by Jessica Fields | Dec 24, 2025 | Christmas, Jesus for All
The Angles said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10, ESV
It’s easy to miss how ordinary the moment was.
When the angel announced the birth of Jesus, the Messiah wasn’t revealed to kings, scholars, or spiritual elites. Heaven didn’t interrupt a temple service or a theological debate. Instead, God showed up in a field—at night—to shepherds who were simply doing their jobs. Watching sheep. Working the night shift. Living their lives.
They weren’t praying for a sign. They weren’t fasting or waiting expectantly in holy anticipation. They were just… being faithful in the middle of normal life. And that’s where God chose to speak.
This matters.
Israel had been waiting for the Messiah for generations. The religious leaders knew the prophecies. The super-spiritual had their systems and expectations. Yet God bypassed all of that and entrusted the announcement of salvation to blue-collar sheep herders—the kind of people society often overlooks. Luke is quietly telling us something profound: the Christmas story is not reserved for the impressive. It’s for all the people.
And “all” really means all.
This is the heart of love—the theme of this final week of Advent. Love that moves toward people, not away from them. Love that does not require performance, polish, or perfection. Love that shows up right where people are.
On this Christmas Eve, many of us are still busy—finishing preparations, managing family dynamics, carrying unspoken worries, or simply trying to make it through the day. Life hasn’t paused just because Christmas arrived. And yet, that’s exactly where God meets us. Not once everything is quiet and holy, but while we’re watching our flocks—doing the thing, showing up, getting through the day.
Luke 2:10 reminds us that Jesus came for shepherds and scholars, the joyful and the weary, the confident and the unsure. He came for those who feel close to God and those who feel far away. He came for the person who feels forgotten, and for the one who looks like they have it all together but doesn’t. You are not outside the “all.”
This is love: God seeing humanity—messy, broken, distracted—and choosing to come anyway. Emmanuel, God with us. Not God waiting for us to get it right, but God stepping into our ordinary lives with extraordinary grace.
Tonight, as we celebrate Christmas, remember this: the good news of Jesus wasn’t announced in a palace. It was announced in a field. And that means there is no place you can be—physically, spiritually, or emotionally—where God’s love cannot reach you.
A Response for the Week:
As you move through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, pause for a moment in the middle of whatever you’re doing. Whisper a simple prayer:
“Jesus, thank You for coming for all—thank You for coming for me.”
Then ask the Holy Spirit to help you see others the way God does: with compassion, dignity, and love. This is how the Christmas story continues—through us.
by Jessica Fields | Dec 17, 2025 | Christmas, Jesus for All
The Angles said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10, ESV
The angel doesn’t promise mild contentment or fleeting cheer. He announces great joy. The kind of joy that can survive a dark night, an uncertain future, or a life that feels wildly out of control. The kind of joy that doesn’t disappear when circumstances shift—because it was never built on them in the first place.
Our culture is deeply committed to happiness. Happiness says, If things go my way, I’ll be okay. It’s driven by comfort, pleasure, success, and control. When life cooperates, happiness shows up. When it doesn’t, happiness quietly exits the room. And if we’re honest, most of us have been trained to believe the lie that if we just manage our lives better—work harder, buy smarter, scroll less (or maybe more?)—we can secure happiness. But it’s exhausting. And it’s not working.
Joy, Scripture tells us, is something entirely different.
Biblical joy is not circumstantial; it’s anchored. Hebrews reminds us that Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), which means Christian joy is rooted in Someone who does not change. Joy flows from the steady confidence that God is in control, Christ is on the throne, and the story is not finished—even when the middle chapters feel messy.
This is why the angel’s announcement matters so much. Good news of great joy declares that history has shifted. God has come near. The long-awaited King has arrived. And because Jesus has come, joy is no longer something we chase—it’s something we receive. Not because life is easy, but because God is faithful.
And yet, joy needs space. Margin. Room to breathe.
Our overstimulated, overbooked, comparison-driven lives leave very little room for deep joy to take root. When every spare moment is filled, and every quiet space is swallowed by noise, joy is crowded out—leaving only surface-level happiness behind. Scripture consistently connects joy with stillness, trust, and presence: “He leads me beside quiet waters… He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:2–3). Joy grows where trust is practiced and where God is given our unhurried attention.
