Unwrapping Christmas (2020) - full transcript
- The light
shines in the darkness.
And the darkness
cannot overcome it.
Yet
what if we turn away?
What if
we reject the light?
Shadow rains on us.
Just get a gallon.
We'll need it.
- Okay, Mom.
- Okay.
What the?
Where's your dad?
- I have no idea.
- Okay.
Jack!
Jack!
- Ugh, so much for my nap.
- Can you please get up and help me?
- Yeah, in a minute.
- Where's the rest of the tree?
- Uh.
I don't know.
I couldn't find the other box.
- Did you check downstairs?
Yes, hon.
That's where I found the first half.
Must've thrown it away
when the basement flooded.
- Can you just get this stuff cleaned up?
- Yeah, in a minute.
- Now!
I've got enough stuff to do.
Please get up off your butt and help.
- Fine.
What's the hurry?
- I told you.
My parents are coming over for dinner
and you need to take Nate to karate.
- Right, I forgot.
- Oh, come on.
Wake up, Jack.
- Parents.
At least yours are still alive.
- Nate, will you stop that, please?
Nate!
What?
- Stop foolin' around.
Go inside and get ready for karate.
Unbelievable.
- You need to get your "gee" on.
It's gi, Mom.
- Child, what are you doing?
- Gotta catch this huge snapper.
- Stop playing Coyote
Peterson and get your gi on.
Dad's taking you to karate soon.
Nathan James!
And get ready for karate!
Oh, that child.
- Hey, Dad.
- Oh, hey Olivia.
How's it lookin'?
- Um.
Yeah, it looks good.
- So how was the movie last night?
- Oh, um, I ended up not going.
Topher didn't show up again.
- Seems like that's
becoming a thing with him.
- Tell me about it.
Whatever.
It's just that everybody's
been so fake lately.
And I asked Stacey if she still wanted
to go to the movies with me, but.
- Well, a bunch of flakes, right?
So you got any other plans tonight?
Heard something about a secret Santa.
- No.
An ornament exchange.
But I spent all morning
making mine for nothing.
- What?
- It's canceled.
- Really?
- Yeah, Stacey said no one was
coming, so she canceled it.
- Ah, shoot.
- What?
- Oh, I cut myself.
- Come here, let me see it.
Oh gosh.
Yeah, come on, we need
to get that cleaned up.
- Olivia, did you bring the milk?
- Uh, hang on.
Dad cut himself.
- Let me.
Can you go and stir the potatoes.
Let me see.
- Ah, not so hard.
- I asked you to clean up.
Why were you out there putting up lights?
Dad always had lights on the house.
He would've enjoyed seeing them up.
- You've had all week to go out and do it.
Now this.
- I know, I wanted lights up.
I'm terrible.
- There's a Christmas crap
strewn all over the place.
None of it put up or away.
My mom and dad will be here in three hours
and we have half a damn Christmas tree
sitting in our living room.
- Yeah, I know.
- No, no, you don't, Jack.
'Cause if you cared, you'd
be helping get our house
in order instead of sulking
around about your dead father.
- Ew, keep your nasty hands off the cake.
I'm telling Mom.
Mom!
I'm gonna throat punch you!
- What on earth do you think you're doing?
- She was chasing me.
- After you threw icing!
- Oh, enough!
- Oh, I'm sick of living with that troll!
- Do you want to say anything, Jack?
- Nate, come on.
We've gotta go to karate.
- I'm not going.
- Are you gonna stay here
and clean all this up then?
- That's what I thought.
- You're going to leave me with this mess?
- Yeah, I gotta go.
- Where are you going?
- I don't know.
Get a coffee and leave this crazy.
- Ah.
Perfect.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Oh!
Ooh.
Well, there goes Mom of the Year.
Okay. Okay.
I got this.
I got this.
What now?
Good day, ma'am.
- Hi.
- I'm sorry to trouble you,
but I heard an alarm as I was walking by.
Is everything okay?
- Yes, it's fine.
Just burning my dinner.
Oh, the house is a mess, but thank you.
Everything is okay.
- Well, perfect doesn't come easy.
- I've got a lot of
things to do to get ready.
Thank you for checking.
- Oh, hold on.
I did have something I'd like to give you.
- What is that?
- Just a little Christmas gift
from neighbor to neighbor.
- Thank you.
- Oh, I'd say it's nothing,
but it's more than that.
- Have a nice day.
- Come close.
The night is cold.
Please.
Rest.
- Where am I?
What is?
- I know what it is you want,
what you're chasing.
- I don't know what is going on.
- Please, let us speak quietly.
Adam has been working so hard.
Growing life from dirt is not easy.
- Is that your husband?
- Yes.
- So you are?
- Eve.
Crafted from dust.
God's mere breath giving us life.
He made us beautiful and wonderful.
Perfect.
But then.
- I know the story.
- No.
You know a story.
But to be there in Eden,
to feel the cool grass under your feet,
smell the delicate scent of
endless flowers in bloom,
and sweetness of berries
that have been warmed
under the sun,
walking in the presence of God.
What we lost,
words are not adequate.
- Wow.
That sounds perfect.
- It was.
- I'm so sorry.
- Six times I've tried
to make this satchel.
Never right.
It looks like it'll carry the load,
but it always breaks.
It seems that I am destined to keep trying
and destined to keep failing.
But I realized
no thing lasts forever.
We have tried and we have failed
on our own for many years,
but in all of that pain
and all of that struggle
I know now that it isn't
the thing of importance.
It is him.
The joy we share, the laughter,
the goodness.
Despite our imperfections,
hardships will come.
Don't let them sink you.
- Too late.
Things are a lot harder now.
Life has become more
complex, more pressure,
more expectation.
- Kim,
I know what it is like to
not live up to expectations.
- I never expected my
life to be like this.
Every day I couldn't wait
for Jack to come home.
I got excited hearing
the garage door open.
We used to laugh so much.
But then the laughter stopped.
I don't know what happened.
- You know.
You know.
- He reminds me so much of my dad.
Growing up my dad had a
temper you couldn't believe.
We were all scared.
My brother Michael, Mom.
Time after time she tried to defend us.
I can still hear the glass shattering,
the door slamming.
Holding Michael tight in my room
covering his ears so he
wouldn't hear the screaming.
- There is such great pain in this world.
And it wasn't always
supposed to be this way,
but I promise you it will get better.
- It did.
My dad changed.
He's a different person now.
He's become an amazing grandpa.
And my kids can't wait to see him.
But
I'm afraid I never got
over the way he treated us.
Now I see the same
thing happening in Jack.
The anger, the laziness, the drinking.
I'm trying to make things perfect for him.
- Kim,
I know what perfect is.
And we left that behind in Eden.
God made perfect.
We cannot.
But the struggles, they shape us,
and they make us better,
but we keep going.
- I can't do this alone.
I'm lost.
- Adam and I are not perfect.
I'm not the same woman that I once was,
and he's not the same
man that he used to be.
- Jack and I are very different now.
- The life we left behind,
it was full of endless joy
and oneness with God.
But the world, your world, it is,
it is full of darkness,
and it's because of us.
- I want to be in love,
not nitpicking and arguing
over such stupid things.
We have drifted
more than I ever wanted to.
- Hold on to the memories.
Remember the husband of your youth.
You know, we, we change,
but we change together.
And through those hardships we grow.
- But how can we restore our marriage?
- You need a rescuer.
