Last week, we learned an amazing truth: We will persevere through the trials of this life, not because of our grip on him, but because of his grip on us. Today, we will be talking more about how Jesus makes this a reality in our lives as we continue our current series through John 17. Join us as we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent together!

How active do you understand God to be in your day to day life? Indeed, he is very active. Jesus' prayer leads us by the hand into living in intimate friendship with our Father in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom where you presently live as a disciple of Jesus. “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them (he shows them the depths of his commitment toward them)” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭25:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬. Today we will ride the escalator of truth into nearness with God.

John 17. It was the night before Jesus' shocking death. After his last dinner with his followers, Jesus looked toward the heavens and thanked God the Father for a precious gift he had been given. He thanked him five times for this gift.

What was this gift that brought Jesus so much joy? Us! All of us who believe (and will believe) are God's gift to Jesus!

Over the season of Advent, we will be exploring how this stunning truth relates to the pain in our lives and our purpose. You are God's gift to Jesus. You are loved. You are a treasure. And God has big plans for you.