The Christmas message is hope. But it can be hard to be hopeful in a world drenched with cynicism. Bob encourages everyone to bring hope to gatherings during the holidays, so that people can remember the true reason for the season.
Christmas is not intended to be a season of giving gifts, or even receiving them, but instead a season of remembering God's true gift (Eph. 2:8). This gift is received with gratitude. This message considers Jesus's Parable of the Ten Lepers (or, the Grateful Samaritan) as a way to think about our practices of gratitude during the holidays.
Holidays are something we look forward to, but can be something we dread. The stress, worry, and anxiety can build up in unhealthy ways. In this message, Bob considers some of the systems that make gatherings difficult and shows how the Letter to the Philippians shows how Christians can be a non-anxious presence in all circumstances.