Christmas Makes A Difference

A single baby in a feeding trough doesn’t look like a revolution—until you realize God stepped into history to rewrite the human story. We explore why the arrival of Jesus still changes everything: clearing the weight of guilt, supplying strength for real-world pressure, and securing a future stronger than death. This isn’t seasonal fluff; it’s a durable hope that holds up on ordinary Tuesdays and in life’s hardest nights.

We start with the problem we all feel but rarely name: regret. Drawing from Romans 3, we unpack forgiveness as an undeserved, instant, complete gift in Christ. No bargaining, no probation—God promises to remember forgiven sins no more. That’s not denial; it’s a decisive break from shame’s endless replay. From there, we move to the daily grind. Philippians 4 isn’t about superpowers; it’s about steady power. Through Christ, we can face every condition we meet—deadlines, grief, conflict, uncertainty—because God assumes responsibility for our needs and gives peace of mind and heart when circumstances refuse to cooperate.

Then we face the universal fear most people avoid: death. Hebrews 2 says Jesus became like us to free us from lifelong slavery to that fear. When your life is anchored in his cross and empty tomb, the unknown becomes a homecoming, not a cliff edge. Christmas, then, is a gift within a gift: receive Christ and you receive forgiveness for the past, strength for the present, and eternal life for the future. These gifts are personal, practical, priceless, and permanent—costly to God and life-giving to us.

If you’re tired of carrying what you can’t fix, of chasing strength that fades, or of dodging the big questions, this message offers more than inspiration—it offers a Savior. Listen, share with someone who needs peace today, and if it helps you, subscribe and leave a review to help others find the hope you found.

Chapters

• 1:50 Why Jesus’ Birth Matters
• 4:20 From Crib To Cross To Resurrection
• 6:30 Three Life-Changing Realities Introduced
• 7:55 My Past Can Be Forgiven
• 16:30 What God’s Forgiveness Is Like
• 22:40 New Life And Second Chances

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Welcome to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence Church, Ormond Beach, Florida. Providence Church is a local assembly of followers of Jesus Christ dedicated to helping people become committed and mature followers of Jesus Christ. Now, here's Pastor Tim teaching the word.

