I love the opening line from this week's featured sermon—"Christmas Day is a lot like life: it's never quite what you dream it's going to be." Steve Matthewson does a masterful job preaching on Hebrews 2, a surprising but effective Christmas text. His exegesis is solid and his illustrations are powerful and creative. You'll find plenty of ideas to stimulate your own thinking, praying, and preaching for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

This week we also feature:

• Sermon Series: "Generosity"—a four-part series by Jim Nicodem and Gordon MacDonald
• Illustration: Denzel Washington's Disconnection from His Father
• Video: The Christmas Scale

Preaching the Light of the World,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. Don't forget to check out our latest illustration source—"Links That Illustrate." We pick a select group of preachable stories from the web and then you take it from there.

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.