Love Came Down: The Christ Candle & The Heart of Christmas

Christmas isn’t a mood.

It’s not a memory.

And it’s definitely not just a moment.

It’s a miracle.

In this final episode of our Advent mini-series, we light the Love candle and gather around the Christ candle, the center of the wreath and the center of our faith. We talk about what it really means to live a life shaped by God’s love, and why the birth of Jesus wasn’t sentimental… it was sacrificial.

On today’s porch, we explore:

• What Advent Love actually looks like inside real families

• Why Christmas isn’t just about gifts, but about God with us

• How Jesus didn’t shout His love from heaven , He wrapped it in skin and moved into the neighborhood

• What it means to slow down long enough to actually receive Christ, not just celebrate Him

If this season has felt rushed, noisy, or heavy, this episode is your invitation to breathe again.

Pull up a chair.

Light the candle.

And make room for Jesus.

Front Porch Challenge:

This week, choose one intentional act of love as a family. It doesn’t have to be big, just honest. Then ask, “Where did we see God’s love today?”

If this episode encouraged you, make sure to follow The Pulpit & Porch Podcast on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe wherever you listen and share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder of what Christmas is really about. Let’s keep the conversation going, we’d love to hear how your family experienced Advent this year!

#ThePulpitAndPorch #AdventSeries #ChristCandle #ChristmasHope #AdventLove #JesusIsTheCenter #FaithAndFamily #WaitingWell #ChristmasMessage #ChristianPodcast #GodWithUs #Incarnation #LoveCameDown #FrontPorchFaith

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You know what's funny about Christmas?
We talk about love more this season than any other time of
year. But we also seem to be more
impatient, more stressed, more exhausted than usual, too.
We buy gifts for people that we love while getting annoyed with
the people that we're standing in line with.
We tell our kids this season is about Jesus, then rush through

(00:20):
it like it's a schedule to survive instead of a story to
enter into. Advent shows us right in the
middle of all that and gently says slow down.
It doesn't shout. It doesn't compete with Black
Friday or blinking lights. It simply invites us to wait.
Well, so far in this series we've talked about hope and

(00:40):
we've explored peace and joy. And today, we're going to arrive
at what may just be the hardest and most beautiful word of all.
Love. Not a Hallmark type of love.
Not a hashtag type of love. The kind of love that moves
towards messy people and imperfect families.

(01:02):
The kind of love that chooses before it feels full.
The kind of love that wraps itself in skin and steps into
the world. And at the center of it all is
Jesus. Not an idea, not a concept, not
a tradition, but a person. So pull up a chair, grab your
coffee or hot chocolate, and forthe next little while, let's

(01:25):
talk about the kind of love thatdoesn't just decorate your life,
it transforms it. Welcome to the pulpit and porch.
I'm Tony Maher and with me, as always, is my friend Robert
Kell. Hey everybody, we are so glad
you're here. The pulpit and porch is where we
kick back, put up our feet and have real conversations about
life, faith, growth, and maybe even a little sports and pop

(01:47):
culture. If you're looking for a
perfectly polished sermon, you're probably in the wrong
place. Yeah, around here it's more
about those honest heart to heart conversations.
That's the one you have on a front porch with good friends.
Sometimes we stay on track, sometimes we take the scenic
group. And honestly, that's half the
fun, isn't it? We dig into the high, the lows,
and all the in betweens of living out your faith in real
life. Along the way, we may pull up a

(02:07):
few extra chairs and invite somefriends under the porch to share
stories and ideas that just may change the way that you see
things. So whether you're chasing your
purpose, building your faith, orjust trying to live a little
more fully, pull up a chair, grab some sweet tea, and join
us. This is the pulpit and porch we
got to see waiting for you. I love Advent so much.

(02:38):
Did you guys, I mean, I know your family is like you're the
space where all of your kids have grown up except for to get
moved out and so, but did you guys try and do some virtual
Advent or did you all like kind of kick that off this week?
Or I mean, we didn't like jump all the kids onto a zoom or
anything like that. We kicked off this week and I

(03:00):
mentioned we're doing the Matt, Matt Chandler's.
Yeah, yeah. And there's a video, there's
videos with that. And so Matt and Lauren, I think
it's his wife's thing. I just went blank all of a
sudden. But they do some videos and they
talk through some things. And I love Matt Chandler.
He's so funny and I just enjoy listening to him teach.
But we had one of our boys, a friend, a friend of theirs from

(03:25):
college was, has just kind of been hanging out at church a
little bit. And she was just by the house
and Melissa was like, hey, do you want to have lunch with us?
She was like, sure. And so they were sitting around
and Melissa was making homemade French toast and, and she was
like, hey, so we're going to do Advent.
And the girl's like, OK, that's fine.
And I was like, I don't know that you're quite ready for what

(03:48):
you're about to experience here.I said, I understand that it's
2118 and 17, but like, lighting these candles is a really big
deal in our house. And apparently we don't have any
of the clicker things anymore. We had like literal like
matchbooks and stuff. And so the the striker on the

(04:09):
sides of the box still the box like the slide out little thing
and. Haven't seen one of those in a
in an antique. Store the other day in a hot
minute. I don't even know where we got
it from. Surprised the matches still
worked, but that it was one of those and the strikers were
really worn out because I mean, it was there.
And so finally they got it lit and they got it all there and

(04:30):
and, and I looked, I looked at mail and I said so like
literally the candle got lit andshe was like, OK, let's pray.
And we prayed and said, OK, thank you.
And I said, so we've sat here for 20 minutes and instead of
lighting the candle 1st and going today is the hope candle.

(04:51):
Today is the, you know, this is what we're going to talk about
the, the waiting, the hope and the waiting, what Advent really
is. And as like we lit it for
literally 19 seconds and and then blew it out.
And so, but it was I love it so much.
I love the discussions as our kids have gotten older.

(05:15):
There's something about and I think, and I don't think
Scripture alludes to this, the faith of a child, just that that
childlike faith of just the things that they'll say.
And you know, used to be ATV show kids say the darndest
things and and all of this. And you kind of go, OK, this is
like, I miss those moments of maybe a touch more of the
innocence. But I can't even tell you how

(05:37):
much I love when my, you know, pretty much three adult boys
start to really lean into these moments of these conversations.
And Advent was absolutely fantastic.
That's great. It's fun.
Can't recommend maths book enough.
I told you that a couple years ago I went and way overpaid for

(05:57):
the Advent wreath and candles and all that.
So we finally got our house. All the greens all hung, as we
like to say in the South. I've I am from the South, I've
never heard. Hanging of the Greens.
The greens all hung. The greens are what are colored
on your plate and I don't like those.

