Light in the Darkness | Christmas Eve Service

In this Christmas Eve message, Light in the Darkness, we reflect on the timeless contrast between light and darkness—seen from the very beginning of creation to the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals that even the smallest light pierces the deepest darkness.

The Bible uses this image to describe: Nations walking through dark seasons, Personal struggles and, weary hearts. And most importantly, our spiritual reality apart from God.

The core problem of the world isn’t just hardship—it’s the rejection of God and His ways, which leads to brokenness. But because of His great love, God sent His Son to shine light into our spiritual darkness and make a way for salvation.

Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.” His light cannot be overcome, and when we turn to Him, we move from darkness to light, from death to life, and from despair to lasting hope.

This Christmas Eve message invites you to reflect, respond, and rejoice in the truth that:

The darkness has not won

The Light has come

And our future is brighter because of Jesus If you’re walking through a difficult season or searching for hope this Christmas, this message is for you.

🎄 Key Themes:

✔ Light overcoming darkness

✔ Jesus as the Light of the World

✔ Salvation found by turning to the light

✔ Hope for today and eternity

✔ A future illuminated by God’s glory

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved: We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, next steps, missions, and events at:https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations: Multiple campuses across West-Central Florida

Find a location near you → https://bellshoals.com/locations/

In a world marked by uncertainty, fear, and hardship, hope can feel fragile—or even unrealistic. But in this Advent message, Pastor Corey walks through 1 Peter 1 and Isaiah 7 to show that the hope God offers is not wishful thinking or blind optimism—it’s stubborn, resilient, and secure.

From Winston Churchill’s refusal to surrender during World War II to King Ahaz trembling before overwhelming enemies, Scripture reminds us that true hope is not rooted in circumstances, but in confidence. When Judah faced invasion and fear gripped the nation, God gave a sign that pointed far beyond the moment—a promise of Immanuel, God with us.

This message reveals how the birth of Jesus is a hope that holds—not just for Israel then, but for believers now. While hope killers like past pain, uncertainty about the future, health struggles, broken relationships, or financial pressure can leave hearts weary, God offers a living hope grounded in His faithfulness and proven track record throughout history.

Biblical hope isn’t passive—it’s a confident expectation anchored in who God is and what He has already done. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, our hope is alive, secure, and eternal.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or worn down by life, this message will remind you where lasting hope is found—and why it never fails.

✔ Why Christian hope is confident, not circumstantial

✔ How God’s faithfulness in the past fuels hope for the future

✔ Why Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises

✔ How to hold onto hope in seasons of hardship

✔ Why setting your hope on Christ leads to sustained endurance

Share this message with someone who needs to be reminded that no matter how dark things feel, our hope is alive—and it holds.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

In a world filled with noise, interruptions, and uncertainty, peace can feel out of reach. But in this Advent message, Pastor Corey walks through John 14:27, Philippians 4:6–9, and Isaiah 26 to show that the peace Jesus offers is not circumstantial or fragile—it’s supernatural, steady, and unshakable.

From anxious disciples caught in a storm to God’s people facing the threat of Assyria, Scripture reveals that peace isn’t the absence of conflict—it’s the presence of trust. While worry rises when outcomes are uncertain, Jesus gives a peace that persists even when the future feels unclear.

Through powerful biblical truth and moving stories like Horatio Spafford’s hymn “It Is Well with My Soul,” this message reminds us that peace isn’t found in a place or a plan—it’s found in a Person. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, steadies us in the present and secures us for the future.

If your mind feels consumed by worry, anxiety, or chaos, this message will help you see how God’s peace can guard your heart and mind—even when circumstances don’t change.

✔ Why peace is the antidote to chaos

✔ Why the opposite of peace isn’t war—but worry

✔ How Jesus gives peace when outcomes are uncertain

✔ Why peace increases as we know the Peace-Giver

✔ How supernatural peace can exist even in deep sorrow

Share this message with someone who needs to be reminded that no matter what they’re facing, God’s peace is still available—and it is well with their soul.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at

https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

When life feels heavy or uncertain, joy can seem distant. But in this week’s Advent message, Pastor Corey shows from John 16:16–22 and Matthew 2:11 that Jesus offers a joy that isn’t fragile, temporary, or tied to circumstances. It’s a durable delight—rooted in God, generated by the Spirit, and strong enough to rise even in seasons of sorrow.

From the wise men who were overwhelmed with joy at the sight of Jesus, to the disciples who learned that their grief would one day give way to rejoicing, Scripture reveals a God who transforms setbacks into victory. Just like Lasse Viren’s legendary Olympic comeback, what looks like disaster in our lives often becomes the very place where God displays His glory.

If you’re facing discouragement, disappointment, or a season of waiting, this message helps you see how Christian joy doesn’t ignore pain—it outlasts it.

