IOver the past several years, one of the most sought after books has been “The Purpose Driven Life.”

We here in America have become seekers in every way of life.

As people look around what they’re saying is, “Who can give me the answers to the basic questions of life? The spiritual questions like, “Why am I here? Is there a purpose in life?

Is there a God? If there is a God, does He care about me? How can I know Him?”

This time of the year people seek the true meaning of Christmas as well.

There are three lessons we can learn from the wise men who were seekers after Jesus.

Like the wise men, if you want to find God, you’ve got to seek the truth. There’s a big difference between seekers and speculators. There are far more speculators in the world than there are seekers.

Speculators are people who say, “Well, I think God is like …

My idea of God is like …

I really imagine God to be …”

Just because you think something doesn’t make it true. Speculators just guess, they conjecture, and your guess is as good as mine what God is like.

But seekers are people who diligently search for the truth, they search for answers.

They don’t just make assumptions. They take the time and effort to find the truth.

Secondly, the wise men were given a sign. He gives you a travel guide to find Him as well.

In the wise men’s case, their travel guide was a star, a very special star.

The Bible says it led them from the east directly to Jerusalem.

It led them east. Then it turned south and went south to Bethlehem.

No star does that.

Then it settled right over the home where Jesus and Mary and Joseph were. I’ve never seen a star like that.

On top of that, we don’t have any indication from the Bible that anybody else ever saw the star. The only people, to our knowledge, that actually saw the star were the wise men.

All throughout history, God has used different kinds of instruments to get people’s attention. Whether it was opening the Red Sea, bringing down manna from heaven, a pillar of fire by night or cloud by day.

He always rewards genuine seekers with clues with a travel guide, a star. Chances are, you have a star in your life.

Finally, recognize who this baby really was.

What makes this baby any different from any other baby? He was God. Why was He God?

God came to earth in human form so we could get to know Him.

If Jesus had not come to earth, you would not know that God is a loving God and has a plan for your life and a purpose for your life.

Those things happen because God gave us this Christmas gift.

He came to earth in human form so nobody would be afraid of Him.

Because nobody’s afraid of a baby.

Colossians 1: “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all and in fact Chart Himself is the creator who made everything in heaven and earth.”

Ironton native Dean Rase is interim pastor at Central Christian Church. This article is part of a six-part series of sermons on home improvement. To reach Rase, call (740) 532-2930.