Advent: Love

Why Advent? In the middle of all the rituals, playlists, travel, and expectations, I asked us to pause and ask that deceptively simple question. Advent means arrival, and in a single word the reason is love. Not the sentimental kind we see in commercials, but love defined as acting in the best interest of another. God took action in our best interest. God so loved that He gave. Advent is the arrival of love because God moved toward us—into our world, into our story—so that we might live through Him here and now, not just someday.

That matters because the world we inhabit can feel like a relentless rat race—demands, comparisons, anxieties, and a thousand ways to feel like we’re not enough. Advent shows up like an old-fashioned card in the mailbox—a love letter from God saying, “I see you. I miss you. I want to be with you. I love you.” If that’s true, then we are the beloved. And that identity is the antidote to a quiet but powerful toxin many of us carry: self-rejection. We’re bombarded by inner and outer voices that tell us we’re less-than unless we can prove otherwise. But the God who knows everything about us—the secrets, the shadowed places, the thoughts we hope no one ever sees—has already moved toward us in love. Real love doesn’t play pretend; it brings truth into the light and refuses to leave.

Living as the beloved means living as chosen. God’s choosing isn’t competitive; it’s compassionate. He delights in the uniqueness He wove into you. It also means living as blessed. A blessing is good words spoken over you, and God has spoken: precious child, masterful creation, image-bearer with purpose. That blessing becomes a refuge from the race to secure everyone else’s approval. Day and night, in success and in setback, God directs His love toward you.

We practiced listening for that blessing—letting God’s voice be louder than the others. When this truth takes root, it reshapes how we see people around us. The roommate who frustrates you, the colleague who drains you, the family member who pushes your buttons—they too are God’s beloved, chosen, and blessed. Advent invites us not only to receive love’s arrival but to become its messengers in a weary world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Advent is the arrival of love God’s love is not a feeling that wavers; it’s decisive action in our best interest. In Jesus’ arrival, God moved toward us, offering life with Him now, not just later. Advent confronts our scarcity with a concrete gift: God with us, for us. [35:17]
• 2. Belovedness heals deep self-rejection Many of us live under the weight of proving we’re worthy, often to silence an inner verdict. Being the beloved doesn’t deny our flaws; it exposes them to a love that won’t withdraw. This identity displaces the corrosive narrative of “not enough” with a steady “already loved.” [41:00]
• 3. Chosen by compassion, not competition We think “chosen” means someone else is excluded, but God’s choosing is rooted in His delight, not scarcity. He sees and honors your particularity—the way He fashioned you. Forgetting this opens the door again to self-rejection; remembering it restores dignity and courage. [45:56]
• 4. Blessedness becomes our safe refuge A blessing is a good word spoken over a life—and God has spoken His good word over you. That blessing offers shelter from the scramble for approval and the fear of not measuring up. In the shadow of His wings, you can exhale and live from acceptance rather than for it. [49:45]
• 5. Real love brings truth into light Love that survives only when we hide is not love at all. God knows our secrets and still draws near; Advent proves it. Letting His love meet reality is how shame loses its power and transformation begins. [42:57]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [31:48] - Why Advent? Asking the deeper why
• [33:31] - Love defined: action for another’s good
• [35:17] - God so loved that He gave
• [36:27] - Live through Him, here and now
• [38:31] - Advent as God’s love letter
• [40:42] - From self-rejection to belovedness
• [42:57] - Real love faces our truth
• [44:03] - Known and loved: Psalm 139
• [45:36] - Chosen: God’s compassionate choosing
• [47:47] - Blessed: the power of good words
• [51:09] - Listening prayer: receive His blessing
• [57:25] - Sent to see others as beloved
• [64:26] - Benediction and next steps

1. In John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9, what specific actions show that love is more than a feeling?
2. According to Psalm 36:7, what picture is used to describe God’s love, and what effect does that love have on people?
3. How was love defined, and what everyday examples were given to make it concrete? [33:31]
4. What quiet but powerful toxin was named, and what identity was offered as its antidote? [41:00]

1. 1 John 4:9 says God sent His Son so that people might “live through Him.” What might it mean, practically, to live through Jesus in the middle of ordinary days rather than only thinking about the future? [36:27]
2. If God’s choosing is compassionate rather than competitive, how does that challenge a scarcity mindset where worth feels like a limited pie? [45:56]
3. If real love brings truth into the light, how does that change the way someone thinks about shame, confession, and being fully known by God? [42:57]
4. Psalm 36:7 describes God’s unfailing love as a refuge. What kinds of pressures make someone need a “refuge,” and how might God’s love practically become that shelter?

1. Where does life feel like a rat race for you right now? What would one small change look like this week to “live through Him” in that very place (schedule, conversation, decision)? [36:27]
2. Try a simple listening prayer to receive blessing. When and where can you set aside 10 quiet minutes this week to let God speak His good words over you? What posture or prompt will help you listen? [51:09]
3. What are the exact lines of self-rejection you tend to rehearse (for example: “I’m behind,” “I’m not enough,” “I always mess up”)? What truth of belovedness will you speak back to those lines, and how will you remind yourself daily? [41:35]
4. Think of one person who frustrates or drains you. What is one practical, concrete way you can act in their best interest this week—seeing them as beloved, chosen, and blessed? [57:25]
5. Where do you catch yourself comparing your gifts, story, or pace with others? What is one practice you can adopt to celebrate the uniqueness God wove into you (journaling wins, naming strengths, asking a friend what they see)? [45:56]
6. In what situations do you feel most tempted to chase approval? What is one boundary or rhythm you could set to move into the “refuge” of God’s blessing (Sabbath window, phone off after a certain time, breath prayer before meetings)? [49:45]
7. Is there a hidden place in your life that needs to be brought into the light with God or with a trusted friend? What first step will you take this week to let love meet reality? [42:57]