Jesus was born so that we could be born again — the real answer to what you're looking for this Christmas is right in front of you, if you'll actually look at Him.
Christmas is the story of God coming to give us real life — life found in Him, not just fleeting moments of happiness. Like Israel in the wilderness, we're all snake-bitten by sin, but God didn't remove the danger, He gave us something to look at. Jesus, lifted up like the bronze snake on the pole, is the cure; all we have to do is look to Him and believe.
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 1 of 6
We often miss the obvious answer because we're focused on the wrong thing
Pastor Bill opens with the well-known 'moonwalking bear' awareness video, where viewers counting basketball passes miss a bear walking through the scene. He applies this directly to Christmas: people are searching for peace, contentment, and joy but are so busy counting passes that they miss Jesus, who is right in front of them.
Illustration
A video awareness test featuring a moonwalking bear, used to show that people miss obvious things when focused on the wrong detail
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 2 of 6
Nicodemus came to Jesus spiritual but still missing the point, and Jesus told him he must be born again
Pastor Bill walks through John 3, where Nicodemus, a Pharisee and teacher of the law, comes to Jesus at night believing in spiritual things but not understanding the new birth. Jesus explains that physical birth isn't enough — a spiritual birth by the Holy Spirit is required to enter the kingdom of God.
“Because you might be looking for something but you think it's counting passes and you might be missing the answer that's right there in front of you”
— Pastor Bill Bush
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 3 of 6
Eternal life (Zoe) isn't just never dying, it's life found in God, available despite our circumstances
Pastor Bill unpacks the Greek word for 'life' in John 3:16, explaining it means life as the creator intended, marked by peace, contentment, and joy that isn't dependent on circumstances. He contrasts this with life lived on our own terms, which only offers fleeting moments before ending in nothing.
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 4 of 6
Israel's wilderness complaints show how we reject God's provision when the journey feels too long
Pastor Bill retells Numbers 21, where the Israelites, fed daily by miraculous manna, complain there's nothing to eat and grumble against God and Moses on the long road to the promised land. He compares it to kids on a long road trip and to modern believers who resist God's plan and provision when it doesn't come the way they want.
“you can't earn god's love by being good enough”
— Pastor Bill Bush
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 5 of 6
God didn't take away the snakes, He gave a cure — and the same is true of sin
When the people were bitten by poisonous snakes and cried out, God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole; anyone who looked at it would live. Pastor Bill explains this wasn't magic, it was trust in God, and it foreshadowed Jesus, who was lifted up on the cross and became sin, taking the poison that kills us, so that all we have to do is look to Him.
“He didn't get rid of the snakes. He didn't get rid of the bite. But you know what he did get rid of? Their ability to kill you”
— Pastor Bill Bush
“It's not the look. There was not some supernatural power. The snake didn't have some laser beam that would and healed you. The idea was it was god that healed you because all you did was I trust you, God, more than I trust this”
— Pastor Bill Bush
A story from life
Pastor Jeff's son ran away from kindergarten repeatedly due to separation anxiety; his wife gave him Philippians 4:13 on a slip of paper and he walked into class and got the green stick
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Point 6 of 6
God doesn't always remove the hard path, but He promises to take us through it
Pastor Bill tells the story of his son's separation anxiety in kindergarten, and how his wife gave the boy a verse from Philippians to carry in his pocket instead of taking away school. The boy's situation didn't change, but looking to Jesus changed him, which Pastor Bill offers as the pattern for how faith works for anyone in a hard season.
“His situation didn't change. All that changed is what he looked at”
— Pastor Bill Bush
“It just simply means I look to Jesus”
— Pastor Bill Bush
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
Take it into your week
Pastor Bill's charge is to stop counting the passes and look to Jesus, the moonwalking bear who was there the whole time.
Application
Look to Jesus instead of your own plan
Admit you've run the wrong way looking for peace, contentment, or happiness on your own terms, and turn your attention to Jesus as the actual answer.
Trust God's provision even on the long road
When the journey feels too long or His provision looks disappointing, resist the urge to complain or demand a shortcut, and trust that the harder path may be His protection.
Pray the prayer and look to Jesus for the first time
If you've never been born again, pray the prayer Pastor Bill led, putting your faith in Jesus rather than yourself, and raise your hand as a step of courage.
Recommit if you've gotten distracted
If you're already a believer but have drifted from looking to Jesus, use this moment to recommit and remember why you're thankful.
Carry Jesus with you into hard moments like a verse in your pocket
In seasons of fear or frustration, look to Jesus rather than the circumstance itself, trusting that He may not remove the hard thing but will take you through it.
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI