Think of history as an immense Broadway drama: for thousands of years, God meticulously sets the stage, then sends in His only Son as the key player in a carefully-crafted redemption story. How odd, though, that God would usher Him onstage nearly unnoticed--a nursing infant in an obscure little town, uncelebrated except by a few local shepherds and some foreign astrologers. And have you ever noticed that the opening act begins with God's Son helplessly dependent upon flawed and frail human beings? His whole strategy is to overthrow Satan's rulership by the two weakest, least likely things possible: a suckling babe, and US (who, if we're honest, know we're just grownup suckling babes ourselves). Listen in this week to find out how each of us, as supporting cast, can have as big a role as we want in the ultimate drama, directed by the living God.

All kinds of circumstances may accompany the arrival of a newborn, but in any case this one thing is true: when the baby comes, your life is never the same. On the one hand, you'll have to clear away the spaces in your surroundings (and your heart) which were once filled up with other things; on the other, you'll have to narrow your options, not to mention refocus your whole way of thinking, to accommodate a different and bigger future. This week as we look at the account of the first Christmas, you may find yourself both astounded and challenged by the personal choices that the arrival of this newborn--the Word of Life--will press you to make. These are the ways of God made clear, and an opportunity to make room for Him right in the middle of your circumstance.

If Jesus knows us intimately... why on earth would He limit Himself to losers like us for accomplishing His work in the world? That could be a real problem for anybody-but especially for Jesus, who could do it all Himself (and do it so much better, at that). As Daniel carefully explains Jesus� �problem�, you�ll begin to sense the marvelous wisdom and profound love that motivates Him. If you�ve been in a spiritual desert, or if the thrill of being ministered to has dried up, then perhaps Jesus is transforming you from a receiver-of-ministry to a giver-of-ministry. And it�s all because He knows you so well; as He uses you more and more in His eternal purposes, you�ll discover greater joy than anything else on earth can offer.

Have you ever wondered what it really means to be a "living temple"? In Daniel Brown�s conclusion to this study in First Peter, he draws upon a recent visit to St. Peter�s basilica in Rome to illustrate the answer to that question. As beautiful as St. Peter�s is, how inestimably more precious are we when transformed by inviting a passionate God to pour His mercy and kindness into the broken structures of our souls! (To see Daniel�s photos of St. Peter�s - in contrast to the beauty that is YOU - go to the CTW store to purchase the DVD of this message.)

In doing things both for us and through us, God establishes a very purposeful order that keeps us safely headed into more and more transformation. (If we hang onto the idea that we have to experience certain things happening through us before God will do anything for us, we�re cooked.) As we bask in the knowledge that He loves us regardless of how well we do, we can eagerly embrace the inevitable changes that we�ll experience as our nature increasingly comes to resemble His. As Daniel introduces a new study in I Peter, he focuses on how this hard-to-believe truth makes it possible for us to actually love unlovable people.

Is your mind fairly crowded? Are your emotions overflowing? Do you feel cramped? Maybe it�s time to drive out the squatters. God gave Israel the Promised Land, and they never occupied the whole territory. Drawing from the book of Joshua, Daniel Brown reminds us that God has a place for each of us - an expansive territory with definite boundaries. God promises the territory to us, and it�s our job to possess what we�ve been given. Just like the Israelites, we get the reminder that we are a strong people: we can chop down trees, drive out the squatters, and make a place for ourselves and for others.

Occasionally the Lord interrupts our itinerary to give us a road map-because what�s ahead is not the same flat landscape as the one we�ve been traversing for the last many miles. This message is just such an interruption; in it, Daniel offers a prophetic - word of wisdom� that will very possibly make sense of the isolation, depression, weariness, judgment or boredom that may be your experience right now. The treasure and fulfillment you can find on the road ahead are neither secured by past success, nor jeopardized by past failure-and that is very good news.

Acts 28

Acts 23-26

Acts 28