(06:18):
I've never had them, never triedit.
Too much vinegar. But I have never heard hanging
of the greens, really. I've got some family.
They're they're got some cousins.
Their last name's Green and I'm going and it doesn't feel like
they would enjoy that a whole lot.
I don't know. So there you go.
So I went to pull out our adventcalendar on Advent calendar,

(06:39):
Advent wreath and candles out ofthe attic, and our candles had
all melted over the course of the time.
So yeah, it gets hot up there. Hot in her and so that is not
that is not good. Your church didn't do the
hanging of the greens a special Sunday evening.
When I first came to Milligan, there were churches all over to

(07:02):
we went. When I was a freshman at
Milligan, in the cafeteria, there was a cork board that
churches would put events and meand my group of friends, we
would look and see and we, we had it down to a science that we
knew which churches did their potlucks on which day of the
week. And we would just church hop to
go get church potluck meal. And you knew the ones that had a

(07:24):
bus, none of us drove to the ones that would send a van to
the campus to come pick you up. And then we knew exactly which
one we were going. So one week I was Presbyterian,
one week I was Southern Baptist,one week I was Free Will
Baptist, next week I was the other Baptist and A and it was
just wherever there's a. Lot of us.
Yeah, there were a lot of weeks in the month.
So to get and, and nobody does achurch potluck like the Baptist.

(07:46):
And it doesn't matter what kind of Baptist you are, they're
going to put it together. Fried chicken.
So many. Casseroles.
All the casseroles. You know much I hate casseroles
and potlucks. Because of that.
No, but it's just. There's a whole lot of reasons,
but my mom tells a story well and your mom told a story for
years and years and years about potlucks that a, a lady like my

(08:09):
mom loved this recipe and the lady she, she, she gave my
recipe, she made her some and, and she told my mom one day she
said I would have you over to eat it because every time I,
this lady brought this to the potluck, my mom would go
straight to it and just get a big spoonful and put it on her
plate. I don't remember what it was.
It was some casserole thing and one day she said I would have

(08:31):
you over and make this. But my cats are just always on
the counter when I'm cooking andstuff and I'm going, oh, no, my
mom was my mom literally said I think she threw up in her mouth
and she was just like, oh, I would never eat.
She had never ate it again. She said, I got the recipe and I
made it at home, but she had never ate that again.
And it's like, no, I, I can, I can feel that.
And so I just, you know, you hear enough of those stories

(08:52):
when you're around and as peopleare always like Robert, you're
so polite, you always eat last. And I'm going yesterday.
Waiting for it to be all gone. Hoping it's gone and I'll get
Taco Bell on the way home. So I remember vividly looking at
the board and trying to figure out what we were going, how we
were going to plan our December for our November and December.
And churches always did the hugeThanksgiving meal.
So that was wonderful, especially for a kid who was

(09:14):
2000 miles away from home that you, we would stack them.
And so we were eating good for the whole week of Thanksgiving
because churches, some did it onTuesday night, some did it on
Wednesday, some did it on Monday.
And then I remember seeing on the board join us on Sunday,
December 1st for hanging of the greens.
And I remember thinking, well, is that like a vegetarian meal?

(09:36):
What's what's happening with this year?
All salads. We're just doing all salads
here, Hanging of the greens and going.
And it was the church all getting together to decorate the
church for Christmas season. I'd love, I'd love, and I know
you can't remember this, but I would love to know.
And there was no denomination that is actually they should at
least had pies and cookies. How?

(09:56):
Are you going to call it coffee,Greens, Hot chocolate?
You're not giving out it. At least salads.
They should have at least had some desserts and finger
broccoli. Something you know, something
that you dip in the ranch stuff.I just keep seeing my family
hanging, hanging and just going,hey, let us down, let us down.
We're done. We don't need to be up here
anymore. So like hanging ornaments around

(10:17):
the church, hanging the greens, just all around.
So hey, before we dive in deeperinto love, I'm so excited.
About what we're going to. Talk about it's just a second
hand emotion what we're going totalk about the next two weeks
because I'm so thrilled and I love we've talked about
Christmas before we've. Talked about, are you giving

(10:38):
what we call in the business a teaser?
Maybe. And are we even in, are we doing
is what we do call being in the business?
I don't even know. I love what we do, but is this
really the business? Like we are going to spend a
couple of weeks as we head into Christmas talking about

(10:58):
Christmas movies. We're we're going to do at least
the top ten. Both of us do a top ten list.
We may do a little more than that, but we're going to do at
least top 10 movies. We're going to talk about which
we've had a little conversation.Before Christmas, Christmas.
Just Christmas. We're going to talk about would
any? Christmas movie Make your top
ten list of movies. No, I don't think so.

(11:22):
I, I, I really enjoy them and I think they're great for the
season, but I don't think that they would make a topic.
But anyway, we'll talk about allthat.
What we're going to talk about is, you know, we'll have a real,
a deeper conversation around DieHard and is it or is it not
around what Bruce Willis said about it?
We're going to talk about. The gloves could come off for.

(11:44):
That yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I don't think we agree
and it like. And I asked you the other day,
and this is something we've beenthinking about, like when I look
at top 25, top 50, top 100 Christmas movies of all time,
like there are really no, what Iwill call Hallmark movies that
make the cut, so. Which is ridiculous because
Christmas at Dollywood had such a stellar cast.

(12:10):
So you you somehow we're not even talk about it.
The cast I'm sure was adequate. I'm sure they did the best they
could with the time they had. But I just don't know, like I do
our Hallmark movies. Are they They're fine Christmas
movies, but are they really considered like top 25 classic?
Like greatest of all time? Absolutely not.

(12:34):
So we're going to talk about allthat and I just will, you know,
so if you're listening and you're going, hey, like jump on
social media, like at pulpit andporch on Facebook and Instagram,
like jump in. Do you drop an e-mail in the
show notes or anything like that, that they can shoot us an
e-mail or OK, I didn't, I don't,I don't remember.
I usually do. Yeah, I thought you did because,
you know, you get emails sometimes and I was like, where

(12:56):
do they find that at? And so like, shoot us an e-mail.
Like we would love to hear your thoughts on Christmas because
this episode will drop really before we start recording.
And so we'll be able to kind of hear and do so a lot of fun
things over those two weeks, those last two weeks right
before Christmas. And so I'm excited.
It's going to be a lot of fun. So hey, Advent, we're finishing

(13:19):
up here today with really 22 parts.
We've we've got we've got love and we're going to spend a
little time talking about the fourth week of Advent and and
then we have the Christ candle, which is designed to be lit on
Christmas Day and and spend a little time and for our family

(13:40):
that usually wraps around Luke too.
And just we, we love reading that story.
We typically, and this will be sad.
We always read this story and last year's the first time we
didn't driving to my mom's and and so like it was always a
thing I would be driving and I think I've said this before.
I hope you weren't reading it while driving.

