What names for Jesus come to mind for you this Christmas season? In this special Christmas episode of 'Deeper Experiences with God,' Dave reflects on the names given the coming Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 as invitations to encounter God’s presence more deeply. Drawing on A.W. Tozer’s insight that “what comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us,” Dave explores how these names—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Emmanuel—shape our understanding of who God truly is. Together, they can heal our distorted images of God and deepen our relationship with Him.

Takeaways:

• Wonderful Counselor: God is not merely a good therapist offering helpful advice—He is a wonderful, supernatural Counselor who knows the paths of our lives and the purposes of the universe. His guidance often unfolds through patience, prayer, and trust.
  • Reflection Question: How has God been a wonderful counselor to you throughout your life?  Do you believe that a wonderful Counselor really is leading and guiding you? How might we slow down and wait to see God’s guidance unfold?
• Mighty God:  The child born in Bethlehem is also the Mighty God—fully capable of accomplishing far more than we can imagine, in us and the world. God’s power is often revealed not through our strength, but through our weakness and dependence.
  • Reflection Question:  Think back over this last year, when have you experienced the power of God at work in your life, in your church, in your family, in your community?  If God's power is unleashed in weakness, where do you feel weak right now in your life?
• Everlasting Father: While our culture prizes independence, spiritual maturity leads us toward deeper, never-ending dependence on God.
  • Reflection Question: Imagine God looking at you, loving you, and pursuing you. How might you be resisting his love? How might you be trying to earn his love?
• Prince of Peace: Biblical peace—Shalom—is more than the absence of conflict. It is wholeness, restoration, and true human flourishing that only God can bring.
  • Action:  Where do you need God to be bringing peace or wholeness into your life this Christmas? 
• Emmanuel:  From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells the story of a God who desires to dwell with His people. Emmanuel reminds us that God is not distant—He is present with us as we open His Word and actively seek Him.
  • Action:  How do you recognize and respond to God's presence with you today? Or, if God has felt distant, take space to slow down and ask for more of His felt presence this Christmas. 

Quote of the Show:

• “  Give Our Lord the benefit of believing His hand is leading you.” -  Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Links:

• Website: https://www.daveripper.com/ 
• Book Link: https://www.ivpress.com/experiencing-scripture-as-a-disciple-of-jesus?srsltid=AfmBOorGCRD5reF5529_nTukHm78ayzsZ5nkS8enkKEazPOCp2pfdRJ_