Beloved: Light

This Christmas Eve message invites us to move beyond merely analyzing the profound truth that 'God is love' and instead to experience it fully. Drawing from 1 John 4, we're reminded that God didn't just send a message—He moved into our neighborhood. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, taking on a face, a name, and a family. This isn't about theological concepts to dissect; it's about a reality to receive. Just as there's a difference between preparing a meal and actually eating it, there's a world of difference between understanding God's love intellectually and letting it transform us. The beauty of celebrating Jesus' birth at night carries deep symbolism—He entered our darkness as the light, our death as the life. The enemy whispers lies about our worthiness, reminding us of failures and fears, but the manger whispers something different: love. Not condemnation shouted from a distance, but love whispered from a cradle. When we truly believe we are beloved—not because we're awesome, but because God loved us first—everything changes. The search for approval can end. The fear of rejection can die. We're invited to stop strategizing, stop figuring everything out, and simply sit in the light, letting God tell us we are loved. Hard stop. And then, hard start—because that love transforms us into light-bearers ourselves.