Ways to serve this Advent Season

Lisel Cain • December 14, 2022

The holidays can be a season of joy, heartache, and exhaustion in the lives of those around us. As Christians, we celebrate and find our joy in the remembrance of the greatest gift we could ever receive, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. John 3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” What a gift to rejoice in! While we celebrate Christmas and reflect on Jesus this Advent season, we can direct our hearts towards Christ through service.


We find the high call to love and serve others in Matthew 20 when Jesus declares that “even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many.” While serving we place others’ needs before our own and turn our focus not to our desires, but to the One who came to serve. Our service and care is a reminder of Christ’s love for each one of us. Through simple acts, we can share joy, bring comfort, and give rest to our community. 


Whether you are single, have young kids at home, or are empty nesters, there are creative and fun ways that you can love your neighbors this Christmas. Go share the joy!



How can I serve the community?


Helping Hands Toy Drive 

Helping Hands of Rockwall is collecting and distributing toys to families in the community. If you or your group is interested in volunteering, please email Chloe Rose at chloerose@rockwallhelpinghands.com


Pregnancy Resource Center

The PRC collects backpacks filled with essentials for new moms who choose life. Check out yourprc.org to support them. This is an easy way to engage young kids!


The SoupMobile 

The SoupMobile helps feed the homeless and needy children of Dallas while sharing the love of Jesus. This year, they are collecting Christmas Shoeboxes. Go to soupmobile.org to learn more.


For the Nations Refugee Outreach

For The Nations is a ministry that serves refugees living in the Dallas area. They have a Christmas Wish List set up on Amazon, go to ftnro.org for more info.


Crosspoint Serve Teams

This time of year is busy for so many families. Our serving teams may need help filling holes as people travel. Reach out to leaders at CCC to see where you can help.



How can I serve my neighbor?

  • Invite them over for a Christmas tradition
  • Sing Christmas Carols
  • Invite them to participate in your Jesse tree
  • Take them a small gift with the “reason for the season”
  • Baked goods, premade trail mix, store bought cookies all make easy and inexpensive treats that you can share with your neighbors. Attach a simple card sharing why Christmas is so important to your family. 
  • Offer to help a neighbor or busy mom wrap gifts.
  • Wrapping gifts can be a burden. Reach out to the moms or elderly in your neighborhood who may need help checking off their Christmas to-do’s. Bonus: you get some extra time getting to know someone in your neighborhood!

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
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