Christmas is a time that we associate with peace, love and acceptance – but also some stress and worry. This is true even for pastors and the all-important Christmas Eve service. At first glance, there is an entire history of possible topics to elucidate from the pulpit, but this isn’t just another sermon. As we said, it’s the beginning of an entire history that has changed countless lives (2.18 billion living; who knows how many that have died). We want a Christmas Eve sermon to ring a bell that lives inside of our congregation that awakens that more than human part of us. We want our fellow human beings to be moved by the word of God, and we don’t often want to say the same things that have been said so often before.

Here are a few ideas:

1. What sort of plans did Mary have in the works for her own life when she was visited by an angel and told that she would give birth to the son of God? Was she elated? Was she frustrated that she had to undergo these plans that were not hers? We often spend a significant amount of time and effort into our own plans to have them dashed before our eyes – sometimes we understand why and other times we do not.
2. The Little Drummer Boy, a song written in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis, tells the story of a boy who has nothing of monetary value to give and so plays his drum. While some in that time period might have thought the greatest gift was worth the most gold, the drummer boy’s gift is more significant. What is that is the drum’s significance? What do we, ourselves, bring to the Lord that is greater than gold?
3. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas tells the story of a grouchy hermit who spends his time scheming of how to steal Christmas. He steals the presents, the lights and every other Christmas thing in sight only to realize that he hasn’t stole anything at all. The resident Whos aren’t sad at all, and the Grinch is filled with enlightenment, realizing that Christmas is more than the ‘things’ we associate it with.
4.  On December 25^th, 1914, in scattered areas along no man’s land, laid trenches full of miserable, soaked-to-the-bone soldiers on both sides of the war. They agreed to cease fire, join one another, sing carols and share in the Christmas spirit. What can we learn from this? What can we learn about our enemies from this?
5. There are more than 300 prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus’ birth ushered in a brand-new era for mankind. What are some of the most impactful prophecies we read in the Old Testament? How did Jesus’ birth fulfil those?
6. What would the story of the nativity look like to an outsider? As we read the bible, we get a very direct account of what happened the night that Jesus was born. However, there were many individuals in the story that receive only a sentence or two, like the inn keeper. What might the story of the nativity look like from the perspective of one of the lesser-known individuals in the story?

These are just a few ideas to help you get started on your Christmas sermon. If you’re still having trouble finding a topic, try our sermon search function.