{"id":311476,"date":"2024-12-25T03:39:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T08:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson\/"},"modified":"2024-12-25T03:39:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T08:39:28","slug":"what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson\/","title":{"rendered":"What Christmas Says To The World: Dave Wilson"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Because Jesus came to Earth, believers have identity and purpose. Dave Wilson explains the ways Jesus&#8217; birth affects every aspect of our lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Because Jesus came to Earth, believers have identity and purpose. Dave Wilson explains the ways Jesus&#8217; birth affects every aspect of our lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280865,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/2986e4f3-3abe-44d2-a481-b23c0110aaad\/audio.mp3","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:25:43","filesize":"23.59M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2816],"tags":[],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[3295],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-311476","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christmas","cwp_profile-dave-wilson","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/311476\/what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/311476\/what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xUdkP5Puk4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson\/\">What Christmas Says To The World: Dave Wilson<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/what-christmas-says-to-the-world-dave-wilson\/embed\/#?secret=xUdkP5Puk4\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;What Christmas Says To The World: Dave Wilson&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"xUdkP5Puk4\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"spectra_custom_meta":{"secondline_imported_guid":["2986e4f3-3abe-44d2-a481-b23c0110aaad"],"audio_file":["https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/2986e4f3-3abe-44d2-a481-b23c0110aaad\/audio.mp3"],"duration":["00:25:43"],"filesize":["23.59M"],"_thumbnail_id":["280865"],"show_notes":["\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/help-families-come-home\/?cru_source=24EGPC&cru_medium=podcast&cru_campaign=YE2024\">Double your donation to FamilyLife<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n"],"transcript_url":["https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-12-25.pdf"],"transcript_content":["\nFamilyLife Today\u00ae with Dave and Ann Wilson - Web Version Transcript\r\n\r\nThis content has been generated by an artificial intelligence language model. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided will most likely not be entirely error-free or up-to-date. We recommend independently verifying the content with the originally-released audio. This transcript is provided for your personal use and general information purposes only. References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the use or interpretation of this content.\r\n\r\nWhat Christmas Says to the World\r\n\r\nGuest:Dave Wilson\r\n\r\nFrom the series:What Christmas Says to the World (Day 1 of 1)\r\n\r\nAir date:December 25, 2024\r\n\r\nDave:I was dragged to church every Sunday by my mom with this rule: \u201cYou live under my roof. You follow my rules; we're going to church.\u201d Anybody\u2014same thing?\u2014maybe, that's why you're here tonight. I was dragged to Christmas Eve services just like this. \r\n\r\nAs I grew up into teenaged years, and we would light the candle on Christmas Eve\u2014like we're going to light here at the end of the service\u2014my mom would be in tears. I'd be snickering, under my breath, like, \u201cYou believe in a God? You think He really came?\u201d\u2014because see, my dad walked out on us. My little brother died of leukemia when I was seven; and I just thought, \u201cI cannot believe in a God who would let that happen to this family.\u201d And yet, I'm looking at my mom. She's in tears; she loves that God, because she believes that God came for her and is the strength of her life.\r\n\r\nAnn: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I'm Ann Wilson.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDave:And I'm Dave Wilson. And you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com. This is FamilyLife Today.\r\n\r\nAnn: Merry Christmas.\r\n\r\nDave: Merry Christmas. It's finally here.\r\n\r\nAnn: It's finally here.\r\n\r\nDave:\u2014the greatest day of the year. It's either this or Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead; but He can't raise from the dead if He's not born. So what a great day.\r\n\r\nAnn: It's really good to be with you, and I'm super excited that you're listening to FamilyLife Today. I think today's going to be really special because you get to hear from my husband, Pastor Dave Wilson. This is a message that you gave at our church back in 2017. You're pretty honest about your life, and how Jesus changed your life, which is a perfect way to celebrate the birth of Christ.\r\n\r\nDave:Yeah, I mean, obviously as a pastor on Christmas and Easter, you have a lot of people who don't normally come to church. We would call them \u201cChresters\u201d\u2014Christmas and Easter attenders. And so we would spend a lot of time in prayer\u2014and asking God what to say, what to communicate, especially to an unchurched person, who may be just showing up with their family or with their grandkids\u2014and we're hoping God's going to get a message to them. \r\n\r\nI remember that one\u2014and again, it's years ago\u2014but I remember that one was: \u201cWhat Would the World Be Like, and What Would I Be Like, If Jesus Had Never Been Born?\u201d\r\n\r\nAnn: Oh! It's kind of like It's a Wonderful Life, the movie, which we should watch that today.\r\n\r\nDave:We probably will.\r\n\r\nAnn: But really, that movie's about: \u201cWhat would life be like if George Bailey had never been born?\u201d\r\n\r\nDave:I think Jesus being born is a little bigger than George Bailey.\r\n\r\nAnn: I'm saying, \u201cIf Jesus hadn't been born\u2014your life, our life\u2014our world would look totally different.\u201d\r\n\r\nDave: Again, that\u2019s what I tried to communicate at Christmas\u2014 that even hospitals, literally, came from Christians\u2014and we have to love people with the love of God. We [Christians] started orphanages, and hospitals; I mean, that\u2019s some of the stuff we showed on a video that day. \r\n\r\nBut then, the message got personal: \u201cWhere would my life be if Jesus had never been born?\u201d\u2014because we wouldn\u2019t even be sitting here, right now, setting up this message. I hope you can just sit down and listen to this broadcast. I hope God speaks to you this Christmas Day through a message He gave me several years ago. Ask God to speak, and I think He will. \r\n\r\n[Recorded Message] \r\n\r\nDave: \u201cHow would your life be different if Jesus was never born?\u201d I don\u2019t know about your life, but I can talk about my life. I can give you a couple of thoughts. I think they are similar to, maybe, what you would think. Here is what I thought\u2014I wrote this down: \u201cIf Jesus was never born, I would not know who I am,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s identity. See, some of the most important questions you and I will ever answer in our life is: \u201cWho are we?\u201d and \u201cWhat does God think of us?\u201d I\u2019m going to talk about both of those. \r\n\r\nIf Jesus was never born\u2014this is just me\u2014I wouldn\u2019t know who I am. I wouldn\u2019t know my identity, because here is my journey\u2014and many of you have heard this\u2014but my journey is this. I was dragged to church every Sunday by my mom, with this rule: \u201cYou live under my roof. You follow my rules; we\u2019re going to church.\u201d Anybody\u2014same thing?