We all do.
You know, someone to show us the way.
To be reunified with God
and to walk in his presence
as we once did.
My heart cries for sin that I have done.
If you seek a relationship with God,
and then with your husband,
will you have restoration.
When we first left the garden,
Adam and I, we couldn't find peace.
We blamed each other for what had happened
and we bickered about everything
and we couldn't reconcile.
Adam found this in the stream.
He gave it to me and he said,
"As beautiful as it may be, I am more."
And in that moment I
encountered forgiveness.
I have carried this through every hardship
and in all that time
every chip on this rock,
every crack in this stone,
it doesn't matter
because it is the meaning
that is more important
than the thing itself.
It's a rock.
You will never attain perfect,
but you can share perfect moments.
Go.
Thrive.
And walk closely with God.
- I will.
- Are you serious?
Stacey, what happened to
wrapping gifts with your mom?
- Sorry.
- Hey, why are you acting so weird?
- We didn't want you around.
You've been ditching on us.
- I set this exchange up.
How could you not tell me?
- You're going to college in LA.
Gotta make new friends.
Hey, Holly.
- Hey.
The usual?
- Whatever.
- So hot chocolate with
a shot of espresso?
- Put two shots in today.
- So, a mocha?
- And lots of chocolate.
- Goin' for the hard stuff today, huh?
- Yeah.
Oh, and put one of those double
chocolate brownies in there.
Don't judge.
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
- They didn't show up.
- What?
- Your friends.
- Yeah.
- Don't you usually hang out here?
- Yeah, um, they're no-shows.
- What happened?
- I don't know.
We were supposed to meet.
And it's only like our
last Christmas together.
- That's gotta be tough.
Is someone moving?
- Uh, graduating.
- Oh.
- It's just a stupid gift exchange anyway.
- Oh, gifts aren't stupid.
- Yeah, well, my friends are.
- Are they really friends, though?
- I guess not.
- Well, since you're not
exchanging gifts with them.
Here.
- What is that?
- A gift.
Open it.
Wow.
- She's beautiful, right?
There was a time when she was free
and able to roam as she
wanted, but not now.
- Okay, wait, is that water outside?
- Yes.
- So we're on a boat?
- An ark.
- So there's animals and water and an ark?
Are we on?
Wow, I really need to
lay off the espresso.
- No, you're seeing clearly, Olivia.
- Who are you?
- My husband Shem and I are
helping my father-in-law.
- Noah?
- Yes.
- What happened?
- God asked Noah to build
this ark for our family.
He said that there is evil in the world
and there would be a new start.
- What about everybody else?
- Cleansed from the earth.
God the Creator judged the
world of their unspeakable sins.
- He killed everybody?
How could God do something so awful?
- You didn't see how
far humanity had gone.
I did.
Every thought and intention of
man was of evil, continually.
There was no salvation but through death.
It grieved God to his heart.
- Well, how did you get saved?
- Noah found favor with God.
Blameless, he walked with God.
- Wow.
It's beautiful.
But it sure does reek.
- We spent years building it
and telling everyone what God's plan was.
We were mocked and outcasted from society.
People thought we were
either weird or crazy.
Maybe both.
- I know what that's like.
- This won't last forever, Olivia.
Things may be different now,
but there is so much to look forward to.
- It's just that everything
I look forward to
just ends in disappointment.
- You're not looking far enough ahead.
Yes, the next day will
look similar to last.
The animals will still need food
and the stink will still
need to be cleaned.
And who we call our friends
will reveal their true colors.
I choose to see beyond the immediate.
When these waters recede,
everything will be different.
You will move on, you
will have a fresh start.
When these doors open a new land awaits,
full of promise and opportunity.
Look beyond these walls you are in now.
- College.
- I'm looking forward to
starting a family with Shem.
- That's a long way away for me.
- In time.
- Seriously, have you met my brother?
Kids are the last thing on my mind.
- We can't control others.
We can only control ourselves.
Don't drift away into
sin like so many others.
Run from it.
- It's just that he's such a little sh-
- Forgiveness, Olivia.
Be better than he.
You are not being judged with water,
but judgment comes for us all.
Someone is coming.
I don't know who, but I do know
God's boundless love for us.
He saved our bodies in this ark.
One day he will come to save our souls.
Salvation is ahead.
Here.
I made this to remind myself
of my bind to God's way.
So that way his promise is near.
Here, take this.
That way you can look beyond these walls
and see the hope ahead.
- Take this off.
- Can you stay and watch?
- I just had it out with Mom.
I need some me time.
I'll be over at the end.
- You never watch.
- It's not true.
I was there two weeks
ago when you leveled up.
- You mean October?
- Give me 30 minutes.
I'll be over at the end.
- We're too early.
No one's here.
- People are just running late.
Go warm up.
I'll be next door.
- Go get your me time.
- Hey, Nate.
Didn't you get the message?
- What message?
- Most of the group were on vacation.
Figured everybody can get
some time with their family.
So I went and called today off.
- No, my dad didn't get the message.
- Wait, before you go,
can you help me move these
presents into this bin?
I got a lot of inventory.
- My dad.
Yeah.
- Awesome, pal.
Thank you so much.
Hey, whenever you're done,
just let me know when you're ready, okay?
Okay.
- I don't think that belongs to you.
- Uh, it's okay.
Sensei said I could have one.
- Right.
- Honest.
He said this one's mine.
- You're a bright boy.
Shame to waste it on lies.
- Who are you?
- I'm a messenger.
- So what's the message?
- That ball you have is a gift
for some little boy or girl in need.
- But I need it.
- It wasn't given to you.
- A gift is given,
not stolen.
Otherwise it's value would be nil.
It means nothing.
But as it is, everyone receives a gift.
Life.
- This doesn't look like a ball.
Yeah, but it could be.
- Yeah, a golf ball.
- Ow!
- Watch out!
Hold this, all right?
I told you to watch out.
- How was I supposed to
know a cactus was there?
Where am I?
- The desert.
- Aw!
The desert?
- Yeah.
Everybody's in the desert.
- Well, what are you doing?
- My father sent me here to gather manna.
- Manna?
- Manna, the food God provides.
Here.
This.
Have some.
- Dang, that's good.
Like Nilla Wafers.
- Yeah.
Try eating it every day for five years.
- True.
So, what are you doing in the desert?
- My father,
he made a huge mistake.
Really everyone did.
We didn't obey God.
- What do you mean?
- This isn't the land we were promised.
There's a greater land waiting for us,
one where you can grow
plants, raise animals,
a place you can call home.
But we're stuck here gathering
food from the ground.
- When can you leave?
- Many years.
After my father's gone, I'll
be a man in the promised land.
- This sucks.
- Yeah.
Nathan, look where we are.
We're in a desert
because we didn't listen.
The Lord gave us specific instructions,
instructions my father and
other fathers decided to ignore.
- Rules are unfair.
- That is your thinking,
but God's thinking...
My father once spoke of refining
metal for the tabernacle.
The ore has many impurities,
but only through forge,
fire, and time, patience,
do we get a pure ore.
- I don't get it.
- Okay.
Sin is our impurity.
We're being tested as fire
is tested to purify gold.
And if we want to be pure in spirit
we must go through a crucible.
- A crucible?
- That's not anything I can do.
- I've heard whispers
of one who will come
greater than Abraham, greater than Moses.
We sacrifice the lamb to God,
an offering of our sins.
