What are your thoughts as you look back over the last year? Was it a year of heartache and loss, tragedy and sorrow? Or happiness and joy, success and achievement? Do you close the book on this year with regret , or with relief?
No matter what your answer is, I hope you will pause and prayerfully ask yourself two important questions. First, how do you think God looks on this past year in your life? Did it bring you any closer to Him?
Second, what lessons will you take from this year into the next? What did God teach you? Don't be bound by the past and its failures. Don't forget its lessons either.

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And because He is unchanging, He is utterly trustworthy and faithful. God is unchanging in His holiness:"Holy,holy, holy is the Lord Almighty!"( Isaiah 6:3).
God is unchanging in His demand for holiness and integrity in our lives: " Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy" ( Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15-16).
God is unchanging in His judgment: He will judge all the earth, welcoming some into His eternal presence and sending others to eternal death for rejecting His Son, Jesus.( Matthew 7:22-23).
God is unchanging in His love: He sent His Son to die on the cross for us sinners.
" I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6

There’s a Gift that was given long ago at the very first Christmas; but it’s also given every day of every year ever since then, for those who know Him. 

1 John 5:11 - “And the testimony is this; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”

We need to be reminded of these truths each year.  Consider doing advent calendars with your kids/family.  Read the Christmas story (Luke 2), and talk to them and pray with them about the true meaning of Christmas.  Sing meaningful Christmas carols together.  Go on outings to celebrate the holidays.  Consider the various symbols of a Christmas tree.  Contemplate the Candy Cane and its meaning, etc.

This greatest of gifts (Jesus), is the One that keeps on giving - offering those who are His, an enduring peace; a lavish love; a heavenly hope; and a fixed joy.  The gift of Himself is perfect; it’s the one Gift that endures the test of time and unlike many of the other gifts, it’s the One we’ll never forget.  As a result (which many of us continue to experience), we’re willing to trade-in all the other gifts, for this One.

2 Corinthians 9:15 - “Thanks be to God, for His indescribable gift!”... The greatest giver, God, has given us the greatest gift - Jesus.

This Gift can’t be scratched, stolen or crashed; it won’t run out, and it doesn’t ever have to be replaced;
​it can’t bend, wear or tear, and it won’t tangle or break; and this Gift can never be lost.

Another reason Jesus is unforgettable, extraordinary and indescribable, is because  of His nature.

Isaiah 9:6 - “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; His Name will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

How do you explain Jesus?... This One Who is, “Mighty God”, and eternal - yet Who’s also flesh!  Isaiah 7:14 reminds us that His Name is, “Emanuel”, which means, ‘God with us’.

In describing the indescribable, as words can be inadequate, we simply need to look to Jesus/the Bible.

This One Who is eternal/Spirit and is all-knowing and all-powerful, invites us into a relationship.

Another reason the greatest Gift the world will ever know is indescribable, is because of His purpose in having come to the earth; mankind is in need of saving grace, which is what we see at the cross.

As a result of the cross, if we'll call on Christ to save us, then we can be at peace  with God.  Col.1:20(a) - “And through Him (Jesus) to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross”

There will never be any true peace on earth unless mankind is rescued, forgiven and lifted-out of our sin - having our lives changed through Jesus the Savior coming into our hearts, lives and minds - as our greatest need is to be saved from our sin and from ourselves.

Such great grace should cause us abundant joy and humility, with a desire to want to respond.

Part of what makes God’s Gift so special, is that He doesn’t owe us anything.

Romans 5:10 - “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” 

God gave us the gift of His Son - not because He felt obligated to but because His love is so overwhelming, as it’s a gift of His grace.

What can we do, or how should we respond?... There's one gift that God wants from you, which is your heart.

God doesn’t really need anything from us; talk about Someone Who already has everything, it’s all His!  But the one thing He desires from us, is our heart's affection.  If He has that, then everything else in our lives will follow suit.

Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  
Pastor Chris Hudson
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BIBLE PASSAGE
Matthew 1:21 and Luke 2

“A New Baby and a New Beginning” (Chapter 53)
GOSPEL CONNECTION

On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. You know that. But you may not
know the strange way Matthew begins the story of Christmas. He starts with a long
list of names, called a genealogy. Genealogy is just a fancy way of saying family
tree. Why would he tell the story of Christmas with a genealogy? When we read the

long list of names, we’re reminded of how sinful people are. There are some big-
time sinners on the list.

What does all this have to do with Jesus? Well, Jesus wasn’t a big-time sinner.
Instead, he was a big-time Savior from sin. Even though he was fully human, he was
also fully God. And even though he came from a long line of sinners, he was born in
a special way so he could do some special rescuing: he was from God. And since God
is without sin, Jesus could be born free from the sin that marked his genealogy.
Now here’s where the story gets really interesting. Mary was engaged to
Joseph. He was shocked to find out Mary was pregnant! He decided the best course
was to quietly break up with her. But God sent an angel to let him in on what God
was doing. “Joseph,” the angel told him, “Marry Mary, for the baby in her has
been conceived from the Holy Spirit” (see Matt. 1:20). Joseph listened. The angel
continued, “The baby will be a boy. When he is born, your job is to name him
Jesus.” Joseph must have wondered, “Why that name? It’s not a family name.” The
reason was that the name means “Yahweh saves.” The angel explained, “Call him
Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (see v. 21). Joseph and Mary
obeyed the angel’s orders. They got married, she gave birth and Joseph called the
baby Jesus.

WATCH THE VIDEO

“The Great and Awesome Day of the Lord” (Chapter 52)

GOSPEL CONNECTION

Through Malachi, God said, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare
the way before me” (Mal. 3:1). The messenger will prepare the way for the
day of God’s returning and living with his people. The New Testament tells
us that John the Baptist is this messenger who prepared the way for the Lord
Jesus, Immanuel (God with us). Jesus is the good news God’s people have been
promised since the very beginning! He is the Snake Crusher that was promised
to Eve. He is Abraham’s offspring bringing a blessing to all nations. He is the
Branch from David’s family tree, who rules as the forever King of the forever
kingdom.
God’s people didn’t know exactly what to look for when God would return
to live with his people. But if they paid attention to the Bible, they knew that
their coming Savior would be a teacher greater than Moses, a priest purer
than Aaron, and a king wiser than Solomon. They knew he would be born of a
virgin, preach good news to the poor, heal the sick, and then suffer and die for
his people’s sins. They also knew he would rise from the dead and someday
return to judge and save. The Bible was full of pictures to show them what their
coming Savior was like. And soon he would appear, not as a mighty king, but as
a helpless baby.