\u2014maybe, that\u2019s why you\u2019re here tonight. I was dragged to Christmas Eve services, just like this. \r\n\r\nAs I grew up into teenaged years, and we would light the candle at Christmas Eve\u2014like we\u2019re going to light here at the end of the service\u2014my mom would be in tears. I\u2019d be snickering, under my breath, like, \u201cYou believe in a God? You think He really came?\u201d\u2014because see, my dad walked out on us. My little brother died of leukemia when I was seven. I just thought, \u201cI cannot believe in a God who would let that happen to this family.\u201d Yet, I\u2019m looking at my mom. She\u2019s in tears because she loves that God; because she believes that God came for her and is the strength of her life; but I\u2019m too smart to believe something this unthinkable: \u201cGod became a man\u2014C\u2019mon! You\u2019ve got to be kidding me!\u201d \r\n\r\nI would stand there, on Christmas Eve, and I would hold the handle; but I did not believe. One of the biggest reasons I didn\u2019t believe is, when it came to God, for 20 years of my life, I had two emotions. Maybe, you can relate to this; maybe, you\u2019re there right now. My two emotions were fear and shame. Fear because I believed\u2014I don\u2019t know if I picked this up at church, or where I picked it up\u2014but I believed God was a cosmic killjoy\u2014just sort of like, up in the heavens, He didn\u2019t like fun; He didn\u2019t like music\u2014you weren\u2019t allowed to clap at my church\u2014you weren\u2019t allowed to shout out, \u201cAwesome!\u201d The music [at church] was really boring; I think the woman that played the keys wore mittens; it was just bad. So, that was church. \r\n\r\nYou just thought, \u201cWell, God is this God that doesn\u2019t like anything good on earth.\u201d I always had this\u2014I\u2019ve said this here before\u2014but I always viewed God sort of\u2014growing up, like, have you ever played the game at Dave &amp;amp; Buster\u2019s?\u2014Whack-a-Mole?\u2014where you have this big mallet; and little moles come up, and you whack them\u2014that\u2019s how I saw God! He\u2019s like, up in heaven; and He looks down. It\u2019s like somebody is enjoying something or even laughing in church\u2014He\u2019s like: \u201cStop it!\u201d \u201cStop that!\u201d\u2014that\u2019s what I thought. I was scared of Him; He\u2019s this big, just scary guy in heaven; and that was fear. \r\n\r\nThe other side was shame. What was shame? Shame was\u2014especially, as I became a teenager, I knew I was disappointing Him. I knew God was disappointed with the choices I was making as a 16-\/17-\/18-year-old. I felt shame because\u2014I didn\u2019t just think, \u201cI am making mistakes,\u201d\u2014\u201cI am a mistake.\u201d \r\n\r\nI\u2019ve said this here before, that my mom had a picture of Jesus hanging over our fireplace in the \u201860s and the \u201870s. To me, it was a little spooky\u2014almost a little creepy\u2014because I swear, when I was like 17 years old, I\u2019d walk through the living room; there was Jesus like this. I knew His eyes were just like following me. He was not happy with me; I could feel His disappointment. I could feel the shame\u2014like He would just look at me, like, \u201cI\u2019m going to get you for that,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s what I felt! For me, as a 16-year-old: \u201cI don\u2019t want to know that guy. I\u2019m going to stay as far away as I can.\u201d \r\n\r\nSome of you know this\u2014when I graduated high school and went to college, I\u2019m no longer living under my mom\u2019s roof\u2014so guess what? I\u2019m not going to church, because I don\u2019t have to; and I never did, because I didn\u2019t want to be anywhere near that. I\u2019m afraid of Him, and I know I\u2019m disappointing Him. \r\n\r\nI\u2019ll never forget the day\u2014it was my freshman year\u2014at the greatest football school in the Midwest, Ball State University. I was there as their quarterback. I walked in a buddy\u2019s dorm room, just down the hall. He was actually out of the room; and this guy was sort of a\u2014one of those weirdo, Christian guys\u2014I meant weirdo because he was bold. He was not ashamed. I hadn\u2019t met too many like that. I was sort of like, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I like this guy or not\u201d; but I remember walking in his dorm room one day, and he wasn\u2019t there. Hanging on his wall was a different image of Jesus. I had never in my life envisioned or seen an image of Jesus smiling. I remember, thinking there\u2014and I didn\u2019t become a follower of Christ that day, because I looked at that picture\u2014but I remember, now, looking back, like God planted a seed right there and said: \u201cYou don\u2019t know who I really am. I am not a scary; you should not be afraid,\u201d\u2014even in the Christian story, it says, \u201cDo not be afraid.\u201d The biggest command in all of Scripture is: \u201cDo not be afraid.\u201d Why?\u2014\u201cBecause I am with you. There\u2019s nothing to be afraid of.\u201d So that picture planted a seed that, \u201cMaybe, I don\u2019t know who God really is; and maybe, I don\u2019t understand how He views me.\u201d \r\n\r\nObviously, I went on a journey; and obviously, you can guess what I decided; because I am standing here before you on Christmas Eve, for the last 28 years, saying: \u201cI want to tell you who this God really is. He is the God who came for you on Christmas morning\u2014for YOU.\u201d If you think He is disappointed in you, trust me\u2014you don\u2019t know God; and you better get to know Him, because the more I found out who He was, the more incredible I found out: \u201cHe loved me!\u201d  \r\n\r\nWhat happened? I discovered for the first time who I am. I am not a mistake, and neither are you. You and I are desperately adored by God. Here\u2019s the thing\u2014some of you walk in here, and you are hear me say that; you\u2019re like, \u201cI don\u2019t even know if I buy that.\u201d Guess what? That\u2019s a lie from the pit of hell. You are a son of God; you are a daughter of the King; you are absolutely adored by Him. Zephaniah, in the Old Testament, says, \u201cHe sings over us with love.\u201d He absolutely looks at you and applauds; you are the apple of His eye! \r\n\r\nSome of you walked in here today, and you are thinking, \u201cGod\u2019s thinking, \u2018About time, loser, you came to church\u2014about time.\u2019\u201d That\u2019s sort of what I thought. That is not what God thinks about you; God came for you! I know you\u2019re thinking, \u201cYes; well, I don\u2019t live a righteous life like you do; because you\u2019re a pastor, and you\u2019re perfect.\u201d You\u2019re right; I am perfect\u2014no. [Laughter] I\u2019m not perfect, and neither are you. Guess what? God came and didn\u2019t stay in a manger; He died on a cross to forgive your and my sins forever. He looks at us now, in Christ, and says: \u201cYou are clean. You are pure. You are forgiven.\u201d It\u2019s the most amazing truth in the world. Christmas says, \u201cI came for you so you would understand this.\u201d \r\n\r\nThink about fear for a minute. Why would you be afraid of God? He came; the way He came says this: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be afraid of Me.\u201d Why?\u2014He came as a baby; who is afraid of a baby?\u2014nobody! I mean, think of this\u2014God could come into the planet any way He wants, and what does He do?\u2014He comes into Bethlehem\u2014a little nothing city\u2014in a stable. You know, we like to call it a manger; we\u2019re just cleaning up the story. It\u2019s a feeding trough for animals; imagine that. \r\n\r\nI don\u2019t know if you went and saw the animated movie, The Star\u2014anybody see it? It\u2019s awesome. I\u2019ll go see it again. I love kids\u2019 movies. It\u2019s the story of the nativity through the eyes of a donkey. You\u2019re like, \u201cMan, they got it pretty good.\u201d It\u2019s amazing. When you look at it, you\u2019re just like, \u201cThis is how God entered our planet.\u201d Yes; what\u2019s He saying?