Cornerstone Christian Center

Discover the Meaning | Christmas at Cornerstone 2024

Jason Brown

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Imagine standing under a vast, starlit sky, feeling the profound stillness of nature and sensing something larger than yourself. How can these moments guide us back to the heart of Christmas? Join us as we set out on a reflective journey exploring the rich symbolism of the nativity story and the guiding star that led the magi to Jesus. Through this exploration, we connect these profound symbols to personal experiences of awe and wonder, urging a return to the essence of Christmas and the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

Embark with us on a journey alongside the magi, as we reflect on their pursuit of the star that led them to divine revelation. Are we, too, following the paths set before us with the same intentionality? By drawing from the creation narrative in Genesis and the introduction of Jesus in the Gospel of John, we explore God's ongoing creativity and His expanding light.

As the Christmas season unfolds, we delve into the transformative power of God's promises and the profound message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Inspired by the early chapters of Acts, we discuss the mission of Jesus as a sacrificial figure offering forgiveness and grace. We invite you to embrace the opportunity for a transformative relationship with Him, especially during this meaningful season. Together, we seek to embody love for God and others, living intentionally and guided by His truth, light, and life.

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Speaker 1:

Amen, merry Christmas. Today we're talking about this idea of discovering the meaning of Christmas. We've been taking a look at the nativity and the different characters within this story and the narrative of the nativity and how each one of them reflect such an intricate pattern of all the things that came together Such a beautiful thing to behold and the real meaning of what Christmas is about. I was thinking about this time that I was actually growing up and we got the chance to go and be out in the woods and for those of us who are true Phoenicians and grew up here, we don't have a whole lot of that as our experience. You guys know what I'm talking about. It's a lot of hot, a lot of palm trees, but if you ever do get out into the woods and have that moment, you know I had a chance to do that as growing up and getting involved in those places and it was powerful because you would get to be in a place where it's a quiet and you'd see the stars were so brilliant. And then later, as I was in California, different places, we would be snowboarding up and to the very end of the day and it would start to get dark and we would be there and the snow would be piled high and it would be quiet and you would hear just a hush over everything, maybe some falling snow off of the trees, but it felt like you were even closer to the stars because they were so bright, so brilliant, and it had that moment where it reflects the glory of all that God has created and how small we are and how he still cares about us. It's just amazing.

Speaker 1:

You know, we think about this imagery of stars and we use it in our decor. I mean, many of you will have it as a decoration on your Christmas tree. Maybe that's something that you get involved in and you use that as one of those things. And we use it because it's symbolic, because it's a symbol of the star that guided those towards Jesus and it was an indicator that came from the heavens. Maybe you're somebody that you know you really go all out in decorating your house. You guys really do the decor thing, and so maybe that's your theme and maybe you guys have it all put together. You see this lady here. She's really decked out Either. You see this lady here. She's really decked out. She's Instagram worthy. You know what I mean. Everything's matchy matchy, you know, it's the one where your kid comes with the new ornament that they made at preschool or at school. They're like, mom, I want to hang this on the tree and you're like, no, it doesn't go with the theme. Take it to Nana's house, put it on her tree, you know.

Speaker 1:

But the idea is the same, as this concept of the reason we use it as a symbol is because it has so much power. That's why often we use it on top of our trees is it's an indicator of pointing upwards, of that indication of the light of God, the direction of God, and that's why it's there, maybe an angel at the top and declaring Jesus's arrival, and so both of those things point back heavenward, towards God, our creator. And that's what I love about, whenever you take a look at the stars and you see the twinkling night sky, is that it's brilliant and it's wonderful, and it's something that we've used for navigation for all these years, and it's given to us by the Lord, and it's something of his handiwork, something where he breathed it into existence and called it his soul and put them in their places. It's amazing, and it's one of those things that also comes to mind is the magi, as they started to follow after the star. It was an indicator, it was one where they were following after him. You know they had scoured over all of these documents and they'd done all these things and then they went and put their efforts into following after him. It was powerful and it's this star, this divine thing, that guides us and friends at Christmas. It's exactly what we look to, is the same symbol of the star as one that guides us back to the true meaning of what Christmas is about.

