Our Father's Heart: A Christmas Gift of Peace

Our Father’s heart beats with a desire to give us peace. As a dad, I think about what I want for my kids—confidence, people to walk with them, health—and I’m reminded that our Heavenly Father wants even more for us. Advent puts His heart on display: joy, hope, faith, and today, peace. Scripture tells us plainly: where pride lives, strife follows. So if God wants us to live in peace, He invites us into humility.

There are three gifts of peace He wants to place in our hands. First, peace with Him. Jesus’ name means “the Lord saves,” and He came to save us from our sins. Isaiah said our peace rests on His shoulders; by His wounds we are healed. Yet pride can keep us from resting in that—either by clinging to shame or by trusting our performance. Humility confesses, receives, and rests: “When I mess up, I fess up,” and I believe His forgiveness really is enough.

Second, peace with life. Jesus told us to expect trouble, and He also taught us how to stand: promises, prayer, and praise. We keep our minds stayed on Him by clinging to His promises; we move through anxiety by prayer that hands our burdens to God; and we learn to sing in the dark, like the psalmists and like Mary, whose soul magnified the Lord under real pressure. Pride says, “I’ve got this.” Humility lives, “Through Him who gives me strength.”

Third, peace with family. Real people, real differences, real tension—especially at Christmas. Philippians 2 shows us the way: we follow the humility of Jesus, who did not cling to His rights but took the form of a servant. Pride dehumanizes, rushes to judge, and demands to be understood. Humility assigns worth, listens, and looks to the interests of others. By the Spirit, we can rise above our differences, seek reconciliation, and bring Christ’s peace into our homes, churches, and communities.

So receive peace with God through forgiveness. Practice peace in life through promises, prayer, and praise. Pursue peace with others through Christlike humility. This is our Father’s heart for us.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Pride destroys peace; choose humility Pride isn’t only swagger; it’s also the shame that keeps us centered on ourselves. Whether we’re comparing ourselves to others or refusing to receive grace, pride keeps the soul restless. Humility tells the truth about our need and about God’s sufficiency, and that truth quiets the heart. Where humility lives, peace can breathe. [05:21]
• 2. Receive forgiveness; stop self-judging Jesus came to save, not to condemn, and the Father says, “I forgive you.” When we keep rehearsing our guilt, we shrink the cross to the size of our feelings. Godly sorrow returns us to Jesus and lets His finished work, not our unfinished work, define the day. Assurance grows when we look more at Him than at ourselves. [09:54]
• 3. Build on promises in storms A mind stayed on God doesn’t happen by accident; it’s formed by returning to His Word in the wind and the waves. Self-reliance talks big but cannot carry the weight of real trouble. Anchoring in His promises lets us act with courage without pretending we are enough on our own. Peace deepens when His voice is the loudest voice. [13:03]
• 4. Prayerful dependence shapes humble hearts Moses’ greatness was not his competence but his constant conversation with God. Prayer is not a detour from action; it is the way we join the One who is already acting. Busyness that crowds out prayer is usually pride in disguise. Dependence creates space for God’s peace to guard our hearts and minds. [16:08]
• 5. Practice Christlike humility in family Jesus laid down privilege to give us life; we lay down our need to win to give others room to be heard. Counting others as more significant does not erase truth; it creates the conditions where truth can be received. Listening longer, speaking gentler, and refusing dehumanizing labels are acts of worship. Peace grows where humility leads. [20:51]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:04] - A father’s heart for children
• [02:57] - Advent reveals the Father’s desires
• [04:45] - Pride brings strife; choose humility
• [05:53] - Peace with God begins here
• [06:39] - Name Him Jesus: He saves
• [07:20] - Isaiah’s prophecy of our peace
• [12:23] - Peace with life: promises, prayer, praise
• [13:03] - Kept in perfect peace: promises
• [15:22] - Moses and the humility of prayer
• [17:57] - Praise that steadies the soul
• [19:33] - Peace with family through humility
• [22:46] - Learning harmony beyond differences
• [25:26] - Prayer for peace in every sphere

1. According to Proverbs 13:10, what comes with pride, and how does that contrast with God’s desire for peace?
2. In Isaiah 53:5-6, what fell on the Servant (pierced, crushed, chastised), and what came to us as a result (peace, healing)?
3. In Philippians 2:1-8, what specific commands are given to believers (for example, “do nothing from selfish ambition,” “count others more significant”)? How does Jesus model those commands in His incarnation and cross?
4. Name the three practices for peace in the middle of life’s storms. Where were they seen in Scripture during the talk? (promises—Isaiah 26:3; prayer—Philippians 4:6-7; praise—Psalms/Mary’s song) [12:43]

1. If “by pride comes nothing but strife,” where might pride show up in less obvious ways—like shame that keeps the focus on self—and how does that keep a heart from resting? [08:12]
2. Isaiah 53 says our peace rests on Jesus’ shoulders. What does it look like to “stop making it about yourself” and let His finished work, not your feelings or performance, define your day? [10:06]
3. Why is a life of prayer a sign of humility rather than passivity? How does Moses’ constant conversation with God reshape what “strength” looks like? [16:08]
4. Philippians 2 calls believers to count others more significant. In tense family moments, what inner rights or demands need to be laid down so that real listening and understanding can happen? [22:18]

1. Peace with God: Where are you still rehearsing guilt or self-condemnation? What would it look like this week to name it to Jesus and receive, “I forgive you,” as your truest word? [09:54]
2. “When you mess up, fess up.” What is one specific area you will practice quick confession and reception of grace this week—no excuses, no hiding? [11:43]
3. Promises in the storm: Which promise from Scripture are you clinging to right now? How will you keep your mind “stayed” on God—practically—over the next 7 days? (for example, verse on a lock screen, say it morning and night) [13:03]
4. Prayer rhythm: If busyness often crowds out prayer, what will you cut or rearrange to pray daily this week? Be concrete: when, where, and for how long? [17:26]
5. Praise in the dark: Choose a psalm or Mary’s song and plan a time to sing or read it out loud this week. How might this shift your focus in a current stress? [19:08]
6. Peace at home: Before a hard conversation or gathering, what is one humble practice you will adopt—listening longer, asking two questions before sharing your view, or naming something you appreciate about the other person? [20:51]
7. Rising above differences: Where have you labeled or written off someone (family, church, workplace)? What first step toward reconciliation will you take—text, apology, coffee invite, or praying for them by name? [24:24]