WEBVTT

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 Merry Christmas.

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 Wow, that's much better than how's it going.

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 Everybody usually, oh, oh, oh.

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 Merry Christmas, better.

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 Hey, so I figure I have about eight minutes before the kids attack me for the candy canes, okay?

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 And so I just wanted to share with you a little bit about what we've been praying about,

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 what we think the meaning of Christmas is about as we look at it and approach it this Christmas season.

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 If you are the first time at Watermark, family, we're excited that you're here.

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 My name is Tobin.

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 I'm one of the teaching pastors here.

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 What you see is what you get, chaos, raw, controlled, family together, and it's like that every Sunday.

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 So if you don't have a church, please come join us.

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 We need more chaos.

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 You know, I love Christmas.

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 There's something about Christmas in this season.

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 It's an amazing adjective, isn't it, Christmas?

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 Because whenever you put Christmas in front of something, it just makes it better.

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 Or Christmas music, Christmas decorations, Christmas smells, seeing the kids' faces are amazing to me.

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 Christmas food, just putting food in front of Christmas probably adds 10 pounds to Christmas food that we're going to eat this year.

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 So we're going to have a scale next week, and we're going to weigh everybody to see how we've scaled, how much food we've gained and weight we've gained in that time.

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 But, you know, the amazing thing as I think about this season is that all over the world, in thousands of languages,

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 in amazing different countries, people are coming together, and they're worshiping the birth of a baby boy born in Bethlehem.

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 A baby boy who would one day bring hope to all mankind.

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 The story my kiddos just read there is the story of the first Christmas.

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 And if you listen to that story, or if you read it again in your bulletin, what you're going to see is that there's this incredible contrast between fear and hope.

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 Fear and hope.

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 The contrast we see in the shepherds' lives, and when the shepherds see the angels, or whenever anybody meets God, or hears God, or is approached by God throughout all of Scripture,

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 what you see is this incredible amount of fear in them.

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 But then the words of the angels bring this comfort of hope.

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 Now, I've been a pastor for almost 30 years now.

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 And one of my jobs as a pastor is to counsel people like you.

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 And I have the incredible privilege of coming into people's lives and to see what kind of things they struggle with.

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 And what I realize is that all of us struggle with fear.

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 Every one of us struggle with fear.

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 I mean, the Bible says over 350 times, do not fear.

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 And so when I read that in Scripture, what I realize is that we as humans must have something within our DNA that makes us fear.

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 I mean, we fear failure.

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 We fear rejection.

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 We fear rejection by the people we love and by those people that we value.

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 We fear the future.

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 We fear being alone.

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 We fear insignificance.

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 And what I've seen is a pastor that almost all of us fear, probably every one of us fears death.

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 And the Bible says that this struggle with fear that we all have began because of a broken relationship.

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 The other passage in your bulletin is the passage of Genesis.

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 And it talks about this beginning time.

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 It talks about our parents.

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 And at this moment when our parents decide to live life on their own, we see that this relationship with God is broken and fear comes into us.

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 And fear didn't just come into Adam and Eve, but it came into all of their children.

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 And so the Bible would say right now, you and I, we have fear in our DNA.

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 And the scripture passage in the bulletin shows us immediately that Adam and Eve knew something was wrong.

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 The minute they decided to go away from God, they knew something was wrong.

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 They knew that the relationship was broken.

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 And the response was to hide, to cover their fears, to hide themselves, to make it look like they are not in trouble.

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 And we see in the passage that when God comes to talk to them in the garden, their only response to a holy, loving God is to hide, to hide themselves from him.

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 Because they fear.

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 Today, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists will tell you that we live in an age of fear.

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 In no other time perhaps in history is fear driven people?

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 Is it controlled people?

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 Has it advertised people?

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 I was reading an amazing article yesterday in the financial magazine.

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 And it said in America there's actually what they call a Smith and Wesson index.

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 Now Smith and Wesson is a gun company in America.

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 Now that's one of the reasons Americans are crazy.

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 We have guns.

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 And I know everybody else looks at us like, what are you doing?

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 But what economists do is they measure the income of this company.

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 And they can determine how well a society, American society, is doing by the sales of Smith and Wesson guns.

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 And the economists said that the sales are driven by fear and worry.

