371: A Surprising Gift For Everyone! (A different look at the Christmas Story.)

We’re doing a DEEP DIVE on the Christmas story.  More specifically… we’re talking about a vantage point on a story that may feel “familiar,” BUT still can have some surprises to it! Specifically, we’re going to take a deeper look at the story tucked in Matthew 1 and 2 of the New Testament of the Bible.  Spoiler Alert: I uncovered some eye-opening elements of the story I’d never seen or thought about before!.  And wow… were they ever good surprises!  Whether you’re a big fan of reading the Bible or not… this episode has something for you.  At the VERY least… you’ll hear some things you can use to impress your friends at Christmas parties!  But… if you listen in and stay open… I think you might really appreciate unwrapping these surprise gifts as much as I did!  So let’s get to this! RELATED POSTS & DREAM THINK DO EPISODES: This episode talks about some OTHER surprises I found from the Manger story: https://mitchmatthews.com/345/  Melissa (my bride) joins me and we talk about some fun prayer stories: www.mitchmatthews.com/207  I talk about 3 Keys to Having Your Best Holiday Season Yet: www.mitchmatthews.com/105 REMEMBER: YOU can Mitch’s new DAILY podcast called “ENCOURAGING THE ENCOURAGERS” anywhere you listen to podcasts: Find it on Apple Podcasts:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouraging-the-encouragers/id1652168710 Find it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OqXYYif08gdLQCJKkHSkN Find it on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/encouragingtheencouragers Find it on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iZDI2NzNhOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: How about YOU!?  What stood out to you? Drop a comment and let me know! And PLEASE share this episode with someone who YOU think would appreciate it and/or might be needing it… right now!  They’ll thank you! Know I’m rooting for you! Mitch Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 What’s inside today’s episode 5:14 Let’s continue our conversation about traditions 7:30 Why Christmas is special to Mitch 12:08 Hope, direction, and an invitation to rest. 16:44 New insight Mitch got on the Christmas story 26:22 When Joseph was visited by an Angle 32:06 How to find your next best step 34:46 What happened on Christmas Eve 20 years ago 44:08 Miracles can still happen (Here’s proof!) 48:48 The only one more excited about your dreams than you are