MEMORY VERSE, John 3:  16

    “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
    that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
    everlasting life.”

MEMORY HYMN [112]

    "There’s a song in the air."

THE BEST WORD

What is the best word!  I think I can hear each of you as he answers.  One says “Mother is the best word.”  Another says, “Father.”  Still another, “Daddy.”  A fourth one answers, “Home.”  Now I hear a voice that says, “America.”  Another voice shouts, “Friend.”  Yes, there are many, many words to which we might rightfully give the title “best word.”

But for this season of the year, and for this particular Sunday, there is one word that stands out from among all the others.  That one word is “Christmas.”  To-morrow will be Christmas day.  I think this word “Christmas” is the best word because it includes all the other good words.

In your home you have a rug.  There are many colors in that rug, yet it is all one fabric.  The many colors are skillfully woven and beautifully blended to make the one fabric.  Think of this word Christmas as a rug, made up of many words of many colors.  We see in this rug the word “mother.”  What would Christmas be without mother!  We see also the word father, and the words sister, brother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, friend, home.  Then clearest of all in this wonderful rug is the word Christ.  Christ is Christmas.  Yes, Christmas is the best word for it gathers within its meaning all other good words.

“This happy day, whose risen sun Shall set not through eternity; This holy day, when Christ, the Lord, Took on him our humanity; For little children everywhere A joyous season still we make; We bring our precious gifts to them, Even for the dear Child, Jesus’ sake.”

MEMORY VERSE, John 1:  4

    “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

MEMORY HYMN [107]

    "Joy to the world!"

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

How often have we heard this phrase!  You girls and boys use it, “Here I am, last but not least.”

When Jesus was on earth there was often a discussion among the disciples concerning rank among them.  Some were fearful that they would be last.  One day a mother, very proud of her two sons, as mothers are apt to be, asked Jesus to grant permission that her two sons might sit, the one on his left hand, the other on his right, in the kingdom.  Then He made a very beautiful as well as perfectly true statement, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

There was another time, when Jesus sat at supper with his disciples, wishing to show them, by example, the utter worthlessness of station, for station’s sake, rose from the table, took a towel and basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet.  Peter objected, but when he understood, he said, “Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”  At the last Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”