Mike Breaux - Wisdom That Transforms Your Life (01/14/2026)
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Summary:
In Matthew 2, the wise men from the East follow a star to worship the newborn King Jesus, contrasting sharply with King Herod’s jealous rage to protect his throne. The preacher ties this to the Serenity Prayer, showing how Mary accepted God’s plan with serenity, Joseph responded with courage, and the wise men embodied wisdom by seeking and worshiping the true King instead of clinging to their own egos. He urges everyone to dethrone self and let Jesus reign, as true wisdom begins with surrendering to Him, bringing hope, peace, and a transformed life.
Introduction and the Serenity Prayer
And that is exactly how it all went down. It really is a story like none other. It’s a story of hope coming into the world, and man, who couldn’t use a little more hope? You know, I was getting out all the Christmas decorations a couple of weeks ago, and we always take some stuff off the wall to put some Christmas stuff up in its place. There is this hope-filled prayer that usually hangs in our house, and we put it away for Christmas. It is commonly known as the Serenity Prayer.
Now, that is a prayer that many of you have heard before. Many people use it to shape their own prayers; people in recovery have it memorized and find strength in using it daily. So maybe we could put it on the screen, and let’s just read this out loud together: «God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.» As I read that the other day, I thought about leaving it up as a Christmas decoration because some of the principal characters in the Christmas story actually model this prayer.
Mary: Serenity to Accept
Josh, last weekend, talked about Mary. You talk about someone who had the serenity to accept the things she could not change when the angel comes to her to tell her what was going to happen to her—that God had chosen her, an ordinary teenager, to give birth to the Son of God. I’m sure she had a bunch of anxiety; in fact, it says that initially she was kind of freaked out. I mean, wouldn’t you be? But I love how she eventually lands. She simply responds to the angel, «Well, I’m the Lord’s servant. May everything you’ve said about me come true.» I just love the humility, surrender, and trust in her heart. Because of that, her anxiety gives way to peace, and the manger story ends with this picture: «But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.» A picture of God granting her the serenity to accept the things she cannot change: «I’m your servant, and I’m just going to trust in you.»
Joseph: Courage to Change
Then, when it comes to the «courage to change the things I can» part of the prayer, I can’t help but think about Joseph. I mean, think about him for a minute. Talk about humility, trust, and courage. Put yourself in his work boots for a moment, and try explaining what was going on to your buddies down at the job site. It’s a small town; everybody knows everybody. Everyone watched the two of you grow up. You were that couple in high school they thought was going to get married someday, and your upcoming wedding is the talk of the town—it was a social event that everybody was looking forward to.
Then, one day, you’re walking your fiancée to the door, and she says, «Before you go, Joseph, there’s something I really need to tell you. I’m not sure how to say it, but I’m pregnant.» And you’re thinking, «What? Pregnant?» I mean, you’ve kissed her more than a few times, and in an instant, your world falls apart. You get a lump in your throat; your stomach starts churning because you know that you are not the father. So you start scrolling down a list of names in your mind of other guys she knows. You’re going, «I bet it’s Jacob; I saw her talking to him one day at the market. Never liked that guy. But you know what? It could be Daniel, 'cause I thought he was kind of flirting with her the other day at synagogue. Yeah, it might be him.» You start imagining all these little things and all those little looks, and you’re about ready to dump her and take somebody else out.
Many of us know betrayal. We’ve all been hurt by somebody, and some of you know what it’s like to be betrayed by those you trusted the most. So what does Joseph do? I think this speaks to why God chose him. Before he knows any of the details that are going on, it says this: «Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly so as not to disgrace her publicly.» Gang, that’s a good dude right there. Shortly after the most devastating betrayal a young guy could ever experience, Joseph tries to figure out a way not to out Mary to the whole town. He does something so mature, kind, and loving. He thinks of her first. By the way, courageous men do that. He throws his broken heart into protecting her.
