing if you ask me.
Wrap it Up Like a Present
Remember that Jesus is this: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” Isaiah 9:6-7
EP 101: The Little Drummer Boy: Bringing Our Gifts to God
Last week, we belted out O Holy Night in our cars. This week, we’re picking up the jazzy beat with this classic: The Little Drummer Boy. Today we’re looking at offering up ourselves to God through the gifts He’s given us.
I love The Little Drummer Boy for a million reasons. I love seeing this song live because the drummers have an amazing solo which is full of passion and talent. As a former drummer, I rock out pretty hard to this one. But what I love more than the fun, creative solos is the meaning of what the song brings.
Favorite Line
My favorite line explains it all. “I have no gift to bring that’s fit to give a King. Shall I play for you, on my drum?” Let’s break it down into two parts. The first bit is recognizing the fact that nothing we could ever offer on our own is worthy for King Jesus. It’s absolutely humbling to think about. No matter what we bring to God, it’s no match to the power and awe that God is.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, the Holy Spirit ignites in us all the good things. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. The spirit even gives us gifts!
Scripture
Let’s look at this passage in scripture from 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
If you’ve been listening to the lie that you don’t have any skills, talents, or giftings that “matter”, you need to capture that thought, and teach it to obey God. Read this passage anytime you feel like you’re not making an impact. God has specifically gifted you with something. No one else who has ever existed can do this skill set like you can. You are uniquely gifted and God has given you such personality to use these gifts in a way that honors him.
Call to Action
Where do we go from here? Glad you asked. Let’s look at this verse:
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”
1 Peter 4:10-11
In case you weren’t sure what to do, good thing this verse tells us! “I have no gift to bring that’s fit to give a King. Shall I play for you, on my drum?” Guess what, busy moms?! You can take the giftings God gave you, and you turn it around to serve him, honor him, and point to him.
This can look like a little Starbucks run and drop off to teachers. It could be using your organization skills to run the signupgenius for the class Christmas party. Maybe you’ve got a way with words and you can chat it up with the lonely mom at the Christmas choir showcase. So many opportunities to use so may gifts.
Here’s the not-so-secret to getting this right more consistently…intentionality. Take some time to make some time. Find 5 minutes, pray and ask God to point you in the right direction, then be obedient when he enlightens you. It was meant to be simple. So if you feel like all you can do is play the drum…play it for King Jesus, and play your heart out.
Wrap It Up Like A Present
How can you get plugged in this holiday season? Does that look like serving up smiles and hot meals at your local soup kitchen? Is it donating to Toys for Tots? Is it leading the worship band belting out O Holy Night at the Christmas Eve service? Pray and ask God to light those ideas up light the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
Next time The Little Drummer Boy hops on your tunes, crank that thing up, pray, and ask God to show you the next steps. Whatever it is you’re doing, go all out for God.
EP 102: How to Actively Wait: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Raise your hand if you’re really good at patience? We’re holding the tension of the already and not yet. We’re ready for Jesus to come back, but is our waiting productive, kingdom work? How can we leverage our giftings, passion, and talents into something that glorifies God and brings people closer to Jesus? Tune in for ideas!
Favorite Line
God Offers Comfort to All
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
Scripture
God Offers Comfort to All
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
Call to action
Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming
35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.[a] But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.
39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”
42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Close
EP 103: How Jesus Models Humility, Mary Did You Know?
Favorite Line
Mary did you know when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God?
Scripture
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.[a] 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,[b] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,[c] to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
Call to action
God gives us more than our brains can even imagine. Parting of the red sea, talking donkeys, and most important of all, raising life from the dead
Keep perspective, stay humble. Watch The Chosen. Go all in with your relationship with God. Philippians 2 is full of practical action on how we can imitate Jesus with humility, kindness, and love.
EP 104: Every Creature Will Honor God, Joy to the World
Favorite Line
My favorite line is in the fourth verse: “He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love.”
It’s easy to get up in politics on both macro and micro levels. Here’s what to keep in mind. God rules the world from the White House to the PTA. He rules the world, but not through intimidation or threats. It’s through truth and grace.
It’s easy to believe a false reality with how the world is screaming at us, but as Christians, we can stand on the truth of the Bible. God is a good ruler using truth, grace, and love. That’s the kind of leader I want to follow. The lyric even goes on to say how the nations will prove the glories of his righteousness, which leads me to this verse.
Scripture
“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:10-11
Revelation 5:13– And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” (shout out Numbers 22 and the talking donkey).
Call to action
What can we do this holiday season? Get holly jolly and spread the joy of Jesus. J is for Jesus. O is for Others, and Y is for you. Me, you, Jesus? It’s going to be a great time. As Christians we should be radiating joy like Moses off of the mountain. We should be glowing so brightly, people wonder why we are the way we are. This means acting Biblically, which also, many times, happens to be counter-culturally. Which will make us easy to spot.
EP 105: Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Who loves a song about victory? I do! While I absolutely blast “We Are the Champions” by Queen, when it comes to Christmas time, I love “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”. So many outstanding versions of this song.
Favorite Line
My favorite line is the very first one! “oh come all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant” Are all the lines great? Of course! But I love this one because it’s such a good descriptor of what we should embody as Christians. Faithful, joyful, and triumphant. We are called to come together and worship Christ.
Scripture:
Call to action:
Just as we’re called to embody the characteristics of faithful, joyful, and triumphant, that also includes modeling that in our daily lives. On the show we’ve talked about the importance of both implicitly and explicitly doing this. In other words, model the behavior and directly teach the behavior to our kids.
EP 106: Go Tell It On the Mountain
Favorite Line: Go, tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere. Go, tell it on the mountain. That Jesus Christ is born.
Scripture: Acts 1:8 says: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
Call to action: 1 Peter 3:15 says: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
EP 107: Silent Night and How to Preach the Truth to Yourself
Favorite Line: He came to save us. He came to save us. He came to save us. Jesus! Jesus!
Scripture:
Call to action:
Close: