Read and listen to messages
preached from the pulpit of First Baptist Church

Read and listen to messages
preached from the pulpit of
First Baptist Church

The Tension - 2 Corinthians 5:7

Life is filled with moments where decisions must be made, paths must be chosen, and direction must be set. In those moments, every believer feels a pull in two different directions. One direction urges us to trust what we can see, calculate what makes sense, and move forward only when the outcome feels safe. The other direction calls us to trust God, obey His Word, and move forward even when the details are unclear. That inner pull is what can be described as the tension.

Second Corinthians 5:7 places this tension front and center: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” This verse is simple, but it is not easy. Paul is not dismissing wisdom, facts, or careful thought. Rather, he is declaring what must govern the Christian life. Faith, not sight, is meant to be the deciding voice. The believer does not deny reality, but refuses to let visible circumstances determine obedience. Faith asks, “What did God say?” while sight asks, “How will this work out?” Every day, believers must choose which voice will lead.

Throughout Scripture, faith is not primarily defined but displayed. From Abraham leaving his home without knowing his destination, to Noah building an ark before rain ever fell, faith rests on the Word of God. At the same time, Scripture also shows negative examples, such as Israel at Kadesh Barnea, where fear and sight overruled faith and led to long-term consequences. These accounts remind us that walking by faith is not optional for a fruitful Christian life. It is essential.

1. Sight Allows Circumstances to Preach to Us

When believers walk by sight, circumstances begin to act like preachers. Every situation starts sending a message. Bills preach anxiety. Delays preach doubt. Silence preaches abandonment. Prosperity in the lives of others can preach envy. When circumstances take the pulpit, they shape our thinking and influence our decisions.

The psalmist experienced this struggle in Psalm 73 when he admitted that his feet had almost slipped as he watched the prosperity of the wicked. What he saw distorted what he believed. It was not until he entered the sanctuary of God and returned to God’s truth that clarity came. Circumstances are constant preachers, but they are terrible theologians. They do not reveal God’s character, His faithfulness, or His promises. Scripture does.

Walking by faith requires choosing which voice will preach to us. God’s Word must have the final say, even when circumstances appear loud, convincing, and overwhelming.

2. Sight Allows Fear to Scare Us

Sight does not stop at preaching; it also produces fear. When circumstances dominate our thinking, fear naturally follows. Proverbs 29:25 warns, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” Fear asks questions filled with uncertainty. What if this fails? What if God does not come through? What if obedience costs too much?

Faith is not reckless, but it is courageous. The three Hebrew men standing before the fiery furnace saw real danger, yet they refused to let fear dictate their obedience. Sight would have told them to bow. Faith told them to stand. Their confidence was not in survival, but in God Himself. When faith led, fear lost its power.

Many believers struggle with anxiety because they are unintentionally walking by sight. Fear often disguises itself as wisdom, but fear is rooted in what we see, not in who God is. Faith trusts God even when fear insists on retreat.

3. Sight Allows Control to Manipulate Us

Another danger of walking by sight is the illusion of control. Sight convinces us that if we plan enough, manage carefully, and prepare backup options, we can control outcomes. Control feels responsible and even spiritual, but it subtly replaces trust with self-reliance.

Scripture confronts this mindset directly. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). Faith does not mean inactivity, but it does mean surrender. Faith obeys while releasing the outcome to God. Sight obeys only if it can maintain control.

The tension between faith and sight becomes clear here. We often want to trust God while still holding the reins. True faith steps out of the driver’s seat and allows God to lead, even when the road ahead is unfamiliar.

Walking by Faith in Everyday Life

One of the most challenging truths from this message is that faith is often tested more in small, everyday decisions than in major crises. When life feels manageable, it is easy to rely on sight. When situations feel impossible, faith feels more natural. Yet God calls His people to walk by faith at all times, not only when options run out.

Faith believes what cannot be seen and obeys what is known to be true. It listens to God’s Word instead of circumstances, trusts God instead of fear, and submits to God instead of control. The Christian life cannot be lived partially by faith and partially by sight. The two compete for authority, and only one can lead.

