beautifulsaviormedia • December 25, 2024

The Festival of the Nativity

When a father puts gifts under the Christmas tree, it is not to compensate his children for doing their chores. That would make whatever is inside that wrapping paper a wage, not a gift. A gift is given voluntarily simply so the giver can show favor to the one receiving the gift, without an expectation of repayment. In the season of Christmas, we receive the gift of God. That does not simply mean we receive the gifts God gives. When we look into the manger, we see that God is the gift. In the person of Jesus, God gave us Himself. And because our God became true man and did everything necessary for our salvation, He is able to give us so many other Christmas gifts: forgiveness, hope, peace, a place in His family, eternal life in paradise. "That is too much!" you object. "I don't deserve any of it!". True enough. However, none of these things are wages. We could not and need not earn them. Because they are gifts, given by our gracious God to show us favor. On the Festival of Christmas, we thank God for the greatest of gifts - Himself as on of us.

Grace Is Amazing

By Pastor Quinn • August 23, 2026
Give a single bag of M&Ms to siblings in middle school and tell them to share. You will witness counting done with accounting-like precision. Each child will get an equal amount of candy because that is fair. That’s what’s expected! Human beings have an incredibly strong sense of fairness.  That is why it can be so amazing when we see how God unexpectedly dispenses blessing and grace. The prophet Jonah was perplexed when he saw God’s mercy on a nation that was an enemy to Jonah’s people. Like Jonah, we need to stop expecting God to be fair. He does not give us what we deserve. Instead, in his grace, he shows us mercy. That’s amazing!

Cross Comes Before Crown

By Pastor Quinn • August 16, 2026
Some churches teach that if a person follows God, God responds by granting prosperity and peace, as would only be expected. Today we see how that is nonsense. The Bible explains that if we are part of the Church of God, we will have bear crosses. Believers suffer in this world, sometimes just because they are believers.  Why bother? We carry our crosses in gratitude for Jesus carrying his cross, one too heavy for us because it was weighted down with our sin. We carry our crosses because we know that in those moments of struggle, we are forced to turn to Christ and rely on his strength. This is the unexpected path, the one Jesus himself walked: the cross comes before the crown.

Christians Trust God to Provide

By Pastor Otterstatter • July 26, 2026
The hardest times to trust God are the times we need him most. It’s easier to trust God when your job is going great, your health is fine, your relationships are fine, and your family is good. It’s easier to trust God when the sun is shining, but what happens when your life is suddenly overshadowed by dark days? When tragedy strikes, we may wonder if God continues to care for us. At those times, Christians do not despair like those who have no hope. Instead, Christians focus on certain foundational facts. We are chosen and adopted as God’s dear children. God provides us innumerable spiritual blessings and promises us an eternity of peace and joy. If we recognize those spiritual blessings, how can we doubt that God will give us everything we truly need at the right time? Christians trust God to provide.
More Sermons