One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he became a wandering preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of those things one usually associates with greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through a mockery of a trial. He was executed by the state. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

In all of your Christmas preparation and celebration with family and friends please do not forget the most important part of Christmas - Jesus the Christ. It is amazing how we get so caught up in all of the hustle and bustle and cooking that Jesus and the purpose of His coming to earth gets pushed to the background time and time again. This year make sure that Jesus is the true reason for your season celebration - when you find Him pushed in the corner or hiding among the packages of Christmas bring Him back into the forefront of your heart and life. Make sure that this one solitary life has a prominent place in your Christmas celebration!

Wow! The Fellowship Hall looks amazing! Thank you to all who helped paint, move furniture, were patient with the process that was longer than we anticipated. It was inspiring to see Gulfview UMC at work together. It is a beautiful testimony to our Church and Jesus Christ. Thank you!

We helped 9 families this Thanksgiving with a whole Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you to all who brought groceries and delivered them. We were the hands and feet of Jesus! It made a difference in 9 families this Thanksgiving! Thank you!

Pastor Chris