This is a Christmas passage we tend to skip over! It certainly leaves us uneasy, and feeling the pain of the families. But in it we see the ugliness and pain of sin, and God's goodness, even at Christmas.

We see God's gracious plan revealed - this child was born in the humble peasant home and he came to be with people like us, whatever our background or race.

Life for us is messy and full of questions, and it was no different for those involved in the Christmas story. And yet in the midst of the chaos is the Child.

The birth of Jesus is at the core of the Christian faith- and it is always relevant. The genealogy tells us all we need to know...

A key word for Luther and the Reformation, and for us, is “Peace.”

Romans 5

In many ways the story of the Bible is the story of God calling and setting apart a Kingdom of Priests. That story hasn’t ended- it is our privilege even today.

Exodus 19:4-6, Hebrews

Because of the truth of the gospel we can serve God joyfully, with our whole heart.

Titus 3:1-8

The Bible is precious. We don’t always treat it as such, but the Word of God is a treasure. In it we see and hear God’s Voice.

Exodus 33-34, John 1

Luther wrestled with fear- what God thought of him was terrifying! This forced him to investigate where real hope could come from. And he found a great answer!

[Romans 1:16-17]

It's really important that we live as contagious Christians. But there's more! Jesus wants to draw people to himself - and we can join in!