Embracing Hope: The True Meaning of Christmas
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Sermon Clips
"Christmas is a time where we remember that God is not distant but that he's close. Where he gave his son, where he took on flesh that he might demonstrate to us what God is like. That's what makes the season incredibly special. That's what makes Christmas God's gift to us." [00:06:39]
"Ask that you would restore unto us the joy of our salvation, as the psalmist put it. That as we think back, to your initial entry into the world and recognize that you are not a God who is detached from us, but came close to us. We do so with hope that the promise will be fulfilled in your return again." [00:24:00] (22 seconds)
"The nature of Jesus' position and the veracity of his claims are inherently confrontational. That if we, church, believe that Jesus is the King and Kings and Lord of Lords, that he has rightful claim to everything, including all of me. That if Jesus makes a claim and says, I am the truth, that if Jesus makes a claim and says, I am the life, and you will only have truth and you only have life in me, those claims are confrontational." [00:41:53] (34 seconds)
"But it shows us something again, very, very beautiful and very, very profound that God always favors the underdog, that he favors those for whom culture has disfavored. Throughout the biblical texts that we've often read, God comes and he shows grace and mercy to those who have been neglected." [00:53:10] (23 seconds)
"Jesus is saying, this is now happening in your midst, that the one who Isaiah said would come in anointing to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, that it is happening now in me. What were the people's response? They wanted to kill him." [00:55:22] (23 seconds)
"Jesus is the true Moses, the true David, the true Israel. The Bible is God's plan of salvation centered on Jesus. He's the hero of the story, so you and I don't have to be the hero of our story. If the Bible is a list of rules, you need to emulate it, and if you treat it that way, then it will crush you." [00:59:23] (21 seconds)
"The Bible reveals to us how God meets our need, how God is the one who comes close to us, speaks truth to us, demonstrates power to us, that we might believe. The Bible is not about you, but it is for you. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that awesome? We've been invited to embrace a better story than our own." [01:01:23] (23 seconds)
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"Ask that you would restore unto us the joy of our salvation, as the psalmist put it. That as we think back, to your initial entry into the world and recognize that you are not a God who is detached from us, but came close to us. We do so with hope that the promise will be fulfilled in your return again." [00:24:00] (22 seconds)
"The nature of Jesus' position and the veracity of his claims are inherently confrontational. That if we, church, believe that Jesus is the King and Kings and Lord of Lords, that he has rightful claim to everything, including all of me. That if Jesus makes a claim and says, I am the truth, that if Jesus makes a claim and says, I am the life, and you will only have truth and you only have life in me, those claims are confrontational." [00:41:53] (34 seconds)
"But it shows us something again, very, very beautiful and very, very profound that God always favors the underdog, that he favors those for whom culture has disfavored. Throughout the biblical texts that we've often read, God comes and he shows grace and mercy to those who have been neglected." [00:53:10] (23 seconds)
"Jesus is saying, this is now happening in your midst, that the one who Isaiah said would come in anointing to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, that it is happening now in me. What were the people's response? They wanted to kill him." [00:55:22] (23 seconds)
"Jesus is the true Moses, the true David, the true Israel. The Bible is God's plan of salvation centered on Jesus. He's the hero of the story, so you and I don't have to be the hero of our story. If the Bible is a list of rules, you need to emulate it, and if you treat it that way, then it will crush you." [00:59:23] (21 seconds)
"The Bible reveals to us how God meets our need, how God is the one who comes close to us, speaks truth to us, demonstrates power to us, that we might believe. The Bible is not about you, but it is for you. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that awesome? We've been invited to embrace a better story than our own." [01:01:23] (23 seconds)
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