"Christmas, Christmas time is here! Time for joy and time for cheer!" sang the Chipmunks so many years ago. In my house, as you probably know, we get very excited about Christmas. We especially love the movies that we get to watch at Christmas. We currently have a debate going on about which is the funniest Christmas movie: Elf or National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. My vote is for Chevy Chase. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Clark (the father played by Chevy Chase) is talking with his distraught niece, Ruby Sue, about whether Santa would come that year. Her father had told her he wasn't going to make it. But Clark assured her that Santa would come for her, he crossed his heart it would happen! The look on her face is one of utter joy! Santa was coming this year! Even for her!

Would that we had the same look on our faces when we consider the true joy of Christmas, Jesus coming! Even for you and me! This year as we go through Advent and prepare to celebrate that time when God entered our history to restore all things destroyed by sin through His blood, we will be celebrating and meditating on the joyous news that God loves us dearly. In our sermons and in our Advent groups we will be reading various texts from the Scriptures that tell us the good news that Jesus has come for us. Just like Clark assured Ruby Sue that Santa was coming for her, God's Word gives us a more certain assurance that Christ has come for us! It tells us this as a promise from God Himself!

We will be hearing the familiar children's Christmas hymn, "God Loves Me Dearly" a great deal this Advent. The verses of this song will guide us through our season as they remind us that God loves us dearly. The hymn is so wonderful because it puts the look of Ruby Sue right on our faces as we close each chorus singing, "God love me dearly, even me!" Even you! Jesus was born of the virgin Mary for you, to live a perfect life for you, die a sacrificial death for you, and to rise to everlasting life for you! Even you! Please be sure to be a part of this wonderful Advent truth with your brothers and sisters in Christ here at Faith! Merry Christmas!

God Loves Me Dearly

Verse 1: God loves me dearly, Grants me salvation,
God loves me dearly, Loves even me. Refrain

Refrain
Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly,
God loves me dearly, Loves even me.

Verse 2: I was in slav’ry, Sin, death, and darkness;
God’s love was working To make me free. Refrain

Verse 3: He sent forth Jesus, My dear Redeemer,
He sent forth Jesus And set me free. Refrain

Verse 4: Jesus, my Savior, Himself did offer;
Jesus, my Savior, Paid all I owed. Refrain

Verse 5: Now I will praise You, O Love Eternal;
Now I will praise You, All my life long. Refrain