Advent Readings 2025 (4)

WEEK 4 – THE CANDLE OF LOVE

Theme: Christ Our Love — God With Us

Reader 1: Today we light the Candle of Love. Christmas is God’s declaration of love to the world.

Reader 2: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”

Scripture Readings

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:9–10 “9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Matthew 1:21–23 “21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””

Congregational Response

All: “Thank You, Lord, for Your great love for us.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus out of love for a broken world. Help us reflect that love in all we do. Amen.