Story-telling has the power to drive us to worship. On this edition of Live the Promise pastor Robert Morgan joins Susie to share a collection of stories that point us to Christmas.

In Rob’s book, , there are a number of lessons touched on. Rob unpacks a few with us:

•  Jesus is accessible to all – man, woman, young and old, every culture and language.

“If you have a manger scene, children are just drawn to the Christ-child. There’s something about a baby in a manger, where horses feed, that draws us in. This is a common person’s salvation.”

• Joy, true joy, needs to be chosen.

• Every one of us needs to put ourselves into the Christmas story.

“To put ourselves there is a great source of the secret of keeping the wonder of Christmas alive.”

• The Christ-child was born so that He could perish to keep us alive.

“It’s kind of an autobiographical and emotional story for me.” While this didn’t happen in Robert’s life, the old man is based on Robert’s uncle who owned a cabin in the mountains.

• Don’t miss the full story of Christmas – it’s more than a baby in a manger. Rob explains. “Christmas is about an empty throne, an empty manger, an empty cross, and an empty tomb. All of which fill our empty hearts.”

• Christmas matters to people’s marriages and relationships. Rob points out that Jesus reconciled us to God, and to each other.

Rob also shares a poem he included in one of his stories, a story called Ollie.

“Silent, holy, calm and bright
Jesus came to pierce the night
Jesus came to make things right
So be silent, hold, calm and bright
Tonight.”

Key Scriptures: Psalm 139:16; Luke 2

Theme Song: Sing to the King

Highlight : Christmas is Jesus filling empty spaces

12 stories of Christmas