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Category Archives: Christmas
Transformed #296: Celebrate His Peace!
The Transformed Podcast and Video Teaching Ministry features Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Lead Pastor at Woodland Drive Baptist Church, Visalia. Celebrate His Peace (Christmas 2016) It is an amazing story that has been told for over … Continue reading
Transformed Podcast #278: It’s Time For Salvation! [Repost]
Editor’s Note: This repost was first posted in 2007 the week BEFORE Christmas. The purpose of Christmas can be seen in the words of the angels at Bethlehem, For unto you is born this day in the city of … Continue reading
Transformed Podcast #277: It’s Time For Celebration! [Repost]
Why does Jesus birth cause such a stir? Think about it. The birth of a peasant child born in an insignificant little town in the Middle East is still being celebrated today. In fact, it is the most celebrated event … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Transformed
Tagged angel of the Lord, birthday, celebration, Christ, Christmas, fear, God, Good News, Jerusalem, Jesus, joy, Middle East, nativity, purpose, shepherd
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Transformed Podcast #276: It’s Time to Share the Good News! [Repost]
“It’s Time for Christmas!” I know those are words that speak panic in some of your hearts and lives. It’s about shopping. It’s about things that need to be done and haven’t gotten done. I just want to say … Continue reading
Transformed Podcast #274: Jesus Came to Present Us With Hope! [Repost]
It’s Christmas – a time of hope! In today’s episode from Christmas 2007, Pastor Matt draws our attention to the “coming” or “arrival” of Jesus. The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Transformed
Tagged accountability, Christ, Christmas, Creation, eternal life, faith, faithfulness, heaven, hope, James, Jesus, judgement, reconcile, reconciled, Reconciliation, revelation, second coming, sin
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2015 Starbucks Cup Controversy
A pastor friend of mine asked what the #Starbucks cup controversy is all about. Here’s my response: Some judgmental church people forgot to check to see if #Starbucks cups had “Merry Christmas” on them in the recent past – Starbucks hasn’t done … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas
Tagged advent, Christ, Christian, Christmas, church, coffee, controversy, cup, Gold Card, Jesus, Jewish, judgmental, Merry Christmas, Starbucks
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Transformed Episode #232: Christmas Fills Us With Hope!
The future – what are you hoping for? What do you hold onto as you walk through your every day life? Are you optimistic or pessimistic? Welcome to the Transformed Podcast. People turn toward hope as naturally as plants … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Transformed
Tagged Bible, Christmas, condemn, condemnation, depression, disocuragement, Gentiles, gratitutde, grieve, grieving, hope, hopelessness, israelis, Jesus, Jews, joy, patience, peace, purification, redemption, revelation, salvation, save, social isolation, Word of God, Yahweh
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Transformed Episode #231: Christmas Provides Us With Joy!
Have you noticed how many people are running on “empty” these days? You can see it in their eyes. You can hear it in their voices. Sad, sorrow-filled lives stuck in meaningless endeavors as they watch the weeks and … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Transformed
Tagged almighty God, angel, angelic host, Bethlehem, Bible, Caesar, Caesar Augustus, Christmas, focus, Glory to God, God, Israel, Israeli, Jesus is LordYahweh, Joseph, joy, King, lead, Leadership, Lord, manger, Mary, Messiah, New Testament, Peace on Earth, Pilate, proclaim, rescue, rescuer, save, Savior, Virgin
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Transformed Episode #230: Christmas Overrides Our Politicians!
Who’s in charge, really? Is it Washington, Moscow or Tehran? For thousands of years governments have functioned under the illusion that they are the authority on earth … the greater the country, the greater the power. Welcome to the … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Transformed
Tagged Almighty, Augustus, Bethlehem, Caesar, Christian, Christmas, confusion, darkness, Democrat, Elizabeth, Ephrathah, God, God's plans, helpless, hope, Imperial Rome, incense, light, Lord, Mary, mercy, mission, politicians, politics, Republican, rescue, salvation, wisdom, Zachariah
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