Worship 12-21-25

When Love Moves into the Neighborhood

Advent 4 • Matthew 1:18–25

What if divine love isn’t just something we feel—but something that shows up?

In this Advent 4 sermon, we explore the story of Joseph and the surprising claim at the heart of Christmas: God is with us. Not from a distance. Not with instructions alone. But by moving into the neighborhood—into ordinary homes, complicated lives, and uncertain moments.

Through personal stories and the Gospel of Matthew, this message invites us to rethink love as presence, commitment, and courage. Joseph’s choice to stay with Mary becomes a picture of the kind of love God practices with us—and the kind of love we are invited to practice with one another.

This sermon reflects on:

Emmanuel: God with us

Love as presence, not just emotion

Crossing thresholds from safety into faithfulness

How God’s love teaches us how to love others

As we approach Christmas, this message invites us to notice where love is already close—and how we might carry that love into our own neighborhoods.