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 And whenever people feel more fearful and more worried, they buy things to protect themselves.

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 They buy things that they need.

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 It's one of the greatest ploys for advertising, right?

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 You buy things because you're afraid you're not going to get it.

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 You're not going to have it and somebody else is going to have it.

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 And one of the things I've realized after 30 years and 51 years of living my life is that every one of us in here are great experts at hiding our fears.

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 Every one of us in here do things to cover our fears so that the people around us don't see that we're fearful.

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 Sometimes we use our jobs.

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 Sometimes we use our jobs to cover our fears.

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 Sometimes we use our gifting.

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 Sometimes we use our talents.

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 Sometimes we use our intellect.

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 Sometimes we use and hide behind our culture and our families.

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 Some of us hide behind relationships.

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 Some of us hide behind our education.

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 Some of us hide behind our health.

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 Some of us hide behind our wealth.

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 Some of us hide behind our good looks.

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 Some of us hide behind our good works.

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 but what I've seen through 30 years of living with people

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 is that all of us have different techniques to hide our fear

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 what kind of techniques do you use

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 what is it in your life that you use to hide your fear because there's a sense that if we don't hide it

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 people are going to see that we're not together people are going to see that we're not perfect people are going to see that we're not

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 who we want them to be

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 and fear enters into our life

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 recently I was talking to a friend they're not in this church I asked them permission

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 to share this before I shared it and we're talking about these things in our life

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 and I always consider this person a mover and shaker in Hong Kong

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 and we're talking about life and fears and values and goals

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 and they said this to me

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 they said you know I'm an imposter

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 I'm an imposter I'm a fake

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 they said that Hong Kong was all about covering yourself

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 looking nice outwardly

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 it didn't matter what was going on inwardly as long as you look nicely outwardly

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 and this person said that

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 as I did that I realized that I'm an imposter

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 they said they realized that one day their greatest fear was

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 that everything would unravel

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 they realized that one day everything is going to unravel

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 and people are going to see them just as they are

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 they feared their work and they realized that in their work

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 they're not becoming as sharp

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 and they're not on the cutting edge

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 and they're not bringing in as much money as they used to

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 and they feared that one day people were going to see that

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 they feared their relationships

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 and they realized they said to me

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 that you know I'm spending Tobin

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 I'm spending more and more time

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 talking to more and more people

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 but these relationships mean nothing

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 they're superficial

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 and they don't help me

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 and these people don't know me at all

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 they said I feared my family

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 because they realized that their family

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 portrays this image of what everybody in Hong Kong

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 expects the family to look like

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 and this person said to me that one day soon

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 they realized that all of this is going to unravel

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 and people are going to look at them

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 and they're going to realize that their life is not all together

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 and their family is not all together

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 and lastly they shared to me

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 they feared their body and their health

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 because they had a couple tests that came back

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 and they weren't very positive

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 and they realized that no matter how hard they tried

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 that they weren't being able to keep their health up

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 that age and time were causing things to deteriorate

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 and they feared

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 that people would see them not as they want to be seen

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 but as they really are

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 did you hear what she said to me

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 what they said to me

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 they said their greatest fear

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 is that people would see them not as they are

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 not as they want to be seen

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 but as they are

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 after this time with her

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 I thanked her and I sat there

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 and I realized you know

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 if we're honest

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 we all struggle with these fears

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 we all put things in our life

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 to cover up our fears

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 to make people think that we're perfect

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 we have our act together

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 and we all

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 if we're honest

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 and we've lived long enough

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 we realize that no matter what we use

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 our money

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 our health

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 our intellect

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 our relationships

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 our family

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 whatever we use

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 that ultimately these things are going to fail us

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 and we're going to be surrounded by fear again

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 C.S. Lewis

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 the British author and philosopher

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 said it this way

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 he said

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 the only way that you and I

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 can experience ultimate

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 true hope

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 the only way that you and I

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 can experience a hope

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 without the possibility of fear

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 without the possibility of failure

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 is to place our hope

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 in something that is infinite

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 to place our hope

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 in something that is infinite

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 something that is unchanging

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 something that is true

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 so in verse 10

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 the angels come in

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 and they say this amazing good news

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 they say

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 God has sent us a savior

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 in the original language

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 it means rescuer

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 God has sent us a rescuer

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 and this person is going to come in

