For our annual Christmas message, join Patrick Morley for a brainstorm about how Jesus might have described coming to earth as a baby, the details of how it happened, and how he made sure his story was preserved for us. Merry Christmas!

How Jesus Might Describe His Birth

Luke 2:1-16, 3:23-38; Matthew 1:1-218

QUESTIONS:

1. What is most interesting, perplexing, or troubling to you about the way in which Jesus came into the world?

2. Why was it important for Jesus to have Joseph as his human father?

3. What events have made Jesus more important, intriguing, or special to you during this past year?

4. As a group, close by praising and thanking Jesus for his love, grace, mercy, and provision to save the world and you.

If you are a father, you know how much you pray, hope, and even ache for the wellbeing of your children in every area—their faith, relationships, emotions, career, finances, health, sense of identity and purpose, ability to overcome destructive behaviors or conquer loneliness, and so much more.

That’s what our heavenly Father wants for His children too. We are made in His image.

So why, then, is life so hard so much of the time? And what should our stance be when our circumstances are good? Join Pat Morley tomorrow for satisfying answers that will put your mind at ease, as well as practical ideas to help you interpret your circumstances.

There is a comfort to driving by a little, creaky, still-standing country church on a Sunday morning, wouldn’t you agree?

In a way it's like us. For reasons we can only imagine, the body of Christ—His church—though deeply flawed and far from perfect, is and always has been God’s primary and most effective voice to share the hope of the gospel to a wary but watching world.

Join Pat Morley as we spend some time thinking more deeply about how God speaks through the church:

• Across the ages.
• In the body.
• To the world.
• For your family.

It’s going to be a great day!

Reflection and Discussion

1. Do you have a high or low view of the church, and why? (If you have a low view of the church right now, can you agree, “The church has many critics, but no rivals”?)

2. How has the church effectively shared God’s voice:

• Through the ages? (e.h. Julian, “impious Christians!”)
• In the body?
• To the world?
• For your family?

3. What are the Founder’s wishes for you, and why, according to Matthew 16:18 and Hebrews 10:25? How do you want to respond?

It takes a man to teach a man how to be a man. Jesus knew this. That’s why He gave us such a highly reproducible model of the way He taught men, and the Apostle Paul totally got the message—we need equippers. Join us as we explore Paul’s explanation of the crucial role equippers play in God’s process of building strong, spiritually mature men who are fully alive in Jesus.

Pat Morley will also give you practical advice on how to wisely choose whom you will allow to equip you—and how to become an equipper yourself (or a better one)! Be careful who you let speak into your life; the consequences are huge.

What is the condition of your prayer life? Are you weary of praying but not getting the answers you want—or not getting any answers at all? Are you tempted to take matters into your own hands? Whether now or in the past, we’ve all been there, haven’t we?

Join Pat Morley to not only rehabilitate your theology of prayer but also how you pray. We’re going to look at the best practices—and results—of arguably the two greatest men who have ever bowed their heads in prayer: Jesus and David. It’s going to be an eye opener!

If you’ve been through a hurricane or tornado and lost power, then you know one thing for sure: It’s better to have power than to not have power.

Whatever question, problem, struggle, challenge, or opportunity you’re facing, did you know God promised to provide the power you need for it through His Holy Spirit? The Spirit is our Power, Helper, Intercessor, and Guardian.

Join us and get the help you’ve been looking for! Let Pat Morley show you how to gain new confidence to hear the voice of the Spirit and experience more of His power. It’s going to be a great day!

Have you ever been somewhere out of the ordinary and run into someone who, surprised to see you there, asked, “What are you doing here?”

Imagine, though, that you were someplace you shouldn’t be—someplace you wouldn't want to be seen by anyone you know. Now that question, “What are you doing here?” takes on a completely different meaning!

Elijah the prophet was a man who found himself in such a situation. Join Man in the Mirror Chaplain Ronn Read tomorrow to look at Elijah's story and gain a deeper understanding of God’s voice of discipline when we end up someplace we shouldn’t because we feel overwhelmed. Few of us like to be disciplined or challenged, but it might just be the voice we need to call us out of a place we don’t belong—so we can arrive, instead, at the place we need to be. It's going to be a great day!

What do we learn from Jesus that we would otherwise not know?

In the equivalent of a mere seven sermons, Jesus gave us the defining guidance we all seek for essentially every aspect of our life—identity, family, relationships, work, money, health, justice, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, suffering, service, true happiness, abundant life, building His kingdom, and eternal salvation.

The most unique, repeated, and imitated words ever spoken came from the lips of Jesus. All but the most cynical among us turn to them when we need wisdom on how to live a good, meaningful life.

Join Pat Morley and let's ponder the unique ways God speaks to us through the most admired man to ever walk the face of our planet. It’s going to be a great day!