TheCasowasco Bubble

Grab a pen and some paper and spend some time with God today
 
We’re going to take a look at a funny clip from the movie Elf. Buddy is one of Santa’s real elves. In other words… he knows the real Santa. And in this scene, Buddy is about to discover someone else’s LIE! 
 
View clip at:  Elf Clip
 
Food for Thought: 
That was obviously a silly clip but it makes a point for today. When you REALLY know someone, like Buddy knew Santa, you can easily identify an impostor. 
 
Christmas time is filled with impostors, things that don’t accurately represent what true Christmas is all about. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not saying that gifts or sleigh rides are bad. Christmas is one of my favorite holiday times. I love the time with family and the spirit of giving. But let’s be honest. Sometimes the busyness of the Christmas season seems to almost replace the “Christ” in Christmas. Events, gifts, and holiday images are constantly telling us what Christmas is about… and it usually has nothing to do with Jesus, the greatest Christmas gift of all time. The way to identify the TRUE focus of Christmas is to intimately connect with the Christ of Christmas. Christ the living God. 
 
Why was Buddy so easily able to identify the Santa from the department store as an impostor?
 
The more intimately we know someone, the easier it is to identify the truth and spot impostors when they come along. 
 
There’s a passage in the Bible about sheep and a shepherd. It might help to understand if you know that sheep really do learn the sound of their shepherd’s voice. Once they know that voice, they will ONLY follow that shepherd, just like Buddy would ONLY support the true Santa. 
 
 
John 10:1-5 (NLT) says:  
    “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!  But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
 
Jesus tells the people that He is the shepherd. Who are the sheep?
 
What does the shepherd (Jesus) do for the sheep (us)?
 
How do the sheep respond to the shepherd?
 
What does verse 4 say happens between Jesus and his people? What does that look like in your life?
 
Verse 5 says that the sheep (us) will run away from a stranger’s voice. What does that mean?
When have you “run away” from something that was clearly not Godly?
 
When you think of Christmas, and Jesus being born in the manger so that he would one day be our shepherd, how well do you know Him? How well do you know the shepherd’s voice? Rate yourself from 1-5 and explain why (1= I don’t know Him at all. 5=I know Him very well).
What can people do to get to know Christ better?
 
What is one thing you can do this Christmas season to get to know Jesus better?
 
Wrap Up: 
Most people would acknowledge that the true meaning of Christmas is in the birth of Jesus. But KNOWING JESUS INTIMATELY is more than simply saying “He’s the reason for the season”… it’s NOT knowing about Jesus, it’s knowing Jesus personally. We are meant to know Him like the sheep who know their shepherd and run away from impostors. Buddy knew Santa because he had grown up with him; he had spent tons of time with him. Do you know Jesus with that kind of deep attachment? 
 
Don’t let Jesus be a stranger in the manger. He came so that we could know Him up close and personally. He came because He loves us and wants to connect with each of us. 
 
Of course Christmas is filled with fun and traditions! Don’t throw those things away. Just understand that Jesus is here to invest in a relationship with you. God says you are worth it. Don’t let Jesus be a stranger in the manger.
 
Teddi Pettee Elf: Spotting Impostor [Online] Available http://www.thesource4ym.com/movieclipdiscussions/Discussion.aspx?id=164, November 14, 2011