December 21, 2025 - Jesus, the Son, came to model how to live and love 1 John

Devotional

Day 1: The Life Appeared: God With Us in Flesh

Jesus did not stay distant; the eternal Son stepped into our world, fully human, so people could hear Him, see Him, and touch Him. The incarnation means God came near enough for real relationship, not just ideas. He reveals the Father’s heart—compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love—by living among us. Let this nearness steady you today: God’s love is not abstract, it is embodied in Jesus and offered to you. Welcome Him into your actual story—your schedule, your griefs, your hopes—so faith moves from theory to life. Rest in the truth that He came so you might truly know the One who is true. [02:18]

1 John 1:1–3
From the very beginning, the One who is Life Himself was with the Father. We heard Him with our own ears, saw Him with our own eyes, and even touched Him with our hands. This Life appeared among us, and we now share what we witnessed so that you can share in this fellowship with us—fellowship that is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

Reflection: Where is one concrete place in your week (home, work, or a hidden worry) where you will invite Jesus’ embodied presence rather than keeping faith as a vague idea?

Day 2: Walk Like Jesus: Blending Light and Love

God is light and God is love; in Jesus, these are never separated. To walk in the light means living truthfully and righteously, and it always shows up as real love toward people. If we claim to be in the light but withhold love, we are still stumbling in the dark. Following Jesus means taking His way as our way—honesty without harshness, kindness without compromise. Ask the Spirit to help you live what you believe in words, attitudes, and choices. Let your steps today resemble His steps. [03:27]

1 John 2:6, 9–10
If someone says they remain in God, they are agreeing to live the way Jesus lived. Anyone who claims to be in the light but resents a brother or sister is still in darkness. But the one who loves their brother and sister walks in the light, and there’s nothing in them that causes tripping or harm.

Reflection: In one strained relationship, what would it look like this week to tell the truth kindly and to show kindness truthfully, so that you “walk in the light” with that person?

Day 3: Love Is Practical: Actions and Truth

Jesus defined love by laying down His life, and He invites us to lay down time, comfort, resources, and preferences for others. Love notices material needs, emotional burdens, and social vulnerabilities—and moves toward them. This love does not abandon truth; it seeks a person’s real good, not just the easiest fix. Sometimes that means paying a bill and also offering wise help toward lasting freedom. Let your compassion be tangible and your care be wise. Ask, “What does genuine good look like for them?” and then take the first faithful step. [04:19]

1 John 3:16–18
Here is how we know what love is: Jesus gave His life for us. So we also should be ready to give ourselves for our brothers and sisters. If someone has what they need and sees a brother or sister in need but shuts their heart, how can God’s love be living there? Dear children, let’s not settle for talk; let’s love with deeds and with truth.

Reflection: Who is one person with a specific, practical need you can meet this week, and what truthful, loving next step will help them flourish beyond the immediate crisis?

Day 4: Love Initiates: Because God Loved First

God did not wait for our response; He sent His one and only Son to us at great cost. That is love’s pattern—proactive, courageous, and uncalculated by outcomes. Jesus even served those who would deny or betray Him, because His identity was anchored in the Father’s love. You can risk initiating love when you remember whose you are. Let the Spirit steady your heart, then take the first step toward reconciliation, service, or kindness without demanding return. Love starts because God started with you. [05:46]

1 John 4:9–12, 19
This is how God showed love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world so we could truly live through Him. Love is not that we reached up to God, but that He reached out to us by sending His Son to cover our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us like this, we should love one another like this. No one has seen God, but when we love each other, God’s life is at work in us and His love reaches its full expression. We love because He loved us first.

Reflection: Who have you been waiting on to “go first”? What small, concrete act of unpressured initiation will you take this week, trusting God with the outcome?

Day 5: Love Prays: Interceding in the Battle

Love also contends in prayer, especially when a brother or sister is caught in struggle or drifting toward sin. Intercession is often hidden, quiet, and costly, but God uses it to bring life and restoration. Sometimes you will feel the weight to pray without even knowing why—offer it to God and trust the Spirit to carry your groans. Jesus prayed Peter through temptation; you are invited to pray others through their hour of testing. Become part of a house of prayer by setting aside focused time and lifting specific names to the Father. Let your love stretch on its knees today. [06:33]

1 John 5:16
If you see a brother or sister falling into a sin that is not final in its rebellion, pray for them. God will respond by giving life—restoring and strengthening the one who is stumbling.

Reflection: Whose name is on your heart right now, and when will you intercede for them each day this week—specifically asking for protection, repentance, and renewed life?

Sermon Summary

We walked together through several important movements in our life as a church: opening our sanctuary for daily prayer 6 a.m.–6 p.m., preparing to end the year in a multilingual prayer gathering on New Year’s Eve at 11 p.m., welcoming our Yazidi neighbors this afternoon to hear the story of Jesus, and caring tenderly for those in grief through Grief Share. These aren’t “extras.” They’re the way we’re asking God to form us—a house of prayer for all nations, a people of compassion, a family that bears one another’s burdens.

