It is easy to become complacent, fatigued, and even grinch-like when Christmas rolls around each year. For every one person who can’t wait for the season to begin, there are perhaps ten who can’t wait for it to end and a dozen reasons why a passion for Christmas eludes so many. Maybe it is sadness over loss, unmet expectations, the pressures of life, or maybe the trappings of it all. It is so easy for the gospel message to be lost amidst the decorations, music, and unrestrained commercialism. Despite these obstacles, it is possible to find a new or renewed passion for the nativity of Jesus. As we look at “five guys” who were there at his birth (including Jesus himself!), we’ll see a passion for the birth of Christ that is worth having. A passion that will, if we give ourselves to it, push through any traumas, heartaches, and distractions this time of year can bring.

Series: A Five Guys Christmas

Todd Dugard

Message: 1 – Pushing through my fears (Joseph)

Harvest Bible Chapel

Text: Matthew 1

December 1, 2024

As a believer, my fears must yield to…

…Experience: what God has done in the past (v. 1-17)

1 Corinthians 10:11-12

…Wisdom: what God says in the moment (v. 18-23)

Courage: Fighting Fear with Fear

Wayne and Joshua Mack

https://a.co/d/54Ge5Gq

2 Peter 1:19-21

…Faith: what God promises in the future (v. 24-25)

My feelings are not God. God is God. My feelings do not define truth. God's word defines truth. My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives. And sometimes—many times—my feelings are out of sync with the truth. When that happens—and it happens every day in some measure—I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth. ~John Piper, Finally Alive