What makes Christmas so special? When I think about the decorations on the trees and the lights that create such a glow, I see the happiness reflected, but it’s only temporary.
Pastor Jon Porter brought us a message on 12/22/24 from 1 John 4;7-12 and John 3:16 that shows us the love that is meant to be permanent.
This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the World that we might live through him. — 1 John 4:9
The ultimate act of love is God sending his Son so that we might live through him. You know, Jesus came into this world as a baby. But, God’s ultimate plan was that we would live through Jesus. To do this, we need to be in connection by studying the Word.
The Bible that’s sitting on the shelf collecting dust doesn’t bring us closer to Jesus. We have to open it and study the scriptures. For years, my Bible did just that. I went to church every Sunday, but never cracked the Book open any time between Sundays. It wasn’t until I finally understood that I needed to dig deeper into my pastor’s sermons looking for the message God had hidden in there for me. It was like finding hidden treasures as I dug deeper and got into a Bible study that helped me learn by discussing the lessons just how important it was to connect with God in this way. Each time I study the same scripture I find something new! God reveals things to us as we are ready to grasp the messages found within the pages.
God designed us for fellowship with Him and with one another. His love gives and when we truly see that, we want to give deeper, sacrificially. We begin to reach out in our communities when we are filled with his love.
Jesus was the plan from the beginning. God didn’t just shout his love from heaven. He handed paradise to Adam and Eve and set in motion a way to bring his people back home. God lived it with us.
He put himself into the story, as his Son. He stepped into the darkness with us.
The world offers conditional love if we meet certain expectations. God’s love never worked like that.
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. —Romans 3:22-24
We’re trying to find our way in complete darkness. The light turned on, but the room hasn’t changed. We’ve changed. Jesus stepped in and the light revealed our sin.
How has God’s love been revealed? People think they’ll never be good enough so they give up on the church, the altar, the cross.
We need to fully accept his love. It may have been the worst day. But experiencing God’s love means showing kindness when we’re angry. Through the supernatural, we are experiencing His love.
When the power goes out, a candle light spreads when we light another candle and pass the light to someone else. This is how we spread God’s love.
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:16
We move from darkness to light. The experience changes us from fearful to full of peace. It restores us, heals us, and transforms our lives as we begin to reach out and spread this love to others. Love flows through us to someone who need it.
TRUTH: We celebrate the light of the Word coming into the world.
Reflect God’s love shown through Jesus.
God didn’t wait for us to be perfect.
Don’t expect that of others. Love like God loves. Be a light for those in your homes, in your communities, and in the world?
Thanks for reading. This blog post is my take on our pastor’s sermon. I hope that you were able to find something useful here. To find out more about our church see our website at milanchurch.org
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