But one day,
God will give us the ultimate sacrifice,
purer than the youngest lamb.
- I haven't done anything
that needs sacrifice.
- Take heed.
Do not live your life in disobedience,
breaking the rules,
doing whatever you want.
I don't understand why sometimes,
but that's okay because I trust
because I know you're going
through a lot of pain right now.
- No, I'm not.
- Nathan.
Your dad, he's, he's made many mistakes,
but he's still your father.
- You don't understand.
He only cares about himself.
His me time.
I wish we could just hang out, play ball,
like we used to.
- Hey, look at this.
There is a specific way to weave this.
And if you do not do it right,
it will all fall apart.
Instructions to build it strong.
God commands us to honor our fathers.
- Why should I?
It's all his fault.
- Listen, I was angry, too.
Know this.
If you hang on to that
anger towards your dad
because of what he's done or not done,
you'll never have peace.
Listen to instructions.
Your father, he's not perfect.
But honor your dad.
Don't let yourself be pushed here.
It's where you're headed.
The forge burns hot, Nate.
Discipline, it's rough.
But the reward is
so much more.
Stop living in the desert.
- Thanks Klaus.
See ya tomorrow.
- Yea you have a good one.
Hey, Jack.
- Hey.
- Karate?
- Yeah.
Let me get the high country honey.
Oh, you goin' for that red today.
- No, I just need something,
something different.
That's good.
I like it, in a malty kind of way.
- I got that new sour.
- I'll take that after I'm done with this.
- Everything okay with you, Jack?
- No, it's not.
First this happens, and then
I have it out with the wife.
- If I had a dollar for every
time somebody told me that.
- Yeah, whatever.
Tell you what, give me a whiskey neat.
- What are you doing?
- Sorry. What?
- Your son is in the dojo next door.
- Yeah, I'm sorry.
Have we met?
- No.
Not officially.
- Why are you asking about my son?
- I have a son, too.
- Okay.
- I'm very proud of my son.
- Yeah, cool.
- Are you not proud of your son, Jack?
- I mean, he's all right.
Can be a bit annoying at times.
- Well, you know, absent
fathers breed mayhem.
- What are you trying to say?
- I'm trying to understand.
- And what is that?
- A father delights in his children.
- What the heck is this?
Who are you?
- I don't, I don't understand.
- Look inside.
You're not alone.
- What?
- Feeling overwhelmed?
You think you know how
life is going to be.
I had plans.
Then miracles happened.
Joseph!
- I wanted to run.
They told me to break it off.
No one would blame you, they said.
I could only see what
was right in front of me.
There was something greater
out there just beyond the horizon,
beyond what I could see.
Was I going to give away
the blessing before me?
- What, what blessing is that?
- Leading your family, Jack.
Are you leading your family?
- Yeah, I mean, I work.
I provide.
- But your mind is elsewhere.
Present is not just physical,
but in emotion and in spirit.
- This is ridiculous.
This is, I, I must be dreaming.
- Time to wake up, Jack.
- Yeah, you think?
Wake up?
This isn't real.
You're not real!
None of this is real!
- Taste real enough?
This is a gift, Jack.
The past has many lessons for us,
We just need to open our ears.
- And so what are you doing out here?
- My wife and I, going to Egypt.
The King of Judea wants to
find and murder our son.
- Why?
- Because he fears him.
- Well, why fear a-
I mean, how old is he?
- Only a child.
- Why fear a kid?
- A king fears a more powerful king.
- Jesus.
- Exactly.
It would have been easier
if we stayed where we were.
- Yeah, but, you couldn't.
- No?
Our adversary is prowling like a lion.
If we had just stayed
in place where we were,
not going forward, we'd
be hunted, much like you.
Hunted by the enemy.
- I don't have any enemies.
- Oh, but you do.
You must understand.
You have no physical
enemies, but spiritual.
Apathy,
idolatry,
addiction.
Evil, Jack.
These are enemies of the spirit.
And as surely as a murderous king would,
they will rip you, your children,
and your marriage to shreds.
- No, I'm not gonna let that happen.
- It's already happening.
- No, it's fine.
Look, we're fine.
Kim and I, we're fine.
- She's dying inside.
Yeah, how would you know?
You're not there.
- Neither are you.
Nate is unruly.
Olivia is neglected.
And Kim?
She feels unloved.
- All right.
How do I fight this?
- There, there is a warrior in you.
Guard your heart
and seek the wisdom that
comes only from God.
- God?
God?
I don't hear from God.
It's nothing but silence.
- The silence is about to be broken.
The King of Kings is here with us.
Now with you.
- God doesn't want to hear from me.
- Would your father want to hear from you?
- Don't.
- Would you not call out to
your father if you could?
- Stop it!
- A child longs for their father, Jack.
To be held close, embraced with warmth.
Loved, protected.
Don't you long for yours?
- I would give anything,
anything to have my dad back.
- So would your children.
- I failed my family.
- Failure would suggest
that it is over, my brother.
And it is far from over.
It's time to put a stake in
the ground for your family.
- I don't know what to do.
- You do.
It's there.
Right there.
Love is putting others before yourself.
Sacrifice.
Serve your family, Jack,
and you will lead them.
Jack.
- Is this for me?
- For your family.
I was going to bring it, but
it's your responsibility now.
Go and lead.
- Thank you.
- Oh, sorry, Nate.
- Thanks, Dad.
- Is karate already done?
- Dad, it didn't happen.
Do you know why?
- No.
- Of course not.
There wasn't a meet today.
- I'm sorry, Nate.
I messed up.
- It's okay.
I didn't even want to go.
- Nate, look, I'm sorry.
I know you're upset.
I'm trying.
Things have just been hard lately.
I'm trying to keep up with everything.
I've let you, your mom,
Olivia, I've let you all down.
Let me make it up to you.
- What is that?
- Honestly, I don't know.
- I think it could change things.
- Yeah.
- Well come on, let's go help Mom at home.
Dad, do I have
to eat dinner tonight?
- Saying you don't like Mom's cooking?
Sort of.
- Things could be worse.
You could be living in
the desert, eating bugs.
What?
- You know, living in the desert?
Eating bugs?
Like Bear Grylls?
It's Coyote Peterson, Dad.
He doesn't eat bugs.
No, he just gets bit by 'em.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- You are real life saver.
- Merry Christmas.
- Bye.
Hey, hon.
Everything okay?
- Yeah, I think so.
I found out Stacey ditched me.
- Aww.
- And the thing is, is I
should care, but I just don't.
- Well, sometimes people
show you their true colors.
Listen to them.
- Graduation can't come soon enough.
- Yeah.
You're home early.
- Yeah, I messed up.
They moved class till after Christmas.
- Well.
What are we doing?
- I met someone while we were out.
I'm not entirely sure what-
Look.
Things are starting to get more clear.
Ever since Grandpa died,
I've- been struggling.
I realized for the first time
that we- or I, haven't
been doing things right.
I need for it to make sense.
- Is that a-
- A gift.
It was given to me.
I want to share with all of you.
I don't know how to explain it, but-
- I don't think you can.
- Somebody gave that to you?
- Yeah, but it's not for one of us.
It's for everyone.
- Well, let's open it.
You won't find me in there.
I don't fit.
- Dad?
Is that?
- I know you.
This is Jesus.
- You did at one time.
But now I do not know you.
We need a savior.
A day will come
when he will save our souls.
