Do Not Be Afraid to Do the Good Thing; Matthew 1:18-25

When we were first married, Trish bought us a beautiful porcelain nativity with many pieces. It has camels, a donkey, all three wise men, and a smattering of shepherds. There is a problem, though. Every year when I set the pieces out, I have to wonder, "Is this a shepherd . . . or is it Joseph?" I admit there's been more than one year when I've mistaken Joseph for a shepherd and vise versa. Joseph tends to get lost in our Christmas story. Sure, he belongs in the center of the nativity, but he often gets relegated to the sidelines. We realize, though, just as God chose Mary, he chose Joseph. Moreover, there are qualities to his character that caught God's attention. I believe those are qualities God still looks for in us, and we ought to look for in each other. In this message, we dig into Joseph's story and see what Advent brings to those who need someone to believe in them.