want to get closer to God. Can God help me know him better? Steve and Caroline attended the Christmas party for Steve’s company. It was difficult, though. Even though the partygoers were enjoying each other’s company, Steve and Caroline were pretty much ignored. In the middle of the holiday cheer, they didn’t really fit in. There’s a reason for that. Steve recently joined the company and didn’t know many people at work. He knew many of their names but didn’t really know the people very well. And when you’re the quiet type anyway, it’s hard to jump into Christmas party conversations. If only someone could bridge the gap and help Steve and Caroline get to know those people better! Do you ever feel distant from your Creator—you know there’s a God, but you just don’t feel close to him? It’s a rotten feeling. But God bridged the gap to help us get to know him better. The Bible tells us, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1: 18). The “One and Only” is Jesus, who came to our world to help us know God better. The birth of Jesus is a big celebration because it is what God did for us to get closer to him. On the night of his birth an angel told shepherds, “Today a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:11). You see, the selfish things we have done or said create distance between us and our Creator. God knew that and sent Jesus to bridge the gap. He came to us and took the punishment for our selfish words and actions so we could see and understand God’s love. His birth was the start; his death was the clincher. Do you know the feeling Steve and Caroline had? You won’t have that with God because of Christmas. Jesus came so we would know God better. Join us this Christmas to find out how Jesus made God’s forgiveness known. That’s how we get closer to God—through Jesus, whose birth we celebrate