(14:00):
So here's the thing, I was quoting it from the King James,
but when I was 18 years old, senior in high school, we did a
Christmas play and I was Max theguardian Angel that helped Mary
like journey her did her journeyto the birth of, of Christ.

(14:22):
And so I was like this comedic fun Angel that was walking
through and I had all these fun parts and, and stuff and, and,
and I was in like tights with the Angel dress on and, and all
of those things in a Baptist Church.
I'm not sure how we got by with that back in the day, but I, I,

(14:46):
I love that whole thing. And so I had to memorize it and
so went out of decree from Caesar Augustus.
It all should be taxed and all went to be taxed.
And I'm not going to do all of this, but like so I know.
The King James. Version I do.
I know the King Jimmy and I kindof quote that out and.
In that day, Caesar Augustus issued an decree that a census
should be taken of the entire world.
Yeah, and it's it all should be taxed and all went to be taxed,

(15:07):
each into his own city. And so those types of things.
And I, I get to do that. And so we would read it around.
And then now though, with Adventin the last few years in our
life and now that we've gotten candles over the last couple of
years and our candles are still almost brand new because we
light them all for 17 seconds and then blow them out, it's
awesome. And you?
Probably store them in a climatecontrolled environment.
We actually do, but it is not because of opportunities to to

(15:32):
do something like that. So I love that the Christ candle
part and we'll spend a couple minutes talking about that as
well today. But anyway, so when you start to
talk about like week 4 and love with your family and around the
around Advent and this, this waiting that we are doing.

(15:55):
And you know, the, you know, thehope and waiting, the joy and
waiting, the peace and waiting and the love that comes in
waiting as as we await the arrival.
And as you talked about last week or week before.
And this has turned into a three-part journey of the future
coming of Christ. So we're waiting again for a for

(16:16):
a second for a return. Like how does love kind of sit
in? What's the fun conversations
that you have or what's maybe the things that you kind of go,
Hey, here's what I love to just relay out and talk with my
family about and and see where they respond?
Like the big thing is that love isn't God liking us.
The when we think of love, we love a lot of things, right?

(16:40):
And and I love. Tacos I.
Love tacos? Pizza.
Tacos, pizza, cheeseburgers, manlove.
Those we're getting close to ourroad trip for in and out, and
that's how much we love cheeseburgers.
The 10th of. This of next month.
No this month. Really, one week?
There's no way we're pulling that off before Christmas.
We were just talking about our schedules, I think.
Grand Open. Hearing is is one week from

(17:02):
today. I think so, man.
We're, we're taking the show on the road next.
Week I'm so down for that. We can record this on our phones
in a car. They, so my daughter lives
literally a across the street from where the first one is
opening up into in Nashville area, literally across the
street. And so they've already sent

(17:23):
stuff out to her saying that there are going to be new
traffic patterns for the first. I think it was three to five
days that it's open because they're expecting such mass
hysteria. Around we go right after first
of the year. We found a day our first year
ago. Can you wait that long?

(17:44):
I don't know, it's gonna be tough, but I'll do it for you.
That's what love is. So love.
Move back into it. It's not just so.
We love burgers. We love tacos.
And I know that there's the whole, you know, the, the three
types of love that we see in scriptures.
At those Porthos and Aramis. Yeah.
What? Yeah, that's not what I would
have said, but. So I, I really do sometimes
because of agape Eros and dode I, I sometimes start to rattle

(18:09):
this off and it's like I do accidentally say at those
Porthos and Aramis occasionally.But I think when we talk about
love, we, we tend to, especiallywithin relationships, we tend to
think of it that you love someone, you like someone there,
that there's and, and love isn'tabout God liking us, it's about
God choosing us. There we go.
That's good stuff. And, and so I think that it's,

(18:30):
and it's not only God choosing us, it's God redeeming us and
it's God remaining with us. I I think that love is the
loudest evidence of the gospel that we have.
People listen differently when they feel loved.
And Advent, Jesus, God in flesh Incarnate doesn't just teach

(19:00):
love, it embodies love. And so I think that's what's so
beautiful and why all of this culminates to this fourth week
of love, that that love is the language of Advent.
Hope, peace, joy, all of those are nothing without love.
And, and it all points to that love initiates, love comes

(19:22):
close, Love through Advent, through Jesus.
Love puts on skin, Love puts on clothes.
Love comes to be with us, to dwell with us.
I love how no pun intended therethe verse that in this whole

(19:43):
thing that just kind of sticks out to me some and I was I was
working through these this a couple weeks ago in the men's
groups that I get a chance to bea part of and in John 13, Jesus
says a new command I give you. So he's, he's like stepping into
this whole journey and with his disciples to get, you know, it's
John 13. So we're moving a little close

(20:03):
to the end. He's about to enter into this
kind of these final speeches he's going to give before his
arrest and, and things. But he says a new command I give
you. So this isn't the normal life
you've been living. And then he says 3 words, love
one another. And, and what you're talking
about there is just so true. It's not that he just liked us.

(20:26):
He loved us enough a verse that you and I both I'm sure having
our our notes talk about in John316 that he loved us enough to
send his son and and I just think Jesus kind of goes on to
say as I have loved you. So I've set a standard, I've set
an example. You love one another.
And because of this, by this, asyou do these things, everyone

(20:51):
will know that you're my disciples if you will love one
another And and it's and so God set such an incredible goal for
us to to aspire towards and to lean into.
But it's also incredibly clear. And this isn't like I'm not

(21:12):
saying it's easy. I mean, I could list a dozen
people I need to love better right now, but or maybe love at
all. But that's not that's the the
call is like, it's super clear. I'm not unaware that I need to
love them. I'm not going like, is that
movie OK? Is it not OK?
Would God be OK with with this? Is God OK with that word, but

(21:35):
not OK with this word. It's like, do I genuinely love
these people? As Jesus said, as I have loved
you in the same way to the same extent that I have loved you.
Do you love? Are you willing to love others?
And it's not just that that's how you and I know that we're
good, but it's how people, the world will know you're my

(21:59):
disciple. And and that has just, it's
really taken on some new meaningfor me in the last few years is
I've had to learn a lot more about what confession and
repentance means to do those things inside of a journey with
the world, with other people, with people in life.

