When one generation fails to pass on God’s truth, the next is left to write its own story. Today’s generation faces anxiety, depression, loneliness, and relational fracture, even while being more digitally connected than ever. Yet God does not see them with frustration or fear. He sees them with belief, compassion, and joy, calling us to believe in who they can become in Christ, run toward them with grace and forgiveness, and celebrate our own salvation with heavenly joy.
At Christmas, we often sentimentalize the nativity and miss its true meaning. Jesus didn’t come just to be admired, He came with purpose. Born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger, and wrapped in swaddling cloths, Jesus came to give us the life we all long for. Christmas is merry because Jesus was born to die in our place, so we could receive true, abundant, eternal life.
Christmas reveals the deep longing in our hearts, an ache that points us to our need for God. At the first Christmas, Jesus came as the Light of the World to heal that longing and welcome us into God’s family. God often meets us through disruption, inviting us—like Joseph—to trust, not fear, and to respond in obedience. When we embrace humility, obedience, and the mystery, we make room for Jesus to bring new life and a love that truly satisfies.
Our deepest longings are an invitation from God, not something to ignore or replace. At Christmas, God meets our longing not by changing our circumstances, but by giving us a new identity through Jesus, where we become children of God. Christmas doesn’t just tell a story; it gives us belonging, revealing God as our everlasting Father. As His children, we can hold onto joy, anchored in the unshakable love of our Father.
Do you have peace? Every heart longs for it, yet true peace isn’t found in relief or changing circumstances but in a person. Jesus overcomes sorrow, loneliness, death, and chaos, and He restores us to God, the only source of true, lasting peace. Even in a dark world, we can wait with peace-filled hearts because Jesus satisfies our longing.
We all grumble more than we realize. Scripture shows grumbling isn’t just complaining, it’s a spiritual posture rooted in distrust. It steals joy, shuts down gratitude, and spreads easily. Often, the things we grumble about most reveal where we trust God the least. Grumbling is an act of pride, thinking we know better than God. So how do we respond? We draw near to God, pray honestly, and practice gratitude.
What’s your challenge? We often ask the wrong questions because we limit our perspective. God calls us to see our challenges spiritually first, aligning with His side, not asking Him to align with ours. When we bring our battles to God and ask, He teaches us who He is, shapes us to be more like Jesus, and equips us to share Him.
Life brings challenges that can tempt us to question God, His power, goodness, and care. When circumstances disappoint us, we can slip into demanding that He prove Himself. But genuine trust remembers that God has already shown who He is. Scripture shows us that God is both powerful and loving, and the cross is the ultimate proof. Even in the wilderness seasons, we can be confident that He is able, He is good, and He will provide.
Joshua 3:5 reminds us that consecration - setting ourselves apart for God - positions us to see Him, discern His will, and be used by Him. In a world of shifting morals, we must stay devoted, purified, and bold in our faith, preparing our hearts for the wonders God is ready to do among us. If we believe deeply in the gospel, we must be willing to share it.
Shame convinces us that we’re too broken, but mercy tells a different story. God meets us in the middle of our mess and invites us to believe, turn, and ask. Life with God isn’t a one-time decision, it’s a daily response to mercy. When we shift our perspective, release our need for approval, and let His mercy shape our story, we find the same freedom Rahab found, rescued, restored, and made new.
In Joshua 4:2–3, God calls His people to remember His faithfulness so their hearts don’t wander. Forgetting leads us away from Him, but remembrance renews faith and hope. Though our stories and “stones” are different, we serve the same unchanging God. As we tell our stories, we declare His power and draw closer to His presence.
When life feels uncertain and the path ahead is unclear, God calls us to be strong and courageous. Strength isn’t found in pumping ourselves up but in anchoring ourselves down to the unfailing, unchanging Word of God. Courage grows from God’s promises, His presence, and His precepts. We are invited to rediscover Scripture, not as a duty but as delight.
Our culture has placed sex where only God belongs, promising fulfillment it can’t deliver. When we worship creation over the Creator, destruction follows. God defines morality and His design for sex is good when kept within His boundaries for unity, life, and joy. Sex can’t give us identity or purpose, only Jesus can. Paul calls us to flee immorality and choose the cross over compromise, living in grace and truth.
Sermon Resources:
"God, You, & Sex: A Profound Mystery" by David White
"Sex in a Broken World" by Paul David Tripp