1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,960
All right, if you have your 
Bibles, please take and turn 

2
00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:03,560
with me to Luke chapter 2. 
All 

3
00:00:13,900 --> 00:00:16,580
right, we're going to start in 
Luke chapter 2, verse 19. 

4
00:00:16,940 --> 00:00:20,020
And again, kids, so great to 
have you in here with us. 

5
00:00:20,260 --> 00:00:23,100
I always love the challenge, the
wonderful honor and challenge of

6
00:00:23,380 --> 00:00:25,940
trying to teach something that 
that a little child can 

7
00:00:25,940 --> 00:00:28,860
understand, but also profound 
enough to that those of us 

8
00:00:28,860 --> 00:00:31,420
who've been following the Lord 
for decades and decades still 

9
00:00:31,740 --> 00:00:34,460
can be inspired. 
So this morning, of course, 

10
00:00:34,460 --> 00:00:37,480
we're going to be in Luke 
chapter 2. 

11
00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,360
This is the the, the really the 
most renowned part of the 

12
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:47,320
Christmas story. 
And I'm going to, I'm going to 

13
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:52,200
read to you starting in verse 
19, Luke chapter 2, verse 19. 

14
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,640
This is the story of Jesus being
born, of course, and it says, 

15
00:00:55,640 --> 00:01:01,360
but Mary treasured up all these 
things, pondering them in her 

16
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,319
heart. 
Mary treasured up all of these 

17
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:05,400
things. 
And what are the things that 

18
00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:07,800
we're talking about? 
We're talking about the the 

19
00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,560
shepherds and the wise man and 
the angels. 

20
00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,960
All that has happened in the 
Christmas story. 

21
00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:16,160
The Bible says she treasured 
those things that I wanted to 

22
00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,880
speak to you briefly this 
morning about the most treasured

23
00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,960
moments in the Christmas story, 
the most treasured moments in 

24
00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:25,800
the Christmas story. 
Let me pray for us, God. 

25
00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,760
We are grateful and thankful for
the story of the nativity, 

26
00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:34,800
Jesus, your birth. 
And as we look to Bethlehem this

27
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,080
morning, as we remind our hearts
and look to the parts of the 

28
00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,360
story that are so treasured, we 
pray God that you would help us 

29
00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,360
to treasure these parts of the 
story and and then help it shape

30
00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,640
our lives. 
Help it to inspire us to be even

31
00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,320
more faithful and our pursuit of
you and our love for you. 

32
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,240
We pray this in Jesus name and 
everyone said Amen and Amen. 

33
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,640
All right, all that singing got 
me. 

34
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,600
I'm still catching my breath. 
I feel like after those hymns, 

35
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,639
man, sometimes you get excited 
when you're singing the old 

36
00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,320
Christmas carols. 
All right, so I want to talk to 

37
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,800
you this morning about the 
treasured parts of the Christmas

38
00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,800
story. 
Now there's a, a, a post that I 

39
00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,040
often will make in social media 
posts. 

40
00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,840
If you see, you know, if you see
us, many of us are friends on 

41
00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,960
Facebook or Instagram. 
And I, I will say this. 

42
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,520
I'll say some days are just 
better than others, and then 

43
00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,600
I'll post. 
You know, this past summer, I 

44
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,080
went to walking the dunes with 
my son. 

45
00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,040
He's 17 and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
And Kathy, I remember Kathy 

46
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,120
didn't have the faith that I'd 
be able to make the. 

47
00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,080
Kathy, you're back there, right?
Do I see you back there? 

48
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:41,600
Can you wave at me, Kathy? 
Yeah. 

49
00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,960
Kathy, my son was saying that we
were going to go hike the dunes.

50
00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,080
And Kathy did not have 
confidence that I would be able 

51
00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,840
to complete this thing she 
expressed to my son. 

52
00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,240
Are you sure your dad's up for 
this? 

53
00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,160
I'm like, yes. 
But even the morning we go, I 

54
00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,560
got to go do this. 
And I just remember photos of of

55
00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,560
him and I out by the water and I
put on Facebook, you know, some 

56
00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,320
moments are just better than 
others, right? 

