How can one be a follower of Christ without a desire to tell others the Gospel? I don't really know. However, you know how it is, many people don’t like to hear the Gospel. But one time in the year most are not only okay with hearing the Gospel, but expect it!Check out your contact list for an opportunity to express Christ through your cards, letters, family pictures or gifts. A picture of Santa or a tree is a waist stamp, card and envelope.
Search for cards with powerful messages. Since they can be hard to come by, you may want something special, make them yourself! Don't worry if you are not creative. That's why this post was written! I would like to give you some ideas that creative people use to be creative (not just with cards but with all things in life). Plus I want to give you ideas for the card content.
To Be Creative
While some people are more creative than others, all have some creativity, we have to remember we were made in God's image! Even though creative people can be successful at times, they fail often, they just have to keep trying. For example, my blog, I have probably ten times the number (or more) post starts than actual posts! Some will never see the light of day! Here are some tools that creative people use to promote creativity. All of the following tips and ideas are very simple, but believe me, many creative people use them all the time. Here’s the list to get your "mental juices flowing":- Start a “database” or an “idea box” for cool and interesting ideas that you come across.
- Keep an eye open for how others are being creative with cards.
- Keep a lookout for ideas not related to cards. Keep your ears open, listen to people as they talk, what they say or do may be the germ for a great idea (topics for this blog are many times stimulated by that).
- Sometimes the best ideas come in the middle of the night, write them down! Write down ANY idea!
- Some email themselves throughout the day whenever an idea hits. In the evening take all those emails and add them to an “idea document”.
- If your ideas are pictorial, start sketching ideas. Thumbnail sketches are essential, scribble the whole page with your ideas, then pick the best ones and keep molding your ideas.
- Ask others for ideas and bounce your ideas off of others.
- Remember, for many creative people it does not always come naturally, it's a lot of work behind the scenes. This means you need to just jump out and try, you may fail often, but you will need to start somewhere! Just like in sales, you will not make every sale, so with creativity not every idea is successful.
Dare To Be Different
Creativity may go along with this point, but here I'm not talking about creativity in design. Rather, I’m talking about content. Whether the card is purchased or made, while keeping true to the message of Christ, word it a little different so it takes people off guard, make them think a little.Explain Christ's work without abusing common "Christian lingo". Word and phrase variety helps promote understanding. Do as I try to do in my posts - come up with other ways of saying the same old thing. New phrases, explaining the old, causing people to stop and think rather than mindless mimicry. Be sure you understand what you mean by what you are saying, if you don't understand how will you be able to tell others? Explain rather than use catch phrases ad hoc. Some slogans are great, however they can become old, so maybe come up with a new slogan!
Try to find modern words, phrases and concepts that help get the point across. Use the language of the day. Jesus and the apostles did that all the time. Both Luther and the KJV translators did this - which is why their translations were hits. However, we have many new and great words, phrases and concepts that were non-existent in by-gone days!
Powerful Message
Behind
all the other items rests the foundation of the message. This is the texts and graphics, and they should be deep and meaningful in content so others can think about
Christ. Make something special with the Kingdom message.However, it also needs to be persuasive while not preachy. Bible verses, parts of Christmas Carols and creative, but meaningful, thoughts can jump-start your card captions. You can also gather ideas from past Christmas cards you have received. Finely, to help start your “mental juices”, feel free to use ideas from any of the following card captions!
Sample Captions That You Can Use!
O God our loving Father, help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. May Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake, amen.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
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Jesus is God’s promise fulfilled.
May you take great joy in Him and the celebration of His birth.
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From the cradle to the cross:
What the Child has done for those who receive His pardon…
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Nailed to the top of the cross of Jesus’ was a “certificate of debt” to Caesar, a public display of Jesus’ crime: “King of the Jews.” When punishment is complete, Caesar’s court will cancel the debt with a single Greek word stamped upon the parchment’s face: “tetelestai.” Finished. Paid in full.
Being king of the Jews is not the crime Jesus pays for, however. Another certificate as nailed to to his cross that day: ours. In the darkness that shrouds Calvary from the sixth to the ninth hour, Jesus gave his life as a ransom so we can be free from the shackles of sin and Satan.
At the last, it is not the cross that takes Jesus’ life. When the full payment is made, when the sin debt melts away, when the ransom has been paid, freeing us from our own wrong doing and slavery to sin, Jesus simply dismisses His spirit with a single Greek word that falls from His lips: “Tetelestai.” It is finished.
Colossians 2:13-14
John 19:30
John 8:34
Romans 6
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Christmas Blessings…
…with a prayer that you come to a quiet place of reflection on the simplicity of Jesus’ birth and the magnitude of His purpose.
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Christmas is not about giving, it's about a gift. May the gift of forgiveness and freedom through Jesus, our Lord, fill your heart this year.
Merry Christmas
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Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name “Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23
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The God of all creation humbled Himself to become a human being—our Savior, Christ the Lord. Because Jesus was born He could die, bringing the abundance of life we enjoy through Him. May each of you rest in the Babe whose birth we celebrate this day.
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What creative cards and captions have you made? Do you have any other ideas? Please share them with others by commenting below!
These captions either came from or were based off of the following source: Koukl, G. (Mar 12, 2013) http://www.str.org/articles/christmas-card-captions#.VHUEl5-c3Qo. Used by permission.
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