Haven Today

All over the world, Christians and non-Christians alike will celebrate Christmas. But what they’re celebrating and how, differ widely, even in the same country and culture.

On this episode, David Wollen welcomes Cindy McFarland who helped build a hospital and is actively serving Christ in Togo.

Christ was born into humble circumstances and real poverty, which remains true today for about half the world’s population. Yet there is joy in Jesus that transcends circumstance.

Even in the manger, Jesus was on a mission to save people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. And He’s commissioned His church to go and share the Good News.

Christmas is all about God coming from heaven to earth and taking on human flesh to become the Savior of the world. But how do Christians in other cultures and nations celebrate Christ's birth?

We don’t often think of him at Christmastime. Yet there in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, he is there and has a role to play in revealing Christ to the world.

In this episode, David shares the shepherds’ journey to Jesus from Luke 2:8-20.

What exactly did Mary know? Not much until the angel Gabriel told her she had been chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world. Her response reveals an incredible journey of faith.

Joseph’s story is a fascinating one of which the Bible reveals only a little. Yet what we know has profound lessons to teach when we stop and consider how God used him in the birth of Jesus.

The journey to Jesus began before the creation of the world. The nation of Israel waited for their promised Messiah for centuries. Through it all, God was at work, weaving His plan across generations.

The three wise men. Or Magi? Or Kings? Who were they, and why did they travel so far to see the newborn king?

Most of the Christmas carols we sing were written within the last three hundred years. But there is one carol—both ancient and filled with a spiritual depth and adoration of Jesus few others can match

Ep. 3 - Christmas and glory go together—that much is clear. But what are we really talking about? What is that glory of God and why do we sing about it?

Silent Night. Joy to the World. Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Most people know these Christmas carols by heart, but where did they come from?

How many hymns does the average person know? Maybe a handful. But about Christmas hymns? We call them carols, and it’s amazing how many people know them by heart.

The incarnation was God’s plan from the beginning. The words from Genesis, “in the image of God he created them,” made this possible.

It’s Thanksgiving in the U.S., but no matter where you live, if you belong to Jesus, there is always something to be thankful for.

We call them public servants. Yet how often do those who serve in the highest positions of authority have a heart of servanthood?

It’s an ancient prophecy that most people recognize. Yet it’s also possibly the clearest, most unmistakable Christmas promise in the Old Testament. And 700 years later, it was kept.

The prophets pointed to a greater prophet than themselves. Moses, Isaiah, and Micah are a few with a deep connection to Jesus Christ's birth and God’s promise to rescue his people from sin.

The Bible is full of Christmas promises. And they run from Genesis to Revelation. And that’s because Christmas—and all the days leading up to it—point us to Jesus.

Throw a dart in the Old Testament and you’ll likely hit someone who is waiting on the Lord. Because from the very beginning, God made promises.

Where do you find the first Christmas promise in God’s Word? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not in the New Testament. In fact, you’ll have to flip back to the very beginning.

In this episode, author Marty Machowski joins David Wollen for the second half of a conversation about helping kids and families grasp how God keeps his promises.

Throughout the Old Testament, God promised to send a son, a shepherd, a servant, a prophet like Moses, a king, and more. Each promise God kept.