(22:19):
And how do I navigate that stuffin a way that it lets people
know that I'm a disciple of Jesus, not just a jerk?
Yeah, I think what Advent love shows us is that love, Advent
love, isn't just an emotion. It's not just giving gifts.
It's not just being nice when it's easy.
Advent love is about pursuit. Christ came, God came down to

(22:45):
pursue us and in love, like you said, it's not just about liking
someone, it's it's pursuing, it's going even when it doesn't
feel good, even when it doesn't feel right that, that I'm
pursuing you because I love you.I'm I'm going after you because

(23:06):
I love you. It's Advent.
Love is about choosing people onpurpose, the way that God chose
us. And that's something that I've
been really thinking through this this week, that what is
love, what really truly is love.And and it that's it's pursuit.

(23:26):
It's pursuing someone regardlessof emotion, regardless of mood,
regardless of feelings. It's saying I'm going to
continue to pursue you. I'm going to continue to strive
after you and to choose you. Make a choice today, tomorrow,
the next day, to choose you. Even when it doesn't feel good

(23:48):
to choose you, even when it's not easy to choose you, even
when it's hard, even when it's exceptionally hard, even when,
even when it hurts. I'm going to continue to choose
you to pursue you. And man, if we, if we did that,
if we lived that way, how much better would our marriages be?
How much better would our relationships with our kids be?

(24:10):
How much better would our relationships with our neighbors
be our Co workers, our friends? If we took a lesson from Advent
and said that love isn't about emotion.
Love isn't about feeling. Love is about.
Pursuit. So what you're saying is it's

(24:34):
about presence, not presence? I like that.
We should put that on a T-shirt.I like that.
I'm sure it's already on one. No, but I mean, I think that was
actually your note and I just took all that you said about it
and and made it happen. But but that's really true.

(24:55):
It's about God's presence with us.
God, like Maxwell Katie wrote a book years and years and years
ago called God Came Near. And Melissa, actually early in
our maybe even our dating and engaged season, we, we read
through that book together. So I mean, it's been 27 years
ago, but like it. So it's not just this whole

(25:15):
thing that God came near, but it's out.
There's a line. There's a.
Line and I think it's the first chapter, maybe second chapter of
that book that has stuck with mefor 2530 years where he says God
coming near was majesty in the midst of the mundane.
Yeah. That's poetry.
It really is and and I love thatbook.

(25:37):
Max has got a couple new books out and he's got some things
he's doing. He was on Jonathan Pacalutos
podcast recently and just talking through some of that
stuff and some new books that hehas and some things we're.
Going to have him on the pulpit and we.
Should. Hey, Max, if you're listening, I
know you are like, give us a call, shoot that e-mail down in
the show notes and we'll, we'll get you on here 1st of next

(25:58):
year. We're busy the next couple of
weeks, but we'll get you on the 1st of next year.
But it's not just God's presenceto us, it's our presence with
others because it's really hard to love people if you're not
around them. Yeah.
And it's actually probably, it'sreally easy to love people
you're not around. It's actually, it becomes
incredibly difficult as you're around people to love them.

(26:21):
But it's in the presence of people that we get a chance.
I mean, you and I were just talking about.
Something man, there's such truth in what you just said.
There really is. If you think about your family
that that you don't see but oncea year at Christmas or
Thanksgiving and you're like, man, I love those people.
And then after spending the weekend with him, like man, I
can't stand those. People I was I was going back

(26:44):
to. I don't have those families.
So any of my family that's listening to this, I'm not
talking about family is my family's great.
My family that was here for Thanksgiving, love them, love
spending time with them. They're actually great.
Love them. I was thinking back to an
article you sent me and I don't think we talked about this and I
used it in a sermon like the Youth Census, Wall Street

(27:05):
Journal Journal article, just about how much like human
interaction, like connection means and things like that.
And and this British psychologist, Robin Dunbar and
this article ran in October of this year of 2025.
And so if you have if you pay for like Apple, but it's.

(27:27):
Something Dunbar has been talking about for years.
Years and the and Dunbar the best you and I can tell is not a
not a follower of Jesus, I don'tthink I mean and so these were a
ton of like major universities and I say a ton four or five
like universities and psychiatrists international from
you know of course around the world.

(27:48):
And Dunbar said this thing talking in this he said.
But he added there's a strong sense that people given the
choice prefer face to face contact because it's difficult
to get emotional support from somebody you can't actually hang
on to physically and put your arms around.
The greatest way we get to show love so many times is to show
up. Yeah.

(28:09):
And and I think that is just something that is, is lost
because it's like, well, I clicklike I didn't even just click
the thumbs up. I actually gave it a little
heart like a care emoji. I went deeper in.
I shot you a text message. What more do you really want
from me? And and I'm not.
I got to do that. Some like, I'm not trying to be

(28:31):
judgey. I'm just trying to I'm trying.
I'm calling myself out. I'm looking at things from a
perspective of this presence is what's desired and what's what
we're called to. Because, you know, again, you
know, we keep laughing around, you know, like all the different
songs, Love Is All you need. It's more than a feeling.
I mean, it's all these differentthings that we kind of go

(28:53):
through. But at the end of the day, it's
showing up for people when they need us most.
It's as we walk into the room, it's actually being present, not
just being there for the moment and getting out.
How do you be present in the rooms you walks and walk into to
give the greatest gift? One of our student pastors spoke

(29:15):
a year ago at our at our studentministry collaborative
collaborative event. And so all three campuses were
there and he was speaking and hegave out and I still have it in
my car. And he gave out this gift.
And he just said you have the greatest gift in the world.
And it's, it was given to you togive away to others.

(29:36):
And, and he just gave these little small packages, like you
get them on Timo or something. And everybody took one.
And I've got mine in my van. And I see it often and it just
reminds me that I have a gift that is worth giving in, in
Jesus, who the Holy Spirit livesinside of me and that God loves
me this much. And if I, if I really want to be

(29:59):
a disciple of Jesus, I need to love others.
And the most loving thing I can do is to share Jesus, to be
Jesus to them and to share Jesuswith them.
And I think that just presence to me is such a big deal and I
think we lose track of it a lot.Yeah, What are some real doable
ways that families can live out love during Advent?

(30:22):
So I think I think a couple thatwe have tried to implement and
we've done these OK, ish 1 something that's going to seem
really kind of maybe a soft entry is we try and find a way

(30:42):
to spend time with people that we care about, people that we
know, people that we don't get to see as much and and do
something with them that we can really just hear their stories,
love them, walk around. And and so last year we got to
do this with you guys a little bit and this isn't we talked so.

