You are now entering the one stop place for everything, Abiding in the Faith!

By Pastor Jason Sykora

What a blessing it was to walk into Church on Christmas Eve. It was a mild, rainy day outside as we approached the church. As we entered the church as a family, we were greeted with smiling faces and a building full of friends and family. That is what a church is: a family of imperfect people who come together to hear from God. It is not very often that Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, but the services were held during the day just as a typical Sunday. The lights were dimmed except for the stage, and as we sat down, the worship band sang familiar holiday tunes. As we worshiped God for the birth of Christ, the song “Oh Holy Night” began. I gazed around the room. Every seat seemed to have someone sitting in it. Families who all come together to celebrate the reason for the season, The birth of Jesus Christ.

I looked over towards a family that was sitting in a row and came across a young family. The man reminded me of my brother and his family when his children were young. There they were worshiping God, just as I remembered when our family went to a Christmas Eve service together. I began to get emotional. Like any other family, we are imperfect but choose to go to church to worship a perfect God. Christmas services bring families together. Then, the pastor came on the screen and spoke about love. Human love was shown between Joseph and Mary as they went to Bethlehem to register. God’s love was shown when he demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son to be born, to live a sinless life, and to die on the cross for the sins of the world—a costly decision by God, fueled by love, to save you and me.

1 John 4:10 NLT. “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

As the band continued to sing,

Verse 3 of “Oh Holy Night” went, “Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love, and His Gospel is Peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, and in his name, all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, let all within us Praise His Holy name. Christ is the Lord; O praise his name forever!”

Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ—God’s gift to humanity—the greatest gift ever given. Christmas is about God’s presence, not the presents under the tree.  

This Christmas, be fueled by God’s love toward one another and your family.