CLF Conversations

Gratitude Before Goals

Episode Summary

Every January, something strange happens.
Suddenly everyone becomes a productivity expert. New planners. New gym memberships. New diets. New promises to finally become the person we were apparently supposed to be last year. And none of these things are bad—until we realize how quickly gratitude gets replaced by dissatisfaction.
Before we’ve even thanked God for carrying us through the last year, we’re already frustrated that we haven’t fixed ourselves yet. So before we set goals, make plans, or download another habit-tracking app…
Let’s stop.
Let’s breathe.
And let’s talk about why Scripture invites us to begin the New Year not with ambition—but with gratitude.

Episode Notes

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this Advent-focused episode of CLF Conversations, Perry and Pastor Dave explore a often-overlooked truth about Christmas: it doesn’t just call us to remember—it calls us to wait.

While the world treats Christmas as a nostalgic moment frozen in time, Scripture presents it as the beginning of a much larger story. The birth of Jesus fulfills ancient promises, but it also awakens new longing. Christ has come—but the kingdom has not yet arrived in fullness.

The conversation unpacks the tension believers live in today: joy mixed with groaning, hope paired with hardship, faith stretched by waiting. Just as Israel awaited the Messiah’s first coming, the church now awaits His return—living faithfully in the “already, but not yet.”

This episode invites listeners to see Christmas not as the end of longing, but as the fuel for it—a season that trains our hearts to look forward with confidence, patience, and hope in the reigning and returning King.

🌍 Key Topics Covered

• The meaning of Advent as waiting and expectation
• Why Christmas is both fulfillment and promise
• Living between Christ’s first and second coming
• The spiritual discipline of waiting
• How hope sustains believers in suffering
• The danger of sentimentalizing Christmas
• The connection between the manger and the throne
• What it means to live with eyes lifted toward Christ’s return

💬 Discussion Highlights

• Christmas fulfills promises—but also creates new longing.
• Waiting is not wasted time; it’s where faith is formed.
• Jesus came as King, but His reign will be revealed fully at His return.
• The Christian life is shaped by anticipation, not arrival.
• Advent trains believers to hope patiently in a restless world.
• Suffering makes sense when framed by future glory.
• The church lives as a people between promise and fulfillment.
• Christmas reminds us that the story is not finished.

📖 Scripture References

Awaiting the King

• Isaiah 9:6–7 – A promised King whose reign will have no end
• Luke 1:32–33 – Jesus is given the throne of David forever

Living in the Tension

• Romans 8:18–25 – Groaning now, glory later
• Hebrews 10:36–37 – Waiting for the coming One

Hope and Watchfulness

• Titus 2:11–13 – Waiting for our blessed hope
• Revelation 22:12 – “Behold, I am coming soon”

The Heart of Advent

• Luke 2:25–32 – Simeon waited and saw salvation
• Galatians 4:4–5 – Christ came at the appointed time

📌 Takeaway Questions

• Am I more focused on what Christ has done—or also on what He has promised to do?
• Where is waiting stretching my faith right now?
• How does the certainty of Christ’s return shape my daily life?
• In what ways might I be rushing past hope instead of living in it?
• How can I cultivate a posture of watchful, joyful expectations

🔗 Stay Connected

Subscribe to CLF Conversations wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow Covenant Life Fellowship and visit clfroseburg.com for Advent resources, Christmas events, and opportunities to gather, grow, and serve together.

Thanks for joining us for CLF Conversations—where we grow in Christ… one conversation at a time.