\u2014humility is a virtue, and our God is humble. \r\n\r\nYou know, it\u2019s interesting\u2014when I was in high school\u2014again, living with a single mom in the little town of Findlay, Ohio, making a lot of bad decisions\u2014had a very bad reputation in high school. It followed me into college\u2014with women\/with partying\u2014you name it. I was just pretty wild. \r\n\r\nI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever told this story, but I was 17 years old. I was driving with a bunch of guys on I-75 about 30 miles south of Findlay, around the Lima, Ohio, area. I got this crazy idea. It was like 11 o\u2019clock at night; and I just thought, \u201cWe should do something on the highway and freak out some other cars.\u201d I\u2019m not going to tell you what we did; but I convinced the guys\u2014I\u2019ll just say, that night, there was a full moon; okay?\u2014anyway, you get the idea; right? That just went right over the kids, which is great; you know? Parents got it, but nobody else did. \r\n\r\nNext thing I know, the police are chasing us; and I\u2019m avoiding arrest now, got caught, and thrown in jail for the night with all my buddies\u2014handcuffed\u2014the whole thing. Spending the night in jail\u2014this is your pastor, right here, in jail\u2014I\u2019m thinking, \u201cI am such a letdown to my incredible mom, who has loved me, and loved me, and loved me; and look at the decisions I\u2019m making.\u201d In that jail cell, that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking. \r\n\r\nAt about 2\/2:30 in the morning, the policeman comes over with a key. He opens the jail cell. He says, \u201cDave Wilson, you get to go home.\u201d I\u2019m like, \u201cWhy?\u201d He\u2019s like, \u201cYour mom is here.\u201d I\u2019m like: \u201cOh, no. Am I going to get killed?!\u201d I\u2019ll never forget\u2014as I walked out, there she was. I just sort of looked at her; I was so ashamed. What is that shame?\u2014I was afraid. Same things I felt about God, I\u2019m now feeling about my mom. I\u2019ll never forget\u2014she rushes over\u2014I mean, rushes over, throws her arms around me. Her face is right here, kisses me, and says: \u201cYou are great. I love you, and there is greatness in you.\u201d I didn\u2019t know it at the moment; but you know what she whispered to me?\u2014the same things God thinks about me and thinks about you. \r\n\r\nI now believe that that was a moment, where God said: \u201cYou want to know what My heart is?\u2014there it is. You just saw it in your mom. I love you just like that. I\u2019m not disappointed in you; I\u2019m not going to shame you. I\u2019m not going to punish you for that. I punished my Son for that. You can be forgiven if you choose to believe that\u2019s who I am and that\u2019s who you are.\u201d \r\n\r\nI tell you what. If I could give you a Christmas present this year, that\u2019s what I\u2019d give you\u2014a new identity! If you could walk out of here, this Christmas, understanding who you are\u2014how special you are; how you don\u2019t need to get that from anybody else\u2014you\u2019ve already gotten it from the Creator of the universe, who looks at you and says, \u201cI love you.\u201d You\u2019ll never get that in any present under the tree. You\u2019ll never get that from any family member who is there. It can\u2019t come from anything on earth; it comes from the Creator of your life. He absolutely loves you. I think Christmas screams at us this year, \u201cThat\u2019s your identity.\u201d I\u2019ll tell you something\u2014identity is so important to us; because every decision we make, every single day, comes out of what we believe about ourselves. It really does. God absolutely adores you. \r\n\r\nSecond thought is very simple. It\u2019s this one: \u201cIf Jesus was never born, I not only wouldn\u2019t know who I am; I wouldn\u2019t know why I am here.\u201d The two most important questions in life are: \u201cWho are you?\u201d and \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d Let me ask you: \u201cDo you know why you are here?\u201d\u2014I don\u2019t mean this service tonight. \u201cOn this planet, do you know why you were born?\u201d Mark Twain said it; he was right: \u201cThe two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you know why.\u201d \r\n\r\nMost people\u2014I\u2019ve been in ministry over 30 years\u2014most people I talk to really don\u2019t know why they are here. Jesus coming on Christmas morning tells us why we\u2019re here. They ask Jesus, \u201cRabbi, what\u2019s the most important commandment? How do I please God?\u201d What did He say?\u2014two things: \u201cLove God; love others,\u201d\u2014that simple. \u201cLove God; love others,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s it. \r\n\r\nYou want to know what your purpose is in life? It\u2019s that simple: relish in the love God\u2014that\u2019s your identity; realize you are loved by God and love Him back\u2014then, out of that love, don\u2019t just keep it for yourself. Take that love and love others. It\u2019s that simple. It\u2019s like I wake up every day\u2014ever since I\u2019ve been a follower of Christ\u2014it\u2019s like: \u201cI know why I\u2019m here. I\u2019m supposed to love God, and I\u2019m supposed to love others.\u201d I\u2019m not supposed to keep that love to myself; I\u2019m supposed to love others. \r\n\r\nI would challenge you: \u201cHow about [2025]?\u2014you make that the year you find out who God really is. What does that mean?\u2014open His Bible\/open His Word and say: \u201cWho are You? Do You really love me?\u201d Say, \u201cI want to get to know You.\u201d What\u2019s going to happen?\u2014you\u2019re going to fall, and I\u2019m going to fall deeper in love with God. Here\u2019s what happens\u2014as we understand who we are and how much He loves us, He says, \u201cDon\u2019t keep that. Now, go spread that.\u201d \r\n\r\nWe\u2019re going to light a candle in a few moments. The candle is a perfect picture of what?\u2014Jesus, who said: \u201cI am the Light of the world,\u201d says: \u201cI will give you light. You walk into darkness; you don\u2019t know what to do. You live in a world of darkness; He says, \u201cHere\u2019s light,\u201d\u2014\u201cI am the light.\u201d Then He says to His disciples\u2014and they want to hear, as a follower of Christ\/He\u2019s saying this to you and me\u2014\u201cNow, you are the light.\u201d What does that mean?\u2014take the light that He planted in us and spread it to others! \r\n\r\nIt\u2019s not about: \u201cJust love God.\u201d The church is known for: \u201cWe love God, but we don\u2019t love others.\u201d \u201cLove God and show My love to others by how you treat them!\u201d If the people that don\u2019t ever come to church were loved by the people from church, they\u2019d start showing up at church\u2014why?\u2014they want that light. They want that: \u201cWhere do you get that love from?\u201d \r\n\r\nIt\u2019s interesting\u2014my wife, back in, I think, August\/September, she was driving home, down Tienken Road, over here; right? She\u2019s talking to her dad on the phone. Some of you know, her dad is 89 years old, has bone cancer, has all kinds of struggles going on in his life. He\u2019s like my best friend, and Ann talks to him every day. She\u2019s talking to her dad; and as she\u2019s driving by, in her periphery, she sees an older woman sitting on the side of Tienken Road\u2014didn\u2019t really see her\u2014but saw her on the side. \r\n\r\nAs she saw this, she senses\u2014because she is a Christ-follower, and God can communicate with us\u2014she senses God nudges her and says, \u201cGo pick up My daughter.\u201d She doesn\u2019t know if it\u2019s God or what; but she says to her dad\u2014she goes: \u201cDad, there is this woman on the side of road; I\u2019ve got to hang up. I think I need to go pick her up.\u201d Her dad, Dick\u2014he\u2019s the greatest guy in the world\u2014he goes, \u201cWhat are you doing?!\u201d \u201cI\u2019m going to help this ls lady. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, but she\u2019s there.\u201d \u201cKeep me on the line; I want to hear about this.\u201d \r\n\r\nHe stays on the line; she drives back, and this woman is sitting. She\u2019s like 90 years old. She pulls up, opens the door, and says, \u201cHey, are you lost?