Merry Christmas to you! I am glad you are here on this Christmas day worship service today. Psalm 126 says, "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." I hope and pray you are filled with joy today. Maybe you will receive that gift that you wanted -- maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have a special moment today with family you haven't seen in a long time -- maybe you won't. Here is what you can be assure of: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11-12) May the hope and truth of God's love and rescue to you bring you joy this Christmas season!

There are a few people in the Christmas story in the Bible that always get neglected this time of year. We know Mary and Joseph we love the wise men and the shepherds the story of Elizabeth and Zachariah the angels who did we miss?

Often in the Bible you will see stories of comparisons. King Saul vs. King David... Cain vs. Abel. In Matthew 2, you see another comparison between the wise men and King Herod. The wise men travel from afar (900 miles) to find the Messiah; King Herod won't even go the 4.5 miles to Bethlehem. The wise men bow down and worship Jesus and give gifts fit for a king. Herod orders that all boys under the age of 2 to be killed. The wise men are one of the most well known accounts in the Christmas story. Yet, have you ever wondered why is it there? Why did God, in His sovereignty, ordain that this story would be included in the Bible? We'll look at that today.

In this last week of Who Me? we are going to look at Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4. Timothy was a young guy (likely in his 20's) who had a desire to be used by God to make the story of Jesus known to those in his city. So often we are told (and feel) that age defines us. According to God's Word, it does not. God can and does use people at all ages of their lives to do both big and small things that He uses in mighty ways. I know kids in elementary school sharing the love of Jesus to others and inviting their friends to Awana. And I've heard of retirees starting their career as missionaries in their mid-70's. God can use you at any age. The question is, do you want Him to? I hope you stick around today after service in the fellowship hall for the Vision Meeting. You will hear about what God is doing through the ministries of the church and the preaching vision for 2017. We will give an update on current and future building renovations and approve elders and the operating budget for next year. If you've never come before, believe it or not, this is a fun and encouraging meeting!

Did you hear it? Tired of your preset radio stations, you were scanning through the radio stations and a jingle startled you. "What was that? Is that what I think it is? It couldn't be..." Yup! Christmas music is back on the radio as of this past Thursday! We can't deny it... Costco has been selling ribbon since the 4th of July (why ribbon?) -- the holidays are coming! BCC is likewise almost into full holiday season! Make sure you get all the dates entered into your calendar. Women's Dessert (Nov 13), Decorate the church (Nov 20 after church), Advent calendar family event (Nov 20 evening), Advent sermon series and Fall Clean-Up (Nov 27), Christmas Feast (Dec 4), big Christmas service (Dec 18), intimate Christmas day service (Dec 25). It all ramps up next Sunday! Today, we are talking about simplifying our schedules (I'm kidding!!) We are in Luke 5 looking at Jesus' calling of the disciples and His call to us

Have you caught the trend? Time after time, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things! From Noah to Gideon to (today) Esther, God takes a nobody and makes them into a somebody in His mission. We are only half way through this sermon series, but I have to ask? Are you still saying, "Who me? Who am I to be used by God in such a way as these people?" It's not about who you are, it is about who your God is. Today, Esther is thrown into the decision of her lifetime. Does she try and protect herself as queen or take courage and risk laying down her own life for the sake of saving her people? What will Esther do... ... ... what will you do? The trend is clear. Will you step out courageously and walk faithfully wherever God calls you? Don't let your Esther moment slip by!

"God was that really you?" Have you ever said that? Maybe you we're laying in bed pleading your thoughts to God or praying while drinking a morning cup of coffee. And then you sensed a question or statement or idea in your mind. "Where did that come from? Was that God?" Gideon had a moment like that. An angel came to him and told him to do (what to him would have been) the craziest thing you could possibly imagine! He wasn't THAT kind of leader. He wasn't THAT kind of God-fearing man. He had... issues. Struggles with faith and fear. Today we will look at this story of Gideon in Judges 6 and see how the story has a lot more to do with who God is than with who Gideon isn't.

When you were a kid did you sing this? "The Lord told Noah to build him an arky arky..." If you didn't, you were seriously deprived as a child! (side note - does anyone know what an "arky" exactly is?) For as much as movies, cartoons, and songs have been written - Noah is a real story. There really was a guy who built an ark by the command of God for a flood that would destroy the world. Can you imagine what that would have been like to be Noah? To be called by God to build such a obscure thing in a land that hadn't seen rain. Yet Noah was faithful. Nail by nail and board by board, Noah built the ark by the sweat of his brow. I wonder if he thought, "Who me? Why me?" Today we look at his life - and see that Noah's call to faithfulness is also a call to you. Your call may not be an ark... but it is one that God can use in a mighty way.

What if I told you, "You will be the next president of the United States." You response would likely be, "Who me?" (or maybe it be, "I can't be any worse than the current options!") "I'm not presidential material... I wouldn't always know what to do." People say the same thing when it comes to being used by God in ways both big and small. "I'm not a missionary... what if I don't have the right answers?" God has a pattern. A pattern that started early in the Bible and continues today. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things for His mission and Gospel. And yes that means... you! Berkley Community Church has been a longtime partner with Operation Christmas Child. We set our God-sized goal of packing 400 shoe boxes from BCC and we are looking to meet if not exceed that goal! Today Jenna Lupo and Livia Young will share how God is doing extraordinary things around the world through Operation Christmas Child. Does extraordinary sound appealing to you? I don't know if God will make you into a president... but He most definitely can use you in ways beyond what you can imagine.