In Excelsis What? Part A
December 7, 2012
Putting the “Deo” Back in Christmas
Everywhere we go this month, the air is filled with Christmas carols. We hear everything from seasonal classics like “Jingle Bells to Christian hymns like “Silent Night.” The words are very familiar, but do we understand what these timeless refrains mean? On this edition of Focal Point, Mike Fabarez takes a look at a well-known Christmas melody to reveal the meaning and the challenge behind the lyrics. This simple song is a helpful reminder about what makes the season so joyful.
References: Psalms 96
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Artificial voices are everywhere. From AI phone scams to deep fake videos to spread misinformation. The counterfeits are so convincing that distinguishing truth from fiction becomes nearly impossible.
But at Focal Point we deliver the truth of God's word-directly from Scripture. Help us close out 2025 strong with your generous gift this year-end.
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A
- A Closer Relationship with God
- A Controversial Baby
- A Lesson for Losers
- A Life of Thanksgiving
- A Painful Path
- A Sharp Sword
- A Thankful Thanksgiving
- A Time for Severity
- A Unified Church
- A Unique Child
- Adding to Your Faith
- All You Need
- Almost a Christian
- Am I Really a Christian
- Amazing Conversions
- Ambassadors
- Ambitious Faith
- Ask Pastor Mike
- ATAPAT
B
C
- Call for Help
- Christ Changed Everything
- Christian Friendships
- Christian Love
- Christianity in Real Life
- Christians on Trial
- Christmas
- Christmas 2021
- Christmas 2023
- Christmas and Worldly "Heroes"
- Christmas Clarity
- Christmas Controversy
- Christmas Courage
- Christmas Eve Service
- Christmas Generosity
- Christmas Giving
- Christmas Messages
- Christmas Presents
- Christmas With Compass
- Christ's Kingdom Forecast
- Christ's Resurrection
- Christ's School of Prayer
- Christ's Triumphal Entry
- Chronic Life Aches
- Colossians
- Complete Redemption
- Confrontation
- Connectedness
- Consumer Christianity
- Convenient Christianity
- Count Your Spiritual Blessings
- Countercultural Christians
- Courageous Endurance
- Couriers for Christ
D
- Dark Days
- David and Goliath
- Dear Abby
- Decisions, Decisions
- Defeat of Death
- Desert Instructions
- Designed to Grow
- Detours
- Did it Really Happen?
- Discernment
- Don't Forget
- Don't Miss It
- Don't Quit
- Drink Your Milk
E
- Easter
- Easter 2018
- Encouraged
- Enemies of Grace and Revenge
- Enemies, Grace and Revenge
- Enlisted
- Envy
- Evangelism 101
- Evangelism and the End of the World
- Expanding Your Ministry
F
- Faith, Stress and Money
- Faithful to God
- FEAR & Fears
- Fear of God
- Finish Well
- First Corinthians
- First Quarter Review
- Friends? Who Needs 'Em
- From What I Believe to How I Think
G
- Generosity
- Get Ready
- Gifts For Jesus
- Give It Up
- God as Father
- Godly Confidence
- God's Big Plan
- God's Church
- God's Expatriates
- God's Investment in You
- God's Plan for You
- God's Work in Evangelism
- Good Friday
- Good Friday Message
- Gospel Advance
- Gospel Crazy
- Gospel Impact
- Gospel Lessons from the OT
- Grow Up
- Growing Up
- Guarding the Gospel
H
- Happiness & Christianity
- Head Games
- Hebrews
- Hell, Fire and Floods
- Hitting God's Target for Your Life
- Holiness
- How God Works in You
- How the Truth Sets Us Free
- How to Argue
- How to Forgive
- How to Get Eternal Life
- Hyperopic Christianity
I
- In Search of God's Will
- Incredible Love
- Indignation
- Infant from Bethlehem
- Instructions for Sinners
- Internal Warfare
- Israel's Greatest Hits Cont'd
- Israel's Greatest Hits- Study in Psalms
- Israel's Greatest Hits Vol II
- It's a Big Decision
J
K
L
- Lap #2005
- Learning to Lead
- Lessons on Grace
- Life as a Target
- Life With A Purpose
- Life's Defining Moments
- Life's Last Enemy
- Living a Lie
- Luke
M
- Made Right with God
- Make a Difference
- Marriage
- Money Madness
- Money Matters
- Moody Bible Institute Founder's Week
- More than a Creed
- More Than Friends
- Moving Forward
N
O
- Obstacles on the Road to Christ
- Octogenarian Wisdom
- Old School Christmas
- Old Testament School of Marriage
- One Plus God
- Our Fight with Sin
- Our Need for Representation
P
- Parenting
- Passing the Baton
- People Tools
- People Who Make a Difference
- Persistant Prayer
- Plugged In
- Pointing People to Christ
- Politicking
- Post Christmas Contentment
- Power Plays
- Powerful Praying
- Prayer 101
- Prayer Warrior
