345. 3 Surprise Gifts from the Manger DREAM. THINK. DO.

We’re doing a DEEP DIVE this week on 3 surprise gifts from the Manger story.  That’s right!  You and me.  We’re talking about a story that may feel “familiar,” BUT there’s a danger when something feels familiar… right?  The danger is that we might tune out or we may miss some of the surprise gifts that can still be tucked inside.  I was reminded of this recently, when I was asked to teach on the shepherds from the Nativity story and the birth of Jesus.  Specifically, I was asked to dig into Luke 2:8-18.  As I did… and I went deep… I uncovered some elements I’d never seen or thought about before… even though it was a very familiar story.  And wow… they were 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 post helps to explain some of why I believe what I do: mitchmatthews.com/our-6-miracle-story/ 
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
MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:
We’re diving into a familiar (awesome) story from Luke 2:8-18.  Yup.  We’re talking about the Shepherds from the Nativity story and the birth of Jesus.  Here are the specific verses we’re referring to from the New Living Translation (emphasis added):
The Shepherds and Angels That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished…
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In the episode, I also refer to one of my other favorite stories from the Bible. It’s the story of David and Goliath.  Now, THAT is also a “familiar” story… so it might be easy to dismiss.  But trust me… it’s stories like this that kept those Shepherds (and us) inspired and OPEN to the crazy cool stuff God was going to invite them into.  
And since I’m referring to elements of it in the episode, I’ll include the full story here too.  
1 Samuel 17-12-51 - New Living Translation… emphasis added.
Jesse Sends David to Saul’s Camp Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons. Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shime—had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines. David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army, but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.
For forty days, every morni