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Each Christmas we celebrate Jesus coming into the world as a baby. That God would become man is such an amazing thought, it deserves our full attention. That God did become man is such an amazing miracle, it deserves our wonder and praise.

But sometimes we are so focused on the baby in the manger, we forget why Jesus came into the world. Ultimately, Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins, but there are many other reasons connected with that which you will find in Scripture.

Here is a list of ten reasons why Jesus came at Christmas, many of them straight from Jesus’ own lips, followed by two quick applications.

1. Jesus came to do the will of the Father (John 6:38)
“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

2. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

3. Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15)
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

4. Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Luke 5:31-32)
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

5. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8)
“He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

6. Jesus came to kill death (Hebrews 2:14-15)
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

7. Jesus came to bring light to a dark world (John 12:46)
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

8. Jesus came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37)
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

9. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matt 5:17)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

10. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Two Applications:
1) Thank God for sending his Son at Christmas.
2) Tell others why Jesus came.

Note: Click below if you would like to download the above list as a decorative pdf for printing or image for sharing.

Click here for PDF: 10 Reasons Why Jesus Came at Christmas pdf
Click here for PNG: 10 Reasons Why Jesus Came at Christmas image

The Kindle versions for the complete Bible for Everyone sets are on sale today for only $5.99 each. That’s the complete 17-volume Old Testament set covering the entire Old Testament and the complete 18-volume New Testament set covering the entire New Testament for only $5.99 each. The paperback versions for each of these sets run around $200 each so that’s about a 97% off markdown!

Click here for the complete Old Testament set (by John Goldingay)
Click here for the complete New Testament set (by N. T. Wright)

We are more sinful than we know.

Only God knows the true depth of your sin, but here’s the good news. He loves you anyway. Who can discern all your errors? God can! Yet he still loves you and forgives you. The God who knows you best loves you most. The sins you have forgotten, God will forgive, and then he too will remember them no more.

“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” (Psalm 19:12)

 
From the message: A Prayer to Be Pleasing to God

My book on the names of Jesus from Isaiah 9:6 is on sale this week for $2.99 (ebook version). Grab it now before the price goes back up!

This is actually a combined celebration. It’s not only the anniversary of the book release, but Name above All Names was also selected for a 2024 Kudos Award for Nonfiction (Carolina Christian Writers Awards). Here are some reviews of the book from Amazon:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Helpful Study Tool
The book consists of 5 advent/Christmas sermons delivered by the author to his Florida congregation, plus bonus material (quotations from various church leaders and commentators, as well as poems and songs) based on a single verse of the Bible, Isaiah 9:6. The book is especially helpful for pastors and teachers who seek to faithfully teach and apply the Bible. It is also useful for personal Bible study and those seeking to know more about God. Fowler helps us to see how divine names or titles written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth uniquely apply to Him. The chapters are readable, practical, and nicely outlined, with each ending with suggestions as to how the material may be applied to life. The book reveals the greatness of the Christmas Child, leading to wonder and worship.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect Title. Great Read!
I love how each chapter dives deeper into scripture which allows a better understanding of the name above ALL names. After reading this book, I realized that I’d use certain names without fully knowing more or understanding it. I love it so much that I’m buying an extra as a gift. I did have the opportunity and privilege to read it before it hit Amazon, and I will be purchasing a copy today. This book has inspired me to meditate more on the Lord’s word with clearer intentions. Thank you Ray Fowler for this gem! I think every home should have a copy!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Seeing Jesus during the Advent season
Ray Fowler’s Name Above All Names is comprised of sermons Ray preached at the church at which he pastors. His sermons are easily grasped, they hold your attention, and have clarity and reasonable depth for a short form study. I appreciate Ray’s illustrations, as he gives the reader an experiential handle for bringing concepts into the familiar. Additionally, he has appended historical quotes from throughout church history which enrich our understanding and appreciation of the God-Man Jesus Christ. I see this book as particularly useful for a weekly private or family devotional during the Advent season.

 
Click here for all books in the Understanding God’s Word series.
 

Ruth: A Christmas Story is now available for sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

What does the book of Ruth have to do with Christmas???

 
This series of messages explores the many parallels between Ruth’s story and the story of Christmas. The Christmas story has deep roots. It begins in the Old Testament, because the Old Testament points forward to Christ and his coming. Ruth’s story fulfills a vital part of salvation history in preparation for the coming of Jesus. As such, the parallels are not accidental. They are incidental, because the events of Ruth bear directly on the events of Christmas.
 
The book of Ruth can be read right alongside the Christmas story! Come explore these amazing parallels as we study the book of Ruth together.
 
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Table of Contents

Chapter One: O Little Town of Bethlehem
The story of a young woman who made a radical commitment of faith to God and then journeyed to Bethlehem where she gave birth to a child who would change the world.

Chapter Two: A Righteous Man
The story of a righteous man who offered kindness, protection and provision to a young woman in her time of need.