- Prelude to the Cross
- Preparing for the Kingdom
- Presenting Christ
- Privilege and Responsibility
- Project Reciprocity
- Prompted by Love
- Purposeful Praise
- Pursuing Holiness
R
S
- Saints Who Lie
- Salvation Is A Big Deal
- Set Free to Live Right
- Sexual Disasters
- Sexual Sins & Sanctified Bodies
- Silent Night
- Sin is REALLY Bad
- Slaying the Family Dragons
- Sold Out Servants
- Something Greater
- Soul Warfare
- Special
- Special Christmas Message
- Special Easter Message
- Spiritual Detours
- Spiritual Investments
- Spiritually Prepared
- Stay Out of Trouble
- Staying in Step
- Sticktoitiveness
- Strained Relations
- Summer Fruit
T
- Taking Christ to Work
- Temptation
- Thanks God
- Thanksgiving
- The Ancestry of Christ
- The Balance of Biblical Love
- The Bible and Your Salvation
- The Big Assignment
- The Big Questions
- The Black and White on Gray Areas
- The Common Good
- The Costs and Benefits of the Incarnation
- The Door
- The Entry of a King
- The Experience of Every Christian
- The First Christmas Gifts
- The Gap
- The Gospel
- The Gospel According to Abraham
- The Harsh But Good News
- The Hazards of Prosperity
- The Hazards of the Church
- The Infant from Bethlehem
- The Joy of Salvation
- The Next World Order
- The Non-Negotiables
- The Old Testament School of Marriage
- The Reliability of the Bible
- The Resurrection Response
- The Royal Task
- The Same Ol' Stuff
- The Sins Christians Tolerate
- The Supremacy of Christ
- The Torn Curtain
- The Truth About Christmas
- Those Words at the Altar
- Tips for Zealots
- Transformed
U
W
- War Zones & Peace Treaties
- Warning
- Water from the Rock
- Weirdos?!
- What's Your Problem
- When Feelings are King
- When Frogs Become Princes
- When God Makes a Promise
- When God Seems Weird
- When Life Hurts
- When Life is Tough
- When Life Takes A Left Turn
- When People are to Blame
- When the World Gets In the Way
- Where You're Planted
- Why the Son Became One of Us
- Wisdom & Maturity
- Wisdom From Proverbs
- Wisdom's Toolbox
- Wise Decisions
- Working the Plan
Y
Featured Offer
AI Chatbots. Deep Fakes. Synthetic "Experts"--Is Anything TRUE Anymore?
Artificial voices are everywhere. From AI phone scams to deep fake videos to spread misinformation. The counterfeits are so convincing that distinguishing truth from fiction becomes nearly impossible.
But at Focal Point we deliver the truth of God's word-directly from Scripture. Help us close out 2025 strong with your generous gift this year-end.
And be sure to request the book The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History as our way of saying thank you for standing with us.
About Focal Point
Focal Point is the Bible teaching ministry of author and pastor Mike Fabarez. Focal Point explores and proclaims the depths of Scripture on its daily radio broadcast and is dedicated to clearly explaining the truth of God’s Word.
About Pastor Mike Fabarez
Mike Fabarez is the founding pastor of Compass Bible Church in South Orange County, California and has been in pastoral ministry for more than 30 years. He is committed to clearly communicating God’s word verse-by-verse and encourages his listeners to apply what they have learned to their daily lives.
Pastor Mike is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Talbot School of Theology (M.A.) and Westminster Theological Seminary in California (D.Min.).
Mike is heard on hundreds of radio programs across the country on the Focal Point radio program and has authored several books, including Raising Men Not Boys, Lifelines for Tough Times, Preaching That Changes Lives, Getting It Right, Praying for Sunday, and Why the Bible?
Mike and his wife, Carlynn, reside in Laguna Hills, California and they have three children, Matthew, John and Stephanie.
Pastor Mike is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Talbot School of Theology (M.A.) and Westminster Theological Seminary in California (D.Min.).
Mike is heard on hundreds of radio programs across the country on the Focal Point radio program and has authored several books, including Raising Men Not Boys, Lifelines for Tough Times, Preaching That Changes Lives, Getting It Right, Praying for Sunday, and Why the Bible?
Mike and his wife, Carlynn, reside in Laguna Hills, California and they have three children, Matthew, John and Stephanie.
Contact Focal Point with Pastor Mike Fabarez
E-mail
info@fpr.info
info@fpr.info
Focal Point
P.O. Box 2850
Laguna Hills, CA 92654
1-888-320-5885