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By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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Focus on the Savior’s Coming

“What a marvelous statement. It’s the Savior’s coming that we celebrate. We are hidden with Christ in God. His incarnation is God’s rescue plan. We all know that it wasn’t on the twenty-fifth of December that Jesus came. We know that, but don’t go on a tirade against the date. It’s okay. You’re not going to change it. You’re going to have to deal with it and live with it, so let it be the twenty-fifth of December.”

Be Christ’s Ambassador at Christmastime

“I don’t know of a better time of the year to be His ambassador than this time of the year. The songs are being sung. People’s hearts are strangely softened. Often, they’re in a kind of a mild depression because of the memories, the kind I mentioned earlier. And it’s amazing how in the most unexpected places you will have a chance to share the story of the Savior. And I think, unless I missed this guess, you will be amazed at how open folks will be. I mean, it’s like the heart is sort of prepared and made ready for the story.”

Impart the Good News

“I’m not interested in impressing, but I got a great message. And the thing that I want to be at Christmas time is winsome. I don’t want to be the neighborhood Grinch. This is a great opportunity to impart the Good News. You will have missed a magnificent opportunity if you fail through the Christmas season to share your faith, you’ll miss it. So be sensitive to that. Think about how you can make the Savior known at this season of the year.”

Enjoy God’s Good Gifts

“‘Fix his hope on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy’ (1 Timothy 6:17). All things. Let’s let it say what it says. Every season of the year, which He changes, we’re to enjoy them. Every good thing that comes from His hand, we’re to enjoy it. Every gift given, we are to enjoy it, and how wonderful are the simple gifts.”

Don’t Write Off the Rich

“I hope you will in your ministry not write off those who are rich, those who have much. If you are in certain realms of ministry, you will rub shoulders with individuals who make a lot of money. And what you usually don’t know is what they do with their money. I don’t know of a Christian organization, including this one, that doesn’t give thanks annually, if not more often than that, for those who have much because they give much. A great deal of the costs that would normally be placed on you as a student, much of that is borne by those who have the ability to give much. Some give in the millions.”

Additional Resources

First, sign up for our Chuck’s Insights on Ministry email where we bring you his best thoughts on preaching, leadership, and ministry each week. By signing up, you’ll instantly receive a one-page checklist with 20 preaching insights from Chuck. See this page’s sidebar.

Second, check out our new Preach The Word articles and video series on YouTube where we’re teaching Chuck’s best insights on this important calling.

Third, listen to Chuck’s messages to those in ministry through our Seminary Chapels page. For decades, he offered students at Dallas Theological Seminary his best thoughts on church leadership and ministry. Now, we have put them at your fingertips. Also, you can find them through this YouTube playlist we created for you.

Fourth, if you don’t own a copy of Chuck’s book on preaching, Saying It Well, we highly recommend you add it to your library. It’s his preaching memoir that is also like a practical preaching manual. You won’t be able to put it down.

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