An ultimate
sacrifice, the purest lamb.
The King of
Kings is here now with us.
- I sent my spirit ahead to
prepare you for what's to come.
- What's coming?
- The kingdom of God is at hand.
Sin is dwelling in your hearts.
Festering, boiling, consuming.
Truly I say to you, the wages of sin
are death.
Your sin has come to bear.
Addiction, filling a hole in your heart
with an earthly substance
that only I can fill,
a substance that is here
today, gone tomorrow.
Selfishness has left your
family without a husband,
your children fatherless.
Your family entrusted
to you is now adrift,
a ship in a storm without a rudder.
This is only a glimpse of what will come
if you do not turn.
I do not come with a misery.
I come with truth.
There is a deep memory
of Eden in each of you,
a distant longing to be
reunited with God the Father.
But in your pride you have shed yourself
of God's presence.
Hear me now.
You gave up paradise.
You gave up perfection.
Your eyes have been opened to
the horror of sin and death.
Fueled by your rebellion,
you did not heed the word of God
and have embraced depravity.
Death has consumed you.
Perfection has eluded you.
From the beginning of
creation to the end of age,
you have chased after the darkness,
desiring it with a wicked heart.
But I am the light.
I knew you even before you were born.
You were created in God's image
and there is still a spark
of the divine in you.
Come clean.
Confesses in the sins you
so foolishly bathed in.
I have come to make all things new.
Hear me.
Every tear shall be washed from your eye.
No more pain and anguish.
Death a distant memory.
Step forward into the light
and receive the living
water that I offer you.
But first turn away from your sin.
Cast the wickedness into
the pit where it dwells.
Do not aim your heart to this earth,
but point it to heaven.
Come and receive the gift that I offer.
The gift of salvation.
My arms are open.
If you but hear me and do as I command,
you shall surely walk with me in paradise!
If you profess with your lips
and believe with your heart
that God raised me from the dead,
you will be saved.
Confess faith in me.
Turn from death to life.
Darkness to light.
If you reject me, you reject the father.
Without the father,
darkness reigns.
Choose light.
Choose life.
Now go
and sin no more.
- And so we heard the words of Jesus
that he's calling us to
turn from darkness to light.
He's calling us to turn
from brokenness to healing
by believing and
professing in Jesus Christ.
Why do we celebrate Christmas?
Have you ever wondered that?
Are you wondering it still?
The angel of the Lord came to Joseph
who was engaged to Mary,
and the angel said to Joseph,
"Don't be afraid to
take Mary as your wife,
for she is of the child
of the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son
and you're to call him Jesus,
for he will save his
people from their sins."
You see, Christmas assumes two things
that are really powerful
that you've already heard in the movie.
One is we were born in paradise.
We were meant for an eternal
relationship with God.
But when we sinned and rebelled,
we fell out of that relationship.
And because of sin, we went
from immortality to mortality.
Don't you know that's why
when a child dies prematurely,
a teenager dies in a car accident,
a young mother of two
children gets cancer and dies,
something inside of us cries
out, this is not right.
Well, you know why?
Because it's not right.
God designed us and created
us to live with him forever.
And so therefore we have to
cry out within us and say
what is God's will for my life?
What is God's purpose?
God's will is that you
would have a relationship
with God forever.
You and I were created for
heaven, not for this earth.
And the way to heaven
is through Jesus Christ.
We visited the power of the creation.
We were made in the image of God.
We also visited the
story of Noah and the ark
and how the people in Noah's
time rebelled and sinned.
Remember how the door
of the ark was closed?
People made fun of Noah when
he was building the ark.
That door was wide open the whole time,
but there came a time when the rain fell,
and people could have
still made it into the ark,
but they chose not to.
They still made fun of Noah.
They laughed and remained in their sin.
But when the waters came
up to a certain level,
the Bible says God closed the ark
and it was closed and
no man could open it.
Noah couldn't even open
it to try to make a way
for people outside the door.
Right now the arms of Jesus are wide open.
Heaven is wide open, ready
and willing and wanting you
and me to enter in through
the gift of salvation.
But one day, just like God
closed the door on the ark,
one day the door of heaven will be shut.
It'll be closed.
That'll be called the Judgment Day.
But right now the arms
of Christ are wide open
for you and for me.
You see, salvation is a gift.
It even has your name on it.
But here's the deal.
You have to receive the
gift, claim it as your own,
and then open the gift and enjoy
the wonders of God's grace,
how he helps the old person in us to die
and the new person can be born.
A person of hope, a person of joy,
a person who leaves behind
the sin and brokenness
of the past, moves into healing
and the joy of the present.
The gift of salvation has your name on it.
Have you received that gift?
Have you said yes to Christ?
Maybe you did,
but maybe like in the story
of several of our characters,
you wondered and you've
wondered maybe for years.
Don't you think it's time
to come back home to God
and reclaim the gift of salvation?
Whether you're receiving
it for the first time today
or reclaiming it, I want
to lead you in a prayer.
Would you bow your head and
pray this prayer with me
in the silence of your heart?
Lord God, thank you for
taking the first step.
Thank you for loving me.
Lord, it's hard to conceive
unconditional love,
that you love me even on my worst day,
but I believe you do.
And I ask you to forgive me of my sins.
Cleanse me, God.
I receive this gift of salvation.
I want you to come into my heart,
fill me with your Holy Spirit,
fill me with your love,
so from this day forward
I can truly follow you.
Now, if you prayed that
prayer to receive Christ
or say yes to Jesus all over again,
We would love to send you a gift.
And I would love to send
you a personal letter.
The next step, and when
you say yes to Christ,
or you say yes again is to be
involved in a faith community.
Go to church this coming weekend.
And we'd love to have
you at Christ Church,
or one of our six physical locations,
but it's important that you go to church.
So please go to church
someplace this coming weekend.
And I want to say to you Merry Christmas
from the bottom of my heart.
What a wonderful season to
celebrate the joy of salvation
through Jesus Christ
at the birth of Christ.
And now let's see what others have done
in response to the gift of salvation.
- So you were in Noah's ark?
- Yeah.
- Were their lizards?
Snakes?
- Ew.
Gross.
- Did you pick them up?
- No.
What is with you and vermin?
- So, was it the Garden of Eden?
- No, she was wearing clothes.
- Ah.
- Oh, stop it.
- You know that thing I was saying about
things making sense,
I think they're starting to make sense.
It's like I've been shaken from a dream
that I didn't know I was having.
- We've all been shaken today.
- No, I think it's time for change.
I think we should go back to church.
- I'm with you.
- More than Christmas or Easter.
- You know, I'm sorry
for what I said earlier
about your dad.
I shouldn't have.
I crossed a line.
- That's okay.
Things got heated.
No one's perfect.
- I'm okay with not being perfect.
- You're perfect for me.
- For each other.
Hey, where's
the other half of the tree?
Uh, I threw it away when
the basement flooded.
What are we gonna do?
- Come on.
Let's work with what we have.
- I call the tinsel.
- And I call hiding the pickle.
- Oh, hang on, hang on,
We gotta get the lights first.
- Well?
It's not perfect.
- No.
Perfectly imperfect.
Grandma! Grandpa!
Merry Christmas!
Merry
Christmas, how are you guys?
Hi, guys, Merry Christmas.
How are you?
Oh, everything
looks great here.
It's so beautiful.
We're having chinese for dinner.
That sounds yummy.