Speaker 1:

Now, while there's all sorts of good things that happen and there's lots of fun activities we do, all those are great and we're for that stuff. Last week we were decorating cookies. We have ornaments for you today. We love those kinds of festivities, but we have to remember the true meaning of Christmas. So, as the star is shining and it's beckoning to us, it's drawing us back to Jesus. It's drawing us back to the nativity and to the true meaning of Christmas. All comes together in a manger with the Messiah of the most high God. He is only the answer. Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas In this season. Let me challenge you in this, that you would discover the true meaning of Christmas for yourself. Say amen. Such a blessing to be able to worship together here at Cornerstone. If we haven't met my name is Jay, and Celeste and I we have such a great opportunity of leading an amazing community of faith here.

Speaker 1:

Very much all of us are in need of a savior. None of us is perfect, will you agree with that? And that's true of all of us. All of us are on that journey following after Jesus. We use this imagery of Christ walking with his disciples because that's how we see ourselves Christ walking with his disciples, because that's how we see ourselves, and none of us have arrived yet. All of us are still following where he's leading us to go, and that's our ambition is to follow Jesus where he's leading us in our lives. Our ambition is that we want to be more like Jesus. We want to love God and make disciples and reach the world collectively and we want to be those who are intentional in our life after God. We want to connect, grow and serve the Lord. Let me encourage you that you would be someone that discovers what God has for you in your life and that you'd be intentional to draw near to him.

Speaker 1:

In this season and looking at the nativity, we look at these different characters that are there and it's interesting because each one of them shows a deeper meaning. And, as we look to the true meaning of Christmas, it all hinges around Jesus and his arrival to us. And that first indicator that we see that's common throughout this story is the direction of the star. And I love this idea of the star because it's something that it's not by man's hands. See, in that day, the Romans, by their force, could make you do a lot of things. They could enslave you, they could make you build monuments, they could make you do all sorts of things, because they had the whip and they had the power to make you do it. But God, using the indicator that only is divine, is the one that hung the stars in the sky and he's the one that used the star as an indicator, saying now the promise has come, now the promise is fulfilled for you.

Speaker 1:

And it was these guys, the magi, who were searching over the scripture. They were looking in depth on what does the prophecy say and when will this chosen one come to reconnect us back to the creator God, and where can we find him? And they were searching the stars. And back to the creator God, and where can we find him? And they were searching the stars and looking to the heavens and they see this star that's arised and it's there and it's come up and it's an indicator. And so they start to follow it, they start to search after it.

Speaker 1:

And I wonder how many times we hear about the thing that we've been looking for. We read it, maybe in the scripture ourselves, but then we don't put feet to the very thing. That is the answer. I wonder how many times it is that we go and we see the sign of what God is doing but we don't put action into going where he's leading us to go. And, friends, I can't answer for you whether or not you're being obedient to abandon everything and go after Jesus, but let me tell you, friends, that your life will be so much more dynamically important than any other plan that you have for your own life whenever you go after everything that Jesus has for you See, whenever we chase after the star, when we chase after the direction that God has for us, it's so much bigger than our plan, because now these magi, who were just wise men in their area, now are intricately woven into a story where they get to be part of that redemption of mankind and the story of the adoration of the Messiah. All because they were willing to go where God was leading them to go, and that's why I love this imagery of the star, because it's so beautiful. We see God's handiwork and he began to speak these things into existence and hang the universes where they are and put everything into motion. It's all by his doing, because he's a creative God.

Speaker 1:

If you have your Bible, your tablet, your phone, I encourage you today to open to the very first book, in the very first chapter. It's Genesis one, and it says it like this in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness hovered over the face of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters and God said let there be light. And there was light. Friends, when we look back to this creation narrative, we see that God was intentional from the beginning and he speaks light into existence and it becomes light for all. It's because of his holiness radiates light. And so when he speaks light, it's more than just a star burning gas in the sky. He's talking about something more than that the holiness of creation, his intentionality, his love for you all in one moment.

