This morning I want to look at where does this confidence come from that Paul has that he goes on and he turns the world upside down for the gospel, planting churches all over the known region. Where does that confidence come from for him?

It seems that often the gospel is explained as if it is only for the broken, miserable, desperately needy. Paul was none of this. He had money, position, purpose. He was zealous, loved what he did. He was accomplished in every way important to him. He wasn’t needy. He wasn’t crazy. He wasn’t given to stories of a Messiah, as is evidenced by his desire to kill those who were. But He needed Jesus, received Jesus, and change began.

It seems that often the gospel is explained as if it is only for the broken, miserable, desperately needy. Paul was none of this. He had money, position, purpose. He was zealous, loved what he did. He was accomplished in every way important to him. He wasn’t needy. He wasn’t crazy. He wasn’t given to stories of a Messiah, as is evidenced by his desire to kill those who were. But He needed Jesus, received Jesus, and change began.

There is something about this time of year that has many of us evaluating, and some of us will really like where we are and what is happening. Others have some things they really want to be better, want to see changed, and it is wearing them out. Maybe there is even frustration with God. We’ve prayed, gone to church, read our Bible. We’re doing what we know to do, and it is not paying off. We need God to show up and do a God-thing. Maybe there is just something we really need to get right and we’re not sure what to do and we want God to give us a sign. Ever prayed for a sign? Sure. I think we all have. The God who parted the Sea, who rained down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, who walked on water, and rose from the dead is more likely to whisper. Would you hear it? Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Kings 19:9-18.

There is something about this time of year that has many of us evaluating, and some of us will really like where we are and what is happening. Others have some things they really want to be better, want to see changed, and it is wearing them out. Maybe there is even frustration with God. We’ve prayed, gone to church, read our Bible. We’re doing what we know to do, and it is not paying off. We need God to show up and do a God-thing. Maybe there is just something we really need to get right and we’re not sure what to do and we want God to give us a sign. Ever prayed for a sign? Sure. I think we all have. The God who parted the Sea, who rained down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, who walked on water, and rose from the dead is more likely to whisper. Would you hear it? Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Kings 19:9-18.

Merry Christmas, Everyone! What a blessing to be celebrating altogether our God and Savior coming into our lives so we could know Him personally. Here in America, we spend two months building up to this night. Here at The Heights, we’ve spent a month building up to after Christmas. Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2 give us the Christmas story, and in that is a good bit after Christmas, after the birth of Christ. We’ve looked at a story as much as 2 years after His birth, one that was 12 years, another just 8 days, and tonight a matter of minutes.

Merry Christmas, Everyone! What a blessing to be celebrating altogether our God and Savior coming into our lives so we could know Him personally. Here in America, we spend two months building up to this night. Here at The Heights, we’ve spent a month building up to after Christmas. Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2 give us the Christmas story, and in that is a good bit after Christmas, after the birth of Christ. We’ve looked at a story as much as 2 years after His birth, one that was 12 years, another just 8 days, and tonight a matter of minutes.

Merry Christmas everyone! Christmas Day is upon us, and if you have been at The Heights the last couple of weeks you have been looking beyond Christmas Day with me. Each Sunday we have been in those traditional Christmas passages of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2, but we have been looking at the stories God has given us after Christmas, stories that too often we are quick to move beyond: the flight to Egypt where we learned something about God’s will in our lives, or the story of 12 year-old Jesus where religious leaders saw the depth of His knowledge and we saw the depth of His character, a character we’re to strive to be like. And today we come to another story just beyond Christmas, 8 days to be exact. Let’s look at Luke 2:22-33.

Merry Christmas everyone! Christmas Day is upon us, and if you have been at The Heights the last couple of weeks you have been looking beyond Christmas Day with me. Each Sunday we have been in those traditional Christmas passages of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2, but we have been looking at the stories God has given us after Christmas, stories that too often we are quick to move beyond: the flight to Egypt where we learned something about God’s will in our lives, or the story of 12 year-old Jesus where religious leaders saw the depth of His knowledge and we saw the depth of His character, a character we’re to strive to be like. And today we come to another story just beyond Christmas, 8 days to be exact. Let’s look at Luke 2:22-33.

Ten days till Christmas. This is when we crank it up – the stress, the travel, the cooking, the shopping. It’s go time. But here at The Heights we’re already thinking after Christmas. There are wonderful, important, passages included in the Christmas passages, Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2 that are after Christmas, and too often put away in the attic without much attention. So we are looking after Christmas before Christmas. Last week we saw how we follow God’s will. Our after Christmas story today is the furthest removed from Christmas. Like 12 years removed. It is the singular story about Jesus in the Bible prior to the age of 30, and even at 12 we see in Him how we are to live. Let’s read Luke 2:41-51.