\u201d She goes: \u201cYes; I don\u2019t know where I am. I\u2019m trying to get back home.\u201d Ann says, \u201cWell, get in the car. I\u2019ll take you home.\u201d She gets in the car. She has her purse; her name is Toni. She is like 90 years old. \r\n\r\nHere is what Ann says: \u201cShe has a purse. She has a wig in the purse and a crossword puzzle.\u201d Immediately, Ann thought, \u201cShe might have Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia,\u201d because Ann\u2019s mom has had dementia for 12 years; and she does crosswords all day. Ann says, \u201cSo, where do you live?\u201d \u201cOh, I live right around the corner.\u201d She [Ann] goes, \u201cWhat do you have in your purse?\u201d She pulls out a wig. She realizes, as they turn the corner\u2014she\u2019s totally confused and doesn\u2019t live anywhere near this corner. \r\n\r\nShe [Ann]catches her name. Ann googles her name and finds out that she lives in Hazel Park; but her daughter\u2019s name comes up that lives in the subdivision they are in. Ann puts two and two together and thinks, \u201cI bet she\u2019s now living with her daughter, and that\u2019s\u201d\u2014she just thought, \u201cShe must have gone for a walk, and she is lost.\u201d \r\n\r\nAnn pulls into the driveway; and as she pulls in\u2014she didn\u2019t notice who this was at the time\u2014but the son-in-law comes running out and says, \u201cMom\u2019s home, and Ann Wilson brought her!\u201d [Laughter] Ann\u2019s like, \u201cDo I know you?\u201d \u201cI go to Kensington. We\u2019ve been praying for the last hour that God would send an angel to bring Mom home. You\u2019re the angel.\u201d Now, Ann wants me to call her \u201cAngel,\u201d but anyway. [Laughter] \r\n\r\nIsn\u2019t that an amazing story? What was Ann doing that day?\u2014loving God; loving others. She knows who she is in Christ, and she feels this sense; and God said, \u201cI need you to go love somebody today\u201d; and Ann came because Christmas comes when you\u2019re in need. In fact, just a few weeks ago, they called Ann and said, \u201cWould you speak at her funeral?\u201d Ann spoke at Toni\u2019s funeral; I thought, \u201cWhat a perfect picture of what Christmas is all about.\u201d \r\n\r\nLet me tell you something: \u201cThis Christmas, I believe with all my heart, God is screaming to you and me, \u2018I love you! I don\u2019t just say this; I came for you. I am a good Father. I have put you on mission to love the world as I have loved you.\u2019\u201d Christmas isn\u2019t just a day; it is a life\u2014right?\u2014to go live for the King. \r\n\r\nAs we light these candles in a second, what I\u2019m going to do, as they are setting up to light these candles, is I\u2019m going to read you the Christmas story. Guys, this story is about a God who came for us to say, \u201cI love you,\u201d and to say: \u201cI have a purpose for your life. I know you can know who you are and why you are here.\u201d \r\n\r\nEvery year, since my little brother died, my mom and I would sit on our little green velvet carpet and watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Have you ever watched it? It\u2019s still a great movie. Charlie Brown says: \u201cI don\u2019t understand the meaning of Christmas. What\u2019s the meaning of Christmas?\u201d Linus, with his little blanket, would quote Luke, Chapter 2\u2014the very verses I\u2019m going to read\u2014verses 6-14. \r\n\r\nAnd now, you know what this story really means. It says this: \r\n\r\nWhile they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. \r\n\r\nIn the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them. They were\u201d\u2014here it is\u2014\u201cThey were filled with great fear. The angel said to them, \u2018Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born, this day, in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.\u2019 \r\n\r\nSuddenly, there was, with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, \u2018Glory to God in the highest! And on earth, peace among those with whom is pleased.\u2019\u201d \r\n\r\nYou and I are in this story. He is pleased with you. If there is anything you hear this Christmas, I hope you hear that God came for you; He loves you; He\u2019s pleased with you; and now He sends us on mission. As we light this candle\u2014they are going to bring this out; I\u2019m going to light it\u2014we\u2019re going to pass it around the room; but as we light this candle, it\u2019s nothing more than this. It\u2019s a symbol of the light of God came to us to give us light; but not just for us, but through us to pass this light all the way through here. We become one big community of the light of God. Let\u2019s light this thing. \r\n\r\n[Studio] \r\n\r\nAnn: Those were really good memories\u20142017\u2014before the pandemic; before the \r\n\r\ncraziness, it seems like; I'm sure it was crazy then. \r\n\r\nBut when you see those candles\u2014thousands in our case; and maybe, there's just a few \r\n\r\nin your case\u2014where you're lighting a candle, representing Jesus coming as the light of \r\n\r\nthe world, but to see the whole place light up; it's powerful!\r\n\r\nDave: I mean, I think one of the beautiful things of that moment is the community. It isn't \r\n\r\njust one candle lit. It represents the light of Jesus coming into one life\u2014never stops \r\n\r\nthere; it sort of begins there\u2014and then, His light comes in us; and then, through us to \r\n\r\nothers. And the next thing you know: you have a community of people. You talk about \r\n\r\nan impact on the world when a community comes together\u2014and they look, vertical, \r\n\r\n[towards God]\u2014whereas, we look today, we look into the manger; and we see the God \r\n\r\nof the universe took on flesh\u2014the incarnation\u2014for us; He came for us. I mean, the real \r\n\r\nreason He came was because He loves us. And then, He wants to love, through us, to \r\n\r\nlove our neighbors with the light of God.\r\n\r\nAnn: And I can't help but think\u2014some of you maybe are alone today; or maybe, you \r\n\r\nhave memories of Christmases in the past that were great; and maybe, they were really \r\n\r\nhard; or maybe you've lost someone really special and close to you this Christmas\u2014\r\n\r\nisn't it good to know that, even in the midst of our pain and our loneliness, He's still with \r\n\r\nus; and the light of the world is always around us\u2014His presence, His power, His love for \r\n\r\nyou\u2014He knows where you are. He knows what you're going through. And there's not a \r\n\r\nday and a second of your life that He hasn't noticed it and loved you.\r\n\r\nDave: Yeah, I mean, we experienced it, even that year, with your mom and dad.\r\n\r\nAnn: Yeah.\r\n\r\nDave: That was a tough fall.\r\n\r\nAnn: They were in some of their last years. And it's hard caring for aging parents. And \r\n\r\nwhen they become a shadow of who they used to be, or Christmases the way they used \r\n\r\nto be, it's not easy.\r\n\r\nDave: Yeah; and again, Christmas is that moment to remind us: \u201cHe came; He loves; \r\n\r\nHe's with us.\u201d Easter says: \u201cHe rose from the dead,\u201d which means He, literally, through \r\n\r\nHis Spirit, is with you right now. Wherever you are\u2014you may be surrounded by friends \r\n\r\nand family; you may be all alone\u2014but you're never all alone. Christmas says, \u201cYou're \r\n\r\nnot alone. I came; I was born; I lived; I died; I rose again. I love you; I'm with you.\u201d Merry \r\n\r\nChristmas.\r\n\r\nAnn: He loves you, and He sees you. \r\n\r\nMerry Christmas. May His power, His light, His love continue to be your ever-present joy and comfort.\r\n\r\nFamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry. \r\n\r\nHelping you pursue the relationships that matter most.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019ve benefited from the FamilyLife Today transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs of producing them and making them available online?  \r\n\r\nCopyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\r\n\r\nwww.FamilyLife.com                                 \r\n\r\n\n"],"_uag_css_file_name":["uag-css-311476.css"],"_uag_js_file_name":["uag-js-311476.js"],"_uag_page_assets":["a:9:{s:3:\"css\";s:82560:\".wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape-top svg{width: calc( 100% + 1.3px );}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape.uagb-container__shape-top .uagb-container__shape-fill{fill: rgba(51,51,51,1);}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape-bottom svg{width: calc( 100% + 1.3px );}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__shape.uagb-container__shape-bottom .uagb-container__shape-fill{fill: rgba(51,51,51,1);}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-block-e11dbe9f .uagb-container__video-wrap video{opacity: 1;}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-is-root-container .uagb-block-e11dbe9f{max-width: 100%;width: 100%;}.wp-block-uagb-container.uagb-is-root-container.alignfull.uagb-block-e11dbe9f 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});\";s:18:\"current_block_list\";a:17:{i:0;s:14:\"uagb\/container\";i:1;s:12:\"core\/heading\";i:2;s:9:\"core\/html\";i:3;s:10:\"core\/group\";i:6;s:21:\"uagb\/advanced-heading\";i:7;s:14:\"uagb\/separator\";i:8;s:14:\"uagb\/icon-list\";i:9;s:20:\"uagb\/icon-list-child\";i:10;s:11:\"core\/search\";i:13;s:18:\"core\/legacy-widget\";i:16;s:10:\"uagb\/image\";i:17;s:17:\"core\/social-links\";i:18;s:16:\"core\/social-link\";i:19;s:14:\"core\/paragraph\";i:20;s:30:\"meta-box\/fl-conditional-blocks\";i:21;s:12:\"uagb\/buttons\";i:22;s:18:\"uagb\/buttons-child\";}s:8:\"uag_flag\";b:1;s:11:\"uag_version\";i:1776432323;s:6:\"gfonts\";a:1:{s:7:\"Default\";a:2:{s:10:\"fontfamily\";s:7:\"Default\";s:12:\"fontvariants\";a:0:{}}}s:10:\"gfonts_url\";s:71:\"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Default&subset=latin&display=fallback\";s:12:\"gfonts_files\";a:0:{}s:14:\"uag_faq_layout\";b:0;}"]},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Because Jesus came to Earth, believers have identity and purpose. Dave Wilson explains the ways Jesus' birth affects every aspect of our lives.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/help-families-come-home\/?cru_source=24EGPC&cru_medium=podcast&cru_campaign=YE2024\">Double your donation to FamilyLife<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-12-25.pdf","transcript_content":"\nFamilyLife Today\u00ae with Dave and Ann Wilson - Web Version Transcript\r\n\r\nThis content has been generated by an artificial intelligence language model. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided will most likely not be entirely error-free or up-to-date. We recommend independently verifying the content with the originally-released audio. This transcript is provided for your personal use and general information purposes only. References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the use or interpretation of this content.\r\n\r\nWhat Christmas Says to the World\r\n\r\nGuest:Dave Wilson\r\n\r\nFrom the series:What Christmas Says to the World (Day 1 of 1)\r\n\r\nAir date:December 25, 2024\r\n\r\nDave:I was dragged to church every Sunday by my mom with this rule: \u201cYou live under my roof. You follow my rules; we're going to church.\u201d Anybody\u2014same thing?\u2014maybe, that's why you're here tonight. I was dragged to Christmas Eve services just like this. \r\n\r\nAs I grew up into teenaged years, and we would light the candle on Christmas Eve\u2014like we're going to light here at the end of the service\u2014my mom would be in tears. I'd be snickering, under my breath, like, \u201cYou believe in a God? You think He really came?\u201d\u2014because see, my dad walked out on us. My little brother died of leukemia when I was seven; and I just thought, \u201cI cannot believe in a God who would let that happen to this family.\u201d And yet, I'm looking at my mom. She's in tears; she loves that God, because she believes that God came for her and is the strength of her life.\r\n\r\nAnn: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I'm Ann Wilson.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDave:And I'm Dave Wilson. And you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com. This is FamilyLife Today.\r\n\r\nAnn: Merry Christmas.\r\n\r\nDave: Merry Christmas. It's finally here.\r\n\r\nAnn: It's finally here.\r\n\r\nDave:\u2014the greatest day of the year. It's either this or Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead; but He can't raise from the dead if He's not born. So what a great day.\r\n\r\nAnn: It's really good to be with you, and I'm super excited that you're listening to FamilyLife Today. I think today's going to be really special because you get to hear from my husband, Pastor Dave Wilson. This is a message that you gave at our church back in 2017. You're pretty honest about your life, and how Jesus changed your life, which is a perfect way to celebrate the birth of Christ.\r\n\r\nDave:Yeah, I mean, obviously as a pastor on Christmas and Easter, you have a lot of people who don't normally come to church. We would call them \u201cChresters\u201d\u2014Christmas and Easter attenders. And so we would spend a lot of time in prayer\u2014and asking God what to say, what to communicate, especially to an unchurched person, who may be just showing up with their family or with their grandkids\u2014and we're hoping God's going to get a message to them. \r\n\r\nI remember that one\u2014and again, it's years ago\u2014but I remember that one was: \u201cWhat Would the World Be Like, and What Would I Be Like, If Jesus Had Never Been Born?\u201d\r\n\r\nAnn: Oh! It's kind of like It's a Wonderful Life, the movie, which we should watch that today.\r\n\r\nDave:We probably will.\r\n\r\nAnn: But really, that movie's about: \u201cWhat would life be like if George Bailey had never been born?\u201d\r\n\r\nDave:I think Jesus being born is a little bigger than George Bailey.\r\n\r\nAnn: I'm saying, \u201cIf Jesus hadn't been born\u2014your life, our life\u2014our world would look totally different.\u201d\r\n\r\nDave: Again, that\u2019s what I tried to communicate at Christmas\u2014 that even hospitals, literally, came from Christians\u2014and we have to love people with the love of God. We [Christians] started orphanages, and hospitals; I mean, that\u2019s some of the stuff we showed on a video that day. \r\n\r\nBut then, the message got personal: \u201cWhere would my life be if Jesus had never been born?\u201d\u2014because we wouldn\u2019t even be sitting here, right now, setting up this message. I hope you can just sit down and listen to this broadcast. I hope God speaks to you this Christmas Day through a message He gave me several years ago. Ask God to speak, and I think He will. \r\n\r\n[Recorded Message] \r\n\r\nDave: \u201cHow would your life be different if Jesus was never born?\u201d I don\u2019t know about your life, but I can talk about my life. I can give you a couple of thoughts. I think they are similar to, maybe, what you would think. Here is what I thought\u2014I wrote this down: \u201cIf Jesus was never born, I would not know who I am,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s identity. See, some of the most important questions you and I will ever answer in our life is: \u201cWho are we?\u201d and \u201cWhat does God think of us?\u201d I\u2019m going to talk about both of those. \r\n\r\nIf Jesus was never born\u2014this is just me\u2014I wouldn\u2019t know who I am. I wouldn\u2019t know my identity, because here is my journey\u2014and many of you have heard this\u2014but my journey is this. I was dragged to church every Sunday by my mom, with this rule: \u201cYou live under my roof. You follow my rules; we\u2019re going to church.\u201d Anybody\u2014same thing?\u2014maybe, that\u2019s why you\u2019re here tonight. I was dragged to Christmas Eve services, just like this. \r\n\r\nAs I grew up into teenaged years, and we would light the candle at Christmas Eve\u2014like we\u2019re going to light here at the end of the service\u2014my mom would be in tears. I\u2019d be snickering, under my breath, like, \u201cYou believe in a God? You think He really came?\u201d\u2014because see, my dad walked out on us. My little brother died of leukemia when I was seven. I just thought, \u201cI cannot believe in a God who would let that happen to this family.