It is only after Joseph puts this gracious plan together that something totally unexpected happens. An angel appears to him in a dream and says, «Joseph, go ahead and marry her. Mary did not betray you; she did not break your trust. She is still a virgin. The Holy Spirit has made her pregnant in a supernatural way, and the person inside her is God, the second person of the Trinity, the long-awaited Messiah who will redeem the wrongdoing of the entire world and save mankind from their sin.» So what would Joseph do with that? Would he trust that word from God?
Well, look what it says: «When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded. He took Mary as his wife, but he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.» You’ve got to love this. Here’s this guy going, «Even though I don’t completely get it all, because it’s you, Lord, I will follow. I promise I will love Mary with all my heart, and I will be his daddy the best I can be. I can’t change what’s happening, but I can change how I respond to what’s happening. So I’m going to respond with courage and with faith.»
So, «God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.»
The Wise Men: Wisdom to Know the Difference
I want to hang here for the rest of our time together, and since we’re talking about wisdom, can you guess which characters we might be talking about today? Yeah, these guys right here. Now, sometimes we refer to these guys as, you know, «We Three Kings.» We don’t know whether they were kings at all, but we do know that they were wise men. I think these guys might be the most intriguing characters in the entire Christmas story, and I think the wise men are in this story because they embody a basic wisdom decision that every human being has to face.
Here’s how the story goes: Matthew Chapter 2. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod. About that time, some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, «Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.» King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
He was like, «Hey scholars, I need a little theological help here. I don’t really know the scriptures that well, so could you fill me in on the prophecies about the location of the promised Messiah’s birthplace?» They came back with, «In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah; for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for My People Israel.'»
So Herod’s thinking, «A ruler? Huh? Another king will be born in Bethlehem? And these guys have come looking for a King born in Bethlehem?»
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, «You guys can do me a great favor: go to Bethlehem, search carefully for the child, and when you find him, come back and tell me so I can go and worship him too.» (You smell something sinister brewing here.)
After this interview, the wise men went their way, and the star they had seen in the East guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house—no longer at the stable now; this was sometime after the birth of Jesus—and they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Herod’s Palace and Contrast
I got to stand in the remains of Herod’s Palace a couple of years ago, and I got to stand in that place called the Grand Reception Hall where those wise men would have met Herod. As I stood there, I got chills all over my body. Honestly, it creeped me out a little bit.
You see, King Herod was an extreme narcissist. He built this expansive palace on a mountain with a 360-degree view of Judah. In fact, if you go there today, you will see a somewhat flat mountain close by. Herod’s architects and engineers told him that the view he wanted could not be achieved on the particular mountain that he had chosen, so Herod had them move part of another mountain to build up his mountain so he could have that view.
As I watched all this going on while I was standing there, I was thinking how Jesus one day, when he was teaching, probably pointed to that mountain in the distance where you could see Herod’s project going on. He’s like, «See what that guy’s trying to do? I tell you this: by faith, you could do much greater things. You could say to this mountain, 'Move, ' and that mountain would move.»
Herod lived in gross opulence while his people lived in poverty. He was married to over 10 women at the same time. He killed the only wife he said he really loved. He killed his mother-in-law. He even killed three of his sons—all in order to keep his throne secure.
You see, there’s a very stark contrast in this story: the wise men are looking for a King; Herod wants to be king. In fact, the primary goal of Herod’s life was to stay on his throne and his little world. Herod was the egocentric Master of the Universe, and he had no intention of resigning, no intention of ever stepping down.
Only Room for One King
Now, in reality, Herod was just a puppet king. The Roman Empire was really in charge; they had control of the entire region and they just let Herod play his part as «king of the Jews.» But he certainly liked playing his part, and he loved his title. So when he hears that somebody else is laying claim to that title—his title—you know there’s going to be a problem. And there was.
You might have heard how, when Herod realizes later that he had been played by the wise men, that they were not coming back to reveal the child’s location, he flies into a rage and, to eliminate the threat to his throne, he orders the execution of all little boys ages two and under living in the vicinity of Bethlehem. It was horrible. It was tragic.
You see, if you spend your whole life wanting to be king, you will see everybody else as a threat to your kingdom. And your ego (and my ego) will know no limits. And I’m not trying to be melodramatic here: it always ends up horrible and tragic, always.