(31:03):
We were your advent project, no?You were not you.
I think you did. Y'all invite us to that?
We might have invited you all. I'd have to go back to the text
thread. But like, we got together and we
walked around Christmas lights and we drank hot chocolate and
we talked and we laughed. And one of their funniest
stories from last Christmas camebecause you guys were actually
out delivering gifts that you're, that Amanda had put

(31:27):
together to some different clients and things that she
works with. And so she was delivering this
stuff and, and she had made an extra 1.
And anyone who knows Amanda, if you get an Amanda gift bag, like
it's, it's the best gift bag ever.
It is incredible and so. I want to buy another house from

(31:49):
her just so I can be on our client.
List on our client list again. And so it was so good and it was
so much fun stuff in there. So it was just tons of salty and
sweet, tons of good stuff. Well, the thing about gift bags
it gave like treat bags like that, is there a lot like
Forrest Gump says, boxed chocolate.
You never know what you're goingto get.
I cannot stand peanut butter. I do not like peanut butter at

(32:13):
all. And so the.
Bullies are so sad. For you, I know everybody always
is. I'm fine.
I've lived a really good life. But think of how much greater
you. You wouldn't know.
You wouldn't know what you're missing.
I'm good. I'm good without that.
We're driving. And so they've got the thing set
here in the middle where I can kind of reach and everybody, the
boys are all just everybody's digging in.

(32:34):
And there was stuff in there that Brody could eat, which was
incredible because he can't eat a ton of those types of things.
And so we're all just bouncing around and, and like grabbing
things. And somebody was, somebody was
like, hey, can I get another oneof those?
And they're like, yeah, here's 1.
And it was incredibly like accidental, but I grabbed it, I
looked at it and was like, yeah,that's the right 1.
And I throw it in my mouth, justtotally toss it in.

(32:56):
And I, I start eating it and I go, I'm like, you OK.
I was like, it's peanut butter. And they're, and I mean,
literally just tears rolling down our face.
And I had to eat it. I mean, I had to like power
through it did not. Change your whole life.
Absolutely not, it made me hate peanut butter more.
But do you like peanuts? Yes.

(33:18):
It's kind of like I like ketchupand I don't like tomatoes.
It's just a weird thing, but. Do you like butter?
I mean. Like like regular butter stick
just to eat it or like a new biscuit?
Do you put butter on your muffins?
I don't butter on your corn. Yeah, I would do that, yeah.
They do have fried butter at some, like Texas County.

(33:39):
I just never tried it. Yeah, but so you like butter and
you like peanuts, but you don't like.
I don't like peanut butter and Idon't Yeah, yeah, I don't think
those. I don't know if that's mutual
there, but anyway, so like therewas just these moments of inside
of finding a way to live community, to really love, to to
show love to each other, to care, to be like Amanda showed a

(34:02):
ton of just, you know, kindness and like love to us by that gift
and it created incredible memories.
But we've also found ways throughout years that people
maybe we aren't as close to as like with you and Amanda, but we
enjoy time with them. And so we sit around, we have a
meal, we do some things and we just get a chance to to be
there. And I said that feels like a
really low entry. I don't think that's a low entry

(34:25):
at all. But it's easy.
I mean, it's an easy lift. It may be easy for you guys.
I don't know that it's easy for a lot of people.
Melissa loves to host as much asas, as Amanda does.
And so like, it's just when Lenahad a couple of friends that
were visiting church and it's like, hey, do you want to stay?
And was like, I'm making French toast.
And they're like, yes. And so like from, you know, for
her and Amanda, it's just like, yeah, I get to make four more

(34:47):
slices of French toast or whatever.
And so for them, they love that part of hosting.
I enjoy having people around, but it's like, I'm not going to
act like hosting is my favorite thing in the world to do.
I don't hate it, but it's not like I'll wake up more going,
who do I get the host today? And so I think Amanda does some
days I think she like literally wakes up and just goes.
I'm so excited. I'm three weeks away from

(35:08):
hosting someone. And so, so for us also, we've,
we've really tried to step into a space of how do we see a need,
meet a need at a Christmas season?
And, and again, I think an easy entry to those is what does the
soup kitchen? What does like a Meals on
Wheels? What is the thing?

(35:29):
What we just did that you guys were a part of our church
partners with like four or five other churches and we packaged
300 Thanksgiving meals this year.
We just kind of came out of thatevent and we delivered those to
well, time stamping it a little bit.
We just we like when we're recording this is just happened.

(35:49):
We're just coming out of Thanksgiving.
But like, that's the whole thingabout, you know, those, those
moments is then we deliver thosemeals.
And so for us, we went to one ofthe jails and some of the
inmates are on, you know, good behavior and things like that.
They typically come out and helpus move those things in.

(36:10):
And there's a little bit of a conversation.
There's a little bit of getting to show God's love in a real
practical way. Not a lot.
There's guards there with guns, but there's not, it's not like
we're all hugging and taking them for a ride around the block
and going and picking up Starbucks or anything.
But like we, you know, we get toshake their hand.
We get to, to, to be humane to them, to love them because we

(36:31):
don't know their circumstances. We don't know why they're there,
but we get to show God's love ina real practical way.
There's moments where we know a family's in need and we can do
something which may be really small.
Some years it may be that our boys are even going to be, hey,
why don't we? Why don't we not so they can
and, and I think those are things when I look at what's it

(36:53):
look like to love and, and a lotof people don't know those
things and it's not a story you get to share.
You don't want to share it. Like, you know, don't let the
left hand know what the right hand is doing type of thinking
and and like, how do you love people?
Well in that? And so those are a couple of
things that we've tried to do. I mean, maybe I feel like you
were just one of the most creative people I know.

(37:14):
And I told you Amanda, and I've already said Amanda is, I told
you like you were unaware. I, I said a minute ago, Amanda
is one of the best hosts and gift gift givers that I've just
been around in a really long time.
Feel like you guys would just, Idon't know, is that something
you all have found a good rhythmwith with a thing or two or is
it something you're growing in? How does that work in your all's

(37:35):
house? I think it's been something
that's been a part of my life since I was a kid, that when
growing up, our family had a tradition that we did a birthday
party for Jesus. And so every year as a family,
we would choose someone. And sometimes it was a kid that
me or my brother went to school with.
Sometimes it was someone that mydad knew from work, my dad's job

(38:00):
growing up, my dad owned a company that did.
What's the best way to explain it?
Anytime someone got arrested on either a felony or misdemeanor
drug charge, they could either go to jail or they could go to
my dad's treatment program. And so my dad offered outpatient

(38:22):
government mandated outpatient individual and group counseling,
urinalysis, so drug testing and acupuncture therapy.
Yeah, I feel like we've been friends a really long time.
For me to be hearing that for the first time, Yeah.
I knew he was a counselor. I knew like a lot of the things

(38:42):
he started, I knew he did a lot of coaching inside of the church
and faith space. Like I knew so many things, but
probably the biggest, I'm going to say the most important.
He might have said the most important, I don't know, But the
most important job outside of husband, father, Price,
follower, those things that he had, I've actually never knew

(39:05):
specifically what he did. Yeah, he was.
For the better part of 20 years,he was considered probably the
world's foremost expert on drug treatment and drug
rehabilitation substance abuse. I say this privately a lot and I
know you miss your dad daily. He's literally your hero.
I hate that I didn't get to meethim.

