[Dec 21, 2025] Adore the King of Love

Devotional

Day 1: Advent anticipation and God’s chesed lovingkindness

Advent trains the heart to anticipate, not with anxiety, but with confident hope that God keeps His promises. You are invited to place His loyal love—His chesed—continually before your eyes, letting it shape how you think, choose, and love. When you become deeply convinced that God’s heart toward you is steadfast favor, you begin to live more freely and fully. Let this be a week of watchful expectation: practicing small, daily acts that say, “I trust Your love right here.” As you anticipate, remember that Jesus is the visible arrival of that love, and He is faithful still [03:27].

Titus 2:11–14: God’s grace showed up in person—Jesus—bringing rescue to everyone. His appearing trains us to turn away from ungodliness and the pull of this age, and to live with clear minds, integrity, and devotion to God right now. We wait with steady hope for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself to free us from every lawless deed and to form a people who are His own, eager to do what is good.

Reflection: What simple daily practice could help you keep God’s lovingkindness “before your eyes” this week—perhaps a short prayer at mealtimes, a verse on your mirror, or a brief evening examen?

Day 2: His lovingkindness brought salvation to us

God’s love is not an idea; it appeared in Jesus to save us. You don’t have to earn this—He meets you with mercy, washes you, and renews you by the Holy Spirit. When doubts arise, don’t look to feelings or circumstances to measure His affection. Look to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb, and let that finished story steady your heart today. Rest in the truth that you are wanted, welcomed, and made new by His grace [10:39].

Titus 3:4–7: When the kindness and love of God our Savior became visible, He rescued us—not because we had stacked up righteous deeds, but because He is merciful. He bathed us in new birth and made us new by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out generously through Jesus the Messiah. By grace we are declared right with God and become heirs who hold the sure hope of eternal life.

Reflection: Where are you tempted to “prove” yourself to God this week, and what would it look like to pause in that moment and simply receive His mercy instead?

Day 3: Kindness that leads us to repentance

Repentance is a gift, not a threat: a Spirit-led turn from the wrong path toward the way of life. God does not shame; He lovingly convicts so you can grow into freedom. His grace trains you to say “no” to what harms your soul and “yes” to what makes you whole. If you’ve reacted in anger, fear, or self-justification, you can change direction today—with God’s help and, if needed, with an apology to others. Let His kindness move you from reaction to response, from stubbornness to a soft, teachable heart [16:09].

Romans 2:4: Don’t dismiss the wealth of God’s kindness, patience, and restraint; realize that His kindness is the very thing drawing your heart to turn back to Him.

Reflection: Think of one recent moment when you reacted rather than responded—what concrete step of repentance (conversation, confession, or changed habit) could you take within the next 24 hours?

Day 4: Trusting the Father and walking in His truth

The fear of the Lord is not cowering terror; it is a trusting reverence that says, “Father, You know what is good, and I will go with You.” As you keep His lovingkindness before your eyes, your steps align with His truth. This posture frees you from being ruled by impulses or cultural pressures. You are learning to respond, not react; to listen, not rush; to choose what is wise, not merely what is easy. Rooted in love, you can walk in truth with a settled heart [21:22].

Psalm 26:3: I keep Your faithful love always in view, and it steadies my steps to walk in the path of Your truth.

Reflection: In what daily situation do you most need a “settled heart,” and what simple cue (a breath prayer, a Scripture card, or a brief pause) will help you respond in trust rather than react?

Day 5: His lovingkindness will lead us home

The story ends in hope: Jesus will appear in glory, renew creation, and wipe away sin, sorrow, and death. Until that day, His goodness and lovingkindness are not trailing behind you passively—they are actively pursuing you. He is preparing a place for you, and His presence is your compass through every valley and every victory. Live today with tomorrow’s certainty, and let that hope make you courageous in love and steadfast in hardship. You are being led, kept, and carried by a love that will not fail you [22:44].

Psalm 23:6: Your goodness and covenant love chase after me all my days, and I will settle down to live in the Lord’s house forever.

Reflection: Where do you feel “between” in life right now, and what is one hopeful action—however small—you can take this week to align your steps with the homeward pull of God’s lovingkindness?

Sermon Summary

I asked the Lord to let us encounter His love—a love that is not a mood or a moment but the very foundation of who He is. Advent trains our hearts in anticipation, like a child sleeping in his football pads the night before his first game. Israel waited and wondered if God would keep His covenant; we look back and see that He has, in Jesus. Today I focused on the Hebrew word chesed—God’s lovingkindness. It’s more than affection; it’s loyal love, covenantal favor, goodness that refuses to let go. You and I can never be fully ourselves until we are fully confident in His chesed toward us.