'Cause here’s the deal: if you want to be king and somebody else, namely Jesus, comes along and claims to be king, one of you is going to have to give. You see, in anybody’s life, there’s only room for one king.
And I’m just telling y’all, there’s a little of Herod in all of us. I mean, I can tell you from personal experience, I resisted for way too long the claim of a sovereign God who wanted to rule over my life, 'cause I wanted to be king. I wanted to be in control. I wanted to call the shots. I wanted my ego to sit on my throne. I wanted to be Master of the Universe. I wanted that title.
But truthfully, my resume for the position of king is sketchy at best. When I try to play God, life becomes all about me; therefore, I never serve other people and thus experience missing out on joy. I walk into rooms thinking, «Here I am, » instead of walking in going, «Oh, there you are.»
I get enslaved in my desires. My insatiable appetites control my life. I get addicted to approval and applause. I get deceitful. I exaggerate to impress other people. I lie. I mess up, then I cover up. I get jealous of other people that got more stuff than me. I devalue people. I power up on people. I use people. I criticize people. I manipulate relationships. That’s pretty much my track record as «trying to be king, bro.»
The Beginning of Wisdom
Then I began to learn this truth: «The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him» (not me), «to him belongs eternal praise.»
I have learned that seeking after the real God, getting to know his character, respecting his authority, standing in awe of his creativity and power and his unfailing love, surrendering to his better leadership every day of my life—that’s when true wisdom starts to rush into my life.
I like the way Ellen Davis puts it: «The fear of God is a deeply sanitying recognition that we are not God.» Anyone who’s ever been in AA or NA or done Celebrate Recovery or some 12-step program knows this Serenity Prayer we’re talking about, and they also know that wise decisions about getting well are impossible to be made until we stop playing God.
When you finally let God be God, when you respect his authority and surrender to his love, when you start walking with him and letting him lead, when you start doing things his way, when you bow down in worship like these wise men did, with exceedingly great joy, he begins to flood your life with wisdom that enables you to accept what you cannot change and to change what you can, which leads you to a whole new peaceful way of living your life.
Proverbs on Wisdom
The guy who wrote that the beginning of wisdom is understanding God’s greatness, he was also a king named Solomon. And when he was walking with God, he wrote all kinds of cool wisdom things in the Book of Proverbs, such as this one. He says: «Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.»
You got to stick that one in your heart along with this one (verse 7): «Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom; instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.»
He goes on to say in verse 13, «Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding, for wisdom is more profitable than silver, her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.»
My wife, Debbie, embraces that tree like few I know, and she loves the Book of Proverbs—probably her favorite book of the Bible—and she mentors all kinds of girls. They love to be around her and learn from her 'cause they just see something in her; she’s always pouring into somebody. And I would say that this pursuit of godly wisdom is why her character is so attractive.
Proverbs 24:3 and 4 is one of her favorite verses. This one hangs in our house as well; it says this: «By wisdom, a house is built, and through understanding, it is established. Through knowledge, its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.» You would tell you when Solomon’s talking about rare and beautiful treasures, he’s not talking about a palace on a hill with a 360 view. He’s not talking about some grand reception hall filled with valuable antiques and priceless paintings; he’s not talking about an HGTV dream home with all the latest stuff. He’s talking about lives that have the right King on the throne. He’s talking about lives that are rich, talking about homes that ring with laughter, and hearts that are full of joy, contentment, gratitude, generosity, kindness, and compassion—people who finally have the wisdom they need to accept the things they cannot change and the courage to change the things they can.
The Wise Men’s Decision
You see, I think the wise men are in this story because wisdom has to come to grips with: Am I going to be king, or am I going to look for one? Am I going to try to be the master of the universe, or am I finally going to resign and say, «God, I want you to come take charge of my life»? The wise men give us that picture as they bow down and worship Him.
God’s Inclusivity Through the Wise Men
There’s also another reason I think the wise men might be in the story—there’s such a cool picture of God’s heart for the kind of people you might think don’t belong in a story like this. Much like the low-class shepherds in the Christmas story, these guys are also a picture of God’s inclusivity, His acceptance, His grace, and how God desires for everyone in the world to come home.
