Friday Fight 245: The Story That Changed Everything

Every Friday morning, during my quiet time with the Lord, He faithfully places something on my heart that speaks to the subtle, internal battles many of us face. This is Friday Fight 245.

The Christmas story is one we hear every year. We know the setting—the manger, the angels, and the shepherds. We know the verses and the songs; the familiar scenes we’ve replayed season after season. But Christmas is not just a story we remember; it’s a story meant to rewrite our own.

The Story That Changed Everything:

As the year comes to an end, many of us find ourselves longing for a fresh start. We want to turn the page, rewrite the chapter, or close the book entirely. Some even wish for a completely different book, instead of finishing the one we started. We long to leave behind the parts of our story marked by fear, unforgiveness, pain, and loss. Reflection can feel uncomfortable, so we rush toward “what’s next,” hoping distance will bring healing.

Yet, God doesn’t discard our story—He redeems it. At Christmas, the Author stepped into the very story He was writing. “So, the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness” John 1:14. The manger wasn’t just the birthplace of Jesus; it was the turning point of humanity’s narrative. God did not arrive in perfection or power as the world defines it. He entered through humility, vulnerability, and grace. From that moment forward, everything changed. The birth of Christ set in motion a divine exchange—victory quietly unfolding beneath the weight of the manger. In that moment, fear was met with peace, unforgiveness met with grace, pain met with joy, and death was met with eternal life.

This is what the incarnation does—it enters our mess not to erase it, but to transform it. Too often, we treat the coming year like a spiritual “do-over,” when God is inviting us instead into continuation through surrender. Mary and Joseph didn’t receive a new story; they walked forward in obedience within the one God was already writing, trusting Him even when the path was uncertain.

God continues to work in our lives the same way. He rewrites our story through forgiveness and edits it through conviction and truth. He refines it through grace, and He binds it together with love.

The birth of Christ sets the table for everything yet to come. The question is not whether God is still writing, but whether we are willing to surrender our writing utensil. The first story—the birth of Christ—is the opening chapter in God’s redemption story for each of us. Incarnation was the first step of God’s story to seek and save us. From here, we know the cross is coming, and through the death and resurrection of Christ, we have eternal life. Can we allow that first story, the dawn of redeeming grace, to be the one that impacts our story because we know what followed?

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoyed celebrating the Christmas story that started it all and what that means for each of us.

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In His Grace,

Pastor Shannon

River Church

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