An Adopting Love

Warning Sign

In Warning Sign, drawn from Hebrews 3:7–19, we are confronted with the serious danger of a hardened heart. Using Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness as a warning, this message urges us to listen to God’s voice today, resist unbelief, and guard our hearts against drifting from him. The sermon calls believers to persevere in faith, encourage one another daily, and remain obedient to Christ, recognizing that unbelief can keep us from experiencing the fullness of God’s rest.

A Transformative Love

Everyone loves a heartwarming rescue story—especially about a dog like Roxy, who was saved from despair and transformed by love. Roxy began abandoned and frail, afraid of touch, but through patient care and gentle reassurance, she slowly regained her trust, joy, and vitality. Her story mirrors our own deepest human needs, because we all long for the kind of love that lifts us up and gives new life. The good news is that God provides that type of love for us in Jesus Christ. No matter how exhausted or broken we feel, Jesus meets us as our rescuer, redeemer, and Savior—turning fear into hope, isolation into belonging, and hurt into healing. 1 John 4:7–21 reveals 4 ways Christ’s love is transformative in this way.

An Adopting Love

Dictionary.com [http://dictionary.com] defines adoption as the process of bringing a child into one’s own family through legal means for the purpose of raising that child as your own. Almost all of us have some life experience with adoption. When a married couple says, “We are adopting,” we know that means they are going to legally bring a child (not biologically conceived by them) into their own family and raise that child in the same way as a child conceived biologically. They are adopting. They are eager to love a child with that kind of love. Adoption helps us understand and appreciate Christ’s love for us. Ephesians 1:1-14 contains 5 adjectives to describe this adopting love of God.

An Unstoppable Love

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has so many epic heroes, famous villains, and redemption arcs that echo even greater truths. The Juggernaut is one of those. He makes only a few appearances in the movie franchise but shows up more frequently in the comics. He moves with supernatural force—unstoppable, unless he chooses to stop himself. That kind of imaginary power is an echo us of a far greater genuine strength: Christ’s unstoppable love for his people. Despite lies that we are unloved or that something could block God’s devotion, the Bible teaches us that nothing can thwart the Lord’s passionate commitment to our well-being. Romans 8:31-39 lays out 3 truths about the unstoppable love of God.

A Unique Love

Nothing compares to Christmastime in New York City—the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, 5th Ave. lights, Radio City Rockettes Show, Bryant Park Winter Village, Macy’s Santaland, Hudson Yards Holiday light show, Ice Skating in Wollman Rink in Central Park, and more! And then it culminates with the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, where 1 million people gather in-person, and 180 million Americans along with over 1 billion people worldwide watch it on TV. It’s matchless, truly one of a kind. In a much more profound way, Christ’s love is unlike any love we have ever experienced. Romans 5:1-11 describes humanity with 3 adjectives that highlight the 3 aspects of God’s love for us in Jesus that make it unique.