Y’all ever been on a road trip, and you stop at a little town with an out-of-the-way diner? You go in this diner, you sit there, and some guy is staring at you the entire time. He gets up and walks over and says, «You ain’t from around here, are you?» You know what he’s saying: you don’t belong in our town. It’s a creepy feeling. Now, if you know a lot about the Bible, then you know that the Christmas story is rooted in the people of Israel, who were longing for the birth of the Messiah. Jesus Himself was Jewish, and He lived in Israel among all the people of Israel. Matthew, who wrote this, writes primarily to a Jewish audience, and like he does with the genealogies of Jesus back in chapter one, he includes unexpected people in this story.
You see, these wise men were total outsiders. It says that they were from the East. When it says the East, it wasn’t talking about Texarkana, Boston, or New York City—further east than that. In that day, it probably meant Persia. We don’t know for sure, but they’re not part of Israel. We know that they are not waiting expectantly for the coming Messiah. They don’t have the Hebrew Scriptures, they don’t know the prophecies, they don’t obey the Torah, they don’t go to synagogue, they don’t go to the Temple, and they don’t worship the one true God. They don’t belong in this story. They ain’t from around here.
Still worse, they’re actually called Magi, and the Greek word is 'magus, ' from which we get our word 'magician.' These guys practice astrology—constellations, horoscope-type mythology. And if you know anything about the Bible, you know it stands in direct opposition to things like that. The main reason the Bible opposes Magi-type practices is that it’s a form of idolatry. People worship the cosmos; they would look to the universe as opposed to the one who created the universe. By the way, that’s always a bad trade. In fact, every other use of the word 'Magi' in the New Testament is negative except for this story.
Here’s what I think is just so cool to me: ironically, amazingly, God sends these Magi a star. They’re astrologers, and so God meets them right where they are. He meets them in their curiosity about what is out there. He uses even their false, misleading, superstitious, even idolatrous belief in astrology to lead them on a quest that would bring them to Jesus. That’s just so awesome to me. But that’s God’s love. These guys, ethnically, religiously, historically, and morally, have no business in this Christmas story. Except for this: the story of Jesus is, «I bring you great tidings of great joy that will be for all the people.» All the people, no matter where you’re from, no matter what you’ve done, no matter what’s in your past— for all the people.
Again, there’s a stark contrast between the wise men and Herod. Herod was an insider. Herod had all the Scriptures. He had the benefit of religion and heritage; he had the temple, he had the synagogue, he had the Torah, he had the traditions, he had the teachings. But he had pride and murder in his heart. These guys were total outsiders; they had none of that, but they had wonder and worship in their hearts. When they see Jesus, it says they rejoice with exceedingly great joy, because it turns out there is a God out there somewhere, and He’s not up there in a constellation: He’s right here in front of us. He’s personal. He’s wrapped in the vulnerability and poverty of a child. He is Emmanuel—God with us.
They are so overwhelmed that they bow their heads and bend their knees, and in that moment, true wisdom begins to flow into their lives.
God Still Sends the Star
You know, I believe God still sends out the star to bring people to Jesus. I think the star happens anytime your life gets unexpectedly interrupted by something that sends you on a quest—something that jumpstarts a season of searching, seeking, and wondering. Now, that star could be some kind of triumph in some way or some kind of devastating failure. It could be a breakup, a separation, or a divorce. It could be witnessing the miraculous birth of a child coming into the world, or sitting by the bed of a loved one who’s leaving this world. It could be the loss of a job, an issue with one of your kids, or a nagging sense of loneliness. Or maybe it could be a financial setback.
We have a very good friend who would tell you right now, if she were able to stand up—she can’t get out of bed right now—but she would tell you that cancer was the star that led her on a search for something more, and she found it in Jesus Christ. Many of us have been there, and I don’t know, maybe that describes a season you’re in right now—a season of searching. Where there’s an emptiness, there’s an ache, there’s a knowingness in your soul that there’s something more, and that star led you here today. I know it sounds trite and a bit bumper sticker-ish, but wise men still seek Him; wise women do too. And God says, «If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.»
