Savannah serves on Sundays by leading a carpet square full of kids in RidgeRunners. She loves serving and she loves those kids. And I believe they love her because last Sunday, she received this note from one of her kids that promised: "Free Hugs 4 Life" (see pic).

Not just one hug...

Not just a few hugs...

Nope! HUGS FOR LIFE! That's a pretty big deal!

That note was a reminder of how we receive so much when we're willing to give, serve and compassionately share the love of Christ with others. Want to have a great Christmas
season? Focus on giving, not just receiving.

After all, this is what God did for us. John 3:16 reminds us that "God so love the world that he gave his son..."

And Jesus said the reason he came to earth was to serve and to compassionately give his life for us (Matt. 20:28).

Let me give you a few ways to give compassionately and serve someone else during the holidays:

1. Invite someone to our Christmas Eve service (5 and 6:30pm). Take a step forward and make the BIG ASK! Trust me, people want to come to church during the holidays! They just don't want to go by themselves. So, invite them to meet you in the parking lot ... or by the coffee table ... or be forward enough to tell them you'll pick them up on your way! Found people, find people!

2. Share the gift of pure drinking water! We're taking up our Christmas mission offering this Sunday to help provide clean water for an impoverished community in the Dominican Republic. Just $15 will provide a family with a punch card that allows someone multiple opportunities to receive five-gallon jugs of water. When we give compassionately and sacrificially, it helps break the grip of materialism.

3. Sign up to serve on a Sunday team in 2016. You want to start off the New Year on the right foot? Do you want to mature in your faith? It's incredibly difficult to remain immature and selfish when you're focused on serving someone else! If you would like to join a team, contact our Assimilation Director - Lindsey Dickson (lindsey@theridgecolumbus.com).

Showing the compassionate love of Jesus Christ to others is not something we ought to do but rather it's something we get to do! Serving is essential for the church and for the life of the believer.

And the benefit of compassionate service is that it pleases our heavenly Father AND every now and then we get "Hugs 4 Life." That just warms my heart! See you Sunday!