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you feeling the tension between faith and sight right now? What would change if you chose to listen to God’s Word instead of your circumstances and walked forward in faith?

Read Story

Pastor JD Howell

4 min read

The Tension - 2 Corinthians 5:7

The Tension - 2 Corinthians 5:7

1. Sight Allows Circumstances to Preach to Us

Walking by faith requires choosing which voice will preach to us. God’s Word must have the final say, even when circumstances appear loud, convincing, and overwhelming.

2. Sight Allows Fear to Scare Us

3. Sight Allows Control to Manipulate Us

Walking by Faith in Everyday Life

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you feeling the tension between faith and sight right now? What would change if you chose to listen to God’s Word instead of your circumstances and walked forward in faith?

Read Story

Pastor JD Howell

4 min read

Sermon Series

The Tension - 2 Corinthians 5:7

1. Sight Allows Circumstances to Preach to Us

Walking by faith requires choosing which voice will preach to us. God’s Word must have the final say, even when circumstances appear loud, convincing, and overwhelming.

2. Sight Allows Fear to Scare Us

3. Sight Allows Control to Manipulate Us

Walking by Faith in Everyday Life

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you feeling the tension between faith and sight right now? What would change if you chose to listen to God’s Word instead of your circumstances and walked forward in faith?

Jan 11, 2026

4 min read

Author: Pastor JD Howell

Sermon Series

Living in Confidence of What We Cannot See - 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Most of life is lived by sight. We choose what feels safest. We move forward when the path looks clear. We trust what we can measure, explain, and control. That kind of living feels responsible and sensible, and in many ways it looks like wisdom.

But Scripture keeps calling believers to something deeper. God does not merely save us so we can attend church and blend in with a religious crowd. He saves us so we can live a life that pleases Him, a life worthy of the salvation Christ purchased for us. That kind of life will not be governed by what we can see. It will be governed by what God has said.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul is writing to a church that had real struggles and real pressure. They were facing the complexities of life, and in that tension, Paul places a clear, simple truth at the center: a believer’s daily walk is meant to be faith-led. Faith is not something we visit only in a crisis. Faith is the road God calls us to walk every day.

Paul begins with certainty, not speculation. He writes:

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

That word “know” matters. Biblical faith is not wishful thinking. It is settled confidence rooted in the promises of God. When life feels fragile and uncertain, faith anchors the soul to what God has already declared to be true.

From this passage, we are pointed to several comparisons that expose the tension we all feel. Each one presses the same question: will I walk by faith, or will I live by sight?

1. Our Present Circumstances vs. Our Future Glory

Paul speaks honestly about life in the present. He describes groaning and being burdened. He does not pretend that following Christ removes the weight of hardship. There are seasons where life feels heavy. Relationships strain. Sickness interrupts. Finances tighten. Stress piles up. Sometimes you wake up, and your heart already feels tired before the day even begins.

Yet Paul refuses to let today’s burden become the final word. He points the believer forward. There is a future glory that is real, lasting, and certain for every child of God. This life is not the end of the story. God has prepared something eternal for His people, and the heaviness of now must be interpreted through the hope of what is coming.

This comparison changes how we handle the pressure of life. If this world is all we have, then every loss is crushing. But if heaven is real, and Christ is faithful, and eternity is secure, then today’s burdens do not own us. They may weigh on us, but they do not define us.

2. Our Earthly Dwelling vs. Our Eternal Dwelling

Paul uses vivid language: an “earthly house,” a “tabernacle,” a temporary dwelling. He is speaking about more than physical homes. He is speaking about our bodies, our current earthly existence. This life is like living out of a suitcase. You can function, you can travel, you can get through the days, but deep down, you know it is not permanent.

That is why Paul says we groan and long to be clothed with what is from heaven. There is a longing in the believer that recognizes, even in the best moments, there is more than this world can offer. If this world fully satisfies us, something is spiritually off within us. God did not create us to find our deepest comfort in temporary things.

Our earthly bodies and earthly life can pull us away from faith. We wrestle with weakness, aging, and limitations. We battle fear, anxiety, and discouragement. We crave comfort, control, and approval. We feel disappointment when life does not turn out the way we expected. All of these pressures tempt us to live by sight, to cling tightly to what we can manage.

But God reminds us that this “tent” is not our forever home. If we treat the temporary like it is permanent, we will be crushed when it starts to fall apart. The believer’s stability is not found in making this life last forever. It is found in knowing that God has already prepared what lasts forever.

3. Faith vs. Sight

All of this leads to the heart of the passage. Paul states the principle plainly:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Paul is not denying facts. Circumstances are real. Pain is real. Bills are real. Problems are real. But they are not meant to be the governing authority of the believer’s decisions. The Christian life is not controlled by what we see, but by what God has revealed.

This is where the challenge becomes personal. What would change in my life if I walked by faith and not by sight? Many people will trust Christ for eternal life, but then demand sight for daily life. They say they believe God can save them, but they live as if God cannot be trusted with their decisions, their relationships, their finances, their emotions, or their future.

Faith living is learning to let God’s Word lead, even when it does not feel natural, even when it does not look safe, and even when it costs something.

Three aspects of faith living

Faith trusts before it sees.
Faith says, “Lord, I do not know how this will work out, but I trust You.” It does not wait until everything makes sense. It leans on God’s character before the outcome becomes visible.

Faith obeys without visual evidence.
It is one thing to obey when you can see the payoff. It is another thing to obey simply because God said so. Faith steps forward when the evidence is not in your hands yet, because the promise of God is.

Faith believes in God before results appear.
Faith does not require immediate proof to keep going. It keeps obeying, keeps praying, keeps doing right, and keeps honoring Christ because God is worthy of trust, even when the results are still forming.

This is why “walking” matters. Walking is daily. Walking is repeated steps. Walking is forward movement even when you do not feel strong. God is looking for believers who will simply keep taking the next faithful step.

A practical challenge for today

Sight-based living asks, “What is safest?” Faith-based living asks, “What pleases Jesus Christ?” Sight-based living waits until the path is clear. Faith-based living moves when God’s Word is clear. Sight-based living clings to comfort. Faith-based living values obedience.

So take an honest look at your own patterns. Where have you been demanding sight? Where have you been leaning on your own understanding more than God’s Word? Where have fear and control replaced trust and obedience?

God has not called you to guess your way through life. He has called you to trust your way through life. He has called you to walk by faith.

Reflection Question

If you truly began walking by faith instead of sight, what specific decision, habit, or fear would need to change first?

Jan 11, 2026

6 min read

Author: Pastor JD Howell

Events

Stewardship Banquet 2026

The annual Stewardship Banquet at First Baptist Church is always a special evening, bringing our church family together around a warm, delicious meal and uplifting fellowship. This gathering is more than just a dinner—it is a meaningful time to reflect on God’s blessings and to be reminded of the privilege we have to use those blessings for His glory. As families and friends sit together around the table, conversations and laughter fill the room, creating an atmosphere of unity and gratitude.

Throughout the afternoon, guests are encouraged not only by the food before them but by the intentional reminders of God’s faithfulness. Testimonies, Scripture, and thoughtful reflections highlight how the Lord continues to guide, provide, and sustain His people. These moments help us see that stewardship is not simply a task or obligation, but a joyful expression of worship. It is an opportunity to acknowledge God as the giver of all things and to respond to His goodness with willing and obedient hearts.

One of the core messages of the banquet is that stewardship reaches far beyond finances. While giving generously and managing our resources wisely is an important part of Christian living, God calls us to something even deeper. We are stewards of our time, our talents, our relationships, and our influence. The banquet challenges each of us to examine how we are using every area of our lives to honor Christ. Whether through serving others, investing in our families, growing in spiritual disciplines, or sharing the gospel, we are reminded that every moment is an opportunity to live out faithful stewardship.

