Presence. It's the thing we remember years after the funeral. It's the thing we hope for when we receive the worst call of our life.

Technology has given us some incredible things. You can now Facetime with Grandma and send mail electronically that will get to its destination in a matter of milliseconds rather than days. But no matter what devices we employ, or commodity we consume, some things you just can’t phone in. Bodies sharing life together is what presence truly means. And it’s why He came. 

The sermon today is titled "God With Us." It is the first installment in our "Christmas Presence" Series. The Scripture reading is from Matthew 1:23. Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on December 4, 2022. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under Begin: A Loving Christ.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Footnotes (Sources and References Used In Today's Podcast):

• For more on the importance of presence, see Andy Crouch, The Life We're Looking For.
• Mukesh Gupta, "The Difficulty of Being in the Present Moment and Strategies to Overcome It" at rmukeshgupta.com. See also his book Thrive.
• Woody Allen quote: "80% of success in life is showing up."
• Zephaniah 3:17 as pointing to the "womb" of Israel: see Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. Ratzinger cites Laurentin.
• Phillip Brooks, "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

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