Wrapping and Unwrapping

Last year I gave myself a title -

The Queen of Peekless Packages.

Usually proud to be humble,

I don't like to brag about myself.

But, I know how to wrap presents.

I begin saving empty boxes in the fall,

so I am ready for wrapping festivities.

But, the purpose of the present isn't just to wrap it up.

We intend the receiver to

 unwrap the gift, love it, appreciate it  and use it.

We hate giving a gift that is a flop,

it didn't fit or the receiver didn't enjoy it.

We would be infinitely more disappointed if our gifts

remained unopened under the tree.

That would be ridiculous.

Do you think the Lord Jesus ever feels that way about the gifts He gives us?

Our first gift is salvation.

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith,

and that not of yourselves;

 it is the gift of God,

There are other gifts the Lord gives and wants us to

unwrap them,

love them,

use them,

and

share them.

Ephesians 3:7

I became a servant of this gospel

by the gift of God’s grace given me

through the working of his power.

Romans 5:17

...those who receive abundance of grace

and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life

through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:18

 ...through one Man’s righteous act the

free gift came to all men,

resulting in justification of life.

1 Corinthians 14:12

 since you are zealous for

spiritual gifts,

 let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

C'mon, open those gifts.

1 Timothy 4:14

Do not neglect the gift that is in you,

Use them.

2 Timothy 1:6
I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you...

Share them.

1 Peter 4:10

As each one has received a gift,

minister it to one another,

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Don't leave them under the tree.1 Peter 2:24

...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.

The Sweet Gospel Message

For Vacation Bible School this summer,

I decided even the candy treats

had to proclaim the glories of the Lord.

It only takes one verse to convict the heart of sin

and lead them to salvation.

We just have to get those verses into their hands

and their houses,

so maybe it can enter into their hearts.

I send goodie bags home each day of VBS with a Gospel tract,

a small gift for attending,

an invitation for the next day to pass out to a friend,

and a candy treat.

These are the extra candy gifts I used during VBS

we'll be passing out next weekend.

We don't participate in Halloween as a family,

except to pass out tracts and candy to the neighborhood kids.

I have made a practice of making little baggies ahead of time

with a few pieces of candy

and an attractive Gospel tract.

I also pass out chocolate and

a Gospel booklet called

Ultimate Questions

to the mommies.

All templates were from Microsoft Word.

They're so easy to use!

(click on any picture to enlarge)

This was actually a template to label garden plants.

(don't know how they think the paper will

survive outside in a garden, but whatever)

Under New choose

Templates,

then Labels,

then Other Labels,

then Herb Garden Plant Markers.

Insert verse. 

I used Genesis 24:26.

I love making these little gifts!

Wrapping box after box of Nerds can be challenging,

tying tiny bows can drive you crazy,

but they sweetly illustrate the Gospel verse,

Ephesians 2:8.

I glue the box on the card.

I didn't use a template,

just a Word document, where I kept cutting and pasting

2 Timothy 3:15 over and over.

I punch a hole in the corner and tie

two Smarties on with curling ribbon.

This is a business card from Word templates.

I just added Ephesians 3:19, punched the holes,

and slid the suckers through.

I was grasping at straws,

 and used the comparison of candy fillled with chocolate

to being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Other years, I have typed up this little paragraph

and filled celophane gift bags with the paper

and individually wrapped types of candy listed.

THINK ABOUT IT

 RED HOTS – Hell is real. Hell is forever. Hell is the punishment you deserve for your sins. The hardships and sufferings on earth are nothing compared to the eternal suffering in Hell. Revelation 20:15, says, “and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

 LIFE SAVER – there is nothing you can do to save yourself from an eternity in Hell. Christ alone can save you from your sins. John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

 SMARTIES – Make the smart decision. Accept the Lord’s free gift of salvation. 2 Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

 NOW NOT LATER - II Corinthians 6:2b “Behold NOW is the day of salvation!”


Yea, His Words are sweeter than candy.

Psalms 119:103

How sweet are thy words unto my taste!

yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I would love to hear any ideas you have for making sweet Gospel messages!