“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son…” - John 3:16 (CSB)When Scripture wants to prove God’s love, it does not point us inward. It points us to a gift. The defining action of John 3:16 is not that God felt love, but that God gave.This is where biblical love separates itself from every softened version we are tempted to believe. Love, in Scripture, is not intention with...  Read More

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son…” John 3:16a (CSB)We often talk about love as if it is a reaction. Someone earns it. Someone deserves it. Someone behaves well enough to receive it. Even when we speak about God’s love, we can quietly assume it works the same way. We may not say it out loud, but we live as if God’s love rises and falls with our obedience, our consi...  Read More

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard.” - Luke 2:20Luke ends the story in a surprising place. Not with angels in the sky. Not with crowds gathering. He ends it with shepherds going back to work. The same fields. The same responsibilities. The same ordinary rhythms of life.Nothing about their circumstances has changed. Everything about them ...  Read More

“Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” - Luke 2:15 Joy never leaves us unchanged. When the shepherds hear the announcement, they do not stay where they are. They move. Joy pulls them out of passivity and into obedience. There is no hesitation, no delay, no negotiation. They go straight to see what God has revealed.This matters because we of...  Read More

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Romans 5:1 It is easy to want peace from God without wanting peace with God. We ask Him to calm the chaos, ease the anxiety, smooth the path, and fix what feels broken. But Scripture presses deeper. Before peace can touch our circumstances, it must address our standing.The angels’ announceme...  Read More

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!” - Luke 2:14 When heaven breaks its silence, the angels do not begin with human happiness. They begin with God’s glory. This order matters more than we often realize. Joy does not start with our comfort or relief. It starts when God is rightly seen and rightly honored.We often want peace without surrender. We want God to ...  Read More