Merry Christmas from Candace and Ruth

Summary

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The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast

Episode: Merry Christmas from Candace and Ruth

Date: December 23, 2025
Host: Candace Cameron Bure
Guest: Ruth Chou Simons

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Episode Overview

In this special Christmas episode, Candace Cameron Bure is joined by author, artist, and mother of six, Ruth Chou Simons. Together, they reflect on their personal Christmas traditions, read and discuss the biblical Christmas story, and encourage listeners to center their hearts on the hope and lordship of Christ during the holiday season. The tone is warm, sincere, and faith-filled, with both women offering heartfelt reflections and practical spiritual encouragement for listeners as the year comes to a close.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Christmas Family Traditions

[03:01 - 04:35]

• Candace’s Tradition:
  • Family gathers every Christmas Eve for a special dinner (beef Wellington, fine china), attends a church candlelight service, and sometimes opens one gift before Christmas morning.
  • Quote (Candace, 03:20): “I love that we’re all together. ... We go to church, we come back and have this beautiful dinner with the family. And I absolutely love it.”
• Ruth’s Tradition:
  • The Simons family celebrates by lining their driveway with luminarias (paper bags filled with sand and candles), a Southwestern tradition that lights up the property. They host people and enjoy the beauty together.
  • Quote (Ruth, 03:54): “As it gets dark, the whole property is lit up with these little luminarias. And again, yeah, we get to host people on Christmas Eve, and it’s just really lovely.”

2. Reading the Christmas Story

[04:39 - 06:01]

• Scripture Reading:
  • Candace reads the nativity story from Matthew 1:18–23, spotlighting the miraculous birth of Jesus and the prophecy of “Emmanuel—God with us.”
  • Quote (Candace, 04:50): “The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way ... they will name him Emmanuel, which is translated, God with us.”

3. Reflections on Jesus as Lord

[06:01 - 10:13]

• From Ruth’s Advent Book ‘Emmanuel’:
  • Ruth reads an excerpt highlighting Jesus’ title “Christ the Lord” from Luke 2:11 and explores the idea of truly embracing Christ not only as Savior but as Lord.
  • Ruth shares a Charles Spurgeon quote:
    • Quote (Ruth, 08:13; quoting Spurgeon): “If Christ is not all to you, he is nothing to you. He will never go into partnership as a part Savior of men. If he is something, he must be everything, and if he not be everything, he is nothing to you.”
  • She discusses the tendency to accept Jesus’ saving grace but resist his rightful authority over our lives.
  • Key Point: Submitting to Jesus’ lordship is not an obligation, but a joyful choice acknowledging His wisdom, care, and ultimate goodness.
  • Quote (Ruth, 09:32): “What a delight life becomes when we make Christ master over everything, and how miserable life becomes when we cling to a throne that is not rightfully ours.”

4. Encouragement and the Gospel Message

[10:13 - 11:41]

• Candace’s Reflection and Call:
  • Candace urges listeners to consider what may be hindering them from recognizing Christ as Lord and encourages renewed commitment.
  • She shares a concise summary of the Gospel message, emphasizing Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • Quote (Candace, 10:57): “He willingly sacrificed himself on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, my sin, all of our sin ... He gives you eternal life. I pray that you would know this and it would sit deep in your heart.”

5. Prayer and Closing Blessing

[11:41 - 12:25]

• Ruth’s Closing Prayer (from her book):
  • A prayer of confession and surrender, inviting listeners to yield their striving and trust completely in Jesus’ lordship.
  • Quote (Ruth, 11:45): “Lord of Lords, we confess the foolishness of trying to be the rulers of our own lives. ... May we delight in being under your care and your will as we respond and declare, Yes, Lord. Yes. Amen.”
• Candace’s Goodbye and Hopes for Listeners:
  • Words of gratitude to Ruth and the listeners.
  • Encouragement to walk daily with Jesus, be grateful, and look forward to the new year.
  • Quote (Candace, 12:34): “My hope is that you will every day walk one step closer to knowing Jesus.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 03:20 | Candace | “We go to church, we come back and have this beautiful dinner with the family. And I absolutely love it.” | | 03:54 | Ruth | “As it gets dark, the whole property is lit up with these little luminarias. ... we get to host people on Christmas Eve, and it’s just really lovely.” | | 04:50 | Candace | “The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way ... they will name him Emmanuel, which is translated, God with us.” | | 08:13 | Ruth/Spurgeon | “If Christ is not all to you, he is nothing to you. He will never go into partnership as a part Savior of men. If he is something, he must be everything, and if he not be everything, he is nothing to you.” | | 09:32 | Ruth | “What a delight life becomes when we make Christ master over everything, and how miserable life becomes when we cling to a throne that is not rightfully ours.” | | 10:57 | Candace | “He willingly sacrificed himself on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, my sin, all of our sin ... He gives you eternal life. I pray that you would know this and it would sit deep in your heart.” | | 11:45 | Ruth | “Lord of Lords, we confess the foolishness of trying to be the rulers of our own lives. ... May we delight in being under your care and your will as we respond and declare, Yes, Lord. Yes. Amen.” | | 12:34 | Candace | “My hope is that you will every day walk one step closer to knowing Jesus.” |