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 and they're going to cover our fears

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 and they're going to bring true hope

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 this savior has come in

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 and he's going to fix our relationship with God

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 the one that was broken at the very beginning

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 the one that has caused fear

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 to enter into our DNA

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 and that is what Christmas is all about

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 Christmas is about God sending his son

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 to save you

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 Christmas is about God sending his son

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 to save you

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 from your fears

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 from your doubts

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 from your guilt

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 and from your shame

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 to forgive you your sins

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 this is the season

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 when I look at things

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 that I am reminded

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 that hope

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 doesn't come from within me

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 but hope comes from a God

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 who draws near

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 to us

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 it's the difference in Christianity

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 than every other religion in the world

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 every other philosophy

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 every other idea of thought

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 every other thought

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 every other philosophy

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 every other religion is going to say

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 if you want to get to God

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 you need to do this

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 you need to do this

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 you need to do this

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 you need to do this

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 you need to be a good person

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 and if you do all these things

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 maybe God will say

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 good

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 you can come to me

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 but Christianity

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 says that's impossible

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 because we're finite

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 and God is infinite

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 and the only way

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 a finite

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 broken person

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 can come to a holy

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 infinite God

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 is if that God

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 comes down

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 and enters into our world

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 and that is the meaning

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 of Christmas

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 Christmas is about God saying

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 I'm for you

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 I love you

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 I've come to earth

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 to find you

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 I've come to take away your fears

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 I've come to give you hope

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 I've come to give you

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 a relationship with me

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 Christmas reminds us

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 when we look at this tree

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 when we look at the nativity thing

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 whenever we walk through this world

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 and we see these decorations

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 Christmas reminds us

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 that it's about God

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 coming to you

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 to save you

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 to bring you back to him

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 it's not about you going to God

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 but it's about God

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 pursuing you

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 and Christmas reminds me

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 that ultimate hope

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 ultimate reality

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 is found in a little manger

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 that one day

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 is going to become a cross

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 and at that cross

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 God is going to make a way

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 for you and I

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 to come back to him

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 so the passage we read

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 says

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 behold

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 I bring you good news

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 of great joy

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 which is for all

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 the people

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 behold

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 I bring you great news

00:13:10.659 --> 00:13:11.399
 of good joy

00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:12.340
 which is for

00:13:12.340 --> 00:13:13.659
 Tobin

00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:16.319
 Sam

00:13:16.319 --> 00:13:18.199
 Christina

00:13:18.199 --> 00:13:19.719
 Annie

00:13:19.719 --> 00:13:21.600
 Ed

00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:22.799
 behold

00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:24.139
 I bring you good news

00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:25.139
 of great joy

00:13:25.139 --> 00:13:25.899
 for today

00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:27.000
 in the city of David

00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:28.219
 has been born

00:13:28.219 --> 00:13:28.980
 a rescuer

00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:31.319
 has born a savior

00:13:31.319 --> 00:13:33.100
 Jesus Christ

00:13:33.100 --> 00:13:35.000
 my prayer

00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:35.919
 for each one of us

00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:36.659
 this Christmas day

00:13:36.659 --> 00:13:37.500
 is that we wouldn't forget

00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:38.519
 the words of the angels

00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:39.879
 my prayers

00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:40.959
 as we go out today

00:13:40.959 --> 00:13:41.659
 and we're going to be hit

00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:42.879
 by a million different things

00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:44.039
 presents

00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:44.719
 food

00:13:44.719 --> 00:13:45.419
 relationships

00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:45.939
 dinners

00:13:45.939 --> 00:13:47.279
 that wherever we go

00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:48.219
 wherever we see

00:13:48.219 --> 00:13:50.000
 something that represents Christmas

00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:50.759
 that we'd realize

00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:52.240
 that this is a message

00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.039
 of ultimate hope

00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:56.139
 my hope is

00:13:56.139 --> 00:13:56.899
 as you leave here

00:13:56.899 --> 00:13:58.000
 you won't keep trying

00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:58.699
 to build hope

00:13:58.699 --> 00:13:59.639
 and forgiveness

00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:00.399
 in yourself

00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:01.059
 and in the stuff

00:14:01.059 --> 00:14:01.679
 that you give

00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:02.719
 get and give

00:14:02.719 --> 00:14:04.480
 my hope is

00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:05.360
 that as you leave here

