Pastor’s Perspective – December 2025
Welcome to the Christmas season!
Whether you are reading this in your home or while in the checkout line at a grocery store, I am writing this for you. It is an invitation. A special invitation to join a growing number of people who are hearing the story of Jesus again for the very first time.
The story of Jesus might be the most oft told tale in human history, but for so many people the purpose, the meaning, the truth has been overwhelmed by layers of tinsel and bright shining lights.
The humble Savior, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, has been ignored as we fill the spaces in our lives in pursuit of the perfect gift or the best way to decorate our homes with the correct seasonal messages to show our faith.
Too many Christians spend their Decembers angry at retail outlets for changing the designs of coffee cups or training staff to say Happy Holidays. Too many of us live as if Christmas is a deadline to meet, instead of celebrating the true message of our Savior’s birth.
God is with us! The King is revealed to the world! Jesus was born in the real world, and we can be born again into a new way of living.
God is with us! While we spend our time trying to show the world that we are with God, perhaps it is appropriate to simply celebrate that God is amongst the people of the Church. And that through our love for each other He is being revealed to the world.
Share the love of Christ at Christmas. Smile as you wait in line at the retail stores, rediscover the blessings of a giving heart, and allow your renewed heart to open to people who might greet the season in a humbug fashion. Return criticisms with loving kindness. Give a gift to the person who you would rather ignore than bless.
Taste your food in a new way. Treat your neighbors with love and care. Thank the people who serve your food and deliver your mail with a joyous smile and a generous tip. Renew your heart and soul with the understanding that you are not responsible for proving anything or saving anyone… because Jesus has already showed the way, paid the cost, and accomplished the work.
God is with us! We don’t need to defend God or work to make sure his enemies are defeated. God has already done the job. In Christ Jesus, that baby born of Mary, we have found a Savior that forgives sin and redeems people, the earth and heaven itself.
The beauty of having a Savior and a King in Jesus is that I don’t have to do the heavy lifting or try to convince anyone of anything. I only must do what Jesus told us to do. To love God and our neighbor as ourselves.
And while every day is an opportunity to love God and people, Christmas is a wonderful time to focus on this great privilege. We have been loved by God, we have been forgiven by God, we have been saved by God. And now it is our chance to love others, forgive others, and introduce them to our savior and King, Jesus Christ.
Invite others to walk with you. Come and join us at First Baptist Church. Share Jesus and give the gift of His presence in the days to come. Let’s celebrate a holy Christmas in the presence of a Holy Lord.
Amid all the troubles in the world, God is with us! So, I celebrate Christmas with love and joy.
Pastor Dan
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