Merry Christmas Card 2019?

1. Which actually happened?
A. Josh learned to snowboard
B. Lydia was elected school captain
C. The Washington Nationals won the World Series
D. All of the above

2. What did Toledo First Church do?
A. Hosted If It’s Important to Jesus….presentations based on Revelation 14:6-12 (archived online tfsda.org/sermons)
B. Raised resources for ¡Viva Venezuela!
C. Hosted Open Table weekly small group meetings for one victim rescued from trafficking
D. All of the above

3. What did Mike do in 2019?
A. Coached basketball on Wednesday nights
B. Tubed down the Huron River in Ann Arbor
C. Saturated Toledo with Jesus DVDs and invites to church
D. All of the above


4. Jackie loves…
A. FaceTiming Josh and going to Lydia’s choir concerts
B. Her new job in a doctor’s office
C. Raking leaves in the yard
D. Both A and B

5. What else did Toledo First Church do?

A. Hosted world renown violinist Jaime Jorge
B. Welcomed new members via baptism
C. Embraced Fifth Service Sabbaths
D. All of the above

6. Josh (sophomore at Walla Walla University) loves:
A. Loves writing long research papers
B. Exploring new parts of the country
C. Doing his own laundry
D. Only B

7. Lydia (senior at Toledo Christian School)
A. Sings in choir
B. Worked at Camp Mohaven as a counselor
C. Is trying to decide about college
D. All of the above

8. Which of the following happened?
A. Lydia had her wisdom teeth removed
B. Mike and Jackie ran a marathon after eating a lemon meringue pie
C. For Christmas, Toledo First Church collected Outfits for the Amazon kids they met in Brazil during last summer’s mission trip
D. Only A and C

9. Mike’s recommended reads this year include:
A. In Defense of the Decalogue by Richard C. Barcellos
B. Holy Roar by Chris Tomlin & Darren Whitehead
C. From Trauma to Triumph: The Carlot Dorvé Story by Laurie Snyman
D. All of the above

10. What else did the Fortune’s do?
A. Hosted Thanksgiving with an international flair including Japanese and Indian friends and dishes
B. Enjoyed some staycations
C. Longed for Jesus to return
D. All of the above



>7 Fortunate—Hark the Herald Angels Sing!
>5 Unfortunate—In the Bleak Midwinter
>3 A misfortune—Nuttin’ for Christmas



➘ Answers: They're all D!

Can We Be Better Parents and Grandparents?

I believe we can. And must. Because our children and grandchildren's picture of Jesus will depend on ours!!! Here from Walt Mueller are a few ways we can be better parents and grandparents.

1. Use popular culture as a communication tool
2. Understand your own cultural biases
3. Be intent on building relationships
4. Love without condition or limits
5. Provide a place and community
6. Be a learning listener
7. Be a person of grace

Walt Mueller wrote these tips and is the president of the
Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. Do yourself a favor and sign up
for Walt's weekly email by clicking the graphic above.

Dangerous Calling?

“I’m convinced that the big crisis for the church of Jesus Christ is not that we are easily dissatisfied but that we are all too easily satisfied. We have a regular and perverse ability to make things work that are not and should not be working. We learn to adjust to things that we should alter. We learn to be okay with things we should be confronting. We learn how to avoid things we should be facing. We would rather be comfortable than to hold people accountable. We swindle ourselves into thinking that things are better than they are, and in so doing we compromise the calling and standards of the God we say we love and serve.” Excerpt From: Paul David Tripp. “Dangerous Calling.” Crossway, 2012

Americans spent $490 billion on entertainment in 2012. But according to David H. Smith in his book Religious Giving p.5, "Only 2.6 percent of U.S. households give 10 percent or more of income.” Why? Did Jesus change his mind about tithing? I don't think so according to Matthew 23:23. Do people not trust any institution? Perhaps, but if they're professed followers of Jesus, that 10% should be going somewhere else then. But it's not since only 2.6% live this way. Imagine if every Christian in America actually tithed like Jesus said we should (Matthew 23:23) and gave away at least 10% of their income. Christian organizations by themselves could dig wells for fresh water in every remote place on earth.