Jesus: The Word

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Coming up on Renewed Mindsets.

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Last week was Thanksgiving.

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We are officially in the season.

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As we count down to Christmas with the next few episodes, let's renew our minds on the true meaning of this season Today.

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Jesus the Word.

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Let's go, boys.

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Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets, where we study the basics of the faith through the lens of our middle-aged experiences.

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I'm Rick.

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Welcome to the show where I help you, gen Xers and Millennials, navigate spiritually through a world that looks nothing like we expected, back when cars were square and mullets were totally awesome.

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I am so glad you're here.

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Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of Renewed Mindsets.

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I'm Rick and I'm joined by my amazing co-host, lauren.

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Hey everyone, I don't know about you, but I'm so excited about today's episode because we're diving into one of the most awe-inspiring truths of Scripture Jesus as the Word of God.

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That's right, lauren.

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Today we're focusing on two incredible passages Isaiah 9-6, which foretells the coming of Christ, and John 1-14, where we see the fulfillment of that prophecy.

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Now these verses remind us that Christmas isn't just about a baby in a manger.

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It's about the eternal word of God becoming flesh.

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And we're going to be exploring what that means for us today as believers.

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So grab your Bible, settle in and let's get started.

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All right.

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Well, let's just start with Isaiah 9-6.

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It's one of the most beautiful and well-known prophecies about the coming of Christ, and it says this is such a heavy verse packed with so much meaning, isn't it?

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It's not just a poetic description of Jesus, it's actually a declaration of his identity and mission.

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Let's break it down a bit, because there's so much to unpack here.

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Absolutely.

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Let's start with the phrase unto us a child is born.

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Unto us a son is given.

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Now, that's a twofold statement.

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It reminds us that Jesus was fully human, born as a child, and fully divine, given as the Son of God.

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That's a very important distinction as well.

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Jesus wasn't just a prophet or a good man.

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He was God in the flesh.

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Without both his humanity and divinity, he couldn't have fulfilled his role as our Savior.

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Exactly.

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His humanity allowed him to experience everything we go through Hunger, pain, temptation yet he remained without sin and his divinity meant that he was the perfect, sinless sacrifice.

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He was capable of taking on the weight of the world's sin.

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Yeah, and then there's that phrase that says the government will be upon his shoulder.

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That's a very powerful image of authority, you know, and it kind of reminds us that Jesus is king, not just in a spiritual sense, but over all creation.

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Yeah, yeah, over all creation, yeah, yeah.

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And while we might not see his reign fully realized yet, we can rest in the promise that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

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This isn't just a Christmas promise, it's an eternal reality.

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Right Now, let's talk about those names.

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Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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Each one reveals something incredible about Jesus.

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Rick, do you have a favorite?

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I think Mighty God stands out to me.

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It's just powerful and bold.

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It's a declaration of his divinity.

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Jesus wasn't a baby in a manger.

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He is the all-powerful creator of the universe.

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And what about you, Lauren?

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For me, I would say it's Prince of Peace.

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Definitely Because we live in a world that's constantly in darkness and heavy turmoil.

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But Jesus brings a peace that surpasses all understanding.

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It's not just the absence of conflict, it's his presence of his righteousness and assurance.

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My gosh, that's beautiful, Lauren.

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What's amazing about that is that these names aren't just titles.

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They're truths that we can cling to.

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When we feel weak, he's our mighty God.

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When we're confused, he's our counselor.

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When we need peace, he's the prince of peace.

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Yes, definitely.

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It's a reminder that Christmas isn't just about celebrating his birth.

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It's about embracing who he is and what he came to do.

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Okay, now let's move to the New Testament, to John 1.14, which says and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten, of the Father, full of grace and truth.

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You know this is another verse that's also so rich in meaning.

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First, we see that Jesus is referred to as the Word.

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That ties back to John 1.1, where it says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

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It's a declaration of his eternal nature, right.

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Jesus wasn't created.

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He's always existed.

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Yes, and he was there in the beginning.

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He was active in creation.

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In fact, everything that exists was made through him.

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The idea of the word emphasizes that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God.

