Luke 1:30, Jeremiah 29:11

Howard Drummond

How many of you watched the X Factor this year? The winner was Matt Cardle who is also the Christmas Number One for 2010.

I'm sure you all know that X Factor started in September 2004. For those of you that don't watch X Factor, thousands of people, young and old alike from across the UK audition in front of judges Simon Cowell, Danni Minogue, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh. They are looking to be 'favoured' in becoming the next big pop star; the next Alexandra Burke, Leon Jackson, Steve Brookstien, Leona Lewis or Shane Ward to name just a few of the previous winners.

That is not only fantastic but it's truly 'magnificent'.

After 10 weeks the finalists sing before a television audience of millions to win a million pound recording contract and to be crowned X Factor winner.

I've mentioned the two words 'favoured' and 'magnificent'. In Luke 1:30 it says:

'Mary, for you have found favour with God.'

Mary was favoured before God; she was carefully considered before God, the judge, to do something magnificent and amazing and God tells her, 'do not be afraid'.

With God's help all of us can do something magnificent and amazing, because we are all favoured by God. We may want to aspire to become an X Factor finalist, a pilot, a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer or a snooker player, (that was me once); or perhaps we want to aspire to have a family, build a house or just pass your GCSE's. You might want to go to college or even university; whatever you are looking to do, you can do it with God's help. He tells us today, as He did with Mary, 'do not be afraid'.

In Jeremiah 29:11 it says:

'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope'.

In the Message version the same verse says:

'I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for'.

What future are you hoping for today? What amazing thing can we do in 2011?

There was something about Mary and God sees something in you too. He has a hope and future for you and that's truly amazing and magnificent.

If we choose Christ today it will lead us away from a path led by sin, to a path that will be led by God, who says to us, 'do not be afraid'. The future and hope He has for you is a friendship with Him. Friends may come and go, but God never leaves your side. He will help you in all weathers and storms in life.

God can help us with all our problems, whether they be drinking, smoking, taking drugs, self harm, our home life, our sex life, helping us to wait until marriage. He helps us in our relationships, friendships, our careers, our money troubles. He helps us when we're nervous about exam time or when we're about to collect our results. He helps us when we remember a loved one that was perhaps lost this year or in the past. He even helps us deal with things from our past.

God also helps us get to the 'next round', which is eternal life. How many of us would want to go through to the next round where the prize isn't a recording contract and a million pounds, but a prize that guarantees that our name will be recorded in the book of life, forever and that we are guaranteed a place in Heaven?

Mary did something amazing, something magnificent, which gave us the Christmas Story. The gift she gave was Jesus Christ, a gift like no other gift; will you receive that gift right now?