The Christmas story reminds us that this joy is not reserved for a select few. Shepherds heard the announcement first—ordinary people, living ordinary lives. From the very beginning, God made it clear: Jesus is for all. And so is great joy.
A Response for the Week:
This week, intentionally create a small pocket of margin. Turn off the noise. Sit with the Lord. Ask yourself: What is my joy anchored to right now?Then practice gratitude—name a few truths about God that bring you joy, regardless of circumstances. Let that list become your prayer.
Great joy doesn’t come from having life under control. It comes from trusting the One who is. And because Jesus has come, that joy is available to all, even now.
by Jessica Fields | Dec 10, 2025 | Christmas, Jesus for All
The Angles said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10, ESV
If Week 1 began with “Fear not,” Week 2 picks up with heaven’s next breath: good news. Not average news. Not seasonal news. Not “your package finally arrived” news. This is the kind of news that changes everything—then and now.
When the angel spoke to the shepherds, the world was heavy with waiting. Israel longed for rescue. Rome ruled with intimidation. People were tired, afraid, and unsure of what God was up to. In other words… not that different from us. And right into that mess, God announced something better than anyone expected: salvation.
But salvation in Scripture is never just about being rescued from something—it’s about being rescued for something. The word itself means healing, wholeness, deliverance, restoration. Salvation is God stepping into our broken places and making them new. Salvation is God refusing to leave us as He found us.
This is why the angel’s news is actually good news:
Through Jesus, heaven opened the door for us to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Through Jesus, God removes our heart of stone and gives us a new heart and new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26).
Through Jesus, we are not only forgiven—we are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
And through Jesus, we are empowered to live the abundant life He promised—life that starts now (John 10:10).
In the Christmas story, the manger is more than a sweet moment with shepherds and glowing angels. It is the beginning of the new covenant—God’s declaration that He is with us, for us, and, through the Spirit, in us. Jesus did not come just to secure our spot in eternity; He came to transform our lives here on earth. To heal the wounded places. To free what has been bound. To breathe life into the parts of us we thought were gone forever.
And this good news? It’s not exclusive. It’s not gated. It’s not for the spiritually elite or the emotionally tidy. From day one, God made it clear: Jesus is for All. Shepherds. Outsiders. Rule-followers. Rule-breakers. Anyone hungry for hope. Anyone longing for something real. Anyone who needs a Savior who doesn’t just stay “up there” but steps right into the dirt with us.
A Response for the Week:
Set aside a quiet moment today and ask:
“Jesus, where do You want to bring Your good news into my life right now?”
Listen for His whisper. Invite His healing, His freedom, and His abundant life into one specific place.
This week, carry this truth with you: Because Jesus has come, good news is already breaking into your story—right here, right now.
by Jessica Fields | Dec 3, 2025 | Christmas, Jesus for All
The Angles said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10, ESV
Advent always seems to sneak up on us—right between the leftover pumpkin pie and the first frantic Walmart run (or late-night Amazon scroll) of the season. But here we are again, entering these four weeks of waiting, wondering, and preparing our hearts for Jesus. And as we step into this season, we start with the words heaven chose to break 400 years of silence: “Fear not.”
Of all the things the angel could have said to a group of exhausted, overlooked shepherds, God led with courage. Before the announcement, before the joy, before the promise—He spoke directly to their fear. It’s almost as if God knew the weight they carried… and the weight we still carry.
Fear is a quiet companion for many of us during the holidays. Fear of not having enough. Fear of being too much. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the “what ifs.” Fear that maybe this year won’t feel as magical as the last… or that it never really has. Even the bravest hearts can still feel a little shaky when the lights come on and the world tells us to be merry on command.
But the first word of Christmas is God’s gentle interruption: Fear not. Not because everything suddenly makes sense. Not because your circumstances instantly change. Not because you have to muster up some kind of super-spiritual cheer. But because Jesus has come near.