SPEAKER_00: 0:22

We're talking about that today. What difference does God's gift make? Are you ready for Christmas? All the kids say yes, right? Kids, are you ready for Christmas? Yeah. All the parents, all the adults say no. That reminds me of a little boy who had been asking for a watch. Finally, his dad said, if you mention it one more time, you're not getting it. It's one of these smart watches, right? If you mention it one more time, you're not getting it. You ever felt like that, parents? That night around the dinner table, his dad said, Let's all share our favorite scripture. When it came to the little boy, he said, My favorite verse is Mark 13, 17. I'll say to you what I've already said. Watch. Are you ready for Christmas? Some of you are saying, I have meals to prepare, I have presents to wrap, I have presents to buy, right? Even though it's not the actual day that Jesus was born, on December 25th, the whole world virtually shuts down. And they focus on a single event. The interstates will be almost empty. Offices and businesses will be closed. And the whole world focuses on a single event. Why is the birth of Jesus such a big deal? I mean, what difference does it make? That's what we're addressing today. What difference does it make? How can a baby born over 2,000 years ago on the other side of the world actually slow traffic on I-4 because it was no ordinary baby? The Bible says God came to earth. And that's much bigger news than when man landed on the moon. God invaded earth. He split history into BC and AD. Every time you write the date, what's your reference point? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ 2019 from what? Jesus. The Bible says God loved the world so much that he gave his son. He gave his son. It's amazing. But when he entered the world, he entered just like everybody else does as a baby. Of all the ways God could have chosen to enter the world, why did he choose to come the way we all came? Well, there's some biblical theological reasons for that, but maybe one reason was also so it wouldn't scare us. Nobody's afraid of a baby. But he was no ordinary baby. If he stayed laying in the feeding trough, we wouldn't be here today. We would have no reason to gather. But he grew up and he taught truth about God because he was God. And he died on the cross. And he went from the crib to the cross. And then he was raised from the dead. The Bible says in the Gospel of Luke, for unto you is born a Savior. He became our Savior. So what? Even if He was God, what difference does it make? Well, I'm here today this morning. It makes all the difference. It makes all the difference. And I want to be as simple and as straightforward as possible. The Bible teaches that because Jesus Christ came, three realities can be true in your life. And I want you to remember this. Because Jesus came, number one, my past can be forgiven. Because Jesus came, number two, my present can be handled. My present can be dealt with. And number three, because Jesus came, my future can be guaranteed. That pretty much takes care of your life, doesn't it? Your past, your present, and your future. Let's talk about that a little bit more in detail. Because Jesus Christ came, my past can be forgiven. If you have a paper copy of the Bible, I want you to turn over to Romans chapter 3. Just take a write in your Bible from John, and you'll find Romans. You go past the book of Acts. If you have a smartphone or something like that, where you've got a Bible app, you can just click Romans 3, verses 23 and 24. This is a very important passage of Scripture. Romans chapter 3, verse 23 and 24. The Bible says this, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This passage of Scripture basically says, all of us have sinned, and yet now God declares us not guilty of offending him if we trust in Christ who freely takes away our sin. That's good news. That's very good news. None of us, the fact is that none of us is perfect. I don't measure up to my own standard, much less God's. We all have sinned and we all have regrets. I came across some letters to Santa. One little kid wrote, Dear Santa, there are three little boys who live at our house. There's Jeffrey, he is two. There's David, he is four. There's Norman, he is seven. Jeffrey is good some of the time. David is good some of the time. Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman. The problem is none of us are Normans. Not a single one of us are Normans. None of us are good all the time. Some of us have a hard time being good some of the time, even. We all have regrets because of sin. And guilt has a devastating effect on our lives. Guilt robs us of our happiness, it causes depression. It can make you sick. Guilt can make you sick. Guilt does all kinds of things to us because we don't know how to get rid of it. People will do anything to relieve guilt. They'll take drugs, they'll drink alcohol, they'll get into all kinds of inappropriate relationships, they'll try therapy, they'll go to Disney World, thrills, travel, become workaholics. Anything to cover up the things I wish hadn't happened in my life, the things that I wish I had not done. But there's only one solution, and that's forgiveness. That's the only solution. And the good news is, ladies and gentlemen, is that God wants to forgive you. That's the good news. He wants to forgive you. He wants to clear your conscience and your record. When God forgives you, there are several things about it that you need to know. One is this it's instant. It's instant. He doesn't make you wait to forgive you. You don't have to do remedial work before you're forgiven. It's instant. Secondly, it's undeserved. You'll never earn it. You can't work for it. You can't bribe God for it. It's undeserved. And third, it's complete. The Bible actually says when we confess our sins to God and we give them to Christ and we trust Jesus as our Savior. I love what the Bible says. God says, their sins I will remember no more. Their sins I will remember no more. To me, that's one of the most amazing verses in the Bible that God will forget. Their sins I will remember no more. The God who made the whole universe chooses to forget, to forget your sin once it's forgiven. He chooses to not remember it once it's forgiven. Isn't