How do we sift the meaning of Christmas from the celebration of the season? Some strive for simplicity by having fewer gifts or a smaller tree. Others make it a time of charity for the needy. But reducing the hype without discerning the hope of Christmas is no improvement. Dr. John reaches back to the Genesis beginning to remind us that in times of despair, God shines with redemptive hope.

Christmas: Hype or Hope?: In our culture, Christmas has become a celebration disjointed from its original intent. The party of Christmas overshadows the meaning of Christmas. In our society, it has the "too much makeup" appearance and is exploited for commercial profit. There is a lot of hype. Where is the hope? In this 5-message series, Dr. John Neufeld distills the meaning from the mayhem. Listen to recover the reason and joy of Christmas. 

When God sent His Son into the world, it wasn't random—it was purposeful. In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld unpacks four reasons why the Father sent Jesus at Christmas: to redeem us from the curse of the law, to adopt us as His children, to place His Spirit in our hearts, and to free us from slavery forever. This isn't just the story of a baby in a manger—it's the story of a God who planned our rescue with precision and love.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

Jesus didn't just happen to be born at a convenient moment in history. When Paul writes that Christ came "in the fullness of time," he's revealing something profound: from the fall of Adam to the manger in Bethlehem, God was preparing the way. In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld walks through seven pivotal moments in redemptive history, showing how each was necessary for the Messiah's arrival. Christmas wasn't an accident. It was the culmination of God's perfectly timed plan.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

We like to think we're free—masters of our own fate, captains of our souls. But the truth is far different. Before Christ, we were all enslaved to what Paul calls "the elementary principles of the world"—cultural rules, religious regulations, and empty philosophies that promised freedom but delivered bondage. In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld unpacks how Christ's coming transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

Since the Tower of Babel, humanity has been divided by race, economics, and culture—but the coming of Christ changed everything. In this message from Galatians 3:28, Dr. John Neufeld explores how Jesus creates "one new humanity" by breaking down the walls of hostility between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. Christ becomes bigger than our politics, culture, and divisions, uniting vastly different people as brothers and sisters in one family of faith.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

What does it mean to be "clothed with Christ"? In this message, Dr. John Neufeld explores how our spiritual nakedness—our sin and vulnerability—is covered by the righteousness of Jesus himself. Through baptism, believers publicly identify with Christ's death and resurrection, putting on His life as their own and becoming heirs of the promise God made to Abraham.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

What changed when Jesus entered the world? From Galatians 3:25-26, Dr. John explores two massive shifts now that Christ has come. First, we're no longer under the guardian—no cultural barriers stand between us and God. Second, believers are made sons and daughters of God—adopted into His family as heirs who will one day rule the new creation. Christmas didn't just offer forgiveness, but restored humanity's original calling.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

Why does Paul say we were "imprisoned" under the law before Christ came? From Galatians 3:23-24, Dr. John explains the law's dual role: it was both our jailor and our guardian. The law provoked rebellion, exposing our sinfulness and trapping us in it. Yet it also prepared us for the gospel through the bloody sacrifices that pointed to Christ. This message reveals why the law was necessary preparation before Christmas—why God's timing was perfect in sending His Son.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

Is God's law contrary to His promises in Christ? Many think Jesus came to abolish the law, but Paul emphatically says "absolutely not!" Drawing from Galatians 3:21-22, Dr. John explains that the law never gave life—only Christ does. Yet the moral law still stands. Jesus didn't come to make us lawless; He came to fulfill what the law demanded and empower us by His Spirit to live righteously. This message reveals the crucial continuity between law and grace.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.

If God promised blessing through Jesus, why give the Law 430 years later? Drawing from Galatians 3:19-20, Dr. John explains that the Law wasn't given to save us—it was given to diagnose our condition. Like a physician's diagnostic tool, the Law reveals our transgressions and strips away our illusions of self-righteousness, ultimately driving us from Mount Sinai to Mount Calvary where we find our Saviour.

Christmas From Galatians: This Christmas, Dr. John takes an unprecedented approach to the season by exploring why Jesus' coming was absolutely necessary. Through the book of Galatians, this series traces God's plan from Abraham's promise through the giving of the Law to the arrival of Christ. Discover why the Law was never meant to save us but to diagnose our condition, how Jesus fulfilled what we could never accomplish, and how Christmas opened the door for all people to become sons and daughters of God.