Speaker 1:

I love how scientists they go back and they argue about timelines and how things came to be, but none of them can give me a qualitative answer on how these things all started. At one point I tell you how they started. God said light and there was light. That's how it happened. And what's beautiful about it is, you see, even today, that as we look into our galaxies and the better that we get with our telescopes and the more that we send satellites out into the space, the more we understand that it continues to grow, it continues to go on, and that's just like our God, because he said let there be light. And light kept on happening. That's why stars keep on being birthed and it keeps on expanding, because the creative God did not say stop, he just said let there be light. And that same light is the one that he would use as a signal indicating the arrival of his son to earth as the Messiah, the answer for all mankind.

Speaker 1:

If you move in your Bible to the New Testament, in John, you'll find and it says in the very beginning of that book. It says in the beginning was the word, and the words with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him and without him not anything made. That was made and in him was life, and life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. Somebody say amen to that. See, what we see about this is the narrative tells us that from the very beginning, jesus was there, in the very beginning of creation that Father, son and Holy Spirit, the triune God whom we worship with our whole heart and our whole life. He was there from the beginning with intentionality towards you. He loved you so much that from the beginning, his plan was to create you. From the beginning, his plan was to redeem you. From the beginning, his plan was to redeem you. From the beginning, his plan was to give you a purpose and a plan for your life that's greater than your own. From the beginning, he had these plans for you.

Speaker 1:

It says that he is the word. That means he's the truth. It means he is the very essence of what it means to have truth fall amongst us. It talks about how he's the truth and he is the light. That means he's holy and he is divine, and when he comes into a world that's spiritually dark, the world's darkness does not envelop him. Instead, the light shines in the darkness and dispels the darkness at every side. Amen. I have a friend of mine who's going to come and give you a testimony today. His name is Sal. Sal, are you here? Come on up, give a hand for Sal as he comes. I'll tell you this. So Sal brought me this word that he felt like the Lord was dropping on his heart and I said you know, brother, I want you to share this next week about what God has been talking to you, about the word of God.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, pastor. Good morning church, all right. So God has been speaking to me about a subject, and that subject is the importance of reading his word. He tells me that these people are saying that they know me because they pray to me daily and they're giving me praise and thanksgiving constantly. But how that they know me? Because they pray to me daily and they give me praise and thanksgiving constantly. But how can they know me if they're not reading my word?

Speaker 2:

Matthew 15, 8 says these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from it. They complain that they can't hear my voice when they're needing answers or when they're going through unfortunate circumstances and they're looking for peace within them, but they don't have it. How can they have it? How can they have peace within them? Or how can they hear my word or my voice speak when they're the only ones doing the talking and not willing to listen to my word? In John 10, 27, it says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

Speaker 2:

I don't know about you, but I never spoke to God or Jesus face to face. But I know and I believe that in the gospels four gospels the little red letters are Jesus speaking to you. Matthew 4, 4 is when Jesus tells Satan that it is written man should not live off bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. We need to start putting God's word into our daily diet Because the same way that we need to feed our physical bodies to live, so then we need to feed our spirit on every single word of God to live spiritually. Faith without works is dead, and I believe it takes faith in the God, who loved us so much that he will leave his home in glory to come into the flesh and suffer and die and rose again on the third day, said that we can be set free from all shackles that has us bound, but I believe that in order to stay free, we need to bury ourselves in the word of God.

Speaker 2:

God revealed to me what it really means when we ask him I want more of you and less of me. He says to me then read my word to me than read my word. I'd be a hypocrite if I came to the altar, got on my knees, crying and praying to God and God I want more of you and less of me. But the only scripture I read is that one daily devotional before I go to work, or that scripture that pastor has the tech booth put on the screen on every Sunday mornings. God asked. God came to Solomon in his dream and asked him what do you want? Ask me anything and I'll give it to you. Solomon wanted wisdom and I believe that God gave him his wisdom because in Proverbs 4, 20 through 22, it says my son, be attentive to my words.

Speaker 2:

We can find those words in the holy bible. Incline your ear to my sayings. We can find those sayings in the holy bible. Do not let them out of your sight. Well, how do we do that? We read the holy bible. Keep them within your heart.

