349. The Gospel Is Not About Being Naughty or Nice

Welcome back to the kitchen table. As the Christmas season approaches, it’s easy to get swept up in lists and expectations—who’s been good, what gifts to give, how to make everything perfect. 

We celebrate Christmas because we belong to Jesus. The gospel isn’t about earning or achieving—it’s about grace. At Christmas, there’s no performance checklist, no need to prove yourself. You’re loved simply because you’re His.

As parents, it’s easy to slip into performance-based parenting, even during the holidays. We start layering behavior with conditions: "If you’re good, you’ll get this." But that’s not the message of Christmas.

The gifts under the tree? They’re not there because of behavior. They’re there because we love our kids. It’s our way of saying, “You’re mine, and I love you.”

This Christmas, let’s redirect our children’s hearts to the true gift—Jesus. He loves us unconditionally, not because of what we’ve done, but because of who we are to Him.

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