You need to know something about this church: like those outsiders from the East, we didn’t belong in this story either. In fact, this might be one of the largest collections of outcasts and moral screw-ups living in Texas. We’re just real people who desperately need the grace of God. You see, a whole bunch of us spent a good portion of our lives moving this mountain over here to make our mountain bigger, trying to impress everybody—building our own little self-centered empires and kingdoms. We felt threatened by anyone who might take our throne, take our title. But then it happened: we got to the point in our lives where we humbled ourselves and said, «I don’t want to be king anymore. In fact, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t prop it up anymore. I can’t pretend anymore. I don’t want to fake it; don’t want to try to look perfect anymore. God, I’m a train wreck without You. I need You so badly! I’m climbing off the throne.» And that’s when wisdom started to flow, and our lives began to change.
Who Will Sit on the Throne?
So let me ask you this Christmas season, because I love you: Who’s going to sit on the throne of your life?
'Cause I got to be honest with you—just like me, you are not a good candidate for the job. All of us need someone stronger, someone more qualified, someone bigger and better and wiser to sit on the throne of our lives. When we let God be God, it’s the beginning of the kind of wisdom that knows how to accept the things we cannot change and the courage to change the things we can. That’s what He does.
Look out Heaven’s window with a dark and dismal Earth. What mankind lost was found again, and hope was given birth in a smelly cave—a baby born held by teenage hands. God showed up in just His way to fulfill His plan. You see, He heard us crying, hiding, pining, dying in our sin. So in unblemished love, God slipped into our skin, and the Word became flesh, and the greatest became least. Swaddling clothes were wrapped around Heaven’s highest priest.
Oh, holy night! Oh, night divine! When Jesus came into this world for your sin and mine, a savior is born in a womb he was formed, our flesh worn to comfort those who mourn, calm the storm, have His flesh torn, His name scorned, to wear a crown of thorns. Not the thing we want to see when looking in the straw at a manger at a baby, but He came to save us all. Made human, became human, forgave human, saved human. He is Holy, different, set apart—King Emmanuel, God with us, Yahweh, Prince of Peace. He is the strength for the weak. He’s the refuge for the frightened and rest for the weary—shepherd of the wandering, healer to the hurting, forgiver of all sinners, savior of the world. His name is Jesus, the name above all other names—the name that deserves all fame, the one who remains the same, who took our blame, our shame, our pain. He is all Almighty, all-knowing, all-loving, all-worthy, all-righteous, all-beautiful, all-truth, all-grace, all swaddled small.
As we celebrate this tiny baby’s birth and marvel at the way that God came down to earth, if we listen closely, we’ll hear angels in one accord singing, «Peace on earth, goodwill to all who will call this baby Lord.»
Invitation to Surrender
So I want to give you a chance right now to resign, step off the throne of your life, lay down the crown, bow down, and worship the one who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I’m talking about Jesus—the one who laid down His divine rights and came to us as a vulnerable baby. He grew up with His hands in wood, and He died with His hands in wood—the Creator, God, who crucified His ego so that you and I could live forever.
I just want to invite you to bow your heads just for a few moments. Maybe you could just talk to God in your own way right now, with your own words. Just tell Him, «God, I’m done. I don’t want to be king anymore. I want to surrender my life to You. I want You to lead my life. I just got to stop playing God.» And again, in your own words, maybe you just say to Him, «I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He came here to save me from my sin. God, I need saving because I am a sinner. I’ve done so many things in my life I’m not proud of, so I accept the grace of Jesus Christ that washes away my sin, and I want to follow Him for the rest of my life. I want Him to sit on the throne of my life.» Just talk to Him in that way.
Father, thank You for the Christmas story. It really is a story like none other. Thank You for Your plan to come looking for us, to bring us home. And, Father, it’s my deepest prayer that everyone who’s listening right now would come home and let You love them, and let You rebuild their lives, and let You sit on the throne and give them the kind of wisdom they need to do this life. Thank You for doing that for me and so many in this place. So, Father, we’re just grateful-so grateful for the real Christmas story. Jesus, thank You for coming. We’re so grateful. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.