Advent 2025: Love

Introduction

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

Hope

Peace

Joy

Love

Message Title: Advent 2025: Gifts from God.

Bible Passage: John 3:16

James 1:17 “17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

The Gift of love

“For God so loved the world”

Feeling vs Action

God’s love for us.

Romans 5:8 “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

2 Thessalonians 2:16 “16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,”

1 John 4:9–10 “9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so 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.”

Our love for God.

Matthew 22:37–38 “37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

1 John 4:19 “19 We love, because He first loved us.”

1 John 5:1-3

John 14:21 “21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.””

Our love for others.

Matthew 22:39–40 “39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.””

1 John 4:11-21

Tim Tebow penny vs diamond illustration.

The Gift of Jesus

“That He gave His only begotten Son”

Romans 8:32 “32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

1 John 4:9 “9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

John 1:1-5; 14-17

The gift of eternal life

“that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

1 John 5:10–13 “10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Conclusion

“Believe”

“Biblical belief is expressed through action is faith.”