(39:25):
He was that's, that's an incredible.
Person he, yeah, he spoke to theUnited Nations on substance
abuse. He traveled literally all over
the world speaking to governmentagencies on substance abuse and
how to help people with addiction.
But so so he we had a lot of people in our life because of my
dad's. That makes more sense when you

(39:46):
talk about the one year that youwere having your Christmas meal
and the random homeless drug addict guy brought in and you
showed up and he was sitting there at your table.
Yep. And you had no clue.
And you were a little kid and not not, you know, not
understanding all of those things.
Yeah. And so that's just something
that was part of our rhythm as afamily is that Christmas was

(40:08):
not. And I think I've told the story
before that that year all I wanted was a leather jacket,
that it was the one thing on my Christmas list I wanted a
leather jacket. It was the late 80s, early 90s.
And that was the cool thing. All my friends had leather
jackets and I needed a leather jacket.
And the need for speed. We're sitting there at Christmas

(40:31):
dinner with this guy that my dadhad brought home on Christmas
Eve, and there's this stranger in my home.
And after we'd eaten our prime rib dinner that was our family
tradition, my mom comes out withthis package, this gift for him,
and he opens it up and it's the exact leather jacket that I
wanted. And I was so mad.

(40:51):
I was so. Angry.
I wasn't gonna recreate that story, but you told it.
So yeah, that's what I remember,that story.
And I couldn't remember. I don't know if you told it on
the air or if you told that to me and you're just sitting
around over coffee, but yeah. And so I just grew up with that,
with that whole idea that this isn't about us, this is about

(41:11):
others and how we can love others.
But I think that before love cango outside of our home, it has
to shape what happens inside of our home.
Absolutely that love has to be present inside of our home.
So, so I think that Advent is a great time within our families
and something that that I have to ask myself and reflect on
because man, the times that I don't get this right, How do we

(41:33):
talk to each other when we're tired?
And as we've talked about for the last three weeks, Advent is
a time where you are often tired.
We talk about this, this piece that comes and we spent the
whole week talking about this. But it is the most wonderful
time of the year. It's also the most busiest time
of the year. I mean, everybody's working for

(41:57):
what they hope is a week and a half, but at least like 3 days
that they can get off and, and not be there unless you work at
Waffle House or yeah, probably. But like though everybody's
working to get those three days.That window and I, I just, it's
it, we're so cramped right now because there is something about

(42:19):
that, even though it's literallyjust the next day, there's
something about 2025 to 2026, that flip of the calendar to the
new one every year. But you throw in all of the
Christmas parties, you throw in all of the family coming into
town, all of the events that need to happen, all the things
that have to take place, all theend of year prep that happens in

(42:41):
a business and the new year prepthat happens in a business.
And it's just, it's just a tiring time.
So how, how do we treat the people within our homes when
we're tired? Because if you're anything like
me, the people outside of your home don't see that.
It's the people inside of your home, the ones closest to you

(43:02):
that see how I really am when the shoes come off at the end of
the day and and I'm emotionally,physically, mentally exhausted.
How do I treat the people in my home when I'm tired like that?
How, how do we resolve conflict when we're stressed?
Because the holiday season, the Christmas season, there is going

(43:25):
to be conflict. When you take all of these
different dynamics and cram themall together in a, in a package
with a bright green bow, there'sgoing to be conflict.
And so how, how do we resolve conflict when we're stressed?
How do we show grace when someone messes up?
That's what love is. That's that's what Advent love

(43:49):
is. Practicing Advent love,
practicing love in this kind of way means saying I'm sorry
quickly, forgiving each other freely, listening without
interrupting, being kind even when you don't feel like it.
Sometimes the greatest witness that your family can have is
simply how you love each other when no one else sees it, when

(44:09):
no one else is around. And I think again, before you
can love outside of the home, you have to, you have to love
inside of the home. But I think, like you just said,
there are some very practical ways that we can demonstrate
this kind of love as a family topeople outside.
And what my family did might notwork for everyone, but what your

(44:32):
family has done might not work for everyone.
But you know, bake something fora neighbor.
Write notes to a teacher or to people that you know that are
shut in to grandparents, to pastors.
Write a little note to someone. Choose choose an Angel tree or
Operation Christmas child. A family in need.
Invite someone over that might be alone during the holidays.

(44:54):
Deliver coffee or snacks to hospital workers or to 1st
responders. Donate toys, coats, donate food
as a family and let your kids help choose.
I think that's, that's one of the things that I loved so much
about the way that my parents did it, except for that one year
when they had a direct need is it was something that we were
involved with. And I can remember many times

(45:14):
that I had friends that I went to school with or someone that I
knew from church that their family was really struggling
and, and we chose them as our Christmas present for Jesus that
year. And we would provide Christmas
presents or, you know, somethinglike that to do for them.
And, and let, let your kids be involved in this.
Let them help deliver the presence or the food or whatever

(45:36):
it is that you do. And let, let them see love in
action. And I think like you were just
saying with your family, that's,that's pretty much adults now.
It's regardless of age, you know, let do it as a family.
Let your kids be involved, even if they're not kids anymore.
I think that's one of the, and Ithink we were talking all fair
about this and we, we had a kindof a overly extended off air

(45:59):
talk before we started recordingtoday.
And so I might be running this together.
So if I'm repeating this, I'm sorry.
But I think that's one of the things we were talking about
that as our kids get older, there are moments that we are
still parenting them. And by older, I mean all of all
of mine and your kids are we have, we have three between us
that are still technically underthe 18 marker, but we have three

(46:21):
that are 17 about to move to the18 here in the next 10 months.
And and so all, all of our children, the ten of them I
think combined are, are adults as far as the world sees them.
And so our parenting has shifted.
Does that mean we're old? It, it means I'm old, you're
young and beautiful still I'm, I'm old.