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Important Timestamps

• [03:01] – Candace shares Christmas Eve traditions
• [03:54] – Ruth explains the luminaria tradition
• [04:47] – Reading Matthew 1:18–23 (the nativity)
• [06:01] – Ruth reads and reflects from her Advent book ‘Emmanuel’
• [10:13] – Candace’s gospel encouragement to listeners
• [11:41] – Ruth prays a prayer of surrender to Christ’s lordship
• [12:25] – Final blessings and closing thoughts

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Summary

This heartwarming Christmas episode centers listeners on faith, tradition, and surrendering to the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus as “Emmanuel”—God with us, Savior, and Lord. Candace and Ruth blend personal stories and Scripture readings with honest reflections, culminating in a prayerful challenge to embrace Christ as King in all of life. Listeners are left encouraged to walk into the new year with hearts aligned to Jesus and hope renewed.

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Transcript

[A]

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet. See the Virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son and they will name him Emmanuel which is translated God with us. The best it is this episode is brought to you by We Share Healthcare doesn't have to be complicated or confusing. We Share is a non reimbursement health share where members come together in a faith based community to share in medical costs. Simple, transparent and people focused. There are no hidden fees, no confusing paperwork, just real support when you need it most. And right now you can get started without paying the $149 application fee because they're waiving it just for you. Visit weshare.org candice or call 855-230-2523 for your free no obligation quote. That's 855-2302. I want to tell you about a truly beautiful new film from Angel Studios. It's called David. This animated musical brings to life the story of a shepherd boy who becomes a king. The animation is breathtaking, the music is really powerful and the story is filled with courage, faith, forgiveness and finding your purpose. It's a film that inspires both children and adults. Truly faith for the whole family. You can begin the journey right now with Young David, the prequel series streaming exclusively on Angel. Then go see David on the big screen when it comes to theaters December 19th. You don't want to miss this powerful story. Visit Angel.com to watch young David today. Then get your tickets for David in theaters this Christmas. That's Angel.com CandaceB. Merry Christmas friends. Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together. Welcome to the Candace Cameron Bure Podcast. This show is not about me. I made it for you. And as we close out 2025, I'm joined for this Christmas week episode by my friend Ruth Jo Simons, who's an author, an artist and an amazing mother of six boys. Come join us.

[B]

Foreign.

[A]

Thanks for coming back.

[B]

So fun.

[A]

I always do a little Christmas reading each year on the podcast as we kind of say goodbye to the year and focus our eyes on the hope of Christ. And so thank you for joining me.

[B]

So good to be here. So I have to ask, do you guys have a Christmas Eve tradition?

[A]

Oh we do. I love Christmas Eve. And Val every single year makes a really fantastic dinner. It is always beef Wellington. It somehow became a tradition when the kids were little. And we always go to church on Christmas Eve and there's a candlelighting service That I love and a beautiful message. And so I love that we're all together. We get not super dressed up, but in our nice church. Love that we set the table for a beautiful dinner. Like the fine china. All of it comes out so worth it. And Val has prepared everything. We go to church, we come back and have this. This beautiful dinner with the family. And I absolutely love it. And sometimes we'll open maybe one gift, but then the excitement of Christmas morning.

[B]

Oh, I love it. Similar things at our house, too, but we live in the Southwest, and so we have a luminaria tradition. So they're the paper bags that you fill with sand and like the. Like a lunch bag, but I don't. Okay. So it's like the craft paper lunch bags, and you fill it with sand and put candles in it, and you line your entire driveway with them. It's like a Southwest tradition. And so we do that every year. And so as it gets dark, the whole property is lit up with these little luminarias. And again, yeah, we get to host people on Christmas Eve, and it's just really lovely. So that's. Love these traditions. Right.

[A]

I want to start that tradition.

[B]

I know. I'll send you pictures. Okay.

[A]

I think I'm going to do it. Thanks for sharing that.

[B]

Well, today we're going to read the Christmas story, and I'm going to read from my Advent book, Emanuel. So you want to kick us off?

[A]

Yes, let's do it. I'm going to be reading in Matthew, chapter one, starting at verse 18. And this is the nativity of Christ. The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way after his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph. It was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel, which is translated, God with us. The best it is.