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Exactly.

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And then it says the word became flesh.

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Think about that for a moment.

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The infinite God, who is beyond time and space, the God of the universe, stepped into his own creation.

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He took on human form, not in power and majesty but in humility, as a small baby born in a manger.

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That's what makes Christianity so unique.

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In every other religion in the world, people are striving to reach God, but in Christianity, god came down to us.

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He became one of us so that he could rescue us.

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Yes, and notice the phrase dwelt among us.

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The original Greek word used here is the same word for tabernacle.

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It's a picture of God's presence dwelling with his people, just as he did in the Old Testament.

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Yeah, but this time it wasn't in a tent or in a temple, it was in the person of Jesus Christ.

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That is an incredible truth, and God didn't just send a message, he sent himself.

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And then there's a part about we beheld his glory.

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When we look at Jesus, we see the glory of God, his character, his love, his holiness.

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It's a glory that is full of grace and truth.

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I love that balance Grace, because Jesus offers forgiveness and unmerited favor and truth, because he reveals God's perfect standard and he calls us to live according to it.

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Exactly, and as believers, we're called to reflect that same balance.

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We're called to extend grace to others while standing firm in God's truth.

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It's not always that easy, but it's the example Jesus has set for us to follow.

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Yeah, that's why Christmas is so much more than a holiday.

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It's a reminder of who Jesus is and what he came to do.

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The Word became flesh so that we could be reconciled to God.

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So, Rick, let's talk about what this means for us today.

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If Jesus is the Word made flesh, how should that change the way we live?

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So, Rick, let's talk about what this means for us today.

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If Jesus is the Word made flesh, how should that change the way we live?

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Well, I think it starts with recognizing the authority of Jesus and His Word.

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If he's the Word, then everything he said and did carries eternal significance.

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His teachings aren't just good advice.

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They're the foundation for how we're called to live.

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Yeah, and that means we need to stay rooted in the scripture that we read.

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If we want to know Jesus, we have to know his word Right.

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The Bible isn't just a book we read on Sundays.

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It's living and active pointing us to Christ every single day of our lives.

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That is so true, and I think it also means living in a way that reflects his character.

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Right, jesus came full of grace and truth, so we're called to show grace to others while holding fast to God's truth.

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Right, and that's such an important point as well.

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Especially during this Christmas season, we have so many opportunities to reflect Jesus.

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Whether it's through simple acts of kindness, sharing the gospel or simply being a light in our communities, we can show others what it means to live for Christ.

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Yeah, and let's not forget the hope that comes with knowing Jesus.

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The Word became flesh so that we could have eternal life.

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No matter what we're going through, we can find peace in the fact that God is with us.

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Emmanuel.

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And that's the beauty of Christmas, isn't it?

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It's not just a celebration of His birth, it's a celebration of His presence in our lives, and as we look forward to His return, we can live with joy and purpose, knowing that he's coming back as king.

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Praise God.

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Jesus is the word made flesh, full of grace and truth, and as we celebrate this season, let's make it our favorite.

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Co-host Lauren.

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This family had a tradition where the mother and children would go to the Christmas Eve service and the father would stay home and read the paper.

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When the family returns home from church they would all gather to open up their presents.

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The father was not an evil man, but he just couldn't believe in the childhood stories anymore of God coming as a baby in a manger.

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As the family left for church, he opened up the evening paper and began to read by the fireplace.

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Suddenly he heard tapping on the window.

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It was a bird flying against the glass of his window, trying to get out of the snow into the warmth of his home.

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The man had compassion on the bird and he went outside hoping to bring it in.

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As he approached the bird, the bird just flew against the window even harder.

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Pretty soon the bird flew into the bushes below the window, half frozen, yet too afraid to be caught by this huge man.

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The more the man tried to reach for the bird, the more the bird flew frantically into the snow and thorns of the bushes.

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After a few minutes in the cold and seeing the bird continue to injure itself, the man yelled out in frustration stupid bird, can't you understand that I'm trying to help.

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The man paused and thought if only you understood, you wouldn't fly away.

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If only, if only I could become a bird and get you to understand.