As the afternoon concludes, we pray you leave encouraged, renewed, and committed to living more intentionally for Jesus Christ. The Stewardship Banquet at First Baptist Church serves as a yearly reminder that stewardship is not a seasonal emphasis but a lifelong calling. With full hearts and a renewed vision, our church family continues forward, determined to steward our lives—our finances, our time, and our gifts—in a way that brings honor to the One who has given us everything.

Jan 6, 2026

2 min read

Author: Danny Galdamez

Sermon Series

The Tension - 2 Corinthians 5:7

1. Sight Allows Circumstances to Preach to Us

Walking by faith requires choosing which voice will preach to us. God’s Word must have the final say, even when circumstances appear loud, convincing, and overwhelming.

2. Sight Allows Fear to Scare Us

3. Sight Allows Control to Manipulate Us

Walking by Faith in Everyday Life

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you feeling the tension between faith and sight right now? What would change if you chose to listen to God’s Word instead of your circumstances and walked forward in faith?

Sermon Series

Living in Confidence of What We Cannot See - 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Paul begins with certainty, not speculation. He writes:

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

From this passage, we are pointed to several comparisons that expose the tension we all feel. Each one presses the same question: will I walk by faith, or will I live by sight?

1. Our Present Circumstances vs. Our Future Glory

2. Our Earthly Dwelling vs. Our Eternal Dwelling

3. Faith vs. Sight

All of this leads to the heart of the passage. Paul states the principle plainly:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Faith living is learning to let God’s Word lead, even when it does not feel natural, even when it does not look safe, and even when it costs something.

Three aspects of faith living

A practical challenge for today

God has not called you to guess your way through life. He has called you to trust your way through life. He has called you to walk by faith.

Reflection Question

If you truly began walking by faith instead of sight, what specific decision, habit, or fear would need to change first?

Events

Stewardship Banquet 2026

Christmas 2025 Sermons

God Still Sits on the Throne - Luke 1

When life feels chaotic, uncertain, or out of control, one of the deepest questions we wrestle with is simple but searching: Who is really in charge? We live in a world where authority is constantly challenged, leadership is often disappointing, and promises are frequently broken. It is easy to feel forgotten, overlooked, or even abandoned when circumstances do not unfold the way we expected. Yet Luke 1 draws our attention back to a foundational truth that anchors every generation of believers. God has not stepped off His throne, and His plan has not stalled.

Luke chapter 1 records the angel’s announcement to Mary, a moment filled with wonder, fear, and divine promise. What unfolds is not just the announcement of a baby, but the declaration of a King. This child would not merely enter the world quietly and fade into history. He would fulfill ancient promises, reign with divine authority, and establish a kingdom that would never end. In a season often focused on sentiment and nostalgia, Scripture reminds us that Christmas is about sovereignty. God still sits on the throne.

1. The Promise of His Reign

From the very beginning of Scripture, God made it clear that a King was coming. Christmas did not begin in Bethlehem. It began in the promises of God spoken centuries earlier. The angel told Mary that her son would sit on the throne of David and reign forever. This was not a new idea, but the continuation of a promise God had been faithfully revealing throughout history.

God promised that a ruler would come from the line of David whose kingdom would never end. Humanly speaking, that promise seemed impossible. Kings died, dynasties collapsed, and even David’s line appeared broken by curse and failure. Yet God proved once again that what is impossible with man is possible with Him. Jesus alone could fulfill the promise, born of Mary from David’s line and legally adopted by Joseph from the royal line, without inheriting the curse.

The birth of Christ shows us that God always keeps His word. When we feel forgotten or tempted to believe God has failed us, Luke 1 reminds us otherwise. God fulfills every promise at exactly the right time. The manger stands as proof that God’s word never returns void.

2. The Power of His Reign

Jesus did not come only to fulfill prophecy. He came with authority. Even as a newborn, His kingship was recognized. The wise men did not ask where the baby was. They asked, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” His birth announced power, not weakness, and authority, not fragility.

