You can find some amazing things at yard sales. Every now and then you can get something extremely valuable for next to nothing. Can you imaging the regret if you were the one that let something valuable go, for next to nothing? If you were to ask some OT saints, I'm afraid they might say we've already done that with Christmas. Do we really understand the value of what we have in Christmas?

The Christmas story is beautiful, but it's a whole lot bigger than our manger scene. Unfotunately, Christians often forget the grand drama that plays out at Christmas time. The incarnation is evidence that we are a part of a story that began in eternity and will stretch into eternity, and we should be captivated by the beauty of that story.

Jesus's words in Matthew 10 are clear and our mission is laid out before us. These words have remarkable bearing on us today as we consider the world around us. How are Christians to respond (note: not our country) to this crisis and the evil that has caused it? We can't ignore the clear instructions Jesus gives his disciples.

When Jesus sends his disciples out, he doesn't give them the most encouraging message. Full of warnings and promises of persecution and suffering, Jesus is honest about the mission that lies ahead of his disciples. However he ends with a note of encouragement that is intended to make them look beyond the things this world offers to the reward that awaits them. Far from filthy rags, our deeds are both noticed and rewarded.

Sometimes the Bible can be confusing. As Christmas approaches, we'll hear of the Prince of Peace and Peace on Earth. Yet Jesus proclaims in Matthew 10 that he didn't come to bring peace at all. Have we gotten Jesus all wrong or is there more to this message? It all depends on how you define "peace." If it looks like a sleeping baby, then you've missed the true peace that Jesus really came to bring.

Fear is a reality for every one of us. No matter how much we try to run from it or hide it- we all have fears that hold sway over our lives. How do we fight those fears? Jesus had disciples that would have been rightly afraid, but he knew how to fight those fears. You fight your fears, with an even greater fear.

Jesus continues to rally his team, but his message isn't really the inspiration you'd expect. Instead he tells them that things are going to be hard on this journey, and it may cost them everything. How can a man call anyone to a mission that may cost them their life? It only makes sense if there is something bigger at stake than our life.

The pregame speech is a Friday night staple all across America. A good coach can use a carefully crafted pregame speech to motivate and inspire his team to play at their best ability. In Matthew 10 Jesus gives something of a pregame speech to his disciples. As he sends them out, he preps them for what awaits. But it's not quite what you'd expect out of a coach.

As Jesus teaches and preaches the message of the Kingdom of Heaven, his message is marked by his love and compassion for the crowds that followed him. Too often, our picture of Jesus looks nothing like this. In this familiar passage, we see that Jesus was driven by grace. Which begs the question: Are we?

Jesus and his disciples didn't always play by the religious rules of the day, and it made people ask questions. When people wanted to know why his disciples didn't fast, Jesus made it clear that there were more important things at hand. When Jesus is around, things change and his disciples celebrate. It was true then, and it's still true today.