that a mind blower? It is to me. If you come to Jesus by faith and in repentance and say, Christ, please forgive me. I surrender to you as my Savior. And you died tonight, and you go to heaven, and you say, God, about that divorce. He says, What divorce? God about that dishonesty. He says, What dishonesty? God, about that remark. What remark? It's forgiven. And I want to tell you this morning what God forgets, you can forget too. That's good news. Most of us, even if we believe God forgives us, we don't forgive ourselves. We hold on to guilt over the years. And it does a lot of damage. Somebody said when God forgives, he takes our sin and throws them in the deepest part of the ocean and then he puts up a no-fishing sign. Don't drag them out again. Don't go fishing for them. Satan wants to keep you under guilt. Satan wants to keep you under condemnation. But God says it's forgiven. My past, because of God's gift, my past can be forgiven. Have you ever been halfway through painting a room and wish you could start over? Patty and I have done that before in the past, didn't like the color. Repainted it. I'll tell you what, rethink things before you paint your room red. Rethink that. Have you ever been halfway through a meal and wish you could start over? Halfway through some project. Halfway through your life. Wish you could start over. The Bible says if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, listen, look, all things become new. The Bible says if anyone is in Christ, you're a new person altogether. The past is finished, it's gone, everything becomes new. God wants you to not just turn over a new leaf, God wants to give you a new life. It truly is starting all over again. It's all about being born all over. I am so grateful that Jesus didn't come to rub it in, he came to rub it out. If there's anything that's good news, it's that God says my past can be forgiven. Regardless of who you are, regardless of what you've done or what you think you've done, you matter to God. And He cares about you and He wants to forgive you. That would be good enough in itself. But the good news of Jesus coming and the reason that it's so important, the reason billions of people around this planet will celebrate it, it's not just because it takes care of your past, but also your present can be dealt with. This is why God's gift matters. This is the difference it makes. Your past can be forgiven, your present can be handled. It seems like I meet more stressed out people during this time of the year than I do all year. I don't know if it's the time of the year or what, but I think you would agree with this. I think you would say, amen to this. I think you'd agree that life can wear you down. Wouldn't you agree? Life can wear you down. It gets to you. If you look around, it seems people are searching for additional power, additional energy. I mean, notice the bestsellers and all the products that are on television or advertised to you on Facebook or wherever. They're all about extra energy, extra power. I mean, uh, how to dress for power, how to eat for power, how to shower for power. Uh people are always, it seems, right now, looking for additional energy, additional strength, additional power. People are saying, uh, I'm sick and tired. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. Good news. The Christ, who came 2,000 plus years ago, can give you the strength and the power to handle your present problems. There's a verse in Philippians, Philippians chapter 4, that many people take out of context and use wrongly. It's a popular verse. You see it on plaques and coffee cups and things like this. In the King James, the New King James, it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You've heard that verse, right? Maybe you've quoted that verse. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. No, you can't. You really can't. There's some things you just can't do. You can't fly. I mean, it doesn't matter if Jesus lives in you or not. There's certain things you can't do. You really can't do all things through Christ who strengthens you. What that verse actually teaches, what that verse is all about in its context is this. I have the strength to face all conditions, all situations, all circumstances. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power Christ gives me. That's really what that verse is about. And that's true. You don't know what 2020 holds. But you can face whatever it brings. A beautiful reality is this: God assumes the responsibility for your needs. That's remarkable. When you give your life to Christ, when you become a follower of Jesus, he assumes responsibility to take care of all your needs. There's a verse in Romans that says, God gave us his son. Can we not trust such a God to give us everything else that we need? He says he'll supply all your needs. And if he supplies all your needs, what else is left? That's not a rhetorical question. If he supplies all of your needs, what else is left? Nothing. Nothing. God's gift makes all the difference. It makes a difference because he takes care of my past, but he also takes care of my present. Also, because of God's gift, the difference God's gift makes is that my future can be guaranteed. My future can be guaranteed. There's a verse in Hebrews 2. Hebrews chapter 2 that says this. Jesus became like us. There's again the reason why he came as a baby. Jesus became like us to set free those who were slaves all their lives because of the fear of death. Jesus became like us to set free those who were slaves all their lives because of the fear of death. The fear of death is a universal problem. It doesn't matter if you're rich, it doesn't matter if you're poor, it doesn't matter if you're educated or uneducated, white, black, brown, or whatever, we're all going to face death. It is a universal problem. It is an inevitable fact of life that we're all going to die. The statistics show that the mortality rate in America is 100%. Everybody's on to polls and statistics these days. It's 100%. And since we're all going to die, it seems foolish to go through life unprepared for something that you know is inevitable. That just doesn't make sense. I know someday I'm going to die. Everybody else in history has. So I guess, except except