Though Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, He was no ordinary child. Herod understood this, which is why he felt threatened. Earthly kings fear losing control, but Christ’s authority cannot be challenged or overturned. He is King by right, not by force.

When Jesus reigns, everything changes. He brings peace where fear once ruled. He brings light where darkness dominated. He brings hope where despair had taken root. His kingdom is not marked by chaos or confusion, but by order, truth, and redemption. This King does not rule harshly, but perfectly.

3. The Personal Call of His Reign

While it is easy to celebrate Jesus as King in theory, the more difficult question is personal. Who is in charge of your life? Jesus Himself asked, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Acknowledging His authority with our words is not the same as submitting to it with our lives.

When we place ourselves on the throne, we become poor rulers. We react based on feelings, defend our own preferences, and often blame others when things fall apart. Christ does not belong in the passenger seat. He calls us to surrender completely, to place Him firmly in control.

True submission leads to service. When Jesus reigns, we serve Him gladly, not reluctantly. Our obedience flows from love, not obligation. And when He reigns, we share Him freely. A King this good is worth telling others about. He welcomes all who come to Him and turns no one away.

4. The Eternal Stability of His Throne

The angel’s words to Mary concluded with a powerful declaration: “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33). Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but Christ’s reign is unshakable. His throne is not threatened by time, opposition, or human failure.

This truth brings comfort and conviction. Comfort, because our lives are secure in the hands of an unchanging King. Conviction, because we must honestly evaluate whether we are allowing Him to rule. God does not demand perfection, but He does call for humility, obedience, and a surrendered heart.

Reflection Question:If your decisions from this past week were put on display, would they show that Jesus truly sits on the throne of your life, or is it time to surrender control and let Him reign again?

Sermon Series

The Tension - 2 Corinthians 5:7

1. Sight Allows Circumstances to Preach to Us

Walking by faith requires choosing which voice will preach to us. God’s Word must have the final say, even when circumstances appear loud, convincing, and overwhelming.

2. Sight Allows Fear to Scare Us

3. Sight Allows Control to Manipulate Us

Walking by Faith in Everyday Life

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you feeling the tension between faith and sight right now? What would change if you chose to listen to God’s Word instead of your circumstances and walked forward in faith?

Sermon Series

Living in Confidence of What We Cannot See - 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Paul begins with certainty, not speculation. He writes:

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

From this passage, we are pointed to several comparisons that expose the tension we all feel. Each one presses the same question: will I walk by faith, or will I live by sight?

1. Our Present Circumstances vs. Our Future Glory

2. Our Earthly Dwelling vs. Our Eternal Dwelling

3. Faith vs. Sight

All of this leads to the heart of the passage. Paul states the principle plainly:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Faith living is learning to let God’s Word lead, even when it does not feel natural, even when it does not look safe, and even when it costs something.

Three aspects of faith living

A practical challenge for today

God has not called you to guess your way through life. He has called you to trust your way through life. He has called you to walk by faith.

Reflection Question

If you truly began walking by faith instead of sight, what specific decision, habit, or fear would need to change first?

Events

Stewardship Banquet 2026

Christmas 2025 Sermons

God Still Sits on the Throne - Luke 1

1. The Promise of His Reign

2. The Power of His Reign

3. The Personal Call of His Reign

4. The Eternal Stability of His Throne

Christmas 2025 Sermons

The God of the Impossible - Isaiah 7

When we hear the word impossible, our minds usually go to situations that feel overwhelming and unfixable. A diagnosis we did not expect. A burden that seems too heavy. A circumstance that leaves us asking, “Lord, where are You?” Christmas reminds us that God often works most powerfully in moments that appear impossible to us. Long before a manger, before shepherds, and before a star lit the night sky, God spoke a promise that defied human logic and stretched human faith.

Isaiah 7 brings us to one of the most profound promises in all of Scripture. It is not merely a comforting verse for the Christmas season, but a declaration of who God is. He is not limited by nature, biology, or human understanding. He is the God of the impossible. In Isaiah’s day, this promise met a desperate national crisis. In our day, it meets the deepest spiritual need of the human heart.

