Bruce Staley

After giving it some thought I decided to say, “No.” to Nerida’s invitation to speak at the 2009 Christmas Eve service. However, the theme stuck in my mind. “God for us, God with us, God in us.” 1. God With Us The central theme of the Christmas season is God with us. The gospel writer,Matthew, in 1:23 recalls the prophet message of Isaiah recorded many years before, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, God with us.” The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians states, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as aman, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Following the resurrection, Matthew records in 28:18-20, “Je

After giving it some thought I decided to say, “No.” to Nerida’s invitation to speak at the 2009 Christmas Eve service. However, the theme stuck in my mind. “God for us, God with us, God in us.” 1. God With Us The central theme of the Christmas season is God with us. The gospel writer,Matthew, in 1:23 recalls the prophet message of Isaiah recorded many years before, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, God with us.” The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians states, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as aman, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Following the resurrection, Matthew records in 28