Tribe Christmas Eve Service

In one paragraph

This was a Christmas Eve service on the Town Square in Jackson Hole. Brian walked through the story of Christmas, starting not in Bethlehem but in the Garden of Eden, and ending with an invitation for anyone present to receive what he called the greatest gift ever given. A few people made first-time decisions that night. Brian opened by pointing out that most people locate the beginning of the...

Read together

1. Isaiah 9 read aloud as a prophecy of the coming savior, beginning with those who walk in darkness seeing a radiant light
2. Luke 2 read aloud as the nativity account, from the census under Caesar Augustus through the shepherds returning to their flocks
3. John 3:16 quoted to explain that God gave his son so that whoever believes would not perish but have eternal life
4. 2 Corinthians 5:17 cited as the Bible saying that if any man be in Christ he is a new creation

What was said

• If you prayed to receive Jesus for the first time tonight, pick up one of the free Bibles from the blue tent and start reading.
• Find a quiet moment this week and talk to God the way Brian described, simply and honestly, the way you would talk to someone who is right there with you.
• If you are new to Tribe, visit tribekh.com to find out when Sunday services and Tuesday young adults meetings happen.
• Reach out to someone on the Tribe prayer team, either at the tent tonight or through the church, and ask them to pray with you about something specific on your mind this Christmas.
• Tell someone in your life the part of the Christmas story that landed on you tonight, not a polished version, just what you heard and what it meant to you.

Talk about it

1. Brian traced the story of Christmas all the way back to the garden, saying God gave mankind the gift of free will and that sin is the root of things like war, injustice, and disease. How does thinking about Christmas starting in the garden change the way you see what it is actually about?
2. Brian described the garden as an intermingling of earth and heaven, a place where God and man shared life together. What does it mean to you personally that God's whole plan was aimed at restoring that kind of relationship?
3. The prophets only caught glimpses of the coming savior, and Brian read from Isaiah 9 about people walking in darkness seeing a radiant light. What stands out to you from that passage, and why do you think God chose to reveal his plan in pieces over so many generations?
4. Brian said God always goes one step further than what you expected, pointing to the fact that the gift of a savior was not just for Israel but for the whole world. Where have you seen God go further than you expected in your own life?
5. Brian told the crowd that receiving the gift of a savior is almost like a crime it is so easy, just a personal decision to invite Jesus in. Why do you think something so simple can still feel so hard for people to actually do?