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In Exodus 15, the people of Israel sang a song they had never been able to sing before, a song of freedom. They had lived in captivity for years. Their lives were marked by oppression, labor, and hopelessness.

In the book of Acts, there is the story of two men leaving Jerusalem and heading to Emmaus. They had lost heart and were walking away from the place of the greatest victory in human history.

If we were to talk about last days’ battles, there would be many opinions about what that could be: faith to stand, faith to move mountains, gifts of the Holy Spirit abounding in the church once again.

Welcome, and thank you for joining this Christmas message. It’s Christmas. Do you believe? This is not simply a question about whether we believe that God sent His Son as a baby in a manger.

One day we will fully understand the mercy of God. His incredible mercy that reached down to us in our lowest state, not only to redeem us, but to invite us to share in His life through the Holy Spirit living within us.

Matthew 7:21–27 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name...

I want to speak to those who feel captivated, lost, or hopeless, those who can’t see a way out or imagine their life amounting to anything for the kingdom of God. I want to suggest to you that God is speaking to you, whether you can hear Him or not.

Have you ever paused to truly ask yourself: Who am I in Christ? In the midst of all our religious activity—our striving, our serving, even our worship—it’s a question that can quietly fade into the background. 

There are moments when God opens our eyes to something we should have known all truths we’ve heard before but never truly grasped. Recently, I had such a moment. I realized that while I had often spoken about my father, I had never truly honored him.

I’ve seen so many prayer requests recently, and one in particular stood out: “I’ve just lost hope. I have no forward strategy. Everything is gone.” This sense of despair isn’t rare—it’s coming from every corner of the world.