The Greatest Gift is Love • Amanda Emberley • Ascension Online

Описание: Catch up with the talk from this week's Sunday service, focussing on John 1: 12-13.
Today, at our Christmas Carol service, Amanda reflects on the perfect gift... not a material item, but love and connection.

1. 00:00 ❤ The perfect gift is love, symbolised by the story of Jesus receiving gifts from the magi, and echoed in a modern tale of unlikely romance sparked by a mutual love of cheese.

2. 01:50 ❤ The perfect gift is not about the item itself, but about the connection and love behind it.

3. 03:48 💡 The growing phenomenon of parasocial relationships, characterised by a lack of genuine connection, is mirrored in the increasingly prevalent "Gen Z stare", a symbol of distance and disinterest in everyday interactions.

4. 05:13 💔 Despite festive ideals of connection and togetherness, many people experience Christmas and the current world as marked by loneliness and division.

5. 06:42 ❤ The pressure to create a perfect Christmas can overshadow the true meaning of the holiday, which is that the greatest gift one can give is love and connection.

6. 08:20 ✝ The birth of Jesus is a gift from God, who became human to bridge the gap between divinity and humanity, and be with us.

7. 10:18 ❤ God gave the ultimate gift of love by giving himself through Jesus, offering humanity the chance to be fully known and fully loved.

8. 12:29 ✝ God offers a gift of unconditional love, available to everyone, and Amanda invites us to receive this gift by praying a heartfelt prayer of acceptance and connection.

Recorded at our service on 7th December 2025.