Christmas Day Sermon at Gladstone Campus by Pastor Adam Mustoe.

It would seem that when we're willing to follow God, that our life would simplify. However, following the life of Christ is threatening to many others. The birth of Christ was so threatening to King Herod that he went on a killing spree to rid Bethlehem of all infants/toddlers. As the prophets foretold, Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus were forced to flee to Egypt because of their decision to follow God. Although we may not live life as a refugee in another country, we frequently feel like we're living life on the run, constantly moving from one thing to the next in order to make sense of life as we attempt to follow Christ.

Whenever we read someone's biography we want to know the beginnings of their life. When we watch comic book movies, we want to know the origin story of our superheroes. One of the predictions made about Jesus is that he would be born of a virgin. Scientifically, this is absurd. Are Christians crazy to believe this? Why would God choose this birth for our savior? Why does it matter? Jesus was fully human and fully God and it all started with a miracle. What has God done in your life that defies reason?

As difficult as it is when we disappoint others, we can take comfort in knowing that through the process, God is with us. When we are open to admitting our mistakes, then ultimately growth can come from failing to meet expectations.

Have you ever felt frustrated when others don't meet your expectations? In the bible Moses was discouraged by his older brother Aaron's behavior. He was expecting Aaron to lead the people of Israel while he was receiving instructions from God on Mt. Sinai; instead, Aaron turned from following God and created an idol for worship. How do we reconcile the discord between our expectations and our current reality?

We prefer things to be nice and neat, but reality is life is messy. What if instead of being anxious we learned to not just live in the mess but love the mess?

A perennial effect is of "existing for a long or apparently infinite time." It can have the effect of consistently generating new fruit, giving the perception of a perpetual yield. Similary, in following Christ's lead to give, the Spirit can perennially reach generations for Christ to transform the world.

We have many desires that compete for our heart and our soul. Part of our spiritual development is giving up or sacrificing part of my desire or experience so that somebody else can have that same experience - people who did that for us, we do that for our kids, etc

Potential is a difficult thing to perceive in ourselves, others, or communities. We underestimate how much God has given us, how much God expects of us, and what we can accomplish when we each do our part as the body of Christ in a united direction.

Often we think of Sabbath as doing nothing. Yet God enjoyed and delighted in creation after the world was made. Jesus worked miracles on the Sabbath and upset religious authorities who had a narrow view of what Sabbath meant. Can Sabbath look different to each one of us?