From there, I invited us into 1 John for Advent. John begins and ends by insisting the eternal Son truly appeared—seen, heard, touched. The incarnation isn’t a footnote; it’s the hinge. Jesus reveals the Father’s heart, destroys the devil’s work, and models how to live. John holds two blazing truths together: God is light and God is love. They are not opposites to be balanced; they are one reality to be embodied. Truth without love wounds. Love without truth withers. In Jesus, they shine as one.

What does this look like on the ground? John gives three clear markers of love that flows from the incarnation. First, love is practical. “Not with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” See a need—step toward it—and let it cost you something. Second, love is proactive. God loved first. He sent the Son before being loved in return—knowing many would refuse him. We love without waiting for reciprocity or perfect conditions. Third, love is prayerful. When a brother or sister stumbles, we don’t spectate; we intercede. Love goes to battle in the unseen for protection, restoration, and life.

None of this is gritted-teeth moralism. Jesus could wash betrayers’ feet because he knew where he came from and where he was going. We love from that same security: born of God, indwelt by the Spirit, anchored in the Father’s delight. So this week, read 1 John with me—one chapter a day—asking the Spirit to make this love concrete: Who needs your practical help? Where is God inviting you to initiate? Who needs your hidden, persevering prayers? And if your love-tank is low, ask to be filled again. We love because he first loved us.

Key Takeaways

1. Incarnation shapes how we live now Jesus didn’t merely save us; he showed us how to live as people of light and love. To “live in him” means we take on his pattern—truthful, tender, courageous, self-giving. The incarnation is not only doctrine to defend; it’s a life to imitate in real relationships and decisions this week. [43:44]
2. Love is practical, costly action John presses love into our calendars and budgets: see a need, step toward it, and let it cost you. Sentiment without sacrifice isn’t love; it’s avoidance dressed in kindness. Start where you are—food, presence, advocacy—and expect to be inconvenienced. [46:36]
3. Love initiates without guaranteed return The Father sent the Son first, knowing he would be resisted, misunderstood, and crucified. If we wait for reciprocity, we will love almost no one. In Christ, we risk again—initiating mercy, telling the truth in humility, and leaving outcomes to God. [51:34]
4. Love stays truthful while compassionate “Actions and in truth” guards us from enabling what harms. Compassion asks the deeper questions, even when it’s awkward—How do we help in ways that actually free? This is not colder love; it’s wiser love, aligned with God’s good design. [49:00]
5. Love contends in prayerful intercession When sisters and brothers are sifted, we don’t stand at a distance with opinions—we stand in the gap with prayer. Intercession is hidden love that resists evil’s momentum and asks God for protection and restoration. It may feel weighty; carry it with Jesus. [58:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Walk Thru the Bible Invitation
[03:00] - Daily Prayer Space Open
[24:08] - New Year’s Eve Multilingual Prayer
[26:59] - Prayer for Haroon; Yazidi Outreach
[29:35] - Opening Scripture and Invitation
[32:24] - Why 1 John; What “Epistle” Means
[35:45] - The Son Appeared: Bookends of 1 John
[41:14] - God Is Light and Love
[43:44] - Live as Jesus Lived
[46:36] - Love Is Practical: Meeting Needs
[51:34] - Love Is Proactive: God Loved First
[58:47] - Love Is Prayerful: Spiritual Battle
[65:45] - Ministry Time and Prayer Invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- 1 John 2:6-10
- 1 John 3:16-18
- 1 John 5:16

Observation questions

In 1 John 2:6-10, what connection does John make between love and light? What warning does he give to the person who claims to be “in the light” but hates a brother or sister?
According to 1 John 3:16-18, how does John define love? What contrast does he draw between “words or speech” and “actions and in truth”?
In 1 John 5:16, what are believers told to do when they see a brother or sister sin? What does John say God will do?
What shared practices were highlighted to shape us as a praying, compassionate family (daily open sanctuary, New Year’s Eve multilingual prayer, welcoming Yazidi neighbors, Grief Share)? ([24:08])

Interpretation questions

How does 1 John 2:6-10 show that “living as Jesus lived” keeps truth and love together instead of pulling them apart?
Why does 1 John 3:18 insist on loving “with actions and in truth”? Where might “help” that avoids truth actually harm someone? ([49:00])
If love “initiates” because God loved first, what inner fears or expectations keep a person waiting for reciprocity? How might being “born of God” and secure in the Father’s love break that cycle? ([51:34])
What does intercession in 1 John 5:16 look like in a small group? How is “standing in the gap” different from offering opinions or advice? Consider the picture of Jesus praying for Peter’s sifting. ([58:47])