Oh, that's our favorite!
shines in the darkness.
And the darkness
cannot overcome it.
Yet
what if we turn away?
What if
we reject the light?
Shadow rains on us.
Just get a gallon.
We'll need it.
- Okay, Mom.
- Okay.
What the?
Where's your dad?
- I have no idea.
- Okay.
Jack!
Jack!
- Ugh, so much for my nap.
- Can you please get up and help me?
- Yeah, in a minute.
- Where's the rest of the tree?
- Uh.
I don't know.
I couldn't find the other box.
- Did you check downstairs?
Yes, hon.
That's where I found the first half.
Must've thrown it away
when the basement flooded.
- Can you just get this stuff cleaned up?
- Yeah, in a minute.
- Now!
I've got enough stuff to do.
Please get up off your butt and help.
- Fine.
What's the hurry?
- I told you.
My parents are coming over for dinner
and you need to take Nate to karate.
- Right, I forgot.
- Oh, come on.
Wake up, Jack.
- Parents.
At least yours are still alive.
- Nate, will you stop that, please?
Nate!
What?
- Stop foolin' around.
Go inside and get ready for karate.
Unbelievable.
- You need to get your "gee" on.
It's gi, Mom.
- Child, what are you doing?
- Gotta catch this huge snapper.
- Stop playing Coyote
Peterson and get your gi on.
Dad's taking you to karate soon.
Nathan James!
And get ready for karate!
Oh, that child.
- Hey, Dad.
- Oh, hey Olivia.
How's it lookin'?
- Um.
Yeah, it looks good.
- So how was the movie last night?
- Oh, um, I ended up not going.
Topher didn't show up again.
- Seems like that's
becoming a thing with him.
- Tell me about it.
Whatever.
It's just that everybody's
been so fake lately.
And I asked Stacey if she still wanted
to go to the movies with me, but.
- Well, a bunch of flakes, right?
So you got any other plans tonight?
Heard something about a secret Santa.
- No.
An ornament exchange.
But I spent all morning
making mine for nothing.
- What?
- It's canceled.
- Really?
- Yeah, Stacey said no one was
coming, so she canceled it.
- Ah, shoot.
- What?
- Oh, I cut myself.
- Come here, let me see it.
Oh gosh.
Yeah, come on, we need
to get that cleaned up.
- Olivia, did you bring the milk?
- Uh, hang on.
Dad cut himself.
- Let me.
Can you go and stir the potatoes.
Let me see.
- Ah, not so hard.
- I asked you to clean up.
Why were you out there putting up lights?
Dad always had lights on the house.
He would've enjoyed seeing them up.
- You've had all week to go out and do it.
Now this.
- I know, I wanted lights up.
I'm terrible.
- There's a Christmas crap
strewn all over the place.
None of it put up or away.
My mom and dad will be here in three hours
and we have half a damn Christmas tree
sitting in our living room.
- Yeah, I know.
- No, no, you don't, Jack.
'Cause if you cared, you'd
be helping get our house
in order instead of sulking
around about your dead father.
- Ew, keep your nasty hands off the cake.
I'm telling Mom.
Mom!
I'm gonna throat punch you!
- What on earth do you think you're doing?
- She was chasing me.
- After you threw icing!
- Oh, enough!
- Oh, I'm sick of living with that troll!
- Do you want to say anything, Jack?
- Nate, come on.
We've gotta go to karate.
- I'm not going.
- Are you gonna stay here
and clean all this up then?
- That's what I thought.
- You're going to leave me with this mess?
- Yeah, I gotta go.
- Where are you going?
- I don't know.
Get a coffee and leave this crazy.
- Ah.
Perfect.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Oh!
Ooh.
Well, there goes Mom of the Year.
Okay. Okay.
I got this.
I got this.
What now?
Good day, ma'am.
- Hi.
- I'm sorry to trouble you,
but I heard an alarm as I was walking by.
Is everything okay?
- Yes, it's fine.
Just burning my dinner.
Oh, the house is a mess, but thank you.
Everything is okay.
- Well, perfect doesn't come easy.
- I've got a lot of
things to do to get ready.
Thank you for checking.
- Oh, hold on.
I did have something I'd like to give you.
- What is that?
- Just a little Christmas gift
from neighbor to neighbor.
- Thank you.
- Oh, I'd say it's nothing,
but it's more than that.
- Have a nice day.
- Come close.
The night is cold.
Please.
Rest.
- Where am I?
What is?
- I know what it is you want,
what you're chasing.
- I don't know what is going on.
- Please, let us speak quietly.
Adam has been working so hard.
Growing life from dirt is not easy.
- Is that your husband?
- Yes.
- So you are?
- Eve.
Crafted from dust.
God's mere breath giving us life.
He made us beautiful and wonderful.
Perfect.
But then.
- I know the story.
- No.
You know a story.
But to be there in Eden,
to feel the cool grass under your feet,
smell the delicate scent of
endless flowers in bloom,
and sweetness of berries
that have been warmed
under the sun,
walking in the presence of God.
What we lost,
words are not adequate.
- Wow.
That sounds perfect.
- It was.
- I'm so sorry.
- Six times I've tried
to make this satchel.
Never right.
It looks like it'll carry the load,
but it always breaks.
It seems that I am destined to keep trying
and destined to keep failing.
But I realized
no thing lasts forever.
We have tried and we have failed
on our own for many years,
but in all of that pain
and all of that struggle
I know now that it isn't
the thing of importance.
It is him.
The joy we share, the laughter,
the goodness.
Despite our imperfections,
hardships will come.
Don't let them sink you.
- Too late.
Things are a lot harder now.
Life has become more
complex, more pressure,
more expectation.
- Kim,
I know what it is like to
not live up to expectations.
- I never expected my
life to be like this.
Every day I couldn't wait
for Jack to come home.
I got excited hearing
the garage door open.
We used to laugh so much.
But then the laughter stopped.
I don't know what happened.
- You know.
You know.
- He reminds me so much of my dad.
Growing up my dad had a
temper you couldn't believe.
We were all scared.
My brother Michael, Mom.
Time after time she tried to defend us.
I can still hear the glass shattering,
the door slamming.
Holding Michael tight in my room
covering his ears so he
wouldn't hear the screaming.
- There is such great pain in this world.
And it wasn't always
supposed to be this way,
but I promise you it will get better.
- It did.
My dad changed.
He's a different person now.
He's become an amazing grandpa.
And my kids can't wait to see him.
But
I'm afraid I never got
over the way he treated us.
Now I see the same
thing happening in Jack.
The anger, the laziness, the drinking.
I'm trying to make things perfect for him.
- Kim,
I know what perfect is.
And we left that behind in Eden.
God made perfect.
We cannot.
But the struggles, they shape us,
and they make us better,
but we keep going.
- I can't do this alone.
I'm lost.
- Adam and I are not perfect.
I'm not the same woman that I once was,
and he's not the same
man that he used to be.
- Jack and I are very different now.
- The life we left behind,
it was full of endless joy
and oneness with God.
But the world, your world, it is,
it is full of darkness,
and it's because of us.
- I want to be in love,
not nitpicking and arguing
over such stupid things.
We have drifted
more than I ever wanted to.
- Hold on to the memories.
Remember the husband of your youth.
You know, we, we change,
but we change together.
And through those hardships we grow.
- But how can we restore our marriage?
- You need a rescuer.
We all do.