\u201d Yet, I\u2019m looking at my mom. She\u2019s in tears because she loves that God; because she believes that God came for her and is the strength of her life; but I\u2019m too smart to believe something this unthinkable: \u201cGod became a man\u2014C\u2019mon! You\u2019ve got to be kidding me!\u201d \r\n\r\nI would stand there, on Christmas Eve, and I would hold the handle; but I did not believe. One of the biggest reasons I didn\u2019t believe is, when it came to God, for 20 years of my life, I had two emotions. Maybe, you can relate to this; maybe, you\u2019re there right now. My two emotions were fear and shame. Fear because I believed\u2014I don\u2019t know if I picked this up at church, or where I picked it up\u2014but I believed God was a cosmic killjoy\u2014just sort of like, up in the heavens, He didn\u2019t like fun; He didn\u2019t like music\u2014you weren\u2019t allowed to clap at my church\u2014you weren\u2019t allowed to shout out, \u201cAwesome!\u201d The music [at church] was really boring; I think the woman that played the keys wore mittens; it was just bad. So, that was church. \r\n\r\nYou just thought, \u201cWell, God is this God that doesn\u2019t like anything good on earth.\u201d I always had this\u2014I\u2019ve said this here before\u2014but I always viewed God sort of\u2014growing up, like, have you ever played the game at Dave &amp;amp; Buster\u2019s?\u2014Whack-a-Mole?\u2014where you have this big mallet; and little moles come up, and you whack them\u2014that\u2019s how I saw God! He\u2019s like, up in heaven; and He looks down. It\u2019s like somebody is enjoying something or even laughing in church\u2014He\u2019s like: \u201cStop it!\u201d \u201cStop that!\u201d\u2014that\u2019s what I thought. I was scared of Him; He\u2019s this big, just scary guy in heaven; and that was fear. \r\n\r\nThe other side was shame. What was shame? Shame was\u2014especially, as I became a teenager, I knew I was disappointing Him. I knew God was disappointed with the choices I was making as a 16-\/17-\/18-year-old. I felt shame because\u2014I didn\u2019t just think, \u201cI am making mistakes,\u201d\u2014\u201cI am a mistake.\u201d \r\n\r\nI\u2019ve said this here before, that my mom had a picture of Jesus hanging over our fireplace in the \u201860s and the \u201870s. To me, it was a little spooky\u2014almost a little creepy\u2014because I swear, when I was like 17 years old, I\u2019d walk through the living room; there was Jesus like this. I knew His eyes were just like following me. He was not happy with me; I could feel His disappointment. I could feel the shame\u2014like He would just look at me, like, \u201cI\u2019m going to get you for that,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s what I felt! For me, as a 16-year-old: \u201cI don\u2019t want to know that guy. I\u2019m going to stay as far away as I can.\u201d \r\n\r\nSome of you know this\u2014when I graduated high school and went to college, I\u2019m no longer living under my mom\u2019s roof\u2014so guess what? I\u2019m not going to church, because I don\u2019t have to; and I never did, because I didn\u2019t want to be anywhere near that. I\u2019m afraid of Him, and I know I\u2019m disappointing Him. \r\n\r\nI\u2019ll never forget the day\u2014it was my freshman year\u2014at the greatest football school in the Midwest, Ball State University. I was there as their quarterback. I walked in a buddy\u2019s dorm room, just down the hall. He was actually out of the room; and this guy was sort of a\u2014one of those weirdo, Christian guys\u2014I meant weirdo because he was bold. He was not ashamed. I hadn\u2019t met too many like that. I was sort of like, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I like this guy or not\u201d; but I remember walking in his dorm room one day, and he wasn\u2019t there. Hanging on his wall was a different image of Jesus. I had never in my life envisioned or seen an image of Jesus smiling. I remember, thinking there\u2014and I didn\u2019t become a follower of Christ that day, because I looked at that picture\u2014but I remember, now, looking back, like God planted a seed right there and said: \u201cYou don\u2019t know who I really am. I am not a scary; you should not be afraid,\u201d\u2014even in the Christian story, it says, \u201cDo not be afraid.\u201d The biggest command in all of Scripture is: \u201cDo not be afraid.\u201d Why?\u2014\u201cBecause I am with you. There\u2019s nothing to be afraid of.\u201d So that picture planted a seed that, \u201cMaybe, I don\u2019t know who God really is; and maybe, I don\u2019t understand how He views me.\u201d \r\n\r\nObviously, I went on a journey; and obviously, you can guess what I decided; because I am standing here before you on Christmas Eve, for the last 28 years, saying: \u201cI want to tell you who this God really is. He is the God who came for you on Christmas morning\u2014for YOU.\u201d If you think He is disappointed in you, trust me\u2014you don\u2019t know God; and you better get to know Him, because the more I found out who He was, the more incredible I found out: \u201cHe loved me!\u201d  \r\n\r\nWhat happened? I discovered for the first time who I am. I am not a mistake, and neither are you. You and I are desperately adored by God. Here\u2019s the thing\u2014some of you walk in here, and you are hear me say that; you\u2019re like, \u201cI don\u2019t even know if I buy that.\u201d Guess what? That\u2019s a lie from the pit of hell. You are a son of God; you are a daughter of the King; you are absolutely adored by Him. Zephaniah, in the Old Testament, says, \u201cHe sings over us with love.\u201d He absolutely looks at you and applauds; you are the apple of His eye! \r\n\r\nSome of you walked in here today, and you are thinking, \u201cGod\u2019s thinking, \u2018About time, loser, you came to church\u2014about time.\u2019\u201d That\u2019s sort of what I thought. That is not what God thinks about you; God came for you! I know you\u2019re thinking, \u201cYes; well, I don\u2019t live a righteous life like you do; because you\u2019re a pastor, and you\u2019re perfect.\u201d You\u2019re right; I am perfect\u2014no. [Laughter] I\u2019m not perfect, and neither are you. Guess what? God came and didn\u2019t stay in a manger; He died on a cross to forgive your and my sins forever. He looks at us now, in Christ, and says: \u201cYou are clean. You are pure. You are forgiven.\u201d It\u2019s the most amazing truth in the world. Christmas says, \u201cI came for you so you would understand this.\u201d \r\n\r\nThink about fear for a minute. Why would you be afraid of God? He came; the way He came says this: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be afraid of Me.\u201d Why?\u2014He came as a baby; who is afraid of a baby?\u2014nobody! I mean, think of this\u2014God could come into the planet any way He wants, and what does He do?\u2014He comes into Bethlehem\u2014a little nothing city\u2014in a stable. You know, we like to call it a manger; we\u2019re just cleaning up the story. It\u2019s a feeding trough for animals; imagine that. \r\n\r\nI don\u2019t know if you went and saw the animated movie, The Star\u2014anybody see it? It\u2019s awesome. I\u2019ll go see it again. I love kids\u2019 movies. It\u2019s the story of the nativity through the eyes of a donkey. You\u2019re like, \u201cMan, they got it pretty good.\u201d It\u2019s amazing. When you look at it, you\u2019re just like, \u201cThis is how God entered our planet.\u201d Yes; what\u2019s He saying?\u2014humility is a virtue, and our God is humble. \r\n\r\nYou know, it\u2019s interesting\u2014when I was in high school\u2014again, living with a single mom in the little town of Findlay, Ohio, making a lot of bad decisions\u2014had a very bad reputation in high school. It followed me into college\u2014with women\/with partying\u2014you name it. I was just pretty wild. \r\n\r\nI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever told this story, but I was 17 years old. I was driving with a bunch of guys on I-75 about 30 miles south of Findlay, around the Lima, Ohio, area. I got this crazy idea. It was like 11 o\u2019clock at night; and I just thought, \u201cWe should do something on the highway and freak out some other cars.