You have a purpose that drives the direction of your life every day. It is not self-satisfaction, self-gratification, or self-sufficiency. Your purpose is to bring glory to God. Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit.”

We live in a broken world. You cannot escape pain, hurt, and disappointment; however, you can trust God through it. Jesus teaches how to see that God is present and at work in every moment of life.

There is nothing more important in life than your relationships. First is your relationship with God, and second are your relationships with people. Jesus teaches some basic truths about how to improve your relationships with both people and God.

What is your passion in life? If you are honest, you will admit that you have conflicting desires. Part of you wants what is wholesome and pure while another part of you craves sin and secrecy. Jesus says, “true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.”

Every day you are bombarded with messages that promise you happiness if you are successful, attractive, wealthy, etc. It’s a spiral of lies in which so many people struggle to escape. There is only one alternative to all these lies. Jesus says, “I will tell you the truth.”

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We all have an image of the Christmas story in our minds, but do we have the right picture? If what you see is the truth, the grace, and the beauty of Jesus, then there is only one response: worship.

There is a balance of tension in every good story. The Christmas story comes to us during one of the most tumultuous times in history. Yet, Jesus brings real peace to our conflicted world.

The plot of the Christmas story is joy. Ironically, the holiday, with all its stress and anxiety, can diminish our joy and detract from our celebration of what God has done. Therefore, you have to learn how to celebrate and experience the gift of joy.

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are key characters in the Christmas story, but it is God’s character of love that is the real gift of Christmas. You are most like Christ when you give the gift of love.