You know, someone to show us the way.
To be reunified with God
and to walk in his presence
as we once did.
My heart cries for sin that I have done.
If you seek a relationship with God,
and then with your husband,
will you have restoration.
When we first left the garden,
Adam and I, we couldn't find peace.
We blamed each other for what had happened
and we bickered about everything
and we couldn't reconcile.
Adam found this in the stream.
He gave it to me and he said,
"As beautiful as it may be, I am more."
And in that moment I
encountered forgiveness.
I have carried this through every hardship
and in all that time
every chip on this rock,
every crack in this stone,
it doesn't matter
because it is the meaning
that is more important
than the thing itself.
It's a rock.
You will never attain perfect,
but you can share perfect moments.
Go.
Thrive.
And walk closely with God.
- I will.
- Are you serious?
Stacey, what happened to
wrapping gifts with your mom?
- Sorry.
- Hey, why are you acting so weird?
- We didn't want you around.
You've been ditching on us.
- I set this exchange up.
How could you not tell me?
- You're going to college in LA.
Gotta make new friends.
Hey, Holly.
- Hey.
The usual?
- Whatever.
- So hot chocolate with
a shot of espresso?
- Put two shots in today.
- So, a mocha?
- And lots of chocolate.
- Goin' for the hard stuff today, huh?
- Yeah.
Oh, and put one of those double
chocolate brownies in there.
Don't judge.
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
- They didn't show up.
- What?
- Your friends.
- Yeah.
- Don't you usually hang out here?
- Yeah, um, they're no-shows.
- What happened?
- I don't know.
We were supposed to meet.
And it's only like our
last Christmas together.
- That's gotta be tough.
Is someone moving?
- Uh, graduating.
- Oh.
- It's just a stupid gift exchange anyway.
- Oh, gifts aren't stupid.
- Yeah, well, my friends are.
- Are they really friends, though?
- I guess not.
- Well, since you're not
exchanging gifts with them.
Here.
- What is that?
- A gift.
Open it.
Wow.
- She's beautiful, right?
There was a time when she was free
and able to roam as she
wanted, but not now.
- Okay, wait, is that water outside?
- Yes.
- So we're on a boat?
- An ark.
- So there's animals and water and an ark?
Are we on?
Wow, I really need to
lay off the espresso.
- No, you're seeing clearly, Olivia.
- Who are you?
- My husband Shem and I are
helping my father-in-law.
- Noah?
- Yes.
- What happened?
- God asked Noah to build
this ark for our family.
He said that there is evil in the world
and there would be a new start.
- What about everybody else?
- Cleansed from the earth.
God the Creator judged the
world of their unspeakable sins.
- He killed everybody?
How could God do something so awful?
- You didn't see how
far humanity had gone.
I did.
Every thought and intention of
man was of evil, continually.
There was no salvation but through death.
It grieved God to his heart.
- Well, how did you get saved?
- Noah found favor with God.
Blameless, he walked with God.
- Wow.
It's beautiful.
But it sure does reek.
- We spent years building it
and telling everyone what God's plan was.
We were mocked and outcasted from society.
People thought we were
either weird or crazy.
Maybe both.
- I know what that's like.
- This won't last forever, Olivia.
Things may be different now,
but there is so much to look forward to.
- It's just that everything
I look forward to
just ends in disappointment.
- You're not looking far enough ahead.
Yes, the next day will
look similar to last.
The animals will still need food
and the stink will still
need to be cleaned.
And who we call our friends
will reveal their true colors.
I choose to see beyond the immediate.
When these waters recede,
everything will be different.
You will move on, you
will have a fresh start.
When these doors open a new land awaits,
full of promise and opportunity.
Look beyond these walls you are in now.
- College.
- I'm looking forward to
starting a family with Shem.
- That's a long way away for me.
- In time.
- Seriously, have you met my brother?
Kids are the last thing on my mind.
- We can't control others.
We can only control ourselves.
Don't drift away into
sin like so many others.
Run from it.
- It's just that he's such a little sh-
- Forgiveness, Olivia.
Be better than he.
You are not being judged with water,
but judgment comes for us all.
Someone is coming.
I don't know who, but I do know
God's boundless love for us.
He saved our bodies in this ark.
One day he will come to save our souls.
Salvation is ahead.
Here.
I made this to remind myself
of my bind to God's way.
So that way his promise is near.
Here, take this.
That way you can look beyond these walls
and see the hope ahead.
- Take this off.
- Can you stay and watch?
- I just had it out with Mom.
I need some me time.
I'll be over at the end.
- You never watch.
- It's not true.
I was there two weeks
ago when you leveled up.
- You mean October?
- Give me 30 minutes.
I'll be over at the end.
- We're too early.
No one's here.
- People are just running late.
Go warm up.
I'll be next door.
- Go get your me time.
- Hey, Nate.
Didn't you get the message?
- What message?
- Most of the group were on vacation.
Figured everybody can get
some time with their family.
So I went and called today off.
- No, my dad didn't get the message.
- Wait, before you go,
can you help me move these
presents into this bin?
I got a lot of inventory.
- My dad.
Yeah.
- Awesome, pal.
Thank you so much.
Hey, whenever you're done,
just let me know when you're ready, okay?
Okay.
- I don't think that belongs to you.
- Uh, it's okay.
Sensei said I could have one.
- Right.
- Honest.
He said this one's mine.
- You're a bright boy.
Shame to waste it on lies.
- Who are you?
- I'm a messenger.
- So what's the message?
- That ball you have is a gift
for some little boy or girl in need.
- But I need it.
- It wasn't given to you.
- A gift is given,
not stolen.
Otherwise it's value would be nil.
It means nothing.
But as it is, everyone receives a gift.
Life.
- This doesn't look like a ball.
Yeah, but it could be.
- Yeah, a golf ball.
- Ow!
- Watch out!
Hold this, all right?
I told you to watch out.
- How was I supposed to
know a cactus was there?
Where am I?
- The desert.
- Aw!
The desert?
- Yeah.
Everybody's in the desert.
- Well, what are you doing?
- My father sent me here to gather manna.
- Manna?
- Manna, the food God provides.
Here.
This.
Have some.
- Dang, that's good.
Like Nilla Wafers.
- Yeah.
Try eating it every day for five years.
- True.
So, what are you doing in the desert?
- My father,
he made a huge mistake.
Really everyone did.
We didn't obey God.
- What do you mean?
- This isn't the land we were promised.
There's a greater land waiting for us,
one where you can grow
plants, raise animals,
a place you can call home.
But we're stuck here gathering
food from the ground.
- When can you leave?
- Many years.
After my father's gone, I'll
be a man in the promised land.
- This sucks.
- Yeah.
Nathan, look where we are.
We're in a desert
because we didn't listen.
The Lord gave us specific instructions,
instructions my father and
other fathers decided to ignore.
- Rules are unfair.
- That is your thinking,
but God's thinking...
My father once spoke of refining
metal for the tabernacle.
The ore has many impurities,
but only through forge,
fire, and time, patience,
do we get a pure ore.
- I don't get it.
- Okay.
Sin is our impurity.
We're being tested as fire
is tested to purify gold.
And if we want to be pure in spirit
we must go through a crucible.
- A crucible?
- That's not anything I can do.
- I've heard whispers
of one who will come
greater than Abraham, greater than Moses.
We sacrifice the lamb to God,
an offering of our sins.
