The Gift That Changed Everything: Receive Jesus

We began by remembering that our worship rises like incense—a sweet aroma to the Lord when it comes from a sincere heart. From there, I shared that Christmas is not only a memory or a holiday; it is a living message. At the center of that message is this: God gave. Before there was a cradle or a cross, there was a decision in the heart of the Father. Jesus was not a reaction to human failure or Satan’s schemes; He was the plan from the foundation of the world. That means our redemption was never an afterthought, and your life has never been an oversight. Heaven planned your rescue before your mess even arrived.

We also looked honestly at life with God in a broken world. He does not route us around the valley of the shadow of death; He walks us through it. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies, which means there is provision, peace, and presence—even in conflict. This is not about becoming hard-hearted; it’s about growing a fearless trust that God fights for us while we feast on His faithfulness.

Luke says the Savior was “born to you.” The humility of His arrival matters. The King of Kings lay in straw, not on a velvet throne. He came low so the lowest could reach Him, and He came poor so the richest would have to humble themselves to receive what they could never buy. That humility announces the great exchange: He became poor that we might become rich in God; He took our sin to give us righteousness, our sickness to give us healing, our death to give us life.

But gifts do nothing unopened. Faith is not mere agreement; it is receiving and confessing what God has done in Christ. When we receive Him, we become children of God—new creation people with a new name in heaven’s records. Christmas didn’t just come to us; it came for us. And Jesus didn’t stop giving at the manger—He is still healing, freeing, and filling by His Spirit. So don’t leave the gift sitting under the tree. Open it. Use it. Walk in it. Let peace, joy, hope, and grace mark your table this week—and your steps into the year ahead.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Christmas began in the Father’s heart. Before Bethlehem, there was a decision—love moved first. The Lamb was “slain from the foundation of the world,” which means God’s plan preceded our problem. This anchors us when life feels chaotic: we are not living by accident; we are living inside a love that planned our rescue. Trust grows when we see Christmas as God’s eternal “Yes” to us. [40:05]
• 2. Heaven planned your rescue first. Your redemption is not a contingency plan. God, who stands outside of time, saw your timeline and authored grace ahead of your need. That frees you from shame’s story that says you’re late, lost, or too far gone—He was already there with mercy. You can walk forward knowing provision is waiting where He’s leading. [49:23]
• 3. God leads us through battles. Scripture never promises detours around valleys, only a Shepherd in them. He sets a table in the presence of enemies so we can eat while He fights. Courage isn’t denial; it’s the decision to feast on His faithfulness when fear is loud. Weapons may form, but they do not get the last word. [52:10]
• 4. Glory wrapped in humility invites all. The manger declares access—no ivory tower, no gatekeepers. The poor can believe a Savior can come from their world; the powerful must bow to receive what money cannot buy. Humility is the doorway to the great exchange where Christ takes our worst to give His best. Come as you are; none of us can clean ourselves up for this gift. [56:59]
• 5. Receive the gift, live as children. Gifts transform only when opened—believed in the heart and confessed with the mouth. In Christ you are not improved; you are made new, adopted, and named as family. Don’t admire the wrapping and forget to wear what’s inside: identity, authority, and daily grace. Use what Jesus purchased and walk as a son or daughter. [69:46]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [34:00] - Cheerful giving and multiplied seed
• [40:05] - Christmas began in the Father’s heart
• [43:22] - God outside time; plan A
• [49:23] - Rescue planned before your mess
• [52:10] - Through the valley, table prepared
• [55:00] - Good news for all people
• [56:59] - Glory wrapped in humility
• [62:15] - The great exchange: sin for righteousness
• [67:31] - Authority to become children of God
• [69:46] - New creation, not who you were
• [73:23] - Jesus still healing and freeing
• [76:36] - Don’t leave the gift unopened
• [78:33] - Prayer: receiving Jesus by faith
• [82:07] - Wear the gift into the year

1. In Revelation 13:8, what title is given to Jesus, and what timing phrase describes when He was slain?
2. In Psalm 23:4-5, what happens in the valley, what comforts the believer, and where is the table set?
3. In Luke 2:10-12, who is the good news for, who is the Savior “born to,” and what sign are the shepherds given?
4. “He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies” ([52:10]). According to this picture, where is the table and what are we invited to do there?

1. If Jesus is “the Lamb… slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), what does that say about whether redemption was God’s backup plan or His first plan for humanity’s rescue?
2. Psalm 23:4-5 shows a feast in the middle of a fight. What might it mean, practically, to “eat while God fights,” and how is that different from denial or escape? “Just sit right here and watch me fight this” ([52:10]).
3. In Luke 2:10-12 the Savior is “born to you,” and the sign is a manger. How does that sign of humility widen the invitation for both the lowly and the high-status to come near? ([56:59])
4. “Faith is not mental agreement… believe in your heart and confess with your mouth” ([01:08:39]). Why would confession matter for actually receiving the gift, rather than merely admiring it?

1. Where are you facing a “valley” right now? What would it look like this week to stay at the table—prayer, worship, Scripture, communion, resting—while God fights? “I prepared this table before you… just sit right here and watch me fight this” ([52:10]).
2. Where has shame told you you’re late, lost, or too far gone? What is one step you will take to live like “heaven planned your rescue before your mess ever even showed up”—a call, a prayer, an act of obedience you’ve delayed? ([49:23])
3. “There is born to you… a Savior” (Luke 2:11). Who is one person you will tell this week that Jesus is for them, and what simple act of humility will you choose so they can easily reach Him—serve, listen, apologize, include? ([55:00])
4. Which part of Jesus’ gift have you left unopened—identity, authority, healing, peace, daily grace? What specific confession will you start speaking this week to receive it? “Believe in your heart… confess with your mouth” ([01:08:39]).
5. You are a “new creation… you are not who you were” ([01:09:46]). Name one old label you’re laying down and one new name you’re picking up in Christ. What daily rhythm (Scripture, prayer, community) will help you walk in that?
6. “He arrived in straw… He was birthed in a barn” ([56:59]). What is one concrete act of humility you can choose this week to make Jesus more accessible to someone unlike you?
7. “Healing is available to you… freedom is possible” ([01:14:04]). What step of faith will you take today—ask for prayer, confess a struggle, fast, see the elders—so you don’t leave that part of the gift unopened?