Hey guys! Merry Christmas! It’s December 23rd – can you believe it?
You know, I was thinking about something this morning. We do this thing with Christmas where we celebrate it in December, we put up the tree, we sing the songs, we tell the story… and then January 1st hits and we pack it all away with the decorations.
But what if Christmas – what Jesus coming actually means – isn’t supposed to be a once-a-year thing? What if it’s supposed to change how we live every single day?
That’s what we’re talking about today. What Christmas is really about. Not the sanitized Sunday school version, but what it actually means for you, for me, for how we live our lives.
And I’m going to share a story with you – something that happened recently that reminded me powerfully of what this is all about.
So grab your coffee, settle in, and let’s dive into this together.
Alright, let’s talk about Christmas.”
THE CONFIRMATION STORY
So I need to tell you about something that happened a few weeks ago. Because it’s directly connected to what we’re talking about today.
I recorded an episode about prayer. It was called “You Don’t Need to Pray Perfectly: Building a Natural Relationship with God.”
And in that episode, I talked about how prayer doesn’t have to be formal or fancy. How God just wants conversation with you. How there’s no “right way” to pray—He just wants relationship.
And after I recorded it, I felt this… worry. This nagging thought: What if I’m leading people down the wrong path? What if I’m being too casual? What if people think I’m saying prayer doesn’t matter?
Because you know how it is. There are a lot of voices out there telling you how you’re supposed to pray. How you should read your Bible. How a “real Christian” acts.
And here is little ole me was saying, “Just talk to God like a friend.”
But then, a few days later—completely out of nowhere—I was listening to a podcast by a Christian influencer. I wasn’t even looking for confirmation. I was just listening.
And low and behold…he said the exact same thing!
Word for word, well almost. That God doesn’t want religious performance. He wants relationship. That prayer is just conversation. That you don’t have to follow a formula—you just have to show up.
And I’m not going to lie—it made me smile. Not because I was right. But because it was God’s way of saying, “I’m leading you. Keep going. This is what I want you to say.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
And that’s what this was. A reminder that when I trust Him to lead, He confirms it. Even when I’m nervous. Even when I’m not sure.
Have you ever gotten unexpected confirmation from God like that? Where He showed you—through a person, a song, a random moment—that you’re on the right path?
And here’s why that story matters for today’s conversation: Because the confirmation I got wasn’t just about prayer.
It was about the heart of what Christmas is all about.
Relationship. Not religion.
WHY JESUS WAS ACTUALLY BORN
So let’s talk about why Jesus came.
And I don’t mean the sanitized version. I mean the real reason.
Luke 2:10-11 says: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.'”
A Savior has been born.
Not a rule-maker. Not a judge. Not someone coming to give us a checklist of things to do.
A Savior.
But what was He saving us from?
He came to save us from sin and death. That’s the theological answer. And it’s true. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But let’s go deeper. Because “sin and death” can feel abstract, right? Like something we say in church but don’t fully understand.
Jesus came to save us from ourselves.
From the shame that tells us we’re not good enough.
From the guilt that keeps us trapped in our past.
From the hopelessness that whispers, “You’re too far gone. You’ve messed up too much. God doesn’t want you.”
He came to save us from separation from God.
Because that’s what sin does—it separates us. It creates a gap between us and the One who made us. The One who loves us. The One who wants relationship with us.
And Jesus? He bridged that gap.
John 3:16-17 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Read that again. God didn’t send Jesus to condemn you. He sent Him to save you.
Not to judge you. Not to shame you. Not to give you a religious to-do list.
To save you. To bring you back. To restore relationship.
And here’s what that means personally: You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to perform for it. You don’t have to perfect yourself before you’re worthy of it.
Jesus came because God wanted you back. Period.
Not the cleaned-up version of you. Not the “I’ve got it all together” version. You. Right now. Messy, broken, imperfect, struggling you.
That’s what Christmas is about. God looked at humanity—at you, at me—and said, “I’m not giving up on them. I’m going after them. I’m sending My Son.”
John 10:10 says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus didn’t come just to keep you out of hell. He came to give you LIFE. Real life. Full life. Abundant life.
Not just existence. Not just going through the motions. But actual, vibrant, connected, purposeful LIFE.
This is what we’ve been building toward all December, guys.
Preparing your heart. Learning to be the light. Understanding that you can only shine what you’ve received.
And what you’ve received? It’s not a set of rules. It’s a relationship. It’s Jesus. It’s LIFE.
So if you’ve been living under the weight of “I have to be good enough,” this is your permission to stop. You already are. Because of Him.
THE TRAP OF RULES AND LEGALISM
Okay, so if Jesus came to save us and restore relationship… why do so many of us feel like Christianity is all about rules?
You know what I’m talking about. The pressure. The unspoken—or very spoken—expectations.
You have to pray a certain way. At a certain time. For a certain length.