But one day,
God will give us the ultimate sacrifice,
purer than the youngest lamb.
- I haven't done anything
that needs sacrifice.
- Take heed.
Do not live your life in disobedience,
breaking the rules,
doing whatever you want.
I don't understand why sometimes,
but that's okay because I trust
because I know you're going
through a lot of pain right now.
- No, I'm not.
- Nathan.
Your dad, he's, he's made many mistakes,
but he's still your father.
- You don't understand.
He only cares about himself.
His me time.
I wish we could just hang out, play ball,
like we used to.
- Hey, look at this.
There is a specific way to weave this.
And if you do not do it right,
it will all fall apart.
Instructions to build it strong.
God commands us to honor our fathers.
- Why should I?
It's all his fault.
- Listen, I was angry, too.
Know this.
If you hang on to that
anger towards your dad
because of what he's done or not done,
you'll never have peace.
Listen to instructions.
Your father, he's not perfect.
But honor your dad.
Don't let yourself be pushed here.
It's where you're headed.
The forge burns hot, Nate.
Discipline, it's rough.
But the reward is
so much more.
Stop living in the desert.
- Thanks Klaus.
See ya tomorrow.
- Yea you have a good one.
Hey, Jack.
- Hey.
- Karate?
- Yeah.
Let me get the high country honey.
Oh, you goin' for that red today.
- No, I just need something,
something different.
That's good.
I like it, in a malty kind of way.
- I got that new sour.
- I'll take that after I'm done with this.
- Everything okay with you, Jack?
- No, it's not.
First this happens, and then
I have it out with the wife.
- If I had a dollar for every
time somebody told me that.
- Yeah, whatever.
Tell you what, give me a whiskey neat.
- What are you doing?
- Sorry. What?
- Your son is in the dojo next door.
- Yeah, I'm sorry.
Have we met?
- No.
Not officially.
- Why are you asking about my son?
- I have a son, too.
- Okay.
- I'm very proud of my son.
- Yeah, cool.
- Are you not proud of your son, Jack?
- I mean, he's all right.
Can be a bit annoying at times.
- Well, you know, absent
fathers breed mayhem.
- What are you trying to say?
- I'm trying to understand.
- And what is that?
- A father delights in his children.
- What the heck is this?
Who are you?
- I don't, I don't understand.
- Look inside.
You're not alone.
- What?
- Feeling overwhelmed?
You think you know how
life is going to be.
I had plans.
Then miracles happened.
Joseph!
- I wanted to run.
They told me to break it off.
No one would blame you, they said.
I could only see what
was right in front of me.
There was something greater
out there just beyond the horizon,
beyond what I could see.
Was I going to give away
the blessing before me?
- What, what blessing is that?
- Leading your family, Jack.
Are you leading your family?
- Yeah, I mean, I work.
I provide.
- But your mind is elsewhere.
Present is not just physical,
but in emotion and in spirit.
- This is ridiculous.
This is, I, I must be dreaming.
- Time to wake up, Jack.
- Yeah, you think?
Wake up?
This isn't real.
You're not real!
None of this is real!
- Taste real enough?
This is a gift, Jack.
The past has many lessons for us,
We just need to open our ears.
- And so what are you doing out here?
- My wife and I, going to Egypt.
The King of Judea wants to
find and murder our son.
- Why?
- Because he fears him.
- Well, why fear a-
I mean, how old is he?
- Only a child.
- Why fear a kid?
- A king fears a more powerful king.
- Jesus.
- Exactly.
It would have been easier
if we stayed where we were.
- Yeah, but, you couldn't.
- No?
Our adversary is prowling like a lion.
If we had just stayed
in place where we were,
not going forward, we'd
be hunted, much like you.
Hunted by the enemy.
- I don't have any enemies.
- Oh, but you do.
You must understand.
You have no physical
enemies, but spiritual.
Apathy,
idolatry,
addiction.
Evil, Jack.
These are enemies of the spirit.
And as surely as a murderous king would,
they will rip you, your children,
and your marriage to shreds.
- No, I'm not gonna let that happen.
- It's already happening.
- No, it's fine.
Look, we're fine.
Kim and I, we're fine.
- She's dying inside.
Yeah, how would you know?
You're not there.
- Neither are you.
Nate is unruly.
Olivia is neglected.
And Kim?
She feels unloved.
- All right.
How do I fight this?
- There, there is a warrior in you.
Guard your heart
and seek the wisdom that
comes only from God.
- God?
God?
I don't hear from God.
It's nothing but silence.
- The silence is about to be broken.
The King of Kings is here with us.
Now with you.
- God doesn't want to hear from me.
- Would your father want to hear from you?
- Don't.
- Would you not call out to
your father if you could?
- Stop it!
- A child longs for their father, Jack.
To be held close, embraced with warmth.
Loved, protected.
Don't you long for yours?
- I would give anything,
anything to have my dad back.
- So would your children.
- I failed my family.
- Failure would suggest
that it is over, my brother.
And it is far from over.
It's time to put a stake in
the ground for your family.
- I don't know what to do.
- You do.
It's there.
Right there.
Love is putting others before yourself.
Sacrifice.
Serve your family, Jack,
and you will lead them.
Jack.
- Is this for me?
- For your family.
I was going to bring it, but
it's your responsibility now.
Go and lead.
- Thank you.
- Oh, sorry, Nate.
- Thanks, Dad.
- Is karate already done?
- Dad, it didn't happen.
Do you know why?
- No.
- Of course not.
There wasn't a meet today.
- I'm sorry, Nate.
I messed up.
- It's okay.
I didn't even want to go.
- Nate, look, I'm sorry.
I know you're upset.
I'm trying.
Things have just been hard lately.
I'm trying to keep up with everything.
I've let you, your mom,
Olivia, I've let you all down.
Let me make it up to you.
- What is that?
- Honestly, I don't know.
- I think it could change things.
- Yeah.
- Well come on, let's go help Mom at home.
Dad, do I have
to eat dinner tonight?
- Saying you don't like Mom's cooking?
Sort of.
- Things could be worse.
You could be living in
the desert, eating bugs.
What?
- You know, living in the desert?
Eating bugs?
Like Bear Grylls?
It's Coyote Peterson, Dad.
He doesn't eat bugs.
No, he just gets bit by 'em.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- You are real life saver.
- Merry Christmas.
- Bye.
Hey, hon.
Everything okay?
- Yeah, I think so.
I found out Stacey ditched me.
- Aww.
- And the thing is, is I
should care, but I just don't.
- Well, sometimes people
show you their true colors.
Listen to them.
- Graduation can't come soon enough.
- Yeah.
You're home early.
- Yeah, I messed up.
They moved class till after Christmas.
- Well.
What are we doing?
- I met someone while we were out.
I'm not entirely sure what-
Look.
Things are starting to get more clear.
Ever since Grandpa died,
I've- been struggling.
I realized for the first time
that we- or I, haven't
been doing things right.
I need for it to make sense.
- Is that a-
- A gift.
It was given to me.
I want to share with all of you.
I don't know how to explain it, but-
- I don't think you can.
- Somebody gave that to you?
- Yeah, but it's not for one of us.
It's for everyone.
- Well, let's open it.
You won't find me in there.
I don't fit.
- Dad?
Is that?
- I know you.
This is Jesus.
- You did at one time.
But now I do not know you.
We need a savior.
A day will come
when he will save our souls.
An ultimate
sacrifice, the purest lamb.