00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:05.959
 you'd realize

00:14:05.959 --> 00:14:06.639
 that the only way

00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:07.699
 that you can find hope

00:14:07.699 --> 00:14:09.419
 is through a little baby

00:14:09.419 --> 00:14:11.100
 named Jesus Christ

00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:11.840
 who's born

00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:12.960
 in a savior

00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:14.879
 does that make sense

00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:16.300
 that's the message

00:14:16.300 --> 00:14:16.759
 of Christmas

00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:17.740
 that's why we're here

00:14:17.740 --> 00:14:19.440
 the message

00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:20.540
 that Jeremy sang

00:14:20.540 --> 00:14:21.659
 it talks about

00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:23.000
 two births

00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:23.620
 the first

00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:25.720
 stanza he sung

00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:26.300
 before the kids

00:14:26.300 --> 00:14:27.519
 read the bible verse

00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:28.399
 talks about

00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:29.379
 a baby being born

00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:30.080
 in Jerusalem

00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:31.120
 in Bethlehem

00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:33.040
 the second stanza

00:14:33.040 --> 00:14:33.659
 talks about

00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:34.800
 a baby being born

00:14:34.800 --> 00:14:36.800
 in our heart

00:14:36.800 --> 00:14:39.940
 our prayer is

00:14:39.940 --> 00:14:40.380
 that you would

00:14:40.380 --> 00:14:40.740
 understand

00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:41.600
 both of these

00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:42.800
 and realize

00:14:42.800 --> 00:14:43.460
 that we've come

00:14:43.460 --> 00:14:44.080
 to celebrate

00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:45.060
 a baby being born

00:14:45.060 --> 00:14:45.880
 in Bethlehem

00:14:45.880 --> 00:14:47.020
 to bring us

00:14:47.020 --> 00:14:48.220
 take away our fear

00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:49.000
 and bring us hope

00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:50.600
 but that you'd also

00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:51.160
 understand

00:14:51.160 --> 00:14:52.240
 that it doesn't stop

00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.340
 in a manger

00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:55.460
 but it stops

00:14:55.460 --> 00:14:55.860
 with us

00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:56.760
 inviting Christ

00:14:56.760 --> 00:14:58.640
 into our life

00:14:58.640 --> 00:15:00.080
 and receiving

00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.120
 that lasting hope

00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:02.800
 let's pray

00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:04.000
 father

00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:04.100
 father

00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:05.480
 we thank you

00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:06.039
 for this day

00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:07.720
 we thank you

00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:08.220
 for the message

00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:09.039
 of the angels

00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.379
 we thank you

00:15:10.379 --> 00:15:10.879
 for the message

00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:11.580
 of Christmas

00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:13.000
 we thank you

00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:13.639
 for the message

00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:14.379
 of your son

00:15:14.379 --> 00:15:16.120
 who came

00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:16.820
 to remove

00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:17.639
 our fears

00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:19.340
 to bring us

00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:20.440
 true and ultimate

00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:21.639
 and lasting hope

00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:23.399
 lord I know

00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:23.799
 that there are

00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:24.539
 some people in here

00:15:24.539 --> 00:15:25.299
 who hear

00:15:25.299 --> 00:15:26.299
 for the first time

00:15:26.299 --> 00:15:26.960
 or they come

00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:27.740
 once a year

00:15:27.740 --> 00:15:28.779
 and they're

00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:29.639
 going to leave here

00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:31.320
 and chances are

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.240
 that many of them

00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:32.980
 many of us

00:15:32.980 --> 00:15:33.860
 will try to build

00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:34.259
 hope

00:15:34.259 --> 00:15:36.039
 cover our fear

00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:37.779
 build significance

