Christmas Nativity

Even people who are not professing Christians think they are familiar with the story of the Nativity. Every Christmas, displays of Jesus resting in a manger populate lawns and churchyards, and songs about shepherds and angels fill the air. Yet despite the abundance of these Christian references in popular culture, how many of us have examined the hard edges of this biblical story? Timothy Keller takes listeners on an illuminating journey into the surprising background of the Nativity.

He's had a crush on her for years. She doesn't want to date until her daughter is out of the house. Will June take a chance on Judge when the success of his Christmas light display depends on her networking abilities? Judge Glover has been trying to win Three Rivers' Christmas lights display contest for over a decade. He's never been able to do it, but he's more determined than ever. To do what he wants, he needs to upgrade his WiFi network to get the lights and sound to take things to the next level. And to do that, there's no one better than Juniper Nichols. She owns Nichols Networks, and...

Deep in the Vatican archives, a treasure was recently discovered. A document purporting to be written by the Magi themselves has surfaced in recent years. You likely have not even heard about this even though the translator published his work in 2010 while defining a valid chain of custody with references to this work before the fifth century perhaps as far back as the second. The find has been all but silenced as it demonstrates the Vatican knew the wise men were holy, sagacious kings (yes kings!) who originated in the Far East beyond India from the land of the Garden of Eden and never ...

In this widely popular, exciting story for the advent season, listeners follow 10-year-old Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family. Though he faces thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, Jotham also encounters the wise men, shepherds, and innkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Savior born in Bethlehem.

Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas uniquely teaches the Christmas story to your children by starting at creation and sharing that Jesus has always been present and that God has always had a plan for Christmas.

Rachel Lapp is a young Amish woman who is the daughter of the community’s bishop. She is in the midst of planning the annual Christmas Nativity play when newcomer Noah Miller arrives in town to spend Christmas with his cousins. Encouraged by her father to welcome the new arrival, Rachel asks Noah to be a part of the Nativity. Despite Rachel’s engagement to Samuel King, a local farmer, she finds herself irrevocably drawn to Noah and his carefree spirit. Reserved and slightly shy, Noah is hesitant to get involved in the play, but an unlikely friendship begins to develop between Rachel ...

A child was born two thousand years ago in a little village called Bethlehem. His birth fulfilled over 300 Old Testament scripture verses prophesying this event. Hundreds of people, royal ambassadors, kings, angels, shepherd priests, and countless others were in attendance to herald this event. Over the decades, the details have become obscured. What we celebrate in our churches at Christmas is not close to the actual details that took place. My favorite example is the innkeeper role in the annual play. What was his name? It doesn't matter; he did not exist. He is just a made up character.

Based on the major motion picture, The Nativity Story is the very human, very dramatic, and uniquely inspiring saga of a journey of faith. This moving novelization tells the extraordinary tale of two common people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, an arduous journey, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. Brought to life with an unprecedented attention to detail and commitment to historical accuracy, Hunt tells how, from humble beginnings, great things can come.

Christmas is a season filled with wonder and generosity. Still, all its promise can be lost in our must-do lists, preparing for something when provisions seem slim, or the advent of sometimes-messy family relationships. Instead of refreshment or rescue, Christmas can be a reminder of things or people lost, hopes deferred, or dreams dismantled by the stuff of life. Under the paper and ribbon can be piles of distraction about meaningless details or worry about what the coming year might bring. Let’s take a few moments this season, Unwrapping Christmas refreshment from the age-old story ...

Forget the familiar scenes of tradition and step into the real, unfiltered story of Jesus’ birth as told in Scripture. This book peels back centuries of distortion to reveal the powerful truth of what actually happened over 2,000 years ago—and why it still matters today. Discover astonishing parallels between Christ’s birth and His resurrection, and uncover a divine thread that weaves both moments into one powerful message: the present-day reality of His reigning Kingdom. Journey through the days following His birth and see how every event pointed forward to the ultimate purpose of ...

All year long Lily and Liam look forward to Christmas on their grandparents' farm. It's always the perfect trip -- walking to the lilac library, trimming the tree, giving gifts. But this year, thanks to a white cow alone in the meadow, things will be different. This Christmas, Lily and Liam will find out the meaning of a true gift.

Rediscover the Christmas story. These tales look at the real Christmas story by those who saw it. Four short stories look at the story of the birth of baby Jesus as seen by the donkey in the stable, the shepherds on a hillside, the star gazing down on the little town of Bethlehem, and the baby's mother, Mary. Based loosely on the Bible story about the arrival of the baby Jesus, these tales take a refreshing look at the nativity story at the heart of Christmas.

A classic poem from the pen of prolific author G. K. Chesterton. A beautiful look at the first Christmas and what it meant to a world that little noticed. Narrated by Glenn Hascall....

The year is 1960, and, as it is every year, the Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church is a very big deal. Doug is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a "Three King", because, for one thing, you get to carry a stick.

Every year you probably celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. Someone may have told you that this is the day of Jesus' birth. But nobody actually knows when he was born! The Bible does not give us a date for the birth of Jesus. So early Christians took the date of important ancient festivals and placed Christmas around the same time.Before Christianity, the Romans had a winter festival called Saturnalia, which took place for one week in mid-December.

Growing up in a funeral parlor is a dark and depressing way of life for young Jimmy Natale. Continuously surrounded by sadness and death, Jimmy latches on to the only bright star in his life: Christmas. His deep infatuation with the colors, food, spirit, and family love inherent to the holiday consumes him. After getting married and starting a family of his own, he discovers he is no longer bound and can experience that Christmas morning feeling all the time. But he soon discovers that life is not all candy canes and sugar plum dreams. After numerous obstacles and personal tragedies, Jimmy ...

Do you ever feel like you are too small or too ordinary? That's how Itsy and Bitsy feel. When these two charming little mice hear that a king is coming to Bethlehem, they run to find him. But they can't find the king, and other animals discourage them. "Don't even try," they say. "The king doesn't care about little ones like us." Itsy and Bitsy are just about to give up when something amazing happens.

It doesn't matter if you are religious or not. Everybody loves Christmas! The following are writings about this special holiday. Some of them are true and some of them are fiction. All of them are inspired by the story of Christ's birth in the Bible. Hopefully there's something here for everyone. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Michael Stuyvesant was dying. A wealthy, courteous, and controlled man, all he wanted was to get to Denver to visit his children for one last Christmas. But sometimes even money, good manners, and a compulsive desire for order are not enough. God, the weather, a gigantic shopping-mall Santa Claus, and a pregnant girl who called herself Cheyenne - "like the city. And a river, too. And a mountain and an Indian tribe. I looked it up" - had other plans for him.

Unwrapping Christmas invites readers on an intimate journey to experience the wonder and complexity of the Christmas story like never before. In this thoughtfully crafted collection, Rick and Jane McKinney breathe life into the lives, thoughts, and dreams of the people who witnessed the very first Christmas. Each chapter highlights a unique character from that night—from Mary’s awe to Joseph’s doubts, the shepherds’ wonder, and the wise men’s quest. With deep insight and tender storytelling, Unwrapping Christmas explores how the arrival of a Savior transformed their lives and how ...