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This week’s message continued the “Newish” series by focusing on one deeply practical area of Scripture: relationships. While relationships are essential, they are also challenging—and investing in them requires intentionality, courage, forgiveness, and trust – all rooted in Christ’s unconditional love.

We’ve been talking about the dreams and messages associated with the Christmas story, and it should be noted that the messengers in the story had their work cut out for them – because their messages were difficult to believe. Perhaps the hardest “sell” was to Joseph, who was required to believe something impossible. But the voice of God – verified by the Word of God – is an incredibly compelling witness to us.

Christmas is a season filled with dreams: dreams of a white Christmas, dancing sugar plums, and the warm nostalgia we attach to the holiday. But dreams also play a major role in the biblical Christmas story. In Luke 1, Mary receives news that changes everything, and after traveling to visit her cousin Elizabeth, she suddenly breaks into a song we call the Magnificat. Her song reveals the dreams written into every human heart: the dream of being chosen and the dream of something better.