The God who spoke galaxies into existence stepped into our fragile world as a newborn—small, vulnerable, wrapped in ordinary cloth. He entered the story at the bottom of the ladder, in the fields and stables and margins, so no one could ever say, “He didn’t come for someone like me.” From the very beginning, the message has been unmistakable: Jesus is for all. Shepherds. Kings. Young. Old. The overwhelmed, the joyful, the skeptical, the grieving, the hopeful. Every single one of us.
So as we begin Advent, maybe fear doesn’t disappear in a moment. But it loses its authority when we remember who is with us. We don’t walk into this season alone. We walk with Immanuel—God with us. God for us. God who sees us.
A Response for the Week:
Set aside five quiet minutes today. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal one fear you’ve been holding. Picture laying it down before Jesus, the way the shepherds laid their worries at His manger. Then pray: “Lord, help me receive Your hope. Teach my heart to rest in the promise that You are near and that Your hope is coming into the world.”
And as you go through the week, whisper those first words of Christmas over your own soul whenever anxiety tries to rise: “Fear not.” Jesus has come—and He came for you.
by Kelly Wagoner | Jan 3, 2025 | Great Light, Life and Faith
We can see throughout the Bible how God uses the contrast of light and darkness to tell us about Himself and what is good or evil. It starts in Genesis when God speaks light into existence. His light lives within all believers of our Lord Christ Jesus. The prologue in John is a precise summary of God’s story, but let us focus on one part in particular:
“In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5, CSB)
As Christians, we carry this same light in us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is our specific responsibility to shine that light in dark places. Jesus gives us His light to share in the great commission:
“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20, CSB)
God is telling us directly that He is the light inside men, and we are to share His light with others. My first question is, “Am I worthy to do this?” (That answer is yes, by the way, for us all).
My second question is, “How do I do that?” God is so gracious that He gives us story after story of using completely imperfect and unqualified people to do His work for His good purposes. By doing so, we give Him glory and make Him known to the world around us. In short, we are talking about ministry and evangelism. These are action words, and they evoke a myriad of thoughts and feelings around them. These words can also elicit hesitation at times if we are honest about it.
I have found myself in a family of missionaries who have traveled to faraway places to share the Light with others. I never asked for this, but it is where God led my footsteps. The Gospel is spread, people are healed, and disciples are made. The impact is real and tangible. Hearing songs of praise ring out in a different language brought me to tears. These songs of joyful praise crying up to Heaven were so beautiful that the birds went silent to listen. Obedient people who choose to go to the nations, donate goods, help with funding, and partner in prayer together spread His Light. Spiritually oppressed people are set free. This is His plan.
Mission trips are a highly visible and structured form of ministry and evangelism. The most needed, however, are much more subtle and have no rigid structure. This is called daily Christian life. My parents and grandparents taught me about responsibility in ways I can truly appreciate now. My grandfather would take me to visit friends and neighbors, often with a mission in mind of cutting down a dead tree, fixing a fence, or some other chore that needed to be done. My grandmother seemed to always have encouraging words for everyone she met and was the kindest woman I’ve ever known.
My father was much more in the background of my life but was a rock and strong shelter. He got up every morning to go to work and provide for our family. And my mother was a stranger to none. She genuinely cared about the people in our community, always served others, and was truly the salt of the earth that seasoned the life of everyone she touched. These are all things that may seem minor or insignificant in the day-to-day flurry of living life, but it all mattered to Him. They each loved God and loved their neighbors, just as Jesus commanded us to do.
I ask you to think about how you may be spreading the Light to those around you. Do you see everyone you meet as God’s unique masterpiece? Offer to pray for people you encounter who need healing or encouragement. Take time out of your day to reach out to a coworker, friend, or family member to foster a deeper connection. Give your time to a worthy cause in a selfless manner. Worship while you work. Be kind, but also walk in the authority God gives you in truth. Look for every opportunity to praise Him to others. Take care of your family; it is our first mission and ministry.