Application questions

Practical, costly love: Name one specific need you can meet this week (food, a ride, childcare, a bill, your presence). What will it cost you in time or money, and how will you make room for it? ([46:36])
Truthful compassion: Where are you tempted to give quick help that avoids harder, freeing conversations (like looking honestly at habits or a budget)? What would it mean to love “with actions and in truth” in that situation? ([49:00])
Proactive initiation: Who have you been waiting on to make the first move—someone to forgive, serve, or speak truth to? What is one small step you will take in the next 48 hours to initiate love without a guaranteed return? ([51:34])
Prayerful intercession: List two or three people you sense God nudging you to pray for—protection, restoration, and life. When will you pray for them this week, and how will you remember? Would a daily reminder or group text help? ([58:47])
Living as Jesus lived: Where do you need to blend light and love this week—being truthful and tender, courageous and self-giving? What would “living as Jesus lived” look like there? ([43:44])
Serving as a praying people: Which shared practice will you lean into—stopping by the sanctuary to pray, planning to join the multilingual New Year’s Eve prayer hour, welcoming our Yazidi neighbors, or connecting someone to Grief Share? What is your next yes? ([24:08])
Loving from security, not striving: If your “love tank” feels low, what is draining it? What helps you receive the Father’s delight so you can give love again? Would you like someone here to pray over you for fresh filling? ([01:04:02])

Sermon Clips

Now, let me say a couple of things. First of all,when I use that word incarnation, I know you've heard it, but maybe you've just kind of heard it and know it's a church word. But it means to be in the flesh. It means that God the Son, so God is triune, three persons who is in a unity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. The Son has always existed. The Son didn't just exist when Jesus was born. The Son has always existed. Butthe Son left His glory in heaven and set aside His divine privileges and came and took humanity upon Himself. [00:31:23] (43 seconds)

Epistle is kind of an old-fashioned word, right? Maybe you have a King James Bible and it says the epistle of 1 John. It's an old-fashioned word, but some old-fashioned words are important. Epistle comes from the Greek and it is similar to the word apostle. So an apostle is one who is sent by God, right? So Paul, Peter, these are apostles.An epistle is a writing that has been sent for a purpose. So it's okay that we call it the letter of 1 John, but really to call it the epistle of 1 John is even more helpful because it was sent with a particular agenda trying to form the Christian practice in a group of believers. [00:32:36] (46 seconds)

Love is,yes, we should love people's soul. Last week I talked to you about who's your Simon? Who is it that, like Andrew, you are to take and bring them to Jesus? We care about people's eternal destiny.But this first part of love is just loving us right where we're at. Loving people right in their point of need. I was thinking of examples of Jesus when he loved in the midst of our practical need. And I thought, if I start going down that road, you know, I might have a 52-week sermon for you. Because that is, Jesus models this every page of the Gospels. [00:47:17] (52 seconds)

There's times that people want me to love them or they say, this is how you can love me. But they're asking me to do something that would actually harm them. For the fifth time,if they come and say, I don't have the ability to pay this bill. And maybe loving them would be to say, can we sit down and work out your budget together? Right? Love is not just meeting the first thing, meeting the external thing. It's loving in truth. [00:50:17] (37 seconds)

Jesus himself models this in the way he loves Judas. Judas is with Jesus for years. And Jesus cares for Judas. Jesus serves Judas. Jesus speaks truth to Judas. Judas even allows Judas to come and give him that final kiss that is a kiss of betrayal. It's a sign to the guards, this is the one. ButJesus didn't, when he sat around at the last supper, didn't say, hey, I'm going to love you and you and you and you. I'm not loving you and you and you and you. No, he loved them all. [00:54:43] (47 seconds)

Man, there's some people in my life that are so hard to love. And the only way I can love them is twofold. One is to to just make a decision that's going to be proactive. I can't wait to see if they're going to,you know, I can't give a few breadcrumbs of love to see how they'll respond. I just got to go all in. [00:55:31] (23 seconds)

Matter of fact, in this first service, I got a text this morning that really bothered me. And my mind was not in the right place. And I had to find someone and just say, I need you to pray for me. I can't pray for myself in this. This is distracting to me, but I need you to pray me through it. Love that Jesusmodels, the Father models is practical. It's at our point of need, proactive. It's not waiting to see if the other person is reciprocating. And it's prayerful. It's praying for the person's protection and restoration and restoration provision. [01:01:55] (50 seconds)

So I want you to take these three ideas and say, what is the next expression for you? How do you need to be practical? Who is it right now that has a practical need? It's going to cost you something, but you can make a difference. Who is it where you need to be proactive? And who is it that God'slaying on your heart you need to be praying for? And then I want to challenge you to read along with me this week. Read a chapter a day. Lean into a chapter a day. You'll finish on Christmas. [01:02:50] (49 seconds)

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