57
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,280
And there are many moments you 
probably have had those. 

58
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,280
And that's one of the reasons I 
like social media. 

59
00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,560
It's kind of like a a diary of 
sorts that help us to remember 

60
00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,000
moments that are treasures. 
And certainly I love that Luke 

61
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:16,920
in the middle of his telling the
Christmas story. 

62
00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:19,520
It's in the middle of Luke 
chapter 2 as he you could just 

63
00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:25,400
see Mary and you can see, I mean
just the all those moments and 

64
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,440
it says she treasured them. 
And then it's she's going to 

65
00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:33,680
remember and she's going to lean
in and pondering these things. 

66
00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:35,120
She thought about them in her 
heart. 

67
00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,680
And that's what I simply want us
to do this morning, kids, those 

68
00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,000
of you in the room with us, We 
want to ponder is a wonderful 

69
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,640
word that means that we're just 
going to think about it. 

70
00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,280
We're just going to remember. 
And so this morning, just very 

71
00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,760
simply, I just want to go 
through and remind you of some 

72
00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,920
of the treasures, the things 
that Mary would have been 

73
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,000
treasuring and I'm sure she 
would have been treasuring the 

74
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:57,080
account where Gabriel comes to 
her to initially tell her that 

75
00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,680
she is going to have this child.
She's young. 

76
00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,480
She is betrothed to ready to to 
engage to Joseph. 

77
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,400
And this is not the way that she
thought her life was going to 

78
00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:08,520
go. 
Look at what happens in Luke 

79
00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,000
chapter 1, verses 30 and 31. 
And the Angel said to her, Do 

80
00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,959
not be afraid Mary, for you have
found favor with God, and 

81
00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:19,480
behold, you will conceive in 
your womb and bear a son, and 

82
00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,800
you shall call his name Jesus. 
Now why did the Angel encourage 

83
00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,240
her not to be afraid? 
Well, because there was there 

84
00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:29,360
was reason to be afraid. 
The culture that she was in, it 

85
00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,960
would have been scandalous that 
she now is going to be pregnant 

86
00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:33,880
with this child. 
What is she going to tell her 

87
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,400
friends and family? 
How is it going to look on her? 

88
00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,400
And yet God gives her the 
strength that she needs to carry

89
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,840
this child and then to deliver 
him and to raise him to fulfill 

90
00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:48,760
his purpose and his plans. 
Mary certainly would have looked

91
00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,520
back and remembered meeting with
the Angel Gabriel. 

92
00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,280
And it's one of the most 
familiar encouragements in the 

93
00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:58,080
Bible when he says to her, do 
not be afraid. 

94
00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,840
And it's this, this 
encouragement that we find about

95
00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:02,720
the Bible. 
Often, often, often, God is 

96
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:04,880
telling his people through the 
angels and through the prophets 

97
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,360
to not be afraid. 
And often it is because, again, 

98
00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,520
there's reason to fear. 
And in our lives, when we come 

99
00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,720
across occasions where we want 
to fear, we get to lean into the

100
00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,520
story of Mary and say, look how 
she was faithful even in this 

101
00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,960
challenging situation. 
She remained faithful to the 

102
00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,680
Lord and she would have been 
remembering the encouragement 

103
00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,040
that the Angel Gabriel would 
have brought her. 

104
00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,960
And then #2 what are some of the
treasured moments that Mary 

105
00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:31,960
would have been pondering? 
What would she have been leaning

106
00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,520
into? 
Well, I think when the when she 

107
00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,760
is given the name Jesus by the 
Angel, the Angel tells Mary and 

108
00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,240
he tells Joseph that the name is
going to be Jesus. 

109
00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,000
It's in Matthew chapter 1, 
starting in verse 20. 

