Here Comes Thanksgiving Day

Matthew 10:37-39

³⁷Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thanksgiving is prime family time and it is sneaking up on us folks! It arrives this Thursday. Do you have the whole week off? Do you have Friday off? I hope you get some time off to spend with your family. Family time is a special time. I remember a number of years ago – a football game on Thanksgiving Day – the Harbaugh Bowl – where the 49’ers and Ravens played each other on Thanksgiving – a family affair with brother’s Jim and John Harbaugh as head coaches. I wonder who is playing this year? I haven’t looked yet this year.

In our home – the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is always a special time for family gatherings and time spent together. We gather as a whole family several times (we miss all four of our parents now – but we try to keep the traditions going).

What are you planning for the holidays to come? If you don’t have a plan – better make some soon. I hope you and yours have great family time throughout the fall and into the winter and the holidays. Don’t forget to keep Christ in Christmas when it comes. Remember – don’t go into debt to buy gifts for the children (or yourself). They will end up playing with the box anyway – and then you will have to pay the bills in January (or throughout the year).

Thanksgiving Is Coming Soon

Matthew 10:37-39

³⁷ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thanksgiving is prime family time and it is sneaking up on us folks! It arrives this Thursday. Do you have the whole week off? Do you have Friday off? I hope you get some time off to spend with your family. Family time is a special time. I remember a few years ago a football game on Thanksgiving Day – the Harbaugh Bowl – where the 49’ers and Ravens played each other on Thanksgiving – a family affair with brother’s Jim and John Harbaugh as head coaches. I wonder who is playing this year?

In our home – the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is always a special time for family gatherings and time spent together. We gather as a whole family several times (we miss dad and mom and Carolyn’s dad).

What are you planning for the holidays to come? If you don’t have a plan – better make one soon. I hope you and yours have great family time throughout the fall and into the holidays. Don’t forget to keep Christ in Christmas when it comes. Remember – don’t go into debt to buy gifts for the children (or yourself) – they will end up playing with the box anyway and then you will have to pay the bills in January (or throughout the year).

Family Time This Weekend

Matthew 10:37-39

³⁷ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thanksgiving is prime family time and it is sneaking up on us folks! It arrives for some today and for some tomorrow (some actually had the whole week off). Family time is a special time. I remember a few years ago a football game on Thanksgiving Day – the Harbaugh Bowl – where the 49’ers and Ravens played each other on Thanksgiving – a family affair with brother’s Jim and John Harbaugh as head coaches. This year we’ll need to settle for the Redskins and the Cowboys.

In our home – the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is always a special time for family gatherings and time spent together. We gather as a whole family several times (we have missed dad the last four years!). What are you planning for the holidays to come? If you don’t have a plan – better make one soon. I hope you and yours have great family time throughout the fall and into the holidays. Don’t forget to keep Christ in Christmas when it comes. Remember – don’t go into debt to buy gifts for the children – they will end up playing with the box anyway and then you have to pay the bills in January (or throughout the year).

Loving God and Family Time

Matthew 10:37-39

37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thanksgiving is prime family time and it is sneaking up on us folks!  How would you like to have been the Harbaugh family a few years ago when they coached the Harbaugh Bowl (49’ers and Ravens football game with brother’s Jim and John Harbaugh as head coaches) or in the Super Bowl most recently?  Family time in a battle for football supremacy.

In our home – the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is always a special time for family gatherings and time spent together.  We gather as a whole family several times (we have missed dad the last two years!).  What are you planning for the holidays to come?  Better start your plans now.  I hope you and yours have great family time throughout the fall and into the holidays (and in the little bit of summer yet to go).  Don’t forget to keep Christ in Christmas when it comes – and don’t go into debt to buy gifts for the children – they will end up playing with the box anyway and then you have to pay the bills in January (or throughout the year).

Loving Family and Loving God Even More!

Matthew 10:37-39

37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thanksgiving is prime family time.  How would you like to be the Harbaugh family today – with the Harbaugh Bowl (49’s and Ravens football game with brother’s Jim and John Harbaugh as head coaches) happening in Baltimore tonight?

In our home – the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is always a special time for family gatherings and time spent together.  My wife’s brother comes home from California.  We gather as a whole family several times.  What are you planning for today or for the holidays to come?  I hope you and yours have a great family time today and throughout the holidays.  Don’t forget to keep Christ in Christmas – and don’t go in debt to buy gifts for the children – they will end up playing with the box anyway and then you have to pay the bills in January (or throughout the year).

Today’s passage presents a thought that may be hard to understand.  Jesus tells us – Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…  Aren’t we supposed to love our family?  Isn’t familial love supposed to be pretty tight?  I mean isn’t the German phrase blood is thicker than water supposed to be a reference to how tight families are compared to general friendships with non-family members?

Yet Jesus says – if we don’t love Him more than even our family – we are not worthy of Him.  I like Matthew’s account of this passage – because Luke’s gospel account says it this way – Luke 14:26 – If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple.

Using both of them – we understand that if our love for Jesus isn’t so much greater than even our great love for family – even so much greater that our love for family can be considered hate – we are not worthy of Christ.  That is saying a mouth full my friends.  I must ask us this question – How much do we love Jesus?

Jesus said – John 14:15 – If you love me, you will obey what I command.  Are we following the commands of God?  Even as Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount – to dealing with our thoughts as well as our actions – dealing with feelings of hatred while not committing murder – dealing with lust while also dealing with sinful sexual behavior?

My wish for us this holiday season is a deepening of our love for family – which in turn will also require an equal or greater deepening of our love for God!

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.

Tweet this Blog Post