\u201d I\u2019m not going to tell you what we did; but I convinced the guys\u2014I\u2019ll just say, that night, there was a full moon; okay?\u2014anyway, you get the idea; right? That just went right over the kids, which is great; you know? Parents got it, but nobody else did. \r\n\r\nNext thing I know, the police are chasing us; and I\u2019m avoiding arrest now, got caught, and thrown in jail for the night with all my buddies\u2014handcuffed\u2014the whole thing. Spending the night in jail\u2014this is your pastor, right here, in jail\u2014I\u2019m thinking, \u201cI am such a letdown to my incredible mom, who has loved me, and loved me, and loved me; and look at the decisions I\u2019m making.\u201d In that jail cell, that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking. \r\n\r\nAt about 2\/2:30 in the morning, the policeman comes over with a key. He opens the jail cell. He says, \u201cDave Wilson, you get to go home.\u201d I\u2019m like, \u201cWhy?\u201d He\u2019s like, \u201cYour mom is here.\u201d I\u2019m like: \u201cOh, no. Am I going to get killed?!\u201d I\u2019ll never forget\u2014as I walked out, there she was. I just sort of looked at her; I was so ashamed. What is that shame?\u2014I was afraid. Same things I felt about God, I\u2019m now feeling about my mom. I\u2019ll never forget\u2014she rushes over\u2014I mean, rushes over, throws her arms around me. Her face is right here, kisses me, and says: \u201cYou are great. I love you, and there is greatness in you.\u201d I didn\u2019t know it at the moment; but you know what she whispered to me?\u2014the same things God thinks about me and thinks about you. \r\n\r\nI now believe that that was a moment, where God said: \u201cYou want to know what My heart is?\u2014there it is. You just saw it in your mom. I love you just like that. I\u2019m not disappointed in you; I\u2019m not going to shame you. I\u2019m not going to punish you for that. I punished my Son for that. You can be forgiven if you choose to believe that\u2019s who I am and that\u2019s who you are.\u201d \r\n\r\nI tell you what. If I could give you a Christmas present this year, that\u2019s what I\u2019d give you\u2014a new identity! If you could walk out of here, this Christmas, understanding who you are\u2014how special you are; how you don\u2019t need to get that from anybody else\u2014you\u2019ve already gotten it from the Creator of the universe, who looks at you and says, \u201cI love you.\u201d You\u2019ll never get that in any present under the tree. You\u2019ll never get that from any family member who is there. It can\u2019t come from anything on earth; it comes from the Creator of your life. He absolutely loves you. I think Christmas screams at us this year, \u201cThat\u2019s your identity.\u201d I\u2019ll tell you something\u2014identity is so important to us; because every decision we make, every single day, comes out of what we believe about ourselves. It really does. God absolutely adores you. \r\n\r\nSecond thought is very simple. It\u2019s this one: \u201cIf Jesus was never born, I not only wouldn\u2019t know who I am; I wouldn\u2019t know why I am here.\u201d The two most important questions in life are: \u201cWho are you?\u201d and \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d Let me ask you: \u201cDo you know why you are here?\u201d\u2014I don\u2019t mean this service tonight. \u201cOn this planet, do you know why you were born?\u201d Mark Twain said it; he was right: \u201cThe two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you know why.\u201d \r\n\r\nMost people\u2014I\u2019ve been in ministry over 30 years\u2014most people I talk to really don\u2019t know why they are here. Jesus coming on Christmas morning tells us why we\u2019re here. They ask Jesus, \u201cRabbi, what\u2019s the most important commandment? How do I please God?\u201d What did He say?\u2014two things: \u201cLove God; love others,\u201d\u2014that simple. \u201cLove God; love others,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s it. \r\n\r\nYou want to know what your purpose is in life? It\u2019s that simple: relish in the love God\u2014that\u2019s your identity; realize you are loved by God and love Him back\u2014then, out of that love, don\u2019t just keep it for yourself. Take that love and love others. It\u2019s that simple. It\u2019s like I wake up every day\u2014ever since I\u2019ve been a follower of Christ\u2014it\u2019s like: \u201cI know why I\u2019m here. I\u2019m supposed to love God, and I\u2019m supposed to love others.\u201d I\u2019m not supposed to keep that love to myself; I\u2019m supposed to love others. \r\n\r\nI would challenge you: \u201cHow about [2025]?\u2014you make that the year you find out who God really is. What does that mean?\u2014open His Bible\/open His Word and say: \u201cWho are You? Do You really love me?\u201d Say, \u201cI want to get to know You.\u201d What\u2019s going to happen?\u2014you\u2019re going to fall, and I\u2019m going to fall deeper in love with God. Here\u2019s what happens\u2014as we understand who we are and how much He loves us, He says, \u201cDon\u2019t keep that. Now, go spread that.\u201d \r\n\r\nWe\u2019re going to light a candle in a few moments. The candle is a perfect picture of what?\u2014Jesus, who said: \u201cI am the Light of the world,\u201d says: \u201cI will give you light. You walk into darkness; you don\u2019t know what to do. You live in a world of darkness; He says, \u201cHere\u2019s light,\u201d\u2014\u201cI am the light.\u201d Then He says to His disciples\u2014and they want to hear, as a follower of Christ\/He\u2019s saying this to you and me\u2014\u201cNow, you are the light.\u201d What does that mean?\u2014take the light that He planted in us and spread it to others! \r\n\r\nIt\u2019s not about: \u201cJust love God.\u201d The church is known for: \u201cWe love God, but we don\u2019t love others.\u201d \u201cLove God and show My love to others by how you treat them!\u201d If the people that don\u2019t ever come to church were loved by the people from church, they\u2019d start showing up at church\u2014why?\u2014they want that light. They want that: \u201cWhere do you get that love from?\u201d \r\n\r\nIt\u2019s interesting\u2014my wife, back in, I think, August\/September, she was driving home, down Tienken Road, over here; right? She\u2019s talking to her dad on the phone. Some of you know, her dad is 89 years old, has bone cancer, has all kinds of struggles going on in his life. He\u2019s like my best friend, and Ann talks to him every day. She\u2019s talking to her dad; and as she\u2019s driving by, in her periphery, she sees an older woman sitting on the side of Tienken Road\u2014didn\u2019t really see her\u2014but saw her on the side. \r\n\r\nAs she saw this, she senses\u2014because she is a Christ-follower, and God can communicate with us\u2014she senses God nudges her and says, \u201cGo pick up My daughter.\u201d She doesn\u2019t know if it\u2019s God or what; but she says to her dad\u2014she goes: \u201cDad, there is this woman on the side of road; I\u2019ve got to hang up. I think I need to go pick her up.\u201d Her dad, Dick\u2014he\u2019s the greatest guy in the world\u2014he goes, \u201cWhat are you doing?!\u201d \u201cI\u2019m going to help this ls lady. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, but she\u2019s there.\u201d \u201cKeep me on the line; I want to hear about this.\u201d \r\n\r\nHe stays on the line; she drives back, and this woman is sitting. She\u2019s like 90 years old. She pulls up, opens the door, and says, \u201cHey, are you lost?\u201d She goes: \u201cYes; I don\u2019t know where I am. I\u2019m trying to get back home.\u201d Ann says, \u201cWell, get in the car. I\u2019ll take you home.\u201d She gets in the car. She has her purse; her name is Toni. She is like 90 years old. \r\n\r\nHere is what Ann says: \u201cShe has a purse. She has a wig in the purse and a crossword puzzle.