John Stutters centers his message on the greatest gift ever given — God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Beginning with a lighthearted moment involving physical gifts, he quickly turns the congregation’s attention to the deeper meaning of giving, especially during the Christmas season.
He explains that while human gifts are meaningful, temporary, and often exchanged out of love or obligation, God’s gift is entirely different. Jesus Christ was given freely, sacrificially, and intentionally to meet humanity’s greatest need — salvation from sin.
John emphasizes several key truths:
God is the giver, not humanity. Salvation is not earned, deserved, or worked for.
The gift must be received — just as a present is meaningless if left unopened.
Many people admire the idea of Jesus but never truly receive Him personally.
Christ’s gift brings forgiveness, new life, peace with God, and eternal hope.
He gently challenges listeners to consider whether they have merely heard about the gift or whether they have actually received it by faith. John stresses that saying “thank you” intellectually is not the same as accepting Christ into one’s life.
The sermon closes with a warm, pastoral appeal for individuals to respond personally to God’s grace — not later, not theoretically, but now — and to recognize that the greatest gift ever given calls for a genuine response of faith, gratitude, and transformed living.