110
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,880
But he's going. 
But as he considered these 

111
00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,320
things, in other words, that the
news that the Angel had brought,

112
00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,960
that Mary was going to have this
child, as he considered, behold,

113
00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,720
an Angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream saying, Joseph 

114
00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:02,800
son of David, do not fear to 
take Mary as your wife, for that

115
00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,480
which is conceived in her is 
from the Holy Spirit, and she 

116
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,240
will bear a son, and you shall 
call his name Jesus, for he will

117
00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,400
save his people from their sins.
And all this took place to 

118
00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,760
fulfill what the Lord had spoken
by the prophet. 

119
00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,880
Behold, the virgin shall 
conceive and bear a son, and 

120
00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,400
they shall call his name 
Emmanuel, which means God with 

121
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,320
us. 
Joseph also is told what the 

122
00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:28,880
name of the child is going to 
be. 

123
00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,080
And Jesus's name literally means
God saves. 

124
00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,760
Yeshua would have been said that
way and it meant literally God 

125
00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,000
saves. 
So God was coming to deliver and

126
00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,160
to save us. 
Mary would have been remembering

127
00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,400
that the Angel not only came to 
her, but came to Joseph with the

128
00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,960
encouragement don't be afraid, 
and also bringing the name. 

129
00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,080
So every time that we say the 
name of Jesus, we are declaring 

130
00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,640
the truth that God does save and
he's saving through the baby 

131
00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,720
that is born when God put on 
human skin and came to be with 

132
00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,680
us. 
And then the Angel reminds 

133
00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,520
Joseph that again his he shall 
be called Emmanuel, which means 

134
00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:06,400
God with us. 
Can we also do that together? 

135
00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,320
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Say it even 
louder with me say Emmanuel. 

136
00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,560
Kids, I hope that you're able to
remember and memorize that other

137
00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,520
name of Jesus, Emmanuel. 
And it doesn't mean that God is 

138
00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,600
with us. 
He's not distant, He's not far 

139
00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,160
away, but he is dwelling. 
I've talked on this Christmas 

140
00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,720
Eve night. 
He, he has come to dwell and 

141
00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,560
live with us and the Holy Spirit
now dwells in US. 

142
00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,840
God is not distant, but he is in
and with us. 

143
00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,280
Mary also would have been 
remembering, of course, when 

144
00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,480
she's sitting there pondering 
and treasuring. 

145
00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:42,320
She would have remembered, Of 
course, the Manger, she's she's 

146
00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,160
looking around, she's taking 
these mental pictures, I would 

147
00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,120
think Luke chapter 2, verse 7. 
And she gave birth to her first 

148
00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,800
born son and wrapped him in 
swaddling clothes and laid him 

149
00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,880
in a major because there was no 
place for them in the end. 

150
00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,480
You know the story. 
Parents, remember the first few 

151
00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,360
moments of your children's 
lives. 

152
00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,240
I was there when all of my 
children were delivered and just

153
00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,560
remember how they smelled like 
right out of the womb, right? 

154
00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,480
It was so just magnificent. 
And remember when they're when 

155
00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,800
they 1st come out, just the 
hairs that have not seen air 

156
00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,680
yet, right? 
They've been in the fluid all 

157
00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:17,680
those months. 
I mean, Mary would have been, 

158
00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,240
I'm sure, just cherishing the 
baby in the Manger. 

159
00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,680
And we are, we're, we're 
reminded that that Jesus left, 

160
00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,400
he left his throne in heaven to 
come and be with us. 

161
00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,360
Imagine that he's reigning over 
all things in heaven. 

162
00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,720
We're continually receiving 
worship and adoration and, and 

163
00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:39,200
the ultimate act of humility. 
He comes to this earth to be 

164
00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,360
like us. 
He would have been so perfect. 

165
00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,520
When my kids were little, I used
to sing this silly song that I 

166
00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,600
made-up for them just 
remembering like they're even 

167
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,200
their tiny toes, right? 
Jesus would have had the most 

168
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,000
perfect toes and I used to. 
I made-up the silly song I was 

169
00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,840
singing my kids. 
It would be like one thing's for

170
00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,360
certain, most. 
Then there's a stinky toes. 

171
00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,320
If they had a contest, they'd be
the stinkiest toes. 

172
00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:05,680
Stinky toes don't get your nose 
close to those stinky toes. 