Speaker 2:

This part of the scripture is my favorite, for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body. You're praying for healing. God says I'll heal you, but where is it in my word that it says that he wants you to find it? Two things I want to leave you with. Who wants to be a millionaire? You only have three lifelines and you're done. But who wants to be a follower of Jesus Christ? Well, guess what? There's a lifeline in the Holy Bible for every situation in your lives.

Speaker 2:

Holy Bible H-O-L-Y. He only left you Bible B-I-B-L-E Basic instructions before leaving earth. He instructs us how to live a holy life unto him and it's all in the word of God. The gentleman over there and the man over here in the corner, god calls the unqualified. There are treasures in darkness. Bury yourself in the word of God and I guarantee you he's going to use you to show glory to him by your life and the path that you had. Do not be discouraged when you're reading because you cannot understand it. We're not meant to understand it. We're meant to have a relationship with him. When it comes alive in you, the spirit will start to reveal to you his truth and you'll be able to testimony to those around you. That's a good one.

Speaker 1:

That's a good one. What I love about Sal is Sal is like me, man. Now we need Jesus to pull us out of a mess. And because he's been holding on to Jesus and going deep in his word and then all this other stuff is shooken off of his life and all these other chains have fallen off of his life and he's free in Jesus and empowered by the spirit of God to live for him. And friends, that is your story as well, that it doesn't matter where you come from or what history you've been through, but God has a plan and a purpose for your life. Go deep into things of God. Let the word of God wash over your life. See that it won't transform you into a better life than what you already have. We have a hand for Sal as he goes today Appreciate you, man, love you.

Speaker 1:

In John 1, 9, it picks up here. It says the true light would give light to everyone was coming into the world. This was found in Jesus. It continues in verse 14. And it says the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we had seen his glory, the glory as of the only son of the father, full of grace and truth. Friends, this is Jesus that we're talking about. This is the Messiah. This is the miracle of God, god with us. This is God keeping his promise.

Speaker 1:

What we know is that God made promises. He made promises to people, to mankind. He came into covenant with us and he called us to covenant with him, and he did so, saying listen, if you will walk according to my ways, if you walk in relationship with me, I will be with you and I will not forsake you. Not just that, but I'll prosper you and I will give you a hope and a future for generations to come. To Abraham. He goes and he has this meeting with Abraham and calls him to himself and he sees that Abraham is righteous. And he calls him to himself and he sees that Abraham is righteous and he calls him to leave all that he knows to follow where he's leading him to go. And Abraham has this deep yearning because he doesn't have an heir, he has no one to follow his namesake, and he has this yearning to have an heir and to have someone carry on his lineage. And God makes a promise and a covenant to him. It says it in Genesis 17, verse six I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make you into nations and king shall come from you, and I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring and after you, throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your offspring after you. Friends, this is the promise that he made to Abraham. It's the same promise for you today that you can be one that aligns yourself with God. If you want your kids to follow Jesus, then align yourself with God and the word of God and let it wash over your life. You want your grandkids to follow Jesus? Then friends that be people of God that are seeing Jesus, then friends, the people of God that are seeing the things of God and the promises of God, because they will not be revoked, because the word of God is more powerful than any darkness that we encounter. See, what we see is that the obedience of God is fulfilled because God keeps his promises.

Speaker 1:

It goes to David, and we know David, the king, the righteous one, the example of what it means to be a good shepherd. He was full of boldness, he was full of courage. He took on the lion, he took on the bear. He's the one that took on the giant when other people ran and were afraid because he had the boldness of a righteous indignation of God inside of him Saying I believe my God is bigger than the circumstances I'm facing. This is the David that God anointed as king, and it's the same promise that Abraham came down that lineage to David that would say I will continue to fulfill my promise. Because his heart was first to God, he was a worshiper of God and he wrote these Psalms, songs to God, to be those used in declaring God's glory. It says in Psalm 89,.