me and it and Elijah. Everybody else in history has, so I guess I'm going to die unless I'm here when Jesus comes back. So it just makes sense to be prepared for it. You're really not ready to live until you're ready to die. Have you noticed that people don't like to talk about death? I mean, some of you are nervous right now just with me talking about it. Why? Well, because they're afraid of it. Why? Because they're uncertain about what is going to happen when they meet God. You are going to meet God someday. You are going to meet the creator of this universe. Look, you can run from God for the rest of your life, but then you can't run anymore. You're going to meet God someday. And how do you make certain what's going to happen on the other side? The Bible says in the book of Hebrews, it's appointed unto man once to die. Some of you are always late for everything. It doesn't matter you can start an hour early and you're still going to be five or ten minutes late. It's just how you are. It's how you're wired. You're always late, it seems like, for everything. That's one appointment you're not going to be late for. I promise. God has already chosen that time. But he doesn't want you to fear death. Jesus, it says, the scripture we just referenced says that Jesus came to set us free from the fear of death. Why? How does that happen? Well, if you already know where you're going and you already have a relationship to God through Jesus Christ, and He's your friend, you're not worried about what's going to happen. I can stand before you this morning and say, in absolute sincerity, I am not afraid to die. I'm afraid of pain, but I'm not afraid to die. I'm not looking forward to any kind of pain, but I'm not afraid to die. I'm really not. Why? Because I know where I'm going. Not because of anything I've done, not because of my performance, but I've already settled that issue. I'm already friends with God. I am trusting in Jesus and what he did for me on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. I am trusting in the gospel. I am staking my eternal life on the gospel. And for a Christian. Death is just a home going. For the Christian, it's a transition to better things. It's actually, look, this is not your life. You understand that, I hope. This is not your life. This is a season for you to come to know the way and to understand the way and to come to know Jesus Christ so that you can get ready for your real life that will come when you leave this earth. For a Christian, death is just a homecoming. God's gift guarantees my future. At Christmas time, probably one of the most used words you hear is gift. Everybody's worried about getting the right gifts. Have you ever received a gift within a gift? For the last several years, Patty, my wife, has given our grandson Bryson 24 small gifts leading up to December 25th. That's quite an undertaking. That's quite a project she takes on. This year, and I hope he doesn't watch this, but this year, there are a few gifts with money inside the gift. It's a gift within a gift. God has some gifts for you. There are three gifts, but they're wrapped up in one massive gift, Jesus Christ. When you receive Jesus Christ, the gift, you get the three benefit gifts. And that's the gift of forgiveness. The Bible says, let's praise God for the free gift He gave us in His Son. We are free, our we are set free. Our sins are forgiven. That takes care of my past. And there's also the gift of strength, the gift of power. That takes care of the present. Jesus said, I leave with you a gift. Peace. Peace I give you. Peace of mind, peace of heart. So don't be troubled or afraid. He says, I'm with you. I'll handle it. I'll help you. I'll help you get through it. You don't know what's going to happen, but I'll help you through it. That takes care of my present. And there's a gift of eternal life. Romans chapter 6, verse 23. The Bible says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And when you look at those gifts, there's some things you notice. One is this, they're very personal. They come in a person, in Christ, in Jesus. They're practical. They're exactly what you need. They take care of your past, they take care of your present, they take care of your future, and they are priceless. They cost Christ his life. They cost God his son. And that shows the worth of you to him. When you receive a gift that expensive, you realize somebody really values you. God says you're valuable. And then they're permanent. They're permanent. I've received some gifts that didn't last until New Year's. This is a permanent gift. Far, far better than the Energizer bunny. It goes on and on and on. Eternally. Eternally. Do you just have head knowledge about Jesus? You kind of believe in Jesus like you believe in George Washington. And it really doesn't have any major effect on your life. Or you believe in Jesus, but you really don't think all his commandments are all that important. It's not all that important to you to really do what he says do. You forget Jesus said, if you love me, you'll keep my commands. Which includes being a part of a local church family, not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, and a lot of other things. But that's so very basic. Your present can be handled. He'll give you the strength and the power, and your future can be guaranteed. Let that resonate in your heart and praise him for it. Thank him for it. Worship him all the more because of the difference his gift makes in your life. What a change can come.

SPEAKER_01: 24:18

You've been listening to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence Church, Ormond Beach, Florida. Providence is located at 1151 West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, Florida. If you'd like to contact or learn more about Providence Church, go online to theprovidencechurch.org. If this program has ministered to you, please feel welcome to call the church at 386-310-4997. Or write us at 1151 West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, Florida, 32174. If you feel led by God to financially support Foundations of Truth, visit the Giving Link at theprovidenceChurch.org. Until next time, continue to build your life on the Foundations of Truth through Jesus Christ and God's written word.