[B]

Well, I'm reading from the book Emmanuel, page two 11 through 218. And this is day 23 when the angel announced the Savior's birth to the shepherds. He identified this newborn by his heavenly title, Christ the Lord, which is out of Luke 2:11. Though he was born in a stable and wore no crown, the angel made it clear who Jesus was. To call Jesus Lord is to call Him God. We tend to think a lot about Christ as Savior and to thank him for the gift of salvation and but do we think enough about Christ as Lord and thank him for his sovereignty? The title Lord signifies rule and reign, authority and commander in chief. In other words, Jesus is Lord because Jesus is the boss, the one who has the final say on everything in our lives. So often we are enamored with the Jesus who can rescue us from eternal separation from God. But we chafe at the lordship of Jesus Christ. To be brought near to God is to belong to Him. Spurgeon said it poignantly this way. He says, if Christ is not all to you, he is nothing to you. He will never go into partnership as a part. Savior of men if he is something, he must be everything, and if he not be everything, he is nothing to you. Whoever or whatever sits on the throne of your heart is who or what rules your life. A king's power is absolute. When we fail to submit to Christ in some way or other, we have made his rule over us less than absolute and we are treating him as less than king. Allegiance to the lordship of Christ isn't like joining the military. We don't sign a contract or promise to uphold a set of rules lest we be penalized. Submitting to the lordship of Christ in our lives should be a joyful laying down of our own wills in recognition that our King Jesus is stronger, better, more loving, and more satisfying than anything else we could align our lives with. Do we profess him as our king? Then we should commit ourselves to live accordingly. The Book of Revelation describes Jesus Second coming as King as Lord of all the whole earth will one day give Jesus the Messiah the honor he is due, whether they choose whether they chose to submit to his rule or not. But we who believe and trust in Jesus shouldn't wait for that day. We are to trust him to rule our lives now. What a delight life becomes when we make Christ master over everything, and how miserable life becomes when we cling to a throne that is not rightfully ours. This Christmas, don't miss the joy and peace that comes when you surrender the throne of your heart to the Lord of Lords, Jesus, and recognize that he alone is deserving that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow on earth on heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. That's Philippians 2, 10, 11. The search is over. Only Jesus is worthy of being King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When Jesus is more than a friend, more than a helper, more than a shoulder to lean on, when he is the master of your life, you experience Christmas in a different way. He isn't just the long awaited Messiah. He is what your heart has been longing for all along.

[A]

Amen. Hey, if you're listening today, is there something that's hindering you from acknowledging Christ as Lord? Is there something that's competing for your allegiance? I hope that you'll take time today, maybe even re. Watch this re Listen to the words that Ruth shared and the story of Christ so that you know the hope, the love, the grace and the mercy that God's given to every single one of us. That he was born a man fully. God lived 33 years on this earth and willingly sacrificed himself on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, my sin, all of our sin, humanity sin. He took all the punishment upon himself and three days later he rose again. And he sits at the right hand of God. And when you accept him as Lord of your life, he gives you the Holy Spirit that indwells in you. He gives you eternal life. I pray that you would know this and it would sit deep in your heart. And my hope and prayer this Christmas season is that you would share if you know Jesus, you would share the love of Christ with others.

[B]

So beautiful, Candace. Thank you. Well, this is the prayer I wrote in the book. So as we read it now, hear the words and let them become your own prayer. So join me. Friends, Lord of Lords, we confess the foolishness of trying to be the rulers of our own lives. We're sorry for attempting to take the place that belongs to you. Thank you for being trustworthy in every way. May we delight in being under your care and your will as we respond and declare. Yes, Lord. Yes. Amen.

[A]

Amen. Thanks, Ruth, for joining my special Christmas episode.

[B]

Thanks for having me.

[A]

Thank you for an amazing season.

[B]

So good to be together.

[A]

It really is. Yeah. You're welcome. It was very special. And to all of you, Merry Christmas. We are going to be back next year, 2026. I can't believe it. And we'll be here for you. And we will have a new season with new guests. And my hope is that you will every day walk one step closer to knowing Jesus until next year. Be grateful all day, every day. I'm excited to share something that's close to my heart. The history and the People of Israel as a follower of Jesus and Israel is where it all started. It's where he walked, taught and ministered. The Bible reminds us that God never breaks his promises. Romans 11:28 says that the people of Israel are deeply loved because of the promises God made long ago and he's faithful to keep those promises. That's why I'm sharing with you about the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. For over 40 years they've provided food, shelter and life saving aid to Israel's most vulnerable, especially Holocaust survivors and the elderly. Will you join me in standing with the people in Israel? To learn more and find out how you can help, visit ifcj.org that's ifcj.org. Grand Canyon University, an affordable private Christian university based in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona is one of the largest universities in the country. Praised for its culture of community and impact, GCU integrates the free market system, a welcoming Christian worldview, and free and open discourse into 369 academic programs with over 300 online join a nationwide community of learners redefining what online education looks like through academically rigorous, industry driven programs that can spark bold ideas and prepare you for a future that matters. In addition to federal grants and aid, GCU's online students received nearly $161 million in institutional scholarships in 20. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University Private Christian Affordable. Visit GCU edu myoffer to see the scholarships you may qualify for. Candy Rock Entertainment all rights reserved.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Excludes Massachusetts.