The King of
Kings is here now with us.
- I sent my spirit ahead to
prepare you for what's to come.
- What's coming?
- The kingdom of God is at hand.
Sin is dwelling in your hearts.
Festering, boiling, consuming.
Truly I say to you, the wages of sin
are death.
Your sin has come to bear.
Addiction, filling a hole in your heart
with an earthly substance
that only I can fill,
a substance that is here
today, gone tomorrow.
Selfishness has left your
family without a husband,
your children fatherless.
Your family entrusted
to you is now adrift,
a ship in a storm without a rudder.
This is only a glimpse of what will come
if you do not turn.
I do not come with a misery.
I come with truth.
There is a deep memory
of Eden in each of you,
a distant longing to be
reunited with God the Father.
But in your pride you have shed yourself
of God's presence.
Hear me now.
You gave up paradise.
You gave up perfection.
Your eyes have been opened to
the horror of sin and death.
Fueled by your rebellion,
you did not heed the word of God
and have embraced depravity.
Death has consumed you.
Perfection has eluded you.
From the beginning of
creation to the end of age,
you have chased after the darkness,
desiring it with a wicked heart.
But I am the light.
I knew you even before you were born.
You were created in God's image
and there is still a spark
of the divine in you.
Come clean.
Confesses in the sins you
so foolishly bathed in.
I have come to make all things new.
Hear me.
Every tear shall be washed from your eye.
No more pain and anguish.
Death a distant memory.
Step forward into the light
and receive the living
water that I offer you.
But first turn away from your sin.
Cast the wickedness into
the pit where it dwells.
Do not aim your heart to this earth,
but point it to heaven.
Come and receive the gift that I offer.
The gift of salvation.
My arms are open.
If you but hear me and do as I command,
you shall surely walk with me in paradise!
If you profess with your lips
and believe with your heart
that God raised me from the dead,
you will be saved.
Confess faith in me.
Turn from death to life.
Darkness to light.
If you reject me, you reject the father.
Without the father,
darkness reigns.
Choose light.
Choose life.
Now go
and sin no more.
- And so we heard the words of Jesus
that he's calling us to
turn from darkness to light.
He's calling us to turn
from brokenness to healing
by believing and
professing in Jesus Christ.
Why do we celebrate Christmas?
Have you ever wondered that?
Are you wondering it still?
The angel of the Lord came to Joseph
who was engaged to Mary,
and the angel said to Joseph,
"Don't be afraid to
take Mary as your wife,
for she is of the child
of the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son
and you're to call him Jesus,
for he will save his
people from their sins."
You see, Christmas assumes two things
that are really powerful
that you've already heard in the movie.
One is we were born in paradise.
We were meant for an eternal
relationship with God.
But when we sinned and rebelled,
we fell out of that relationship.
And because of sin, we went
from immortality to mortality.
Don't you know that's why
when a child dies prematurely,
a teenager dies in a car accident,
a young mother of two
children gets cancer and dies,
something inside of us cries
out, this is not right.
Well, you know why?
Because it's not right.
God designed us and created
us to live with him forever.
And so therefore we have to
cry out within us and say
what is God's will for my life?
What is God's purpose?
God's will is that you
would have a relationship
with God forever.
You and I were created for
heaven, not for this earth.
And the way to heaven
is through Jesus Christ.
We visited the power of the creation.
We were made in the image of God.
We also visited the
story of Noah and the ark
and how the people in Noah's
time rebelled and sinned.
Remember how the door
of the ark was closed?
People made fun of Noah when
he was building the ark.
That door was wide open the whole time,
but there came a time when the rain fell,
and people could have
still made it into the ark,
but they chose not to.
They still made fun of Noah.
They laughed and remained in their sin.
But when the waters came
up to a certain level,
the Bible says God closed the ark
and it was closed and
no man could open it.
Noah couldn't even open
it to try to make a way
for people outside the door.
Right now the arms of Jesus are wide open.
Heaven is wide open, ready
and willing and wanting you
and me to enter in through
the gift of salvation.
But one day, just like God
closed the door on the ark,
one day the door of heaven will be shut.
It'll be closed.
That'll be called the Judgment Day.
But right now the arms
of Christ are wide open
for you and for me.
You see, salvation is a gift.
It even has your name on it.
But here's the deal.
You have to receive the
gift, claim it as your own,
and then open the gift and enjoy
the wonders of God's grace,
how he helps the old person in us to die
and the new person can be born.
A person of hope, a person of joy,
a person who leaves behind
the sin and brokenness
of the past, moves into healing
and the joy of the present.
The gift of salvation has your name on it.
Have you received that gift?
Have you said yes to Christ?
Maybe you did,
but maybe like in the story
of several of our characters,
you wondered and you've
wondered maybe for years.
Don't you think it's time
to come back home to God
and reclaim the gift of salvation?
Whether you're receiving
it for the first time today
or reclaiming it, I want
to lead you in a prayer.
Would you bow your head and
pray this prayer with me
in the silence of your heart?
Lord God, thank you for
taking the first step.
Thank you for loving me.
Lord, it's hard to conceive
unconditional love,
that you love me even on my worst day,
but I believe you do.
And I ask you to forgive me of my sins.
Cleanse me, God.
I receive this gift of salvation.
I want you to come into my heart,
fill me with your Holy Spirit,
fill me with your love,
so from this day forward
I can truly follow you.
Now, if you prayed that
prayer to receive Christ
or say yes to Jesus all over again,
We would love to send you a gift.
And I would love to send
you a personal letter.
The next step, and when
you say yes to Christ,
or you say yes again is to be
involved in a faith community.
Go to church this coming weekend.
And we'd love to have
you at Christ Church,
or one of our six physical locations,
but it's important that you go to church.
So please go to church
someplace this coming weekend.
And I want to say to you Merry Christmas
from the bottom of my heart.
What a wonderful season to
celebrate the joy of salvation
through Jesus Christ
at the birth of Christ.
And now let's see what others have done
in response to the gift of salvation.
- So you were in Noah's ark?
- Yeah.
- Were their lizards?
Snakes?
- Ew.
Gross.
- Did you pick them up?
- No.
What is with you and vermin?
- So, was it the Garden of Eden?
- No, she was wearing clothes.
- Ah.
- Oh, stop it.
- You know that thing I was saying about
things making sense,
I think they're starting to make sense.
It's like I've been shaken from a dream
that I didn't know I was having.
- We've all been shaken today.
- No, I think it's time for change.
I think we should go back to church.
- I'm with you.
- More than Christmas or Easter.
- You know, I'm sorry
for what I said earlier
about your dad.
I shouldn't have.
I crossed a line.
- That's okay.
Things got heated.
No one's perfect.
- I'm okay with not being perfect.
- You're perfect for me.
- For each other.
Hey, where's
the other half of the tree?
Uh, I threw it away when
the basement flooded.
What are we gonna do?
- Come on.
Let's work with what we have.
- I call the tinsel.
- And I call hiding the pickle.
- Oh, hang on, hang on,
We gotta get the lights first.
- Well?
It's not perfect.
- No.
Perfectly imperfect.
Grandma! Grandpa!
Merry Christmas!
Merry
Christmas, how are you guys?
Hi, guys, Merry Christmas.
How are you?
Oh, everything
looks great here.
It's so beautiful.
We're having chinese for dinner.
That sounds yummy.
Oh, that's our favorite!