The Christmas story is more than a manger scene—it’s the beginning of the gospel itself. In this special episode, host Derek Vreeland shares the heart behind his brand-new Bible study, Incarnation: Eight Lessons on How God Meets Us, the first in his God in the Neighborhood series.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

The behind-the-scenes journey of how this book came to life—two years in the making!

Why John 1:14 (“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood”) sparked an entire Bible study series.

How the incarnation shows us God’s neighboring presence—God with us, not far away.

A walk through the eight lessons, from Old Testament promises to Jesus’ birth, to learning “the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matthew 11).

Why incarnation matters today: before Jesus died for us, He came to us.

Key Takeaways

God’s desire to be with His people from Genesis to Jesus.

The Advent promise of peace, justice, and hope fulfilled in Christ.

What it means for Jesus to be both Messiah and Master.

Living out the incarnation in our own neighborhoods.

Scriptures mentioned in this episode:

Psalm 97

Isaiah 2 & 5

Isaiah 7

Luke 2

John 1:14

Matthew 11:29–30

Books mentioned in this podcast:
Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us

NOW AVAILABLE! Order Derek's new book, Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us here: https://amzn.to/42jSZAs

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Episode Website

What You’ll Hear in This Episode: