{"id":2753,"date":"2026-01-26T17:31:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=2753"},"modified":"2026-01-26T17:31:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:31:04","slug":"christmas-presence","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/christmas-presence\/","title":{"rendered":"CHRISTMAS PRESENCE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christmas Presence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah 9:2, 6\u20137 (NIV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good evening everyone. Wow, what a special night to gather together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my family and me, being here tonight is a real treat. This place holds so much of our story. So many seasons of our lives. So many years and Christmases we\u2019ve spent here worshiping the Lord with you. Such a treat. So, thank you Pastor Keith for the invitation and this opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is something about Christmas Eve <\/strong>that I love. Maybe it\u2019s the beauty of this night, with the glow of the lights and the smells of the holidays. Or it could be the sounds of this night, the laughter, the joy, the carols that we sing. Maybe it\u2019s the way we\u2019ll end this service \u2014 with the lighting of candles and singing as we go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of those things are memorable and special to me. But, I think the think the most significant aspect of this night, is that we\u2019re reminded of the story behind this season \u2014 the coming of Christ. The story of God coming close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight, we gather not just to celebrate a holiday\u2014but to worship a Savior. Christmas is not just a season. It\u2019s a story. It\u2019s about a promise kept. It\u2019s about the story of God showing up. Not from a distance. Not in theory. But coming in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas is the story about God\u2019s presence coming down to be among His people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hear these words from the prophet<\/strong> Isaiah<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned\u2026For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.\u201d <\/em>\u2014 Isaiah 9:2, 6\u20137 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavenly Father, on this holy night, we pause in the midst of our busyness to open our hearts again to You, and Your presence. Some of us come full of joy. Others come tired, hurting, or maybe quietly searching. Wherever we are tonight, we invite You to come close. Remind us of Your nearness. Meet us here , we pray. In Jesus\u2019 name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Live In A World Longing for Presence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We live in a world longing for presence. Not “presents” — but “presence.” We live in a time in human history when closeness and relationship are so desired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah spoke these words into a season very similar to the one in which we live. It was a lonely time — and a dark season. The people of Israel were deeply discouraged. Surrounded by uncertainty. Worn down by fear and oppression. They felt forgotten. They felt alone. They felt distant from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And into that moment, that God made them a promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Not that everything would immediately change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Not that their struggles would suddenly disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 But that light would come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas does not deny the darkness. It enters it with presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We understand darkness, don\u2019t we? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That kind of darkness that comes with grief. The darkness that settles in after a painful personal loss. That kind of darkness that shows up when we\u2019ve prayed \u2014 but it seems like our prayers have gone unanswered. That\u2019s the kind of season the people of Israel were facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Isaiah<\/strong> describes them as people who were walking in darkness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s possible that even today, some of you feel that same way. Maybe you feel like you are walking in darkness. Maybe you\u2019re walking through a season of heaviness, or hopelessness, or heartache right now. Maybe things just seem dark in your life at this time.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s possible that even in the midst of the struggle, you\u2019re still showing up. Maybe you\u2019re still doing what needs to be done. Still pressing forward. Still fighting hard to provide and survive. And yet, life is hard. Things feel heavy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, if that\u2019s you \u2014 know this, God sees you. He knows who you are \u2014 and where you are. He\u2019s heard your cries for help and your prayers of desperation. He\u2019s aware of the hard season you\u2019re facing. And His response is not to pull away from you. His response is to draw close. R9 come near. To reveal Himself to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in the midst of your struggle \u2014 His response is to give you His PRESENCE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Christmas, this season, I want to encourage you \u2014 by reminding you that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. God Chose to Be Present In Your Life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what Christmas is all about, it\u2019s about Him showing up and being present in that moment He was needed most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the most desperate moment of our lives, God comes near. That\u2019s the heart of Christmas. God offers us hope. But not from a distance. He doesn\u2019t not shout hope from a distance. He didn\u2019t send a message from a distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Christmas God came near.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 He came quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 He came humbly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 He came in the smallest package<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 He came as a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, the miracle of Christmas is not just that Jesus was born. The greatest miracle is the way He came. Not as a Prince to a glorious palace, but as a pauper to a dirty stable. He wasn\u2019t presented to a king, but to a group of shepherds. He wasn\u2019t wrapped in royal robes, but in strips of cloth, burial cloths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because God wanted to be present with common people. Not the elite, but the empty. He came to the simple. He came to the struggling. And He did not wait for humanity to get things right or to cleaned up our lives. No, He stepped into the mess. Into our poverty. Into our vulnerability. Into the ordinary rhythms of our human lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a sense, I think the manger is God\u2019s way of saying, \u201cI am with you.