Episode 402: I’m Talkin…Gift

I’m Talkin’ episode 402 for December 28th, 2025.

This is Joel from the I’m Talkin’ microcast where I share my thoughts on a topic that has piqued my interest this past week.

This week we’re talking gift.

Gift is a common word.

It’s used on the regular, especially this time of year.

And you think of times when gifts are given.

It’s like Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, maybe New Year.

I don’t know.

There’s all kinds of different times that we give gifts.

And I, for one, am terrible at giving gifts.

I either don’t listen, whatever the reason is.

I don’t know.

I gotta get better.

But the reality is that we all know that a gift given is only half of the process.

Unless it is taken and received, it is not a gift at all.

And therein lies the challenge for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

In the world, people understand that if you give a gift, that is half the process, as I just said.

The other half of that process is for the receiver to take the gift.

And people understand that.

That is not a weird picture.

That is something that makes sense.

But then when it comes to Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross and what he has made available to people, they are confused.

How does he give a gift?

Does he want nothing in response?

Does he need no work on our behalf to take that gift?

And it just seems to confuse them and make no sense.

So our approach is very important.

So we have to maintain that course.

There is no works that get you into a correct and right relationship with God.

It is purely through the gift of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, his shed blood.

And we have to stay the course.

There is no other way.

And as Christians, we have to get people’s mind back to what they already know is true.

If a gift is given and you don’t take it, then you don’t have the gift.

And it’s the same.

There is no difference.

And we’ve got to make that super clear as we can.

That when God offers, it is there for the taking.

And to make the process complete, all you have to do is receive the gift.

So while I didn’t start this microcast with a verse that the word gift comes from, one does jump to mind.

And that is a section of scripture from Matthew 7, verses 9-11, that says, Or what man is there among you who when his son asks for a loaf will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him?

So the cool thing about that section of scripture is that once we receive the gift of eternal life because of what Jesus did on the cross, just get to take that gift for nothing, then we get to go to the Father, to the very throne room of God and ask him for good gifts in return for our obedience, taking something that we don’t deserve.

I don’t know why people don’t love a God like that, because he’s awesome.

Until next week, this is Joel from the I’m Talkin’ microcast.