Many of the key “characters” in the

Christmas Story had an important promise of God

affirmed to them, which enabled

them to “take heart.”

“Take Heart” To be more hopeful To be more joyful To feel encouraged To feel confident

Because of learning, remembering or hearing

a FACT.

One of the deepest promises and assurances that we need in order to live a healthy and abundant life is:

God sees, understands, and cares about our pain.

If we are unable to fully-believe

this promise,we will definitely “lose heart” and

end up settling for a less-abundant

life than God wants for us.

“God does not experience emotional responses

due to the actions

of another being.

God is absolutely independent

of any other being.”

Isaiah 53: 3-4 3 “He was despised

and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and acquainted

with grief...4 Surely He took up

our pain and bore our sorrows…”

Jesus wept over…

A dead friend(John 11:35)

Jerusalem(Luke 19:41)

His impending death(Hebrews 5:7)

Many O.T. passages also show that God experiences a range of emotions:

God is said to “wail and moan” over Moab (Jeremiah 48:31). God is said

to be “angry” (Deuteronomy 1:37), “moved by pity” (Judges 2:18),

“pleased” (1 Kings 3:10), and “to rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Genesis 6:6 says, “The LORD was sorry He had ever made [mankind] and put

them on the earth. It broke His heart.”

Isaiah 63: 7-10The Prophet Isaiah

recounts from God’s perspective a wide range of

His emotions as He goes about rescuing,

redeeming, and disciplining Israel.

Psalm 56:8(New Living Translation)

“You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears

in Your Bottle.You have recorded

each one in Your Book.”

Abe & Sarah Zack & Liz

Abraham & Sarah

Genesis 21: 1-7

God fulfills His Promise to

Abraham & Sarah, with her giving birth to Isaac.

Abraham was 100.Sarah was 90.

Romans 4: 18, 20-2118 “Against all hope,

Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations…20 … He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was

strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Luke 1: 6-76 [Zechariah and Elizabeth] were upright

in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and regulations blamelessly.

7 But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren,

and they were both well-along in years.

Birth of John Foretold(Luke 1: 5-25)

Mary Visits Elizabeth(Luke 1: 39-56)

The Birth of John(Luke 1: 57-66)

Zechariah’s Song(Luke 1: 67-79)

Luke 1:13“The angel said to him: “Do not

be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been

heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you

a son, and you are to call him John.”

Luke 1:25“The Lord has done

this for me,” she said.

“In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace

among the people.”

Luke 1:45“Blessed is she who has

believed that the Lord would fulfill His Promises

to her!”