The prophet records God’s words in Isaiah 7:14, a verse that has echoed through centuries of waiting hearts: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

This sign was not requested by man. It was initiated by God Himself. In it, we see a God who does not merely respond to human problems, but steps into them with power, grace, and purpose.

1. A Promise Beyond Human Comprehension

God’s promise to Ahaz was not ordinary. A child being born is a miracle, but it is not a sign that stops the world in its tracks. God declared something far greater. A virgin would conceive. This was a sign that could not be explained away by human reasoning or reduced to coincidence. It was meant to point unmistakably to the hand of God.

Many struggle with this truth because it goes beyond what the human mind can explain. Yet Scripture reminds us that God often does His greatest work where human understanding ends. This was not biology at work. It was divine intervention. God was stepping into history in a way that only He could.

The virgin birth teaches us that salvation itself is impossible apart from God. If Christ had been born like any other man, He could not have saved us from sin. Without a virgin birth, there is no sinless Savior, and without a sinless Savior, there is no salvation. God did not ask what was possible. He declared what was necessary.

2. A Sign for a Present Crisis

Isaiah’s prophecy was given during a moment of national fear. King Ahaz faced two enemy kings who threatened to destroy Judah. Though Ahaz was a wicked king, God still sent a message of deliverance. Through Isaiah, God declared that these enemies were nothing more than “smoking firebrands.” They appeared dangerous, but they held no real power against God’s plan.

God invited Ahaz to ask for a sign, any sign, to confirm His promise. Instead, Ahaz refused, hiding his unbelief behind religious language. What sounded spiritual was actually disobedience. God responded by giving a sign anyway. In Ahaz’s day, a young woman would bear a child named Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Before that child could discern good from evil, the threatening kings would be gone.

This short-term fulfillment reminds us that God is faithful even when His people struggle to trust Him. When it feels like God is distant, He is still present. When circumstances suggest defeat, God is already declaring victory. The child named Immanuel was a reminder that God had not abandoned His people, even in their rebellion.

3. A Greater Fulfillment Through Christ

Isaiah’s prophecy did not end with a temporary rescue. Seven hundred years later, God expanded the meaning of that promise in a way no one could have imagined. Matthew 1 tells us how the Holy Ghost conceived Christ in the womb of the virgin Mary, fulfilling Isaiah’s words in their fullest sense.

The angel declared to Joseph that Mary’s child was of God, and that His name would be Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew then connects this moment directly to Isaiah’s prophecy, confirming that the virgin birth was God’s ultimate sign. Jesus was not merely symbolic of God’s presence. He was literally God with us.

This fulfillment went far beyond deliverance from earthly enemies. Jesus came to conquer sin, death, and the devil himself. Hebrews 2 explains that Christ became fully man so He could suffer with us, fully God so He could save us, and a faithful High Priest who understands our weakness. Because of the virgin birth, we have a Savior who can relate to our pain and deliver us from our bondage.

4. Hope That Was Freely Given

The virgin birth is not theological trivia. It is our hope. It guarantees that Christ is sinless, powerful, and compassionate. It assures us that death has been defeated and that salvation is freely offered. God’s gift of salvation is not something He sells or profits from. God’s solution to humanity’s greatest problem was given freely.

What the world called impossible, God called His sign. What mankind could never achieve on its own, God accomplished through His Son. Christmas reminds us that God’s greatest work often begins in places that seem small, fragile, and unimpressive, but end in eternal victory.

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). This is the heart of Christmas. The God of the impossible stepped into our world so that sinners could have hope, forgiveness, and life.

Reflection Question:Where in your life have you limited God to what seems possible, instead of trusting Him to do what only He can do?