(46:43):
But our, the world sees them as adults.
And so we have to parent them that way.
And so a lot of times, whether it's a choice, a decision,
something that said the way we navigate technology, what we
watch, what we listen to, to thethings that we say are still in
a response to help our boys looklike Jesus as best they can to

(47:05):
help for you, to help your boys and girls, our children.
But there is a level of the parenting we're doing now is
almost pre grandparenting. We're helping our kids start to
think about things so that down the road when they meet someone
that they feel like will make a great spouse, that that then
they in that space, you know, that ends up being a spouse that

(47:27):
ends up they have kids that theyhave been praying through,
processing and looking like, what does it mean?
What does it look like to be Jesus, to be love in this world
and to do that? And then they can start
hopefully down the road from where you and I started.
Because, you know, like we were both at a point that our

(47:48):
hopefully our parents would feellike they moved us down the road
and we started further down the road, you know, in some of these
aspects of hope, joy, peace, love.
But you know, in love in particular here, I, I want to
help my boys start further down the road than what I did so that
they're leading their kids from a place that's closer to the

(48:08):
likeness of Jesus than where I stand.
And so I mean, like this is just, and even if all my kids,
if my, my boys never have kids, if that was God's lot in life
for them, I still want them to to be processing and praying
through as they move is they're,you know, entering their 20s and
working through finishing schooland stepping into careers and

(48:30):
all these things. How do I love?
And this is how you'll know thatmy they'll know you that you're
my disciple. If you love one another, How do
you do that Will. The other thing that I want to
say before we need to wrap up this love section, yeah, is that
we've talked so much about how busy this season is that I think
love requires that we slow down enough to see people.

(48:53):
Love rarely shows up when we're rushing and And so the this is
something that, man, sometimes it drives me absolutely nuts
because I'm in a hurry. But my wife is so amazing at
this that the cashier that's youcan tell is having a hard day.
The the lonely neighbor, the teacher who's exhausted.

(49:16):
Sometimes love is just paying attention with compassion to
someone it's saying I see you, you matter, you're not
invisible, you're not alone. And just.
A simple moment with the cashierat Walmart can be something that

(49:37):
brightens someone's day, that shows them a love that maybe
they haven't experienced in a long time.
And there's the kind of love that that Jesus gives, like you
were talking about. It's not a Hallmark love.
It's not a fairy tale type of love.
It's we look at Jesus that he noticed the people that were

(49:57):
overlooked throughout his life. He that is so I mean that is the
most like base level thing you can say because we all know
that. But what an incredible like so
good what you said there. And I think you just need to say
it again and we need to just like reflect in that today.

(50:19):
Like like literally that's the best thing that was said in this
podcast that Jesus noticed thosethat were overlooked.
I, I just, that's The thing is our heads are down in our phones
like I, I've my anger is something people and, and it
looks like I just walk away. I don't know.
I probably do walk around a little angry, but I don't just

(50:41):
walk around angry as angry as I come across maybe, but there is
very little that infuriates me more.
I was driving to the end of my street today.
There were a couple of cars coming.
And so I reached up to hit play on the Bible verses I was going
to listen to this morning as I was driving and heading this
way. And, and so I, I submitted a
stop sign at the end of my street.

(51:02):
I hit play and I look up and here's a dude in a truck that's
got huge flashing lights on it. And he's not even looking up.
He's on his phone driving literally.
And I'm, and I just, there's very little that just infuriates
me more 'cause I'm like, if thatwas my kid and they, they
thought, oh, I've got time to pull out.
And because you're not paying attention, like they pull out

(51:24):
and you like I just, it infuriates me so much.
But like our heads are down. We're in our phones where the
Airpods are in. We're not listening.
Like I was bad to go to Walmart and leave my Airpods in because
I was listening to podcasts and listening to sermons or just
doing work. And and it wasn't like I was
just listening to music and and trying to get through the day.

(51:46):
I'm the weirdo that likes people.
I wave at people talk people going down the aisle.
Hey, oh, that looks interesting.That tastes good.
And you know, have you seen thatmovie?
I mean, I just talk to people. I don't care, but like, we're
just so disengaged now and it's really hard to feel connected to
someone you can't put your arms around.

(52:07):
I just love that quote. And like I said, I used it in a
sermon a couple couple Sundays ago and it just really, that
article was incredible. Really, really good article.
And yeah, just good stuff. So one thing I was thinking and

(52:28):
like, you know, we've talked about this so much.
So when the Christ candle it, itreally, I think we kind of
talked about this earlier. I know there's a whole lot more
to say. I love that candle.
I love reading the Christmas story.
Like we just kicked off a series.
I'm so excited. You and one of our other
teaching pastors are going to besharing inside of this series as
well. And, and we're just he shall be
called out of out of Isaiah 9. And I just love these words.

(52:53):
And I've actually never taught aseries like this because I've
not been a an an adult pastor and just never, you know, we've,
I've never taught anything like this at this way with adults and
stuff. And so I've loved this.
We kicked off just wonderful counselor this past week.
And I and so the Christ candle, whether it's you read Isaiah 9

(53:14):
and you reflect inside of those words a minute you read Luke 2,
you just, you can sit inside of,you know, a little bit of, of
math, you know, Matthew and, andjust that story.
I mean, just that, you know, Mary treasured these things like
just whatever it is you're reading that kind of sets that
season of of Christmas for you, that that the godchild came,

(53:36):
that God came on earth like thatlast candle.
It just is really special. And I'm reading through
Ephesians with a couple of buddies right now.
And we, we will read through it the whole month and we just talk
five days a week. We talk about it for the month
of December and and there's somethings about Jesus I'm
reflecting in and how good he isand what he requires and desires

(54:01):
for for me and for all of us as follows Jesus.
So the the Christ candle is a big deal.
Is there anything else you want to add to the Christ candle as
just kind? Of the big thing with the Christ
candle is that the the Christ candle reminds us that every
other candle finds its meaning in him.
That the Christ candle isn't just the center of the wreath.

(54:22):
The Christ candle is the center of the story.
It it's what it's all about thatthe Christ candle, Christ is the
fulfillment of every other thingthat we've talked about here in
Advent. It is it is all rooted centered
in Christ, that hope. He is our hope.