Chapter Three: The Kinsman-Redeemer
The story of a kinsman-redeemer who redeemed his beloved from a desperate situation at great cost to himself.

Chapter Four: A Child is Born
The story of a child in the line of Judah who was born as a redeemer in fulfillment of the prophecies leading up to Messiah.
 
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Other books in the series (click on the book images to view on Amazon):
 
     
 
 

 
Click here for all books in the Understanding God’s Word series.
 

Habakkuk: The Journey from Doubt to Faith is a year old, and we are celebrating by putting the ebook on sale for $2.99. Grab it now before the price goes back up!

This is actually a combined celebration. It’s not only the anniversary of the book release, but Habakkuk was also selected for a 2024 Selah Award (third place in the Bible Studies category). Here are some reviews of the book from Amazon:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful and accessible study of a minor prophet
I loved this book. I just finished using it for my morning devotions. While I’ve been a lifelong Bible reader, I haven’t always found the minor prophets an easy read. Ray Fowler did a wonderful job of introducing the reader to the prophet, offering historical and spiritual context. His sermon-style format helps the reader remember key points. It was fascinating to me that Habakkuk’s questions still resonate today: Is God fair? Does God care? Is God even there? The answers have sustained generations of believers.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Find Answers to 3 of Life’s Most Essential Questions!
Habakkuk- The Journey from Doubt to Faith explores three of life’s most essential questions: “Does God care? Is God fair? Is God there?” These questions have been asked both by believers at various stages of spiritual growth and unbelievers seeking meaning in life. Pastor Ray takes a deep dive into the book of Habakkuk and explains with simplicity and clarity God’s profound answer to this human hunger for meaning through the life quest of this Old Testament prophet of Israel. This ancient conversation with God is as contemporary as this morning’s news. This book methodically presents God’s answers, from a stage of doubt to revealing God’s love and wisdom to the birth of a trusting relationship. Need answers? Need faith? Read this exciting book! Christ came to give life and to give it abundantly. Be fulfilled and rejoice!
 
Click here for all books in the Understanding God’s Word series.
 

Each year for Mother’s Day we look at a different mother from the Bible to see what we can learn from her story. Sometimes the mothers are positive examples and sometimes negative, but either way we learn valuable biblical principles to help us in our walk with God. This year’s mother was Job’s wife, who was a negative example. Here is the outline from Sunday’s message:

Job’s Wife – The Foolish Mother (Job 2:9-10)

I. It’s foolish to let go of your integrity (Job 2:9a)
   – We are called to a life of moral goodness (Ps. 7:8; 1 Peter 4:19)
   – You forfeit God’s protection and blessing (Ps. 25:21; Prov. 11:3)
   – You put yourself on a slippery path (Ps. 73:18; Prov. 10:9, 13:6)

II. It’s foolish to curse or blame God (Job 2:9b)
   – You risk God’s judgment or discipline (Lev. 24:14-16)
   – You risk turning others away from God (Ps. 73:15)
   – You show ungratefulness for past and present blessings (Lam. 3:22-23; 1 Thess. 5:18)
   – You show a lack of faith for the future (Ps. 90:15; 2 Cor. 4:16-17)
   – You push God away when you need him most (Ps. 73:25-26; James 5:11)

III. It’s foolish to accept good but not trouble from God (Job 2:10)
   – We live in a fallen world (Ps. 90:10; John 16:33)
   – You deserve far worse (Ezra 9:13; Ps. 103:10)
   – We don’t know all that is going on (Deut. 29:29)
   – We do know that God works in all things for our good (Rom. 8:28)
   – You miss out on opportunities to trust God and encourage others (2 Cor. 1:4)

Applications:
   1) A wise mother trusts God even when she doesn’t understand
      – Psalm 86:7; Romans 8:35-39
   2) A wise mother counts her blessings instead of her troubles
      – Psalm 103:2
   3) A wise mother sets the example and encourages her family
      – Proverbs 31:12,28
   4) A wise mother leaves a spiritual legacy of faith for her family
      – Job 42:12-17

Click here to read the whole message on Job’s wife.

Click here for the book Famous Mothers in the Bible.
 

 
Click here for all books in the Understanding God’s Word series.
 

If you’re looking for a Mother’s Day gift for that special person in your life, I would like to suggest my latest book: Famous Mothers in the Bible.

The book contains twelve Mother’s Day messages I have preached over the years. Each year around Mother’s Day we work our way forward through the Bible focusing on various mothers to see what principles we can learn from their lives and experiences.

This would make a great gift for the reader in your family! You can order it at Amazon here: Famous Mothers in the Bible.
 

 
Click here for all books in the Understanding God’s Word series.
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“Make Your Time Count!” (excerpt from chapter six):

Time is an interesting concept. Before God created the heavens and the earth there was no time. God is eternal, and therefore he is outside of time. And yet God entered time when Jesus Christ took on human flesh and was born into our world as a baby.

