Luke 3:1-16. Many have speculated that because of all that America has been going through these past several months God may be trying to get our attention and has something to say to our nation. It feels like the United States is stuck. Have you ever felt like you were in a rut and you couldn’t get out? When you’re stuck how do you get unstuck? You need God to show up, but God doesn’t just show up. Preparation is needed and when the nation of Israel was stuck God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for God to show up and do what only God can do. The way you prepare for God’s presence and blessing is through repentance. If we are truly repentant John says our life will, “Bear fruits that befit repentance.” When a man or a woman or a nation for that matter, in sorrow for sin , chooses to repent and matches it with the acts that befit repentance, then that person or that nation is prepared to hear from God and to see the mighty hand of God work.