Podcast Summary: "The Christmas List" | Robert Madu | Social Dallas Podcast

Date: December 15, 2025
Host/Speaker: Pastor Robert Madu, with family participation
Venue: Social Dallas Church

Overview

This special Social Dallas Family Christmas episode, delivered by Pastor Robert Madu with his son Robert Madu III, explores the overlooked genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. In a heartfelt and humorous message titled "The Christmas List," Pastor Robert challenges the audience not to skip the lengthy lineage but to recognize the deeper truths about grace, identity, and God's ability to use anyone—no matter their background—for his redemptive work. The episode blends real talk, biblical insight, storytelling, and a call to put Jesus at the center of our lives this Christmas.

Episode Structure & Key Themes

1. Family, Community, and Foundations (00:00–03:30)

• The episode begins with Pastor Robert and Taylor Madu sharing news about the new Social Dallas building and inviting congregational support—emphasized as more than a structure, but a home for spiritual transformation.
• The theme of "family" is introduced: the community's verse of the year (Psalm 92:13-15), read aloud by Robert Madu III, underscores being "planted in the house of the Lord" and flourishing in faith.

2. The Overlooked Christmas Passage: Matthew’s Genealogy (03:31–08:12)

• Pastor Robert humorously addresses the tendency to skip over "the most skipped passage"—the genealogy in Matthew 1—and instead focus on the nativity scene.
  • Quote: "Let's be honest, some of these names sound like diseases. And you almost want to say, come on, Matthew, do better. This, this is Christmas. Don't start with the list." (05:44)
• He compares starting Christmas with a list to giving a present with no wrapping, emphasizing that the genealogy is the "wrapping paper" of the Christmas story and essential to understanding the whole gift.

3. Questions of Expectancy and Identity (08:13–17:22)

• Robert draws out the concept of "expectancy"—the faith to believe God will fulfill His promises despite delays or silence.
  • He contextualizes the Jewish audience’s longing for a Messiah after 400 years of silence and how Matthew’s genealogy affirms Jesus' qualifications.
  • Quote: "They had been waiting for generations for the Messiah to come... sometimes the wait can extinguish your expectancy." (09:45)
• The importance of lineage in biblical times: Identity and authority flowed from one’s family, not achievements—a contrast to today’s world.
  • Quote: "When you know your identity, you move different." (16:18)

4. The Power and Purpose of the List (17:23–29:14)

• Matthew crafts his list to demonstrate Jesus’ legitimate claim as King, rooted in both Abraham (promise) and David (kingdom), fulfilling Jewish expectations.
  • Comparison to Luke’s genealogy (which traces Jesus to Adam and spans 77 generations) shows Matthew’s purposeful editing for his audience.
  • Both lists reflect that, culturally, genealogies were resumes—highlighted success, omitted scandal.
  • Quote: "You edited your account to make you look better. Isn't it funny, here we are in 2025, and people are still editing their accounts to make you look better?" (22:44)

5. Don’t Mistake the Scene for the Story (29:15–35:04)

• Using the nativity set as an illustration, Pastor Robert warns against confusing the "scene" (the polished, picturesque moment) with the "story" (the real, messy, and redemptive journey behind it).
  • Quote: "The scene is always clean. The scene can look pristine, but the story will be messy." (31:13)
• Apply this to personal lives: Social media and family portraits may show a scene, but every story includes struggle and drama.
• Relates Social Dallas' own journey—moving between 14 venues over four years before securing their building—as an example of story vs. scene.

6. The Radical Inclusion on Jesus’ List (35:05–41:15)

• Key revelation: Unlike patriarchal norms, Matthew's genealogy includes five women with "scandalous" stories—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.
  • Quote: "Jesus is the only one that says... I'm going to put five women on my list to show you my power, to show you who I am." (36:47)
• Each woman represents brokenness and grace:
  • Tamar (incest, deception), Rahab (prostitution), Ruth (foreigner, widowhood), Bathsheba (adultery, murder), Mary (unwed mother, scandal).
  • The common denominator: GRACE ("the five-letter word that will put you on a list that others tried to take you off of" (37:21)).

7. The Message of Christmas: God Can Use Anybody (41:16–49:15)

• Pastor Robert insists that God's grace is most evident in this genealogy and therefore in the Christmas story.
  • Quote: "What in the world could God be telling us about this Christmas list? God can use anybody." (43:22)
• Repeats and reinforces: No matter your history, wounds, or social category, God works redemption through broken people—because that’s all there is.
  • Quote: "I finally figured out why God uses broken, flawed people... That's all he's got to choose from." (47:15)

8. Put Jesus at the Center (49:16–52:40)

• The critical application: For the story to transform, Jesus must be at the center.
  • Quote: "If Jesus is not in the center... there's not a chance." (50:00)
• Invitation: Pastor Robert leads a prayer of surrender, encouraging listeners to put Jesus at the center, regardless of their past or current state.
  • "He refuses to be on the periphery... He must be at the center." (51:22)

9. Closing: Family, Generosity, and Blessing (52:41–End)

• Community invitation for giving toward the new building, framed as participating in legacy and transformation—not simply donating.
• Final blessing and Christmas wishes from the Madu family, with communal celebration.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On skipping difficult biblical passages:

  • "You don't understand anything about Christmas until you understand Jesus' family tree. Because without his family tree, there is no Christmas tree." (07:20)

• On grace and inclusion:

  • "Grace is not karma... Grace is when I get something I don't even deserve. It is the goodness of God." (39:45)

• On personal inadequacy and God’s calling:

  • "If God worked through all this dysfunction and all these people with issues made the list, what is your excuse that God can't use you?" (45:37)

• On the requirement for transformation:

  • "You have to put Jesus at the center of your life. If he's not at the center, your life cannot be transformed and changed." (50:25)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:00–03:30 — Family introduction, new building, verse of the year
• 03:31–08:12 — Reading/reflecting on the genealogy in Matthew 1
• 08:13–17:22 — Jewish expectation, the significance of lineage
• 17:23–22:44 — Genealogy as resume, Matthew vs. Luke
• 22:45–29:14 — Editing the list, connection to modern "curating"
• 29:15–35:04 — Nativity scene vs. messy story behind the scene
• 35:05–41:15 — The five women on Jesus’ list, the power of grace
• 41:16–49:15 — Anyone can be used by God, grace outweighing dysfunction
• 49:16–52:40 — Call for surrender: Jesus at the center
• 52:41–End — Community, generosity, closing blessings and family farewell

Tone and Language

Pastor Robert delivers with humor, relatability ("Y'all"), and vivid imagery, balancing deep spiritual truths with accessible, everyday examples. He’s engaging, energetic, and pastoral, challenging listeners to reflection and celebration.

Recap

If you’ve ever doubted your place in God’s plan or thought your story was too messy, this episode powerfully reminds you: God’s family tree is full of unlikely, imperfect people chosen by grace. Christmas isn’t about a perfect scene—it’s about a redeeming story, made whole when Jesus is at the center.

Memorable closing line:
"From our family to yours, Merry Christmas, everybody. Come on, give God some praise." (End)