Most of us have this idealistic idea about Christmas, but it will never be perfect. And you know what? The first Christmas wasn’t perfect either. It was beyond messy. So why worry when things go wrong this year?

Boredom is the real danger we face when we approach the Christmas story. It’s so familiar, our minds just hit the highlights, because we think we’ve already plumbed the depths of every detail. But if we could approach the nativity as if we’ve never read it before, we’d discover something new and exciting—we’d discover the birth of Jesus is a gift too wonderful for words.

At Christmas, it’s easy to get distracted by the food and traditions and decorations and lose sight of the reason for our celebration. Chuck Swindoll encourages us to slow down and reflect on the wonder of the very first Christmas.

In this message, Chuck Swindoll reminds us that God sovereignly gets His way, even through the most unexpected circumstances. The magnetism of God’s plan that led Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and that drew the shepherds and summoned the wise men to worship the baby Jesus still draws us together at Christmas to worship our Saviour and Lord.

Keep this familiar story from losing its wonder by pondering the incredulity of the God of the universe arriving on earth as a newborn infant. Oh, what a glorious night!

Christ didn’t arrive with the flare of trumpets or with flags flying. He didn’t demand an announcement for whole the world to hear, though He deserved it. Jesus just walked in. Take some time to reflect on the nature of Jesus Christ’s Incarnation—born to peasant a girl in a smelly barn in an obscure town and worshipped by a few people. This humble story reveals the character of our Messiah, who humbled Himself to save the people He loved.

If you aren’t Jewish, then you’re what the Bible calls a “Gentile.” Most folks who follow the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, are just that—Gentiles. And as Gentiles, most of us don’t always understand Jewish Scripture, the Old Testament. This is particularly true when it comes to reading the prophetic books of the Bible. However, it’s helpful to keep in mind that the Old Testament makes the first announcements of Messiah’s coming and ministry. And few prophetic books have more prophecies about Messiah Jesus than the book of Isaiah.

What’s holding you back from living your life to the fullest? Feelings of uselessness? Self-pity? Fear? Guilt? It’s never too late—or too early—to make positive changes.

Jesus says if we build our lives on Him, when the storms of life come, we will stand. We can trust in His wisdom and power.

Prejudice is a heart problem. We adopt sinful attitudes towards others and recognizing them is the first step towards removing the blinders and—with God’s help—begin seeing the truth.