We like to think that we are masters of time. We even have atomic clocks these days to measure time out precisely to the nanosecond, but we don’t really understand time. There are times when time seems to go rushing by, and then other times when the clock seems to stand still. There are times when we are very much aware of time—such as when we are working on a project with a deadline, racing the clock, fighting against time. And then there are those wonderful times when we take off our watches, enjoying a day of leisure and rest, and we hardly notice the passing of time at all. (It’s on those days I like to call wrist watches “the handcuffs of time.”)

Benjamin Franklin wrote: “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for time is the stuff life is made of.” And so, in this chapter we will look at three biblical principles that will help you with this thing called time and will help you make your time count. When you make your time count, you make your life count, because time is the stuff life is made of.

 
This is an excerpt from my new book called Lord, Make My Life Count! Drawing largely from the wisdom portions of the Bible, this book explains how to make your life count in six key areas of life: 1) your work; 2) your rest; 3) your faith; 4) your prayers; 5) your money; and 6) your time.
 
Note: Click here to view the book on Amazon.
 

“Make Your Money Count!” (excerpt from chapter five):

Jesus said in the gospel of Luke: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Did you catch that? It’s a warning. Watch out! Be on your guard! Don’t be tricked into thinking that the more stuff you have, the happier you will be.

Of course, this runs counter to everything the world tells you about your money. We live in a spending culture. We think money is for spending. We put bumper stickers on our cars that say, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But God says, “He who dies with the most toys—still dies!” (see Eccl. 2:21). Jesus puts it all into perspective. Your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. Take it all away, and you will find out who you really are.

A spending problem is really a desire problem. We get into trouble with spending, because we think more stuff will make us feel more fulfilled. But it doesn’t work that way. You are made in God’s image. You are far too valuable to be fulfilled with stuff.

You were made for God, and only God will fulfill your life. 1 Timothy 6 says: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Tim. 6:6-8). When you have God, you can be content, because you really don’t need all that other stuff.

 
This is an excerpt from my new book called Lord, Make My Life Count! Drawing largely from the wisdom portions of the Bible, this book explains how to make your life count in six key areas of life: 1) your work; 2) your rest; 3) your faith; 4) your prayers; 5) your money; and 6) your time.
 
Note: Click here to view the book on Amazon.
 

“Make Your Prayers Count!” (excerpt from chapter four):

One reason to pray early is because God’s mercies are new every morning. We read in Lamentations: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

You might not be a morning person, but our God is a morning God! His mercies are new every morning! Every morning when you wake up God is waiting to meet with you. He has fresh grace and mercy for you. You need only spend time with him to be strengthened for your day.

King David knew how to start a day. He writes in Psalm 57: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn” (Ps. 57:7-8).

Robert Murray McCheyne wrote the following words in his journal on February 23, 1834: “Rose early to seek God and found Him whom my soul loves. Who would not rise early to meet such company?”

Begin your day with prayer and lay hold of God’s mercies for you in Christ. God’s mercies are new every morning.

 
This is an excerpt from my new book coming out this week called Lord, Make My Life Count! Drawing largely from the wisdom portions of the Bible, this book explains how to make your life count in six key areas of life: 1) your work; 2) your rest; 3) your faith; 4) your prayers; 5) your money; and 6) your time.
 
Note: Click here to view the book on Amazon.
 

“Make Your Faith Count!” (excerpt from chapter three):

Faith means trust. We see this in the classic definition of faith found in Hebrews 11: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1). That phrase “being sure” translates a word that means “substance, confidence, assurance or trust.”

Faith means trusting what you can’t readily see. The person who trusts their spouse doesn’t follow them around everywhere, checking all their phone records and reading all their emails. Why? Because they don’t have to see it in order to believe. They trust their spouse. And faith means trust.

It’s the same when we talk about having faith in God. Having faith in God doesn’t mean simply believing he exists. A lot of people believe God exists. But having faith in God means trusting him. You trust his character; you trust his promises; you trust his word.

Faith involves knowledge, assent and trust. Knowledge is important because you have to know something before you can believe it. Assent is important because you must agree with what you know before you can believe it. But it is not real faith until you take that final step which is trust.

There’s a great children’s message that illustrates this truth. First, you ask the children, “Do you believe that I exist?” That’s knowledge. Then you ask them if they believe you could catch them if they fall. That’s assent. Then you ask them, “Who is willing to stand on the edge of the stage here and fall backwards into my arms?” They may have demonstrated knowledge and assent with their answers to the first two questions, but they haven’t exercised real faith until they show their trust by actually falling into your arms.

It’s the same way with God. It’s good to believe that God exists. It is good to agree that God’s word is true. But until you trust him, until you make a conscious choice to fall into his arms and rest completely in him, then you do not truly have faith.

 
This is an excerpt from my new book coming out this week called Lord, Make My Life Count! Drawing largely from the wisdom portions of the Bible, this book explains how to make your life count in six key areas of life: 1) your work; 2) your rest; 3) your faith; 4) your prayers; 5) your money; and 6) your time.
 
Note: Click here to view the book on Amazon.