Paul’s letter to Titus anchors this: “The grace of God has appeared” in Jesus. He brought salvation, not because of our righteous deeds, but by mercy—washing, regenerating, and renewing us by the Holy Spirit, making us heirs of eternal life. When doubts creep in about whether God really loves us, don’t consult circumstances or feelings; look to the birth, life, cross, and empty tomb of Jesus. His name—Yeshua—means “God’s salvation,” the living water promised in Isaiah and offered in John.

Chesed doesn’t just save; it trains and turns us. Repentance is not self-loathing; it’s the grace to change direction. I shared how the Spirit confronted my grumbling during the power outage: “Learn to respond, not react.” I had to repent to the Lord and to people I love. God doesn’t shame us; He convicts and restores. David’s Psalm 51 shows this: a grievous sin met by a greater mercy. Romans says it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance, and the fear of the Lord is not terror but a wise trust that God’s definition of good and evil is better than ours.

Finally, chesed will lead us home. We wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of Jesus—when heaven and earth are made new, and sin and sorrow are no more. Until then, goodness and lovingkindness will follow us all our days. I prayed Ephesians 3 over us—that we would be rooted and grounded in love, to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, and to live as conduits of that love in our homes, friendships, workplaces, and city.

Key Takeaways

1. Lovingkindness brings salvation, not performance God does not negotiate love with our behavior; He initiates it with mercy in Jesus. Salvation is a gift—washing and renewing us by the Spirit, making us heirs. That frees us from the exhausting calculus of trying to be enough. We live from acceptance, not for it. [08:59]
2. Kindness, not shame, leads repentance Shame tells you who you were; kindness invites you into who you can become. God’s conviction is specific and hopeful; it names the wrong and opens a way home. Repentance is not groveling—it’s agreeing with truth and choosing a new direction. Kindness gives courage to step into that change. [20:28]
3. Learn to respond, not react Reactivity is often fear dressed up as control; response is trust expressed as obedience. The Spirit will meet us in our frustrations and name the deeper patterns beneath them. Repentance here looks like practicing gratitude, slowness, and honest confession to people we’ve hurt. Over time, love forms a new reflex. [15:03]
4. Fear of the Lord is trust Holy fear isn’t dread; it’s reverent alignment with God’s wisdom. It says, “You define reality; I’ll take Your word over my impulses.” This posture fosters clarity in gray spaces and courage in costly ones. Trust becomes the soil where obedience can actually thrive. [21:41]
5. His lovingkindness will lead us home History is not spiraling; it’s being shepherded toward renewal. Jesus will return, raise the dead, and make all things new—no sin, no sorrow, no more night. This future hope steadies present faithfulness and gives dignity to every ordinary act of love. We are being carried by chesed all the way. [22:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:24] - Prayer for healing and provision
[02:40] - Little league story and Advent anticipation
[04:33] - Chesed: God’s loyal lovingkindness
[06:46] - Titus reading: Grace has appeared
[08:33] - Point 1: Love brought salvation
[10:39] - Dead Sea Scrolls and Yeshua
[13:09] - Repentance: changing mind and direction
[15:03] - Conviction: respond rather than react
[16:34] - Grace trains us to say no
[17:13] - David, Bathsheba, and true repentance
[22:15] - Point 3: The blessed hope
[24:11] - Surely goodness and lovingkindness
[25:13] - Ephesians 3 prayer of rootedness
[31:51] - Benediction: Loved to be a conduit

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- “Main text” passages:
- Titus 2:11-14
- Titus 3:4-7
- Additional passage:
- Romans 2:4

Observation questions

In Titus 2:11-14, what does grace do besides bring salvation? Name the specific actions grace trains: what to deny, how to live, what to look for, and what kind of people Jesus is purifying.
In Titus 3:4-7, list the source, means, and outcome of salvation. Who saves, how are we saved, and what are we made into?
In Romans 2:4, what three qualities of God are mentioned together, and what do they lead a person toward?
What exact phrase was used to describe the Spirit’s correction about handling frustration: “Learn to ________, not ________.” [15:03]

Interpretation questions

If grace both “appeared” and “instructs” (Titus 2:11-12), what does that say about grace being more than a pardon—how does it become a teacher in everyday life?
Titus 3:5-7 emphasizes mercy over “deeds we have done.” How might that reshape a person’s inner narrative when they feel pressure to be enough or perform for God’s love?
Romans 2:4 links God’s kindness with repentance. Why does kindness open the door to change in ways that shame and fear cannot?
“To fear the Lord” was described as trusting God’s definition of good and evil. How would that posture clarify tough choices in gray areas or costly moments? [21:41]