\u201d Immediately, Ann thought, \u201cShe might have Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia,\u201d because Ann\u2019s mom has had dementia for 12 years; and she does crosswords all day. Ann says, \u201cSo, where do you live?\u201d \u201cOh, I live right around the corner.\u201d She [Ann] goes, \u201cWhat do you have in your purse?\u201d She pulls out a wig. She realizes, as they turn the corner\u2014she\u2019s totally confused and doesn\u2019t live anywhere near this corner. \r\n\r\nShe [Ann]catches her name. Ann googles her name and finds out that she lives in Hazel Park; but her daughter\u2019s name comes up that lives in the subdivision they are in. Ann puts two and two together and thinks, \u201cI bet she\u2019s now living with her daughter, and that\u2019s\u201d\u2014she just thought, \u201cShe must have gone for a walk, and she is lost.\u201d \r\n\r\nAnn pulls into the driveway; and as she pulls in\u2014she didn\u2019t notice who this was at the time\u2014but the son-in-law comes running out and says, \u201cMom\u2019s home, and Ann Wilson brought her!\u201d [Laughter] Ann\u2019s like, \u201cDo I know you?\u201d \u201cI go to Kensington. We\u2019ve been praying for the last hour that God would send an angel to bring Mom home. You\u2019re the angel.\u201d Now, Ann wants me to call her \u201cAngel,\u201d but anyway. [Laughter] \r\n\r\nIsn\u2019t that an amazing story? What was Ann doing that day?\u2014loving God; loving others. She knows who she is in Christ, and she feels this sense; and God said, \u201cI need you to go love somebody today\u201d; and Ann came because Christmas comes when you\u2019re in need. In fact, just a few weeks ago, they called Ann and said, \u201cWould you speak at her funeral?\u201d Ann spoke at Toni\u2019s funeral; I thought, \u201cWhat a perfect picture of what Christmas is all about.\u201d \r\n\r\nLet me tell you something: \u201cThis Christmas, I believe with all my heart, God is screaming to you and me, \u2018I love you! I don\u2019t just say this; I came for you. I am a good Father. I have put you on mission to love the world as I have loved you.\u2019\u201d Christmas isn\u2019t just a day; it is a life\u2014right?\u2014to go live for the King. \r\n\r\nAs we light these candles in a second, what I\u2019m going to do, as they are setting up to light these candles, is I\u2019m going to read you the Christmas story. Guys, this story is about a God who came for us to say, \u201cI love you,\u201d and to say: \u201cI have a purpose for your life. I know you can know who you are and why you are here.\u201d \r\n\r\nEvery year, since my little brother died, my mom and I would sit on our little green velvet carpet and watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Have you ever watched it? It\u2019s still a great movie. Charlie Brown says: \u201cI don\u2019t understand the meaning of Christmas. What\u2019s the meaning of Christmas?\u201d Linus, with his little blanket, would quote Luke, Chapter 2\u2014the very verses I\u2019m going to read\u2014verses 6-14. \r\n\r\nAnd now, you know what this story really means. It says this: \r\n\r\nWhile they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. \r\n\r\nIn the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them. They were\u201d\u2014here it is\u2014\u201cThey were filled with great fear. The angel said to them, \u2018Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born, this day, in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.\u2019 \r\n\r\nSuddenly, there was, with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, \u2018Glory to God in the highest! And on earth, peace among those with whom is pleased.\u2019\u201d \r\n\r\nYou and I are in this story. He is pleased with you. If there is anything you hear this Christmas, I hope you hear that God came for you; He loves you; He\u2019s pleased with you; and now He sends us on mission. As we light this candle\u2014they are going to bring this out; I\u2019m going to light it\u2014we\u2019re going to pass it around the room; but as we light this candle, it\u2019s nothing more than this. It\u2019s a symbol of the light of God came to us to give us light; but not just for us, but through us to pass this light all the way through here. We become one big community of the light of God. Let\u2019s light this thing. \r\n\r\n[Studio] \r\n\r\nAnn: Those were really good memories\u20142017\u2014before the pandemic; before the \r\n\r\ncraziness, it seems like; I'm sure it was crazy then. \r\n\r\nBut when you see those candles\u2014thousands in our case; and maybe, there's just a few \r\n\r\nin your case\u2014where you're lighting a candle, representing Jesus coming as the light of \r\n\r\nthe world, but to see the whole place light up; it's powerful!\r\n\r\nDave: I mean, I think one of the beautiful things of that moment is the community. It isn't \r\n\r\njust one candle lit. It represents the light of Jesus coming into one life\u2014never stops \r\n\r\nthere; it sort of begins there\u2014and then, His light comes in us; and then, through us to \r\n\r\nothers. And the next thing you know: you have a community of people. You talk about \r\n\r\nan impact on the world when a community comes together\u2014and they look, vertical, \r\n\r\n[towards God]\u2014whereas, we look today, we look into the manger; and we see the God \r\n\r\nof the universe took on flesh\u2014the incarnation\u2014for us; He came for us. I mean, the real \r\n\r\nreason He came was because He loves us. And then, He wants to love, through us, to \r\n\r\nlove our neighbors with the light of God.\r\n\r\nAnn: And I can't help but think\u2014some of you maybe are alone today; or maybe, you \r\n\r\nhave memories of Christmases in the past that were great; and maybe, they were really \r\n\r\nhard; or maybe you've lost someone really special and close to you this Christmas\u2014\r\n\r\nisn't it good to know that, even in the midst of our pain and our loneliness, He's still with \r\n\r\nus; and the light of the world is always around us\u2014His presence, His power, His love for \r\n\r\nyou\u2014He knows where you are. He knows what you're going through. And there's not a \r\n\r\nday and a second of your life that He hasn't noticed it and loved you.\r\n\r\nDave: Yeah, I mean, we experienced it, even that year, with your mom and dad.\r\n\r\nAnn: Yeah.\r\n\r\nDave: That was a tough fall.\r\n\r\nAnn: They were in some of their last years. And it's hard caring for aging parents. And \r\n\r\nwhen they become a shadow of who they used to be, or Christmases the way they used \r\n\r\nto be, it's not easy.\r\n\r\nDave: Yeah; and again, Christmas is that moment to remind us: \u201cHe came; He loves; \r\n\r\nHe's with us.\u201d Easter says: \u201cHe rose from the dead,\u201d which means He, literally, through \r\n\r\nHis Spirit, is with you right now. Wherever you are\u2014you may be surrounded by friends \r\n\r\nand family; you may be all alone\u2014but you're never all alone. Christmas says, \u201cYou're \r\n\r\nnot alone. I came; I was born; I lived; I died; I rose again. I love you; I'm with you.\u201d Merry \r\n\r\nChristmas.\r\n\r\nAnn: He loves you, and He sees you. \r\n\r\nMerry Christmas. May His power, His light, His love continue to be your ever-present joy and comfort.\r\n\r\nFamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry. \r\n\r\nHelping you pursue the relationships that matter most.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019ve benefited from the FamilyLife Today transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs of producing them and making them available online?  \r\n\r\nCopyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\r\n\r\nwww.FamilyLife.com                                 \r\n\r\n\n","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/311476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311476"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311476"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=311476"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=311476"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=311476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}