The Reviews Are In | Someday at Christmas | Pastor Steve Andres

How glorious was the night before Christmas? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our SOMEDAY AT CHRISTMAS series with a message about hope in the middle of frustration.Luke 2:6-7While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.Sometimes things are not as advertised. Mary had been promised a blessing from the Lord. She and Joseph now faced the embarrassment of an unplanned pregnancy, the challenge of a long and uncomfortable journey, the burden of a new tax, and an unwelcoming hometown. Was this the blessing? If so, the reviews would be mixed at best.But that isn’t how the story ends! When Jesus was born it changed everything! The Apostle Paul wrote about his despair in Romans 7:24, calling himself “miserable”, but that isn’t where he ends. Just one chapter later he said we are “more than conquerors” because of what Jesus has done for us. Then he gives us the final review of life in Christ:Romans 8:18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.When we look at our lives and our world, we might be tempted to despair, but God isn’t finished! This season is a celebration of how the arrival of Jesus changes everything. After all is said and done, the final review of life in Christ will be: it was worth it all!Merry Christmas!