But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)
Christmas at Seacoast is very special for me. In 2004, the Sunday before Christmas, I made the decision to attend church for the first time in 15 years—because I wanted to, not because someone else expected it. That decision changed my life!
Sure, I’d been to church a handful of times during that 15 years away from God to placate my mom or dad, but I definitely didn’t want to be there for any of those occasions. This time, something was different. That morning, out of nowhere, I looked at my wife, Julie, and said, “Let’s go check out Seacoast this morning.”
When we arrived, not sure what to expect, we sat in the back, of course. Then, the worship started, and Julie and I were amazed. She leaned over to me and whispered, “These people sing in church?!” We were so impressed. As the worship continued, I couldn’t help but notice the man in front of me and how “all in” he was in his worship. I just watched him in my curiosity. This is when I felt a thud on my chest, like a heavy hand had been placed there; and I heard that whisper that is so familiar now, but then, seemed so foreign. “I want this for you too, Jeremy.” That is the message I heard. I broke down in tears and experienced an interaction with the Holy Spirit like never before. He was calling me back to himself.
Just like Joseph had to decide whether he was going to trust the angel of the Lord and take Mary as his wife, I also had to decide to trust the interaction I had with the Holy Spirit and allow him to lead me back into relationship with Christ. In His Grace, Julie and I answered that call together. For several years now, I have served as a ministry leader at Seacoast, trusting God to lead us.
How is the Lord asking you to trust him this Christmas?
