There is a difference between optimism and hope that is displayed in the Bible. Before the birth of Christ, there was a tension in the waiting as all of creation anticipated the coming Messiah. Because of Jesus, we live in an age of hope. Building 429 sings about this in their new Christmas song, "Hope is Here (Do Not Fear)." Jesus is our hope of salvation. Let's celebrate Him this week. In this episode, I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are: Read in context Repetition Listen to an audio version Read in a variety of translations Read the text aloud Study with a friend Remember, the people described in these accounts are real Make a list Utilize outside resources - Bible Project The 30 Day Music Challenge - ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE How the angel told Joseph, "Do not fear" - Matthew 1:18-25 Reading the details of Jesus' birth repetitively for Increased comprehension Increased comfort with the text Richer conversations around the text A deeper understanding of the characters Noticing new things in the story Shifting your focus to big ideas Increased ability to make more associations Making a list of what the angel told Joseph about Jesus He came from the Holy Spirit He would save his people from their sins He will be called Immanuel (which means God with us) Recognizing the difference between optimism and biblical hope - Bible Project Resources Beginning with the end in mind - Romans 5:1-11 Making Old Testament connections with Paul in Romans 15:8-13 From the beginning, God had a plan. He didn’t get to Matthew chapter one and say, “I wonder what I’m going to do to redeem my people?” Everything up to this moment was pointing to Jesus. Additional Resources Song release article - FreeCCM.com This Week's Challenge Start this week by diving into the texts describing the birth of Christ in Matthew and Luke chapters 1 and 2. Consider that this was the beginning of Christ’s earthly life but was by no means the beginning. Think about the difference between optimism and biblical hope. Read and meditate on Romans 5, and the salvation described there that was promised through the angel’s words to Joseph.