Back to the Bible Canada with Dr. John Neufeld

So, what is faith? Is it having all of our questions answered? Is it goosebump excitement before a trip of a lifetime? Is it an attitude of confidence? Dr. John points to Hebrews 11 and teaches on the nature of faith. While faith may have elements of all these things, it is deeper and more powerful than them all. Listen to this message of hope and allow it to nurture your own life of faith.Faith and What We Hope For: Every hope has a foundation. It rests on a reason. It may be a personal wish, a guarantee from someone we love, or a fanciful notion. Every hope is only as sure as its foundation. In this 5-message series from Hebrews 11, Dr. John Neufeld urges us to ask the question, “In what, and in whom am I placing my trust?” Dr. John reminds us that our hopes are bigger than our own imaginations and more secure than our best intentions. Our hopes are rooted in the promise, power and purity of God.

The story of Jesus' birth is the pivot of God's larger story. The Bethlehem story is not God's full story. To understand the fuller narrative of God, we need to consider the complete Scriptural text. In this message, Dr. John reminds us that the story from God begins in Genesis, is reflected in Israel's history, and heard through prophetic promises of the Messiah. All of these threads are woven together at Christmas. Most of all, we see that our smaller individual stories are repaired, restored, and resolved in the great story of God. Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

Christmas cards tend to be idealic portrayals of peace and joy. But Jesus did not come to a Christmas card - He came to our world of shadows and danger. He came to a world where evil kings kill innocent infants. In this message, Dr. John demonstrates that God came to the real world - one where tears are shed. We are reminded that wickedness is real, pain is a human experience, but comfort and hope are the gifts of God. Light has shone in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

The name "George" means farmer. "Sophia" means wisdom. Now, George may not grow up to till the land and Sophia may not exude wisdom. But Isaiah promises that the child to be born will fulfill the expectations of His name. Dr. John walks us through the promises of the Son who would be given. He will be wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, everlasting Father, and the prince of peace. Listen as Dr. John opens our understanding of the Names of Jesus and what they mean for us today. Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

Faith is hard. Believing and trusting God consistently challenges us all. Those in faith may still have times of doubt. Those with no faith can't see a reason to believe. In today's message, Dr. John uses the example of King Ahaz and the sign promised by God as demonstration of God's grace to help our faith. "The virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He shall be called Emmanuel." While King Ahaz refused the sign, Christmas proclaims to all today that our Saviour has come. Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

Many have their DNA tested to determine their heritage. They are interested to discover where they come from and connect the dots of ancestors. When Matthew begins his gospel with Jesus as the "Son of David", it is not just for curiosity's sake. It is a declaration of Kingship. In this message, Dr. John traces Jesus through the lineage of David to the promises of God. Jesus is the King whose reign is an unceasing exercise of righteousness and peace. His rule will bless the whole Earth. And it begins in Bethlehem.Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

Jesus said that the whole Old Testament spoke of Him. Jesus is in the pages and promises from Genesis to Malichi. So Christmas too is in the Old Testament, if even as a whisper. Today Dr. John looks at the Day of Atonement and points to the coming of our Saviour. There is an overlap of truth from Leviticus 16 and the Christmas account from John's gospel. In both, we see the presence of God among us to bring redemption.  Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

The central celebrations of Jews and Christians are similar. Passover and Christmas have much in common. They both are national and family observances. They both require a lot of preparation. They both are about God's deliverance for His people. In this message, Dr. John traces the details of the Passover and the fulfillment of those details in the birth of Jesus. Jesus has come as the ultimate Lamb without spot, who will save His people from their sins. Christmas is more than a sentimental tale of a baby born. It is the declaration of our deliverance.Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

To live with hope means trudging uphill against a strong headwind and over many obstacles. There is much in life that works against hope. In today's message, Dr. John points to the hope of a Saviour found in Genesis 3:15. That promise is challenged again and again in the narrative of Genesis. The events of  Genesis press against the hope of redemption. But with every twist, God repeats His promise. Nothing and no one could frustrate the promise of God. The hope of Christmas survived. The hope survives still. Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.

We assume that life breaks simply because that is our known experience. Our machines and devices, our health and relationships, our dreams and ambitions - all of these suffer loss, failure and misuse. But it hasn't always been that way. In today's message, Dr. John takes us to the very beginning, where life was pristine and perfect. But the temptation of the serpent became the entrance of sin for humanity. Our hope is this. At the very start of brokenness, God points us to a Redeemer. The first promise of Christmas comes when sin first enters our living. But brokenness doesn't have the last word. Jesus does. Christmas From the Beginning of Time: We can't understand Christmas by beginning with Mary and Joseph and the appearance of an angel. Christmas is a part of the grand program of God working itself out in history. To understand Christmas rightly, we must see it as God's redemption promise beginning in Genesis and woven throughout the Old Testament. Christmas is more than angels, shepherds and Magi. Christmas is a promise kept; a promise meant for you and I today.