Why He Came: To Dwell With US

Devotional

Day 1: God moved in: Emmanuel at home with us

Jesus did not come as a polite guest who stays for a while and leaves the house tidy when He goes. He moved in, choosing to dwell with us in the ordinary rooms of our lives—the messy, unfiltered, unguarded places. That means you don’t have to live cautiously around Him or keep up appearances to be accepted. He knows the real rhythms, the real routines, the real you—and He calls it home. Let this season be your reminder that in Christ, God has made your heart His home [41:13].

John 1:14 — The eternal Word took on our humanity and set up His home among us. We saw His splendor—the one-and-only Son from the Father—overflowing with grace and truth.

Reflection: Where are you relating to God as if He were a visitor, and what is one small change you could make this week to let Him “move in” to that specific area of your daily life?

Day 2: From forgiven to welcomed: adoption is the goal

Forgiveness cancels a debt; adoption opens a door and says, “Stay with Me.” God’s rescue was never just a transaction; it was a pathway into belonging. In Christ, you are not merely tolerated, you are named and welcomed as family. Redemption was the doorway, but adoption is the destination. Receive the Father’s welcome and rest in the security of being wanted [44:58].

Galatians 4:4–7 — When the time was exactly right, God sent His Son, born under the same law we failed, to buy us out from under it so we could be placed as sons and daughters. Because we are now His children, He sends the Spirit into our hearts so we cry, “Abba, Father,” and we are no longer slaves but heirs.

Reflection: If you embraced your adoption this week, how would your prayers sound different—what would you actually say to God as “Abba” in one specific situation you face?

Day 3: A love that stays when we stumble

Many fear that another failure will make God step back, but Christmas declares a love that does not pack up and leave. Yes, sin has consequences, but adoption means His affection isn’t revoked. In Christ, nothing in life or death, past or future, can cut you off from His steady love. Even when you struggle to stay, Jesus remains. Let this assurance quiet your anxious thoughts and steady your steps [54:38].

Romans 8:35–39 — Who could possibly push us outside the reach of Christ’s love—trouble, pressure, danger, even death? I’m convinced: not life or death, not angels or dark powers, not what is happening now or what is coming next, not heights or depths, not anything created can separate us from God’s love revealed in Jesus our Lord.

Reflection: Name one specific place you’ve been afraid God would withdraw because of your weakness; how could you meet Him there this week with honesty and hope?

Day 4: The costly path: He humbled Himself to bring us home

Adoption came at a staggering price: the Son laid aside privilege, took on servanthood, and obeyed to the point of the cross. He descended so we could be lifted into the family. The One who had every right made Himself nothing so we could receive every right as children. Because He went low, we are brought near. Let His humility shape how you love today [47:56].

Philippians 2:5–11 — Think the way Jesus did: though truly God, He didn’t clutch His status, but emptied Himself, became a servant, and took on our humanity. He humbled Himself in obedience all the way to death on a cross. Therefore, God raised Him up and gave Him the highest name, so that every knee bows and every tongue declares Jesus as Lord to the glory of the Father.

Reflection: Whose burden could you shoulder this week by laying down a preference or privilege in a concrete, Christlike way?

Day 5: A new address, a new way to live

Salvation isn’t just release; it’s relocation into a new household with new rhythms. You are no longer a stranger or outsider but a member of God’s family, built on Christ the cornerstone. In this home, you learn new loves, new habits, and a new hope that reshapes your days. The Father doesn’t just set you free; He sets a table and hands you a key. Live today like you truly belong [49:10].

Ephesians 2:18–22 — Through Jesus, we all have direct access to the Father by one Spirit. So you’re not foreigners anymore; you’re citizens with God’s people and members of His household. This house is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the cornerstone, and together we are being formed into a dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.

Reflection: What is one “household rhythm” of God’s family you will practice this week—such as shared prayer, confession, serving, or hospitality—to help you live from your new identity?

Sermon Summary

Christmas isn’t simply about God canceling our debt; it’s about God changing our address. I pressed the difference between being forgiven and being welcomed. Visitors get cleaned-up versions of us and keep things polite because they’re leaving. Family sees the mess, the meltdowns, the fridge door left open—and they stay. That’s the power of John 1:14: the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Not a drop-by. He moved in. He pitched his tent in our campsite.

This is why the gospel is more than a transaction. Yes, Jesus paid in full. But the “so that” of Galatians matters: so that we might receive adoption. Redemption is the doorway; adoption is the home. God doesn’t just free us from a prison of guilt; he ushers us into a family with a new name, a new table, a new way of life. That’s why Ephesians can say we’re no longer strangers and aliens but members of God’s household.

And here’s the part many of us struggle to believe: God delights in his children now—not a future, cleaned-up version, but you now, because you belong to him through Christ. When that lands, prayer shifts from formal distance to “Abba, Father.” Shame loosens its grip, and obedience becomes a response of love rather than a way to earn it.

