December 24, 2023
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John 3:16
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christmas
Above all else Advent, which means arrival or coming, is about God’s love coming to us! You see, that’s what motivated the greatest gift ever given. It was God’s love. Yes, Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths, but more than that, He was wrapped in God’s love. As the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave.” What did He give? He gave us Jesus.
As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isa. 9:6). And as the angels proclaimed, “Unto you is born this day” (Luke 2:11). Jesus is God’s gift of love to us… to you!
So, God has given us this gift. It’s for you. It’s got your name on it. But it’s not really yours until you open it and receive it for yourself.
December 5, 2021
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John 3:16-18
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christmas
The Christmas season has become one of the busiest and most expensive times of the year. Retailers spend millions every year inviting us to spend our time and money at their special Christmas sales events. The sales “invitations” from retailers to spend our money with them fill our newspapers and mailboxes every Christmas, but now they increasingly fill our email boxes and social media.
How many of you long for something simpler? What if there were a simpler invitation that you could RSVP this year? What if we could say yes to a simple invitation to spend less and love more. To feel less exhausted and overwhelmed and more filled with a life better than we’ve ever dreamed of? Well, that’s what we’re talking about today… God’s simple invitation to believe in His Son.
December 11, 2016
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John 3:16-18
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christmas, movies, popular culture
Several movies and plays have been based on Charles Dickens’ book, which was first published in London in 1843. The most recent movie version was by Disney featuring the voice-over of Jim Carrey. We learn in this movie that Scrooge doesn’t know how to “keep” Christmas until several spirits visit him and bring about a change of heart. But does the book and movie miss what it means to keep Christmas?
April 7, 2013
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John 3:1-21
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easter, gospel
Pastor Gary Combs continues the 4-week series “Evangelium: What the Gospel Is… And Isn’t” with this message from John 3. This message shows how the encounter between the religious Pharisee named Nicodemus and the Lord Jesus reveals the distinctive nature of the gospel contrasted with religion. Because while religion attempts to work from the outside-in, the gospel does its work from the inside out. Or as Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.”
December 25, 2011
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John 3
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christmas
Pastor Gary Combs concludes the NOEL series with this message on Christmas Day. Taken from the book of John, this message describes how Jesus told a prominent Jewish teacher named Nicodemus that God “so loved” everyone that He was offering His greatest gift to all those who would receive it. It is as though God took the approach of wrapping the gift of LIFE and then placed it inside the gift of His Son, the LORD, and then placed it inside the gift of His LOVE. A gift within a gift, within a gift. The greatest gift of all! We can receive this gift from the God who loves all. Having received it, we can be like Him by loving all too.
August 14, 2011
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John 3
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belief
Pastor Gary Combs continues the BELIEVE series looking at the word “believe” in the Gospel of John. This message focuses on John 3 and the three “musts” for believing revealed in this chapter.
December 27, 2009
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John 3:1-17
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christmas
Jonathan Combs concludes the Advent Conspiracy series.