This Christmas, Hobby Lobby made sure countless Americans saw the truth of Jesus.
The Christian-owned crafts store purchased a full-page newspaper ad that showed the Bethlehem star above the words “It’s a boy,” according to Christian Headlines. Underneath the ad was Luke 2:11, which says, “Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
At the bottom, the ad included a message for those who don’t know Jesus. It said:
“If you would like to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, visit Need Him Ministry at ChatAboutJesus.com. To download a free Bible for your phone, go to Mardel.com/Bible.”
Mardel is Hobby Lobby’s sister store.
The ad appeared across the country, according to a Hobby Lobby press release.
“This ad serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and celebrates what millions of people around the world and for centuries have considered a turning point in human history—the birth of Jesus Christ.”
Hobby Lobby has been publishing holiday-themed gospel messages in ads since 1997. The ads appear in local areas where Hobby Lobby has a store.
The ad was also shared on social media.
Many posted comments on the ad saying the message encouraged them.
“The one reason I love Hobby Lobby so much,” one commenter said. “Thank you for honoring our Lord every day, but especially on Sundays.”
In 1995, Hobby Lobby founder David Green was browsing materialistic Christmas ads when he felt called by God to create holiday ads that pointed people back to Him. In 1996, he published his first ad, which said:
“As you celebrate this Christmas season in the warmth of family and home, may you be drawn to the Savior; He who left the beauty of Heaven on our behalf and became like us, that we might become like Him. If you know Jesus as your Savior, then this season already has a special meaning. If you do not, we encourage you to find a Bible-believing church in your community, and to discover a relationship this Christmas with the God who loves you more than you can imagine.”
Soon Hobby Lobby was regularly placing these Christ-focused full-page ads in newspapers across the country.