Christmas love is a love that stays. Romans 8 refuses to blink: nothing—no failure, no future, no power—can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Consequences can be real, but abandonment is not on the table. The manger is God’s “Welcome home.” The cross deals with our guilt, the resurrection secures our future, and adoption gives us a family. So don’t live like God is only visiting your life or like you’re only visiting his. He moved in. You belong.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus moved in to dwell. God didn’t stop at forgiving from afar; he came near, took on flesh, and made his home with us. Incarnation means God shares our rhythms, our limits, our kitchens and living rooms, not just our sanctuaries. This nearness is not seasonal—it’s his chosen address with his people. The difference between a visitor and a resident changes how we live before him. [41:13]
2. Redemption opens the door to adoption. The cross cancels debt, but God’s goal is belonging. The little phrase “so that” means forgiveness is not the finish line; family is. Adoption reframes the Christian life from probation to presence, from earning to enjoying. You’re not just released—you’re received. [44:58]
3. The Father delights in you now. Many of us imagine God as patient but distant, tolerating us because he has to. Scripture insists on something bolder: the Spirit of adoption teaches us to cry “Abba,” because we are truly his. Delight isn’t based on your impressiveness but on your belonging in Christ. That truth loosens the knots of shame and invites real joy. [51:31]
4. Christmas love stays through our mess. God’s love doesn’t flinch at hardship, relapse, or fear; Romans 8 stacks up every threat and knocks them down. Discipline may come, but desertion will not. Knowing love won’t leave actually makes holiness plausible—it fuels perseverance rather than panic. This is a family that outlasts our failures. [54:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:40] - O Come, All Ye Faithful
[14:43] - Advent Candle: Love
[18:45] - Children’s Message: Visiting vs. Home
[24:39] - Announcements and Prayer Updates
[28:29] - Pastoral Prayer: God Dwells With Us
[29:12] - Angels From the Realms of Glory
[35:25] - Forgiven vs. Welcomed
[41:13] - The Word Dwelt Among Us
[43:31] - Adoption: Redemption’s Purpose
[45:57] - The Cost of Adoption
[49:10] - God Delights In You
[52:47] - Love That Stays: Romans 8
[57:34] - Advent Recap: Welcome Home

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- John 1:14

Observation questions

In John 1:14, what does the phrase “made his dwelling among us” suggest about the kind of presence God chose to have with people?
What everyday home images were used to contrast a visitor with family who lives together (for example, meltdowns, the fridge left open, knowing how to get in when the door’s locked)? Which picture stood out most? ([38:49])
In Galatians 4:4–5 (as referenced), what is the purpose of the “so that” phrase? Identify the two steps (redemption and adoption) and which one is the goal. ([44:58])
From Romans 8:35–39 (as cited), list the threats Paul names and the conclusion he reaches about them. ([54:38])

Interpretation questions

If the Word didn’t just visit but “moved in,” what does that say about God’s posture toward ordinary spaces like kitchens, living rooms, and daily routines? How might that reshape the line we draw between “sacred” and “everyday”? ([41:46])
If redemption is the doorway and adoption is the home, what dangers come from stopping at “debt canceled”? How could that leave someone still living like a guest rather than a child? ([44:58])
What does crying “Abba, Father” reveal about identity and access? Where might fear or formality be replacing childlike confidence in prayer? ([49:51])
How can a love that stays—even when discipline or consequences are real—actually strengthen holiness instead of encourage apathy? What is the difference between consequences and abandonment? ([53:19])

Application questions

Where are you relating to God like He’s only visiting—keeping certain “rooms” of your life off-limits or putting on a cleaned-up version of yourself? What would it look like to hand Him the house key this week? ([38:24])
If God’s goal is adoption, not just release, what is one concrete practice that will help you live like family this week—beginning prayer with “Abba,” opening your Bible at the kitchen table, or inviting someone into your space? Choose one and name when you’ll do it. ([44:58])
What is one pocket of shame that makes you doubt God’s delight in you right now? What Scripture truth will you speak over it, and who can remind you midweek? Consider starting your next prayer with, “Father, You delight in me in Christ.” ([51:31])
Name one fear or failure that makes you wonder if God might leave. What tangible reminder will you set up (a verse card of Romans 8, a phone alarm) to preach “nothing can separate us” when that fear hits? ([54:38])
Since God’s heart is “Welcome home,” who can you move toward with that same welcome—someone new, a neighbor, a friend? What simple invitation can you make in the next seven days? ([23:51])
If consequences from past choices are still playing out, how will you walk them out with the Father this week instead of hiding? What step of confession or repair is next, and what sign of His staying love will you look for? ([53:19])

Sermon Clips

That word dwelt doesn't mean visited. That means moved in, took up residence. It means pitched His tent in our campsite. He moved in. And here's the heart of our message today that He didn't just visit us. Jesus moved in to make us family. John says something unthinkable. That God took on human form. He didn't just fill a sacred space. He took on a human face. Jesus is the new dwelling place of God, Yahweh, that the Jews have been worshiping for so many years. [00:41:38] (70 seconds) #GodMovedIn

``God doesn't save from a distance. He comes and saves by being near. Last week, we talked about the idea of saving and that if we fall through the ice onto a lake, that we don't need encouragement, we don't need someone cheering us on. You can do it! Get out! You're great! Good job! And we need a hand, someone who comes close, to pull us out of the ice so we don't drown. God saves us by coming near. [00:42:48] (39 seconds) #GodComesNear

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Why He Came: To Dwell With US | 12-21-25