173
00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:09,640
Stinky toes, stinky toes. 
I think I'll just kiss. 

174
00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,440
I would always kiss their toes, 
those stinky toes, right? 

175
00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:18,360
So now I think it's my grandkids
and they call me Papa, you know.

176
00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:24,400
But imagine this was God had 
come to be like us, perfect 

177
00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,960
toes, perfect skin. 
Mary would have been treasuring,

178
00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:33,560
treasuring and remembering the 
baby in the Manger now #4 the 

179
00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:35,480
another thing that she would 
have been treasuring is she 

180
00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,360
would have been, of course, 
treasuring the shepherds. 

181
00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,680
And the shepherds and the angels
had met up. 

182
00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,000
Luke chapter 2, verses 8 through
14. 

183
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,200
And in the same region there 
were shepherds out in the field 

184
00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,760
keeping watch over their flock 
by night. 

185
00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,400
And an Angel, the Lord appeared 
to them, and the glory of the 

186
00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,640
Lord shown around them, and they
were filled with great fear. 

187
00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,160
And the Angel said to them, fear
not, for behold, I bring you 

188
00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,600
good news of great joy that will
be for all people. 

189
00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:05,120
For unto you was born this day 
in the city of David, a Savior 

190
00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,080
who was Christ the Lord. 
And this will be a sign for you.

191
00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,160
You will find the baby wrapped 
in swaddling clothes and lying 

192
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,280
in a Manger. 
And suddenly there was with the 

193
00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,200
Angel a multitude of heavenly 
hosts praising God and saying 

194
00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,680
glory to God in the highest and 
on earth, peace among those with

195
00:10:20,680 --> 00:10:24,920
whom he is pleased. 
It's interesting is that the 

196
00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,560
shepherds, they were not the 
elite, they were not the the 

197
00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:30,760
most educated, the most 
affluent, and yet they get the 

198
00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:35,000
news 1st that the baby has been 
born in Bethlehem. 

199
00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,920
And watch this. 
Notice that the Bible never says

200
00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,680
anywhere that the Angel sang. 
We some of our Christmas carols 

201
00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:44,040
want us to talk about Hark the 
Herald angels sing. 

202
00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,960
But it says in this occasion 
that they said it wasn't that 

203
00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,720
they sang necessarily. 
Maybe they did, maybe they 

204
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:49,520
don't. 
We don't know. 

205
00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:51,720
But it doesn't specifically say 
anywhere in the Bible that 

206
00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,240
angels sing. 
So some some Christians believe 

207
00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,880
that maybe singing is a uniquely
it's like a unique gift that we 

208
00:10:57,880 --> 00:10:59,480
have. 
We know that God sings in the 

209
00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,680
Old Testament says that God 
sings over us, so we know he 

210
00:11:03,680 --> 00:11:05,480
sings. 
But maybe the angels don't have 

211
00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,000
this unique gift that we have 
and that is the ability to sing.

212
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,520
But they were there proclaiming,
proclaiming, proclaiming glory 

213
00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,600
to God in the highest, in peace 
on earth and goodwill towards 

214
00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:17,440
men. 
So Mary would have been 

215
00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,720
remembering this moment. 
That was just better than lots 

216
00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,960
and lots of other moments. 
And then finally, what are one 

217
00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:25,240
of the things that she would 
have been treasuring? 

218
00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,720
Well, of course she would have 
been treasuring the eventual 

219
00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,120
visit from the wise men, likely 
not there in the Manger some 

220
00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,200
weeks or months later, but the 
wise men come and they find her.

221
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,080
And it's Matthew chapter 2 
verses one through 6. 

222
00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,640
Now after Jesus was born in 
Bethlehem of Judea and the days 

223
00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,080
of Herod the king, behold, wise 
men from the east came to 

224
00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,320
Jerusalem saying, where is he 
who has been born king of the 

225
00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:48,880
Jews? 
For we saw his star when it 

226
00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:50,880
rose, and have come to worship 
him. 