✔ Why joy is inevitable for those who walk with Jesus

✔ How joy becomes unconditional, even when suffering remains

✔ Why Christian joy can co-exist with sorrow

✔ How God uses trials to produce deeper joy in us

✔ Why our future with Christ makes joy eternal and secure

Share this with someone who needs to be reminded that sorrow doesn’t have the final word—joy does.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → /bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → /@bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you! https://bellshoals.com/locations/

Begin this Advent season by reflecting on the steadfast and transformative love of God. In this message, Pastor Corey walks through 1 John 4:7–10 and explains how God’s love is not simply something we acknowledge, but something we can rely on through every circumstance of life.

Through the arrival of Jesus, God reveals a love that is intentional, sacrificial, and secure. This message helps us see why God’s love is the foundation for confidence, peace, and trust—especially when life feels uncertain or difficult.

If you’ve wrestled with fear, doubt, anxiety, or questions about God’s care, this message offers clarity and encouragement.

✔ Why God is the true source of love

✔ How Jesus’ atoning work demonstrates God’s commitment to us

✔ Why God’s love is based on His character—not our performance

✔ How understanding God’s love helps reduce fear and worry

✔ Why we can trust God’s goodness even when circumstances are challenging

Share this with someone who could use a thoughtful reminder of God’s steady and reliable love.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/bellshoals/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/BellShoals/

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BellShoalsChurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and make a difference.

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you! https://bellshoals.com/locations/

Discover the powerful and emotional final chapter of King David’s life—his failures, his family’s unraveling, and the hope God still extends in the middle of brokenness. In this message, Pastor Corey Abney walks through the story of Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom, and shows how unaddressed sin, wounded relationships, and passive leadership can devastate a family. But more importantly, you’ll learn why God’s design is best, and how His grace can redeem any story—no matter how far it’s gone.

If you’ve ever wrestled with family conflict, past mistakes, bitterness, identity, or the consequences of sin, this message will speak directly to your heart.

✔ Why David’s passivity led to generational pain

✔ How unaddressed sin becomes unleashed sin

✔ Why God’s design for marriage, purity, identity, and family leads to blessing

✔ How to return to God’s will—no matter your past

✔ What the life of David teaches us about leadership, repentance, and hope

Don’t watch this alone—share it with someone who needs encouragement today.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/bellshoals/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/BellShoals/

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BellShoalsChurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and change the world!

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events at https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations: Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you! https://bellshoals.com/locations/

Have you ever faced a challenge that felt impossible — a situation so overwhelming that fear seemed louder than your faith? In this message, Pastor Steven Staton walks us through 1 Samuel 17 and reminds us that the story of David and Goliath is not ultimately about our strength, our courage, or “facing our giants.” It’s about God’s glory, God’s power, and God’s Champion.

While Israel trembled before Goliath, God raised up an unlikely deliverer in David — a shepherd boy armed not with skill or size, but with confidence in the Lord. Yet this moment points to something far greater: Jesus, the true and better David, who stepped onto the battlefield of sin and death and won the victory we never could.

This message will challenge and encourage you to shift your focus from the size of your battles to the greatness of your God. You’ll discover why we don’t fight for victory but from victory — because our Champion has already won.

Key Scriptures:

1 Samuel 17

Colossians 2:13–15

1 John 4:4

Watch, reflect, and share:

• Desire God’s glory above everything else.

• Trust God’s power over every challenge.

• Look to Jesus — the ultimate Champion who never leaves you.

💬 Let’s Connect:

Website → https://bellshoals.com

Instagram → @bellshoals

Facebook → /bellshoals

YouTube → @bellshoalschurch

🕊️ Get Involved:

We want you to know God, find community, and change the world!

Learn more about serving, missions, next steps, and upcoming events → https://bellshoals.com/guide/

📍 Locations:

Multiple campuses across the West-Central Florida area — find one near you!

https://bellshoals.com/locations/

Have you ever felt like God was silent, or that your waiting season had no purpose? In this message, Pastor Steven Staton reminds us that God’s silence never means His absence. Through the story of David’s anointing in 1 Samuel 16, we discover that God is always working — even in the waiting.

Before David ever held a crown, he learned faithfulness in the pasture. While others overlooked him, God was shaping his heart to lead His people. In the same way, God uses our seasons of obscurity, monotony, and preparation to form in us the character needed for what’s next.

This message will challenge and encourage you to stay faithful where you are, to trust God’s timing, and to worship while you wait. The pasture may feel hidden, but it’s where God does His best work.

Key Scriptures:

• 1 Samuel 16:1–13
• Psalm 13
• Romans 5:3–4

Main Takeaway:

Don’t mistake God’s silence for His absence — He is working in your waiting.

Watch, reflect, and share:

• God chooses the unlikely to accomplish His purposes.
• Character is greater than charisma.
• Faithfulness in small things prepares you for greater things.

Learn more about the Real Hope Christmas Party outreach at bellshoals.com/realhopechristmas.