(54:43):
He is the promise peace. He's the Prince of of peace,
joy. He is the good news of great joy
that shall be for all people. Love, as you just said, he's the
presence, he's the gift. It's not a present.
He is his presence is the present.
He is the gift. And so it's all centered around

(55:05):
him. It's all focused on him.
And I think, I think that's, that's what it's all about.
So we're sitting here at the endof this is what like something
that you and I thought like whenwe started this, it's like, are
we going to get this into one? Will we be able to have enough
to cover an episode? We've turned into three and and

(55:26):
if people are listening and going, you all say this is easy,
but you've you've turned 44 short week, 4 short
conversations throughout a week or 4 weeks, 5 short
conversations. If you count Christmas Day,
you've turned them into three hour plus episodes of

(55:47):
conversation. What do I do?
One we've said this every week, start simple.
We at my house, it's one night aweek.
We have done one day a week. We actually do it at lunch on
Sundays. It's one of the few times with
our crazy schedule that we all get to eat a meal together, but

(56:07):
we do it once a week. Mail is really good to shoot out
a text of just a reminder. Hey, we're, we're, we're living
in hope this week. We're thinking through, we're
praying through, we're processing hope inside of
Advent. Here's a question I would love
and then she'll tag a verse to it.
Or here's a verse, what's you know, what's God saying to you

(56:27):
inside of that verse? And we just get to respond and
interact. And it's digital if you've got
time and, and Tony, what you said last week and look, I don't
know, maybe there's some deep theological thing that you and I
are missing and you need 3 purples, a pink and a white to
pull this thing off correctly with the candles.
I don't know that I haven't seenanything in Scripture where

(56:50):
God's overly concerned if if youuse your bath and Body Works
candle and you just take a post it note and put this is the hope
Kindle and I've got a different fragrance here and it's the love
candle. I mean, I don't I think God
cares about why are you lightingthat candle?
What what does it? What does it mean in your heart?
And how do you take that meaningand show it to everyone around

(57:13):
the world? Because it's the greatest thing
we've got. And so do something small, say a
short prayer and, and just step into those, those moments
really, really simply. And if I could add one other
thing, by the time people are listening to this, it's going to
be like the 9th of December. And so they're going to

(57:35):
potentially have missed 2/2 of the, you know, the first Sunday
and the second Sunday. And so you're going to be
halfway through and be like, whyeven start?
I would encourage you to do this.
If you feel like I've already missed half, I'll just do it
next year or this you could literally take And if you're

(57:57):
like, oh, I need a book and I need this or I need that.
I I don't have any of this. Find something simple.
If you don't have anything you can't afford a book or whatever
you Tony's thing was in the shownotes.
You could go in and use his, youknow, stuff from that first
there. Google it.
What's the verse for Hope for Advent?
What's 5 verses for Advent for the five different moments?

(58:18):
And just like literally, you could do one per day on the
21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th.And literally could take you
less than 5 minutes. 5 minutes sit with your if it's just you,
if it's you and your spouse, you, your spouse and your
children, maybe you've got guests that are going to be
coming in. What a beautiful thing to sit
around the table and even if it's just one day and you do the

(58:42):
Christ candle and you say, hey, I would love there's five of us
here. Would you read this verse and
you and you write A and you light a hope candle and you read
that verse and you write a joy. You light a joy candle and you
read that verse. You lie and you just go around
and you take 10 minutes on Christmas morning and you
process through. I just, I understand.

(59:04):
Like maybe you, maybe we're behind.
Maybe we should have been doing this at the beginning of
January. So that November, I mean, so
that everyone could be like, oh,hey, we're good.
But I think The thing is, sometimes we get so worried
about the process that we forgetthe meaning of what we're
actually doing. Well, take something you know,
look, look at your thing. Skip.
Skip some events, turn off some notifications on your phone,
cook a simpler meal and just take some time to plan 5-10

(59:29):
minutes of intentional time withyour family.
It doesn't need to be elaborate,but I think what you've you've
demonstrated in talking about the things with your family, the
fact that it's been 30 years since I lived in my parents home
and I can tilt still tell you all these stories of that is

(59:51):
that even small rhythms today can create lifelong memories
tomorrow. It's the ripple of tossing the
rock into the lake. I mean, it really can.
One small Pebble. Can create ripples that last for
decades and, and really century,I mean generations, I should
say, not centuries, but generations.
Because what you start today, really, the decisions we make

(01:00:13):
today shape the quality and direction of our life tomorrow.
And if as a, as a person who goes, man, I've got kids, I want
to have kids. Like the, the rhythms we start
today truly shape the future tomorrow.
And no, Tony, I agree 100% with what you said.
Like it's not too late. And and I think there's
something in the process and in the meaning of going, hey, I, I

(01:00:38):
didn't realize this. I should have done this.
It's it and starting now I thinkcould mean a whole lot more to
you than going I'm going to wait11 months and fix figure this
out. Yeah, so this week my my
challenge to our listeners this week, pick one Advent practice,
light the candle, share a joy moment.
Serve someone, but do it together as a family.

(01:00:59):
Waiting well is a gift that you can give to yourself and your
family this Christmas season. Advent transforms chaos into
anticipation, and in the midst of a season that I'm sure is
feeling incredibly chaotic for many of our listeners, why not
turn that into a time of reflection and anticipation and

(01:01:24):
excitement and hope and joy and love and peace?
Advent doesn't end with a feeling.
It ends with a person. When we light the Christ candle,
we're not celebrating atmosphereor nostalgia.
We're declaring something bold in a world drowning in noise.
God didn't shout love from the heavens.
He wrapped it up in human skin and moved it into the
neighborhood. Jesus is not God at a distance.

(01:01:48):
He is God with dirty feet and open hands.
He is God with scars, God with aheartbeat.
And that changes everything. Because suddenly love is no
longer abstract. Love is visible.
Peace is no longer theoretical, it's attainable.
Joy is no longer circumstantial,it's rooted.
Hope is no longer wishful, it's anchored.

(01:02:11):
Christ doesn't just sit at the center of Advent, He is the
center of Advent. So as you go into the final
stretch of the season, don't aimfor perfect traditions.
Aim for present hearts. Don't try to manufacture magic.
Make room for Jesus. Slow the pace, lower the noise.
Open the door because the Saviorof the world is still coming in

(01:02:33):
quietly, still humbly, and he still comes near.
This Advent, don't just celebrate Christmas.
Receive Christ. If this series encouraged you,
take a moment to share it with afriend who needs a reminder of
God's love this season. Join the conversation, comment,
ask a question, share a story. We'd love to hear how your

(01:02:53):
family is experiencing Advent. Make sure to follow the Pulpit
and Porch podcast on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram,
subscribe to the Pulpit and Porch Podcast wherever you
listen to podcasts, and invite someone to pull up a chair on
the porch with us next week. A Merry Christmas and we'll talk
to you next week here on the porch.