Application questions

When doubts creep in about God’s love, where do you usually look—circumstances, feelings, or to Jesus’ birth, life, cross, and empty tomb? What will it look like this week to redirect your eyes to Jesus in one concrete moment of doubt? [10:20]
Think about a current frustration. What would it look like to practice “respond, not react” in that exact situation—what will you do first, say second, and choose last? Be specific. [15:03]
Repentance is a change of mind and direction. What is one attitude or habit you need to turn from this week, and what is the new direction you will choose instead? Who might you need to confess to or make amends with? [13:09]
Grace trains us to say “no” to ungodliness and “yes” to a sensible, righteous, godly life. Identify one desire you need to say “no” to this week and one practice that helps you say “yes” (for example: gratitude, slowness, or asking forgiveness). [16:34]
The fear of the Lord looks like trusting God’s wisdom over our impulses. Name one decision you’re facing where you will take God’s word over your gut. What Scripture will you stand on as you choose obedience? [21:41]
“Looking for the blessed hope” steadies present faithfulness. What is one ordinary act of love you can offer this week—in your home, friendships, workplace, or city—that keeps your eyes on Jesus’ appearing? [22:15]
Pray Ephesians 3:14-21 over someone this week. Who will you pray for, how often, and how will you let them know? Set a simple plan you can keep. [25:55]

Sermon Clips

If we are going to get the most out of understanding Christmas, the birth of the Messiah, Advent, we have to put ourselves in their shoes sometimes. They were, we have this vantage point of looking back to the reality of the birth of Jesus, the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus and his resurrection. We look back and we know it's a done deal. They were looking forward to the Messiah. There was this anticipation. [00:03:04] (29 seconds) #ImagineFirstAdvent

That word loving kindness is a word that's not used in every one of our English translations. Sometimes it's translated mercy, goodness, favor. And it's this Hebrew word called chased. And it's a unique word because to try to translate it from Hebrew to English, there's no perfect word. Because it means a conglomerate of love, favor, kindness, goodness, etc. It signifies a deep, loyal love. [00:04:33] (35 seconds) #LovingKindnessDefined

And so, when you doubt whether God loves you or not, we all go through seasons, right? Don't look to circumstances to validate whether God loves you or not. Don't look to your feelings either, because how many know feelings are a roller coaster? Look at the birth of Jesus Christ. Look at the life of Jesus Christ. Look at the cross. Look at the empty tomb. That is what dictates God's love for each one of us. Hold on to that. [00:10:09] (32 seconds) #TrustGodsLove

But in the museum, I remember being there in 1999, and I asked our guide, I said, could you just read me randomly something off one of these scrolls? And in Hebrew, he read it. And I heard the word Yeshua. And I was like, oh, I know what that is. That's Jesus' name in Hebrew. The name Jesus means God's salvation. In Hebrew, Yeshua means God's salvation. So I stopped the guide after he read in Hebrew. I didn't recognize anything, but then I heard Yeshua. And I realized he was reading from Isaiah chapter 12, verse 3. [00:11:49] (52 seconds) #YeshuaMeansSalvation

Secondly, his loving kindness leads us to repentance. Leads us to repentance. Repentance is a great word. It's a great gift from God to us. Repentance is such a vital part of our walk with Jesus. Repentance means to change your mind or change your heart and change your direction. So you're going in the wrong direction. You stop, you turn, and you go back in the right direction. That's what repentance is, visually in your mind. That's what it is. [00:13:01] (39 seconds) #TurnAndReturn

And it says that he was on his palace deck, and he could see a woman named Bathsheba bathing. And he desired her, and he took her. And you see this pattern of the way sin is teased out in our lives throughout Scripture. You go back to the Garden of Eden. It says that Eve saw that the fruit was good. She desired it, and then she took it and gave some to Adam. Same thing is said about David with Bathsheba. It says that he saw her, he desired her, and he took her. [00:17:46] (40 seconds) #SinStartsWithSight

But God, the fear of the Lord comes out of trust. God, you created me. You know what's right and wrong. And I'm going to go with what you say is right and wrong. That's what it means to fear the Lord. So, God's kindness leads us to trust him. He wants us to know he can be trusted. I mean, this whole father understanding of God as father, the familial way of interpreting scripture, is really what I believe Jesus came to demonstrate to the world and to teach each one of us. [00:21:34] (38 seconds) #GodsKindnessBuildsTrust

Sometimes if you don't know what to pray, read Paul's letter to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians. And there's times in his letter, in his writings, he just begins to pin prayers over the saints. And there are things that you and I can pray over our own lives, our family, our spouse. And I want to pray that over us because he's talking in his prayer about us understanding and being rooted in the loving kindness of God. [00:24:58] (31 seconds) #PrayersFromPaul

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