Speaker 1:

It picks up in verse one I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever. With my mouth I will make it known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, steadfast love will be built up forever In the heavens. You will establish your faithfulness and you have said I've made a covenant with my chosen one. I have swore to David, my servant I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations. Friends, this is the promise of God that was continued from Abraham to David and we see this continuation of the glory of God, the message of God that he has here. David did not know that what was going to come fulfilled was not going to be just on the throne of Israel, but the throne for all people, for all time, found in Jesus Christ, our Savior. And it's the revelation of that that would be for all people that God keeps his promise.

Speaker 1:

As it comes to Mary we talked about her last week she gets this message from Gabriel and says that you're gonna be a highly favored one and that you're gonna get to be the mother of the Messiah. And she, in obedience, said let it be so that you chosen your servant. But she also knew the shame that was going to be attached to it. After all, she was a virgin and she had not yet been married to Joseph. So she was found to be pregnant with child. She was the one that could be cast out and be stoned to death and bludgeoned to death, and the shame of that in her culture is way different than it is today. So she's living with this thing, this shame, from outside, while the inside she knows she's on a mission from God. And so she goes to the hill country in Judea and she's there and she sees her family there, that's Elizabeth, and Elizabeth herself had received a miracle from God In her old age. The Lord had appeared and the message was there, and she is now pregnant with John the Baptist, the forerunner, the precursor to the Messiah.

Speaker 1:

And as she goes to greet Mary, it says the Holy Spirit baptized John in the womb and he was full of the power of the spirit of God from then and she began to proclaim the glories of God and she said how Mary is highly favored and how Mary is one that is being used by God, and that something happened inside of Mary where she started herself to proclaim the glories of God and God's faithfulness to her. She says it like this in Luke 1, verse 46. And Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant and behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name and his mercy is for those who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name and his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has helped his servant, israel, in remembrance of his mercy and as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring, forever See from her, from this young woman who is the mother now of the Messiah and carrying the miracle of God God with us. She's proclaiming the wonders of a God who keeps his promises. Friends, that's the same one that we see in bringing Jesus to us. We see the fulfillment of God's promise for every single person. What we know is that Jesus is the only answer, because he is the holy one of God. He is the answer because he's the holy sacrifice which reconnects us in relationship to a holy God.

Speaker 1:

Peter, full of the Holy Spirit. In the early part of Acts, he stands up and, emboldened by the Spirit, speaks to people, proclaiming who Jesus is. He says this Jesus, god raised up of all. We are witnesses, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit. He has poured out this that yourselves, beasts, are seeing and hearing.

Speaker 1:

Friends, what's amazing about Jesus is that Jesus is not a deity that just lived and did good teachings. Jesus is the Holy One of God. Jesus is the one that came to this life and did not sin so he could take on your mistakes and my mistakes upon himself. His whole mission was to be a sacrifice for all people for all time. So his arrival hearkens, that experience of one of forgiveness and one of grace and one of mercy that we don't deserve, of a God who loves us so much that he would come to us when we couldn't go to him.

Speaker 1:

Friends, a God that loves you and a God that didn't leave you alone. That, even when he fulfilled all that he needed to come and do, when he took our sin to the cross and he overcame death and hell and the grave, whenever he put sickness to shame and whenever he became the one that answers all things because they are in his authority to do so, as he became the one that answers all things because they are in his authority to do so, as he returns back to the father, he doesn't leave us alone, but sends Holy Spirit to us, friends, that we would be empowered by the spirit of God to live for him, to be ones that go into his word and hear from the spirit, as it makes it alive, to wash over us and transform us, so that we understand the depths of knowledge that he wants to do in your life, so he can use you as a beacon, as a star for other people to find Jesus too. See, that's the whole purpose. Is that we're not called just to be saved by God, but to be those who are transformed and help others find Jesus too. That you too, in the meaning of Christmas, is that you would shine in like a star, that you would reflect the glory of the wonders of God's creation, that you would reflect the glory of God that you have imparted to you by the Holy Spirit of God, that it would have such an impact on the people around you that they would say something is different and you could say friends, it's because I have found the Messiah, the true meaning of Christmas. Friends, my challenge to you that you discover the meaning of Christmas, you discover what God has for your life.