As we begin a new year, these are good challenges to consider. The time for action is now, as the new year brings a fresh opportunity to live out the light of Christ in tangible ways. As I’ve gone through the years of my life, I have learned that other people notice what you do and how you carry yourself. They notice the words you use, the things you do (or don’t do), how you treat others, and especially what you put on your social media. I encourage you to meditate on the Word, day and night, and attend regular meetings with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Join a small group or Bible study as we are accountable to each other to hold to the simple standard of loving God and loving our neighbors. If you cannot find one, start one. This is an action item in ministry, evangelism, and spreading the Light.
On a final note, Jesus sums up His vision for us in a beautiful metaphor:
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, CSB)
The time is now. Go forth and spread the Light in order to push back darkness!
by John Quinlan | Jan 1, 2025 | Great Light, Life and Faith
Two thousand and twenty-four years ago, a brilliant star shone above Bethlehem in the darkness of a long night. It was a sign of the fulfillment of God’s very first promise to man—to crush the head of the serpent—and the greatest evidence of His longsuffering faithfulness. It garnered the attention of a king and lowly shepherds alike. It brought a choir of angels to sing our Messiah’s praises and, more importantly, it brought salvation and redemption to sinful man. It brought light to our spiritual darkness and woes. The star of Bethlehem and the angels announced that God had come in the form of an infant—a spotless lamb that would be sacrificed for our sins. Thousands of years later, we have come to a greater understanding of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As we begin a new year, we should take a moment to reflect on what this means for our lives. We, as a church body, celebrate God’s promises to us. Like the woman at the well, we shout with uncontained joy at the knowledge of our salvation and the complete realization of God’s steadfast love.
As Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew 5:14-16, CSB: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
But we must ask, “What does it mean to be the light of the world?” If we are to be a light, we cannot have our own darkness dampen the light of Jesus Christ. To that end, we must follow God’s command and have mastery over ourselves. We cannot be slaves to sin. We must be disciplined to keep ourselves far from sin.
As Jesus says in Matthew 5:29-30, CSB: “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” We must rid ourselves of all the stumbling blocks that are placed before us. It is one thing to say that you should keep yourselves from temptation, but let’s not forget that temptation is rather tempting. We must always be on guard to see those things which draw us away from God.
We are all unique beings with our own cross to bear. Reflect on yourself. What draws you to sin, as it will not be the same as others? Does politics drive you to hate your fellow man? Discuss it no longer, as we must love each other. Does drinking lead you to say and do that which you would never do sober? Abstain from drink and guard your tongue from an ill word. Does television lead you to indolence? Turn it off and do the work of the Kingdom. Does the giving of gifts lead you to seek man’s recognition of your good? Take your name off the gifts you give, for you are storing much greater gifts in Heaven.
The path is wide to sin, but the gate to salvation is narrow. The world’s diverse pleasures cannot coexist in us with the pleasure of our King. As Jesus says in Luke 9:23, CSB: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.” To make God’s light more brilliant in yourself, read your Bible and meditate on it daily, pray without ceasing, ask God for forgiveness of your sins—both those you are aware of and unaware of, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in all that you do, and, most importantly, love all, including your enemies, as Christ loves us.
Remember Jesus’s words in Luke 6:32, CSB: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.”
Once we have purged ourselves of darkness, Jesus’s light can shine more brightly in us. We can shine our light before others unimpeded by our own faults. I beg your forgiveness, dear reader, as I have not yet answered the question, “What does it mean to be the light of the world?” To be the light of the world, we must follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ.
As Pastor David has said on many occasions, “More of you, God, and less of me.” In the next few days, as we step into the new year, we should do the following: give without expectation or reservation, as God has given His Son as a ransom for us; love without provocation, as Jesus loved us; show yourself as an example of Christ, and unashamedly praise God to all without fear, like Daniel.
Our American society has become a milieu of secularism, which is no more evident than in this “Holiday” season, and remembrance of our Lord’s birth has become secondary to the disconnected traditions of “X-mas.” But take heart, dear reader, like people fumbling in a dark room, Americans are searching for the light and meaning in the season. God commands you: Be that light in that dark room. The greatest gift you can ever give someone is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Shout out the joyous good news an infant brought us two thousand and twenty-four years ago.
Happy New Year and goodwill towards all men! God bless you, and may God’s glory reign throughout the Earth!
Signed Faithfully and Humbly,
John C. Quinlan