00:15:37.779 --> 00:15:38.879
 by the attaining

00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:39.580
 of things

00:15:39.580 --> 00:15:41.299
 and I pray

00:15:41.299 --> 00:15:42.399
 in these few

00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:43.080
 moments

00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:45.480
 that you would

00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:46.039
 allow us

00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:46.680
 to be honest

00:15:46.680 --> 00:15:48.620
 that we'd realize

00:15:48.620 --> 00:15:49.039
 that no matter

00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:49.680
 what we gather

00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:50.259
 around us

00:15:50.259 --> 00:15:50.560
 no matter

00:15:50.560 --> 00:15:51.320
 what kind of titles

00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:51.860
 or wealth

00:15:51.860 --> 00:15:52.299
 or money

00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:53.460
 that it won't

00:15:53.460 --> 00:15:55.240
 save our souls

00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:58.519
 it won't bring us

00:15:58.519 --> 00:15:59.779
 ultimate hope

00:15:59.779 --> 00:16:01.639
 it will never

00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:02.220
 take away

00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:02.939
 the fear

00:16:02.939 --> 00:16:03.879
 of death

00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:05.740
 but the only

00:16:05.740 --> 00:16:06.319
 thing that can

00:16:06.319 --> 00:16:06.860
 do that

00:16:06.860 --> 00:16:08.580
 is your son

00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:10.299
 who came

00:16:10.299 --> 00:16:11.539
 and died

00:16:11.539 --> 00:16:12.860
 to make our

00:16:12.860 --> 00:16:13.360
 relationship

00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:14.399
 right with you

00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.139
 I pray lord

00:16:16.139 --> 00:16:16.620
 that they would

00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:17.340
 accept that

00:16:17.340 --> 00:16:17.819
 gift

00:16:17.819 --> 00:16:18.639
 this Christmas

00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:19.159
 season

00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:21.000
 that they would

00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:21.539
 have that

00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:22.299
 second birth

00:16:22.299 --> 00:16:23.559
 of that child

00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:24.319
 in their heart

00:16:24.319 --> 00:16:25.919
 and they would

00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:26.580
 enter into this

00:16:26.580 --> 00:16:26.960
 journey

00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:28.379
 that we talk

00:16:28.379 --> 00:16:28.720
 about

00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:29.259
 called the

00:16:29.259 --> 00:16:30.019
 Christian life

00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:31.480
 and lord

00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:31.699
 I pray

00:16:31.699 --> 00:16:32.120
 for the rest

00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:32.379
 of us

00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:32.699
 who have

00:16:32.699 --> 00:16:32.840
 been

00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:33.220
 Christians

00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:33.720
 and sometimes

00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:34.100
 we just

00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:34.460
 forget

00:16:34.460 --> 00:16:35.460
 sometimes

00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:36.100
 we've been

00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:36.699
 busy

00:16:36.699 --> 00:16:37.199
 we're on

00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:37.600
 a journey

00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.539
 and we

00:16:38.539 --> 00:16:39.159
 become busy

00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:39.639
 with life

00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:40.220
 and kids

00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:40.759
 and everything

00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:41.100
 else

00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:41.600
 and we walk

00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:42.139
 by a Christmas

00:16:42.139 --> 00:16:42.379
 tree

00:16:42.379 --> 00:16:42.840
 or we walk

00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:43.399
 by a manger

00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:44.360
 and we think

00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:45.159
 commercialism

00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:48.500
 but the message

00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:49.299
 of the tree

00:16:49.299 --> 00:16:49.840
 the message

00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:50.500
 of the manger

00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:51.039
 the message

00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:51.699
 of the baby

00:16:51.699 --> 00:16:54.059
 is that we

00:16:54.059 --> 00:16:54.600
 were lost

00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:57.240
 and you

00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:57.680
 sent your

00:16:57.680 --> 00:16:58.040
 son

00:16:58.040 --> 00:16:59.259
 to find

00:16:59.259 --> 00:16:59.620
 us

00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:01.440
 I pray

00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:01.700
 that we

00:17:01.700 --> 00:17:01.960
 would look

00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:02.420
 at Christmas

00:17:02.420 --> 00:17:02.899
 different

00:17:02.899 --> 00:17:04.099
 as we

00:17:04.099 --> 00:17:04.440
 understand

00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:05.140
 these truths

00:17:05.140 --> 00:17:06.480
 we love

00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:06.779
 you

00:17:06.779 --> 00:17:07.860
 we pray

00:17:07.860 --> 00:17:08.200
 these things

00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:08.380
 in your

00:17:08.380 --> 00:17:08.740
 son Jesus

00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:09.160
 name

00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:09.920
 you