Speaker 1:

Today we have this opportunity to respond at this altar. We do so because God has made a space for us, that he's called us to a life in him, and that's what it means to be a Christ follower. It's not that any of us is any better than anyone else. We're filthy rags before a holy God. But what we have done is we've accepted the work of Christ and because of that he's made us a new creation. It says the old is gone, the new has come. It makes us washed away and become a new life, a new relationship with Jesus.

Speaker 1:

It's what the power of the cross is about, because each of us has to answer that question have you embraced Jesus? No one can answer it for you. It's yours alone to answer. But, friends, the cross is one of transformation While we come to the cradle. The cross is the one of forgiveness. And the cross is one where Jesus took all of your sin, all of your mistakes, all of your errors and all of your shortcomings. He took all of mine and he paid for it upon the cross. He had an agonizing death as a sacrifice for all people and as he did so, he paid for that price of those sins, so that we could be forgiven Something we did not earn and that we cannot earn, but that through faith, we say Jesus, I believe you are who you say you are and, lord, I invite you into my heart and life. I want to start a new relationship with you, lord, forgive me of my sins, make me a new creation. I want to live this life after you, apostle Paul. He writes to the church at Rome and he says a challenge like this because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified. With the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Speaker 1:

Friends, today is your day of salvation. It's your opportunity to say yes to Jesus. I'm gonna ask everyone that's in the room here if you just stand to your feet and bow your head right where you're at, if you're online, you prepare your heart, wherever you are, for what God wants to do in you. Friends, we've been praying for you that you would take this opportunity to say yes to Jesus, to ask him to forgive you your sin, come into your heart and life and start a new relationship with him. If you're here today and that's you you wanna make that decision to follow Jesus. Or maybe you've made that decision in the past, but you haven't been living it. You need to recommit that life, your life, back to Christ. If that's you, as heads are bowed here in the room, but you haven't been living it, you need to recommit that life, your life, back to Christ. If that's you, as heads are bowed here in the room, if you just raise your hand right where you're at, say, pastor, that's me, just remember me in the prayer today, I'll invite Christ into my heart and life. You see, hands that are here, hands that are there. Thank you, jesus.

Speaker 1:

People making decisions, others making a reinforced decision for Jesus. Thank you, god. Thank you, lord. Friends online. Thank you God.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to ask everyone to pray this prayer aloud after me. Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending Jesus. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again. Forgive me of my sins. I surrender my life to you In Christ's name. I pray Amen, amen. Friends, we rejoice with you making a decision to follow Jesus today. Many people raising their hands today. We encourage you in this that you would connect with us. We have people at the prayer banner in the back or at the cafe. Connect with us. Let us know that you made a decision today so we can put materials into your hand as you start that new relationship with Christ, as well as online message us if you made a decision today. We want to be able to connect with you.

Speaker 1:

Friends, it's our challenge, each and every one of us, that we push into the deep things of God, because he has great plans for you. So you need to push into his presence to know the deep things of God, so he can use you in a dynamic way. As we come to this altar, we do so as an intentionality, saying Lord, I need more of your presence, lord, more of who you are. Less of me, lord, that you would be glorified. Lord, that I would put you first in my whole life. Lord, we thank you for this word that you give to us today. Lord, we thank you for the symbol of the star. Lord, we thank you that you are the truth and you are the light and you are the life that we have. Lord, and you speak those things into existence. Lord, you are the truth and the word of God, lord, and so we come to you as the only answer, lord, and we do so with intentionality.

Speaker 1:

Lord, today we come to this altar, lord, saying more of you, god, more of you, lord, that a touch from you, a healing from you, provision from you, wisdom from you, god, we ask for all these things, lord, as we draw near to your heart. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ Amen. Before we go, I just pray this blessing over us today. The Lord bless you and keep you. Lord, make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Lord, lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Lord, I pray a blessing upon your church, your people. You empower us by your spirit to live your love out to those around us. We pray this in the powerful name that is Jesus Christ. Amen, amen, know this we love you very much here at Cornerstone. God bless you and Merry Christmas.