227
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,760
And when Herod the King heard 
this, he was troubled in all 

228
00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,280
Jerusalem with him. 
And assembling all the chief 

229
00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,840
priests and scribes of the 
people, he inquired of them 

230
00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,200
where the Christ was to be born.
And they told him in Bethlehem 

231
00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,000
of Judea. 
For so it is written by the 

232
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,840
prophet. 
And you will Bethlehem in the 

233
00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,000
land of Judah, and by no means 
least among the rulers of Judah.

234
00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,720
For from you shall come a ruler 
who will shepherd my people 

235
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,160
Israel. 
She would have been remembering,

236
00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,560
treasuring the visit from the 
wise men who came and the 

237
00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:21,480
prophecies that had been 
fulfilled. 

238
00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:23,920
Mary pondering these things in 
her heart. 

239
00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,440
Now, in this occasion, the wise 
men are not like the shepherds. 

240
00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,280
The shepherds are just, they're 
just, you know, the working 

241
00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,320
people. 
But this wise men, they were the

242
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,400
elite and God draws each. 
He's drawing all kinds. 

243
00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,640
These moments were better when 
the wise men brought their gifts

244
00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,600
and honored Jesus in the way 
that they did and protected him 

245
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,240
from King Herod, who wanted to, 
of course, put him to death. 

246
00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,840
So just a simple message this 
morning, simple enough for kids 

247
00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,920
to gather. 
Mary treasured up all these 

248
00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:54,720
things, pondering them in her 
heart. 

249
00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,280
And my encouragement to us is 
that we should also treasure 

250
00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,280
these events and think about 
them, remember them, ponder 

251
00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,200
them. 
As we finish this Christmas 

252
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,400
season, let me pray for us, 
Heavenly Father. 

253
00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,440
We are grateful for the story 
and then the treasured moments 

254
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,240
that are found here in Luke's 
account of Matthew's account. 

255
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,800
Then as we wind down this 
Christmas season, our hearts 

256
00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:23,280
remember and we are grateful. 
We're in awe of your great love 

257
00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:27,600
for us as expressed in the 
Manger in Bethlehem with the 

258
00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,600
shepherds and the wise men and 
Joseph and Mary and the baby 

259
00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:33,560
Jesus. 
We remember. 

260
00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,000
We honor you, God, for the way 
that you have redeemed us and 

261
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,360
the way that you've won us back.
In Jesus name we pray and 

262
00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,240
everyone said Amen, Let's all 
stand together. 

263
00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:44,880
Thank you so much for coming 
this morning. 

264
00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,680
And so for some of you who maybe
you didn't get the news that we 

265
00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:50,160
only had one service today. 
It was at course at 10:00. 

266
00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,360
If we didn't get that news to 
you, then please accept our 

267
00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,320
apologies for missing getting 
that news to you. 

268
00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,360
And we're grateful that you 
made. 

269
00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,920
And I saw some people walking in
a little late as if maybe they 

270
00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:01,360
thought the service was at a 
different time. 

271
00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,360
So all right, before you go, I 
want to say a blessing over you.

272
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,880
So feel, prepare your heart to 
receive this blessing and then 

273
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:14,040
we'll see you again next Sunday.
Oh, I think that's my guitar. 

274
00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,000
I'll bet there it is him all 
right. 

275
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,320
And now may the Lord bless you 
and keep you, and may he make 

276
00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,880
his face to shine upon you. 
And may the joy of the Lord that

277
00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,880
is unspeakable and full of 
glory, may it abound to you. 

278
00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,800
And may the peace of God that 
passes all understanding, may it

279
00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,840
surprise you in the midst of all
of the challenges that life 

280
00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:36,760
brings. 
And then may the mercies of the 

281
00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,960
Lord, in other words, the 
forgiveness of God, that is new 

282
00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,400
every morning. 
May it be especially new to you 

283
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,240
now and your mornings to come. 
And now may the Lord Jesus 

284
00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:48,800
Christ guard your heart and your
mind, your salt and your light. 

285
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,920
Go now and be salt and light 
into the world. 

286
00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:52,960
You are blessed. 
We'll see you again soon. 

287
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:53,720
Merry Christmas.