\u201d <\/em>Christmas is the ultimate act of divine presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. God Chose to Break Into the Darkness of Your Life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah<\/strong> says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice, he didn’t say, “a spotlight has shown.” He didn’t describe a huge and sudden flash of light. A dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few weeks ago I took my annual pilgrimage to West Plains, MO to hunt with one of my best friends. And we did as we normally do, we got up that first morning, bundled up in our warmest clothes, and headed into the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, when we first step into the woods, it\u2019s cold and dark. We use a small flashlight to navigate the paths and to find our way to our tree stands. But it\u2019s dark. We usually arrive about 5am and climb up the tree into our stand long before the sun comes up. But after about an hour sitting in darkness\u2014 the sun begins to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s slow at first. As dawn breaks, a warm glow covers the eastern horizon. And then before you know it, the temperature begins to change. The darkness is replaced with light, and the morning awakens. It\u2019s glorious really. Birds begin to call. Squirrels begin to come out of their hiding. The light overtakes the darkness of night and things come alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what happens when the dawn breaks. The dawn is gentle. It doesn\u2019t rush. It doesn\u2019t overwhelm. But it is faithful and it\u2019s unstoppable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s often how God\u2019s presence works. Subtly. Quietly. Consistently. Patiently. That\u2019s how it would be on that first Christmas morning. The darkness would give way to light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For generations, people waited for that promise. They told the stories. They sang the songs. They prayed and hoped. And when the moment finally came, when heaven came down \u2014 it arrived softly, and subtly. It came with the cry of a new or baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On that first Christmas morning, God presence came near\u2014 the light of heaven pierced the darkness when God sent His son to come and rescue us from our sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And from that moment on, God\u2019s presence would never again be distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. God Chose to Reveal Himself to You.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God not only comes near; He not only pierces the darkness, but He also reveals Himself to us. That what Isaiah<\/strong> says, when he writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, he reveals something of His identity and destiny to us when he says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Think about that. He would be called:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Wonderful Counselor.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because He is God \u2014 present to guide our confused hearts and weary minds. And He\u2019s,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Mighty God.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because He is God \u2014 present to stand with us and for, ready to fight the battles in life that we could never win on our own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And He\u2019s,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Everlasting Father.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because He is God \u2014 present to comfort all who have known absence, or loss, or even abandonment in this life. As the everlasting Father, He is eternally present. And will never leave your side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And lastly, He is called,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Prince of Peace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because He is God \u2014 present in anxious moments, when hearts are troubled, when nights are restless, and days are wrought with fear. To you, He has come. He is close. He is with You.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus did not come to make a brief appearance. He came to stay. He did not just bring words from God. He is God with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Isiah\u2019s prophecy came true, A light dawned. Hope was given. And Jesus came to be our:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s why Christmas matters. Because heaven didn\u2019t come near, heaven didn\u2019t just touch earth. At Christmas, Heaven moved in.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author Eugene Peterson<\/strong> put it this way when he explained John 1:14 <\/strong>in his paraphrased version of the Bible. As He put it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the story of Christmas. That\u2019s the meaning of this season. God came near, made His presence known, and brings us hope! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recently heard a story about a man who grew up believing in God \u2014 but just believing He was distant. He bought into that awful lie of deism. That belief that teaches that God is like a “watchmaker” who just created the universe, wound it up, and left it to wind down. That religious view that rejects any kind of divine intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, that\u2019s the view this man held. He believed in God. Thought of His as powerful, yes. Holy, yes. But far away.  Later in his life, after facing great loss and hardship, someone invited him to a Christmas Eve service much like this one. It was filled with Scriptures and songs, carols, and candlelight, and a message of hope. And on that night, as he listened to the story of the virgin birth, the manger, something shifted. He said, \u201cIf God was willing to come that close, maybe He\u2019s close to me too.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That realization changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas does not ask you to have all the answers. It invites you to trust the presence of God. A God who enters our darkness. A God who sits with us in our questions. A God who walks with us through real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Invitation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight, you may feel close to God. Or you may feel far away. Either way, Christmas is God\u2019s invitation to draw near.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 You don\u2019t have to figure everything out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 You don\u2019t have to clean yourself up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 You don\u2019t have to have perfect faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You simply receive the gift. Because Christmas is not about how close we can get to God. It is about how close God has already come to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In communion, we remember that the child in the manger became the Savior on the cross. The bread reminds us He took on flesh. The cup reminds us He gave His life. Christmas always leads us forward to redemption, forgiveness, and new life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we receive communion tonight, we remember this truth. God\u2019s presence cost Him everything. Heaven came near so we could be made whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we close this holy night, hear this truth. Christmas is not just something we remember. It is something we receive.Christmas is not about everything being easy. It is about God choosing to be present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Present in our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Present in our weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Present in our waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So as you leave tonight, know this. You do not go alone. The God who came near in Bethlehem goes with you still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is not distant. He is present, now and always!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transition to Candle-lighting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In just a moment, we\u2019re going to light candles together. One light will be passed from person to person, slowly filling the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you receive the light tonight, let it be more than tradition. Let it be a reminder. The presence of Christ did not remain in Bethlehem. His light moved into the world. And by His Spirit, He is present with us now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hold the light quietly and remember this truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is near. You are not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas Presence<\/strong> means this: God is not distant. He is present with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer and Dismissal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you go tonight, go in peace, carry the light of Christ with you, and remember this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is near. Merry Christmas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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