You have to read your Bible every morning. Can’t miss a day. If you do, you’re “not serious about your faith.”
You have to go to church every Sunday. Serve in a ministry. Volunteer. Tithe exactly 10%. Dress modestly. Listen to only Christian music. Avoid certain movies. Watch your language.
And don’t even get me started on all the opinions about what “real Christians” do or don’t do.
And listen, some of those things? They’re good. Healthy spiritual disciplines can help us grow. I’m not saying throw out prayer and Bible reading and church.
But here’s the problem: When we turn relationship into rules, we miss the whole point of why Jesus came.
Jesus never said, “Follow these 10 steps and you’ll feel My presence.”
He said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
He didn’t call His disciples “rule-followers.” He called them friends.
John 15:15 says: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Friends. Not servants following orders. but Friends.
This is why that confirmation I got about the prayer episode mattered so much. Because I was worried I was being too casual. Too… friendly.
But that’s exactly what God confirmed: “Yes. That’s what I want. Friendship. Relationship. Not performance.”
And I think this is where so many of us get stuck. We’ve been taught—by well-meaning people, maybe even by our own churches—that there’s a “right way” to be Christian.
And if we’re not doing it that way, we must be doing it wrong.
But here’s the truth: Jesus knows you. He knows what works for you. He knows what your relationship with Him is supposed to look like.
And it might not look like anyone else’s. And that’s okay.
Maybe you don’t pray on your knees at 5 AM with a journal and a highlighter. Maybe you pray while you’re doing dishes or driving to work.
Maybe you don’t read your Bible in one sitting every morning. Maybe you read it throughout the day, a verse here and there, letting it sink in.
Maybe church doesn’t happen for you on Sunday mornings. Maybe it’s a midweek gathering or an online community or a small group in someone’s living room.
And that’s okay. Because Jesus isn’t looking for cookie-cutter Christians. He’s looking for hearts that are turned toward Him.
1 Samuel 16:7 says: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
He’s not checking off a list. He’s looking at your heart. Is it turned toward Him? Are you seeking Him? Are you letting Him lead?
That’s what matters.
So if you’ve been carrying the weight of “Am I doing this right? Am I Christian enough? Am I praying enough, reading enough, serving enough?”
Let me tell you: Stop. Just stop.
Jesus didn’t die on a cross so you could spend your life anxious about whether you’re performing Christianity correctly.
He died so you could have relationship with God. So you could walk with Him. So you could talk to Him like a friend. So you could live in freedom, not fear.
I think a lot of us are carrying burdens Jesus never asked us to carry.
KEEPING CHRISTMAS ALL YEAR
Ok So here’s where this all comes together.
Christmas is about celebrating that Jesus came. That God became flesh and dwelt among us. That the Savior was born.
But here’s the thing: He didn’t just come for one day. Or one season.
The birth wasn’t the end of the story. It was the beginning.
So how do we keep the “spirit of Christmas” all year? How do we live in the reality of what His birth actually means?
Well….
First: Remember WHY He came.
He came to be WITH us. Emmanuel. God with us.
Not God far away, judging from a distance. God with us. In the mess. In the struggle. In the everyday moments.
So talk to Him like He’s there. Because He is. When you’re stressed at work, when you’re overwhelmed at home, when you’re just making dinner – He’s WITH you.
Second: Live in relationship, not religion.
Stop trying to perform. Stop trying to check all the boxes. Just be with Him.
Like we talked about in the prayer episode—conversation. Natural. Real. Honest.
That’s what He wants.
Third: Extend the grace He extended to us.
Jesus came to save the broken, the messy, the ones who didn’t have it all together.
So when we look at others—especially other Christians who don’t “do it” the way we do—let’s lead with grace. Not judgment.
When someone’s Christianity looks different than yours, pause before judging. Maybe they’re exactly where God wants them.
And fourth: Keep celebrating that we’re SAVED.
Not just at Christmas. Every day.
Romans 5:8 says: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We don’t have to wait until we’re “good enough.” We’re already loved. Already saved. Already His.
So Wake up grateful. You’re already loved. You’re already saved. That’s worth celebrating every.. single.. day.
The birth of Jesus wasn’t just a historical event. It’s the foundation of everything.
It’s why we have hope.
It’s why we have peace.
It’s why we don’t have to earn God’s love—we already have it.
Ok in closing…
Guys, Jesus came to save you.
Not to judge you. Not to give you a checklist. Not to make you perform.
He came to be your friend. Your Savior. Your everything.
And this Christmas, I hope you don’t just celebrate the story. I hope you celebrate the relationship.
Because that’s what it’s all about. That’s what it’s always been about.
Ok Next week—December 30th—Becoming vs. Achieving: A Different Approach to 2025!
But for now, for today – Merry Christmas.
Talk to Jesus like He’s your friend. Because He is.
I’ll see you next week, guys. God bless.