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Just then the church bells rang, as they always have on the hour.

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But when the man heard the bells this time, he fell to his knees and began to cry, saying oh God, I didn't understand.

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Oh God, I didn't understand.

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God's Son came in human form that we might understand from where we have come, for what reason we were separated and how we could be restored to God.

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Earlier we talked about John 1.14, and I'll read it again.

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

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Now this verse we witness the Creator of all things, taken on human form and living among us.

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The Greek word for dwelt is skinu, which means tabernacled, so the passage really reads the Word of God became flesh and tabernacled among us.

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Now.

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The term tabernacle should resonate with anybody that's familiar with the Old Testament.

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The tabernacle was a portable sanctuary constructed for God to dwell among his people Exodus 25.8,.

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As they journeyed towards the Promised Land in Canaan, it was basically just a large tent set up in the camp where the Lord's presence would reside.

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Now, after delivering his people from slavery in Egypt, god dwelled with them in the tabernacle, a temporary dwelling place as they wandered through the wilderness.

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Now, during that time, a cloud would cover the tent and the Lord's glory would fill that tabernacle, and when the cloud lifted, the Israelites would break camp and set out on their journey.

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Now, god, god wasn't distant from his people.

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He intimately involved himself in their journey.

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He guided them every step of the way.

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The John draws a parallel between the Old Testament tabernacle and Jesus.

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The God who tabernacled among his people in the tent now tabernacles among us in the flesh.

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The divine presence that dwelt in the tabernacle now dwells in Jesus Christ.

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God's always been close to his people, even in their most challenging times of wandering around in the desert full of uncertainty, he was with them in the wilderness.

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He was guiding them, he was protecting them.

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And now, in the incarnation, we see God drawing in even more, in a profound way.

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In Jesus, god is with us in a tangible, personal form.

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During this Christmas season, we celebrate the incredible reality the almighty, transcendent creator pursued his people by becoming one of us.

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The manger holds the preexistent one who entered into time, the eternal word made flesh With the birth of Jesus.

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We see God's ultimate act of love and grace dwelling among us to bring us salvation and grace dwelling among us to bring us salvation.

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This season reminds us that God is not distant, but he's intimately involved in our lives, offering us his presence and guidance and love.

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So, as we reflect on John 1.14, let's remember the continuity of God's presence from the tabernacle to the incarnation.

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Let's celebrate the God who's come near, who dwells with us and who leads us through every season of life.

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Now, as we wrap up today, I hope that the discussion has encouraged you to think about the true meaning of Christmas.

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Jesus is the Word made flesh, the fulfillment of God's promises and the ultimate expression of His love.

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Yes, and as we celebrate this season, let's make it a priority to spend time in the Word, reflect on His grace and truth, and share His love with those around us.

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Amen to that, lauren, and I want to thank you again for joining me today, and thank you all for listening, and we'll see you next time on Renewed Mindsets.

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Until then, merry Christmas, and may the word of God dwell richly in your hearts.

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We love you, see ya.

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Merry Christmas.

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Bye.

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Well, that's all for this week's show.

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You know the name of this show speaks my hope for you.

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It's taken from the words of Romans, chapter 12, verse 2.

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Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

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If you enjoyed what you heard, do me a favor, please, and tell someone you know about it.

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Send them a link in a text you know.

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You may even need to download it to their phone and show them what a podcast is.

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If it was valuable to you, it will be to them.

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Visit renewedmindsetscom to hear past episodes, read the blog and check out the new merch.

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And, as always, while you're there, send me a voicemail by clicking the button at the bottom right corner of the main page.

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Tell me what you think about this show.

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I just might play it on a future episode.

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Until next week.

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I'm rick.

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I love you.

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See ya?

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The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready?

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By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready?

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Copyright 2002, offbeat Ministries Incorporated.

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Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes Music used with permission.

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Where do you think you're going?

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Nobody's leaving.

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Nobody's walking out on this fun old-fashioned family Christmas.

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No, no, we're all in this together.

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This is a full-blown four-alarm holiday emergency.

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Here we're gonna press on and we're gonna have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny.