On this third Sunday of Advent, we find joy in the fact that God’s love is personal, unconditional, and actively pursuing each one of us.

When Jesus was sent to earth as a baby, he bridged the gap between us and God the Father, allowing us to enter into personal relationship, despite our human suffering and mess, with God through Jesus as Emmanuel (“God with us”).

From Genesis to the cross, God – the Creator of the universe – demonstrates that Jesus – the Word made flesh – provides victory over sin and death, offering us the opportunity to be adopted into God’s family and live in His victory, no matter what our past, present, or future looks like.

We are called to cultivate gratitude, not as a mere thank you to God, but as a posture of the heart that transforms our lives, deepens our faith, and leads to peace and joy even in the midst of suffering.

Jesus is the central focus of Christian faith, and believers are called to live missionally, following Jesus’ example of prioritizing people and sharing the gospel in both word and deed.

The church today is called to embrace peace and reconciliation in relationships despite differences – prioritizing peace over division, and trust that God is sovereign and holds our lives, our neighbors’ lives, and the whole world together.

As we bring our anxieties before God through prayer, our perspectives are transformed, allowing us to see our challenges through the lens of His sovereignty and faithfulness rather than our own limitations.

God encourages us to embrace the mysteries of faith and approach prayer with the understanding that we are citizens of heaven, and that we can trust in His authority and ability to respond to our prayers.

We can confidently cast our anxieties on God through prayer, knowing that He is our Heavenly Father: loving, consistent, powerful, and always present and ready to help us navigate even the toughest areas of our lives.

Doubt and uncertainty are natural parts of faith, and we are called to embrace these feelings without fear of judgment, as God’s unbreakable love provides security, comfort, and guidance through the challenges we face.