Christmas 2025 Sermons

The Angel's Announcement - Micah 5:2

Luke chapter 2 is perhaps the most familiar Christmas passage in all of Scripture. It tells us plainly and powerfully that the birth of Jesus Christ was not a legend or a symbol, but a literal event that took place in real time, in a real town, among real people. Jesus was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. God stepped into human history, not in theory, but in flesh. What Luke records is exactly what happened.

At Christmas, we are reminded that God keeps His promises. More than 300 Old Testament prophecies pointed to the coming of Christ, and each one was fulfilled with precision. On this Christmas Eve, the focus falls on one specific promise: that Christ would be born in Bethlehem. God declared it in Micah 5:2, and once God made that promise, every other place on earth was eliminated. Jesus could not be born just anywhere. He would be born in Bethlehem, exactly as God said. The same Savior who is from everlasting to everlasting entered the world at a precise moment and place, proving again that God’s word never fails.

Luke 2 shows us how God used ordinary circumstances, even inconveniences, to accomplish His perfect plan. A decree for taxation sent Joseph and Mary on a difficult journey. What appeared to be a disruption was actually the means God used to fulfill His promise. Even problems are never wasted in God’s hands. Through this familiar story, God invites us to see Bethlehem not just as a location, but as a message for every heart that feels empty and in need.

1. Bethlehem Was a Place No One Expected

Bethlehem was not impressive by worldly standards. It was not a center of political power like Rome, nor a religious center like Jerusalem, nor a place of learning like Alexandria. It was a small agricultural village, known mainly for fields, flocks, and families. There were no palaces, no fortresses, and no trade routes. Many travelers passed through Bethlehem without a second glance. It was little enough to be forgotten.

Yet this overlooked town was exactly where God chose to send His Son. Scripture reminds us, “Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah” (Micah 5:2). God did not choose Bethlehem because of its greatness, but because of its humility. God is attracted to humility, not self-promotion. James reminds us, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Bethlehem had nothing to boast in, which made it the perfect place for God to work.

This truth still applies today. What the world ignores, heaven often selects. God delights in using people and places that seem unimpressive so that His power and glory are unmistakable. When we feel overlooked or insignificant, we are often exactly where God can work most powerfully.

2. Bethlehem Was a Place God Had Prepared

Though small, Bethlehem was never insignificant in God’s plan. Long before the birth of Christ, God was already writing redemption into its history. In Genesis 35, Bethlehem was a place of sorrow, where Rachel died and tears were shed. Yet that same ground would later witness the birth of the One who would wipe away all tears. God often allows sorrow to prepare the soil for future hope.

Bethlehem was also a place of leadership. In 1 Samuel 16, God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint David, the shepherd boy who would become Israel’s greatest king. From this same town would come not just a king, but the King of kings. Bethlehem reminds us that God’s plans often span generations, and He prepares long before we see the outcome.

Finally, Bethlehem was a place of redemption. In the book of Ruth, it is in Bethlehem that Ruth meets Boaz, her kinsman redeemer. This beautiful story of restoration and grace points forward to Jesus Christ, the ultimate Redeemer. Every chapter of Bethlehem’s history quietly pointed toward the coming Savior.

3. Bethlehem Was a Place That Preached a Message

The name Bethlehem means “house of bread.” This is no coincidence. God sent the One who would satisfy the hunger of the world to be born in the house of bread. Throughout Scripture, bread represents God’s provision. In the wilderness, manna fell from heaven to sustain Israel. It was daily, sufficient, and entirely from God.

Jesus later echoed this truth when He said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). The Savior born in Bethlehem did not merely meet physical needs. He meets the deeper hunger of the soul. Acceptance, forgiveness, peace, and hope are found only in Him.

An empty plate may not look impressive, but it is the only plate that can be filled. Bethlehem was empty by worldly standards, and that is why God chose it. Likewise, hearts that are full of pride leave no room for God, but humble hearts are ready to receive His grace. Christmas reminds us that Jesus alone satisfies, and He fills those who come to Him empty and trusting.

Reflection Question

Are you willing to come to Christ like an empty plate, humble and ready to be filled? What areas of your life might need to be emptied so that God can truly satisfy your heart?

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