Joseph was God's servant who stayed faithful to the Lord through all situations. God is faithful to us even when we don't always understand what is going on in life. Joseph’s life reminds us that though man plans for evil, God redeems for good. Beauty for ashes. Life from death. Man fails, but God prevails. Every time.

This week we look at Chapter 2 of The Story, which deals with how God starts to build a nation. We’ll look at the early patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and see how God blessed them to be a blessing to others.

The book of Genesis tells the story of how the universe and people came to exist. God simply proclaims each act of creation, and things come into being. Soon after being created, people disobeyed God's direction and in doing so, they messed up big time. Fortunately for us, God goes to great lengths to rescue His people, and that is what The Story is all about.

God goes to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. The Bible is more than just a history book, it’s the amazing story of God and humanity. It’s a story that more than anything teaches, encourages, exhorts, and commands us to get involved in God’s plan and pursuit of us. This is the introduction to a 31-part sermon series based on "The Story" by Randy Frazee and Max Lucado.

Sin makes us all misfits in this world. We are created for a relationship with God. Sin separated us from God, and we have had wandering hearts since the fall. The announcement that Christ had come was an invitation to come home. He is the One who gives us a place to call home. Just like all the misfit toys in Rudolph, there’s always a place for us.

The greatest gift that was ever given to mankind was Jesus Christ. Jesus' gift was a sacrificial gift. He came to earth for us because he loves us and so that in Him we might become righteous in the eyes of God. This Christmas, let us reflect on the true reason we celebrate - Jesus Christ.

Jesus meets us where we are, even in our sins and shame. Our sins can be forgiven, and our hearts can be changed. Through Christ we have freedom. He is worthy of our authentic praise and our worship.

Are we trying to impress God through worship? Worship is a big deal, and the one true God that we worship does not need to be impressed. Remember that He is Almighty God, above all things, and we can place our full confidence in Him. Like the loving Father He is, He longs for us to spend time with Him in His presence, to hear our voices glorifying Him, and to honor Him in all we do!

God knows our needs! He knows our hurts, our fears, and the desires of our hearts. God asks us to trust Him with everything we have, and to fully rely on Him for everything we need. Physical, emotional, and spiritual. Do you trust Him?