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The angels met shepherds and told them that peace had come to earth. Foreign wise men made an epic journey to see the new king. The poorest and the richest knew that things needed to change. It's our joy to be able to say: change can happen. There is something new to be experienced. Now that's good news at Christmas time.

The world can seem quite dark but there is a light that gives us hope, and that can shine the way home for others. Christmas reminds us that God became like us. He got tired, hungry, thirsty, and could be injured. We know how all that feels. But we are waiting for the day when this is a memory, on the day we step into eternity. So what will it be like when we die? Is it worth waiting for?

Christmas is coming. And we will celebrate God coming as a baby. But there is a bigger story. There’s more than a manger. There will be a day when Jesus will return, and the earth will be fully restored to all that God intended. It’s a beautiful hope to be reminded of at Christmas time.

When hope goes, we die. Zechariah wanted the people to know that they had a future that would be good. That hope is really important when we face hard times.

This year we have seen the awful consequences of war in Europe. How do we continue to pray and hope for peace, when some seem to push for war? Zechariah could see a king coming who would bring peace, not by force but through humility. Jesus walked in those very footsteps. He still does.

What’s God's picture of prosperity? What does blessing look like for a nation? What will life be like when Jesus, the King, returns? How do we live this out in practice ahead of that day?

From childhood we tell stories about super-heroes who will save us. It’s easy to point out all the ways that our leaders fail us. It’s almost inevitable, they are as fragile as we are. What Zechariah knew was that a new leader was needed. He had a job spec, but he didn’t live long enough to see the one who would take the role. It was Jesus, the one we all need.

God seems to take great delight in using people who don’t feel capable to do remarkable things. The main reason may be that He wants us to remember that He is doing the work – it's just that He invites us to be part of it. So, to those who don’t feel particularly strong, there’s good news. You’re the sort of people that God loves to work through.

Most of us suffer from Imposter Syndrome, the whisper that says we're not good enough. And the voice isn’t telling lies. We mess up too often. But that’s not the final truth…

For many of us, our lifetime has seen many churches growing smaller, looking weaker, feeling more fragile and many younger people have grown up thinking that Christianity is irrelevant. But you know what? God’s desire and plan is still to have a multi-generational, multi-ethnic kingdom. And our call is to be part of it.

How can the dreams, visions, songs from 2500 years ago help us here in Salford today? Zechariah, a Jewish prophet, longing for change knew that it could only happen if people accepted the invitation to live as part of a much bigger story. It was a story of hope that kicked against the darkness. That invitation is still open to us.

Have you ever gotten to the point where you don’t know who you are or what you want anymore and, when you think about it, you’re not even sure you like who you’ve become? I want to encourage you: We are God’s inspired creations, we’re chosen and every one of us is needed!