Daily Devotions for Advent & Christmas for December 2022

316Judith

Good Morning All

We are taking a pause in the Women’s Devotion and will reflect on the True Meaning of Christmas with Celebrating Jesus in this Advent Season leading up to Christmas Day when we light the Christ Candle reflecting on the Life of Christ.

Reminds us that Jesus is the Spotless Lamb of God. sent to wash away our sins. His Birth was for His Death and His Death was for our Birth. John 1:29

Hope you will join me in these weeks as we pause and meditate on the True Meaning of Christmas.

Let’s Celebrate Jesus!

316Judith

When Paradise Isn’t Enough - One Year Devotions for Women Friday December 2, 2022

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” - Hebrews 13:5

It’s so easy to be discontent. The more we have, the more we seem to want.

Eve faced such discontent even in Paradise. She allowed herself to become dissatisfied with what God had given her. She wanted more. She believed the snake when he told her that she could (and should!) have more. Then Paradise wasn’t enough for Eve (Genesis 3:1-19).

Can you imagine how that could be? Yet the snake still tries to tell us that there must be something else that enough money could buy us that would really satisfy our discontentment.

Are you like Eve, thinking you should have more?

Have you become dissatisfied—not enough money, not a big enough home? Perhaps you feel that you’re not smart enough, thin enough, or beautiful enough.

Perhaps you’re rebelling against the role to which God has currently called you—and you want (or feel you deserve) more. Are you looking afar for “paradise”?

You need not look any further than your heart. Paradise is found in obedience to God, service for God, and a deep knowledge of God.

As long as we believe that paradise can be purchased and furnished with our own hands and means, we will be doomed to discontentment.

Once we put spiritual life before material living, paradise will be our home. God has promised never to leave us and never to fail us.

To accept ourselves as God created us, to do what he wants us to do today, and to revel in his
love for us—that is paradise.

For Further Study: Hebrews 13:1-25

316Judith

The Sound of Silence - One Year Devotions for Women Saturday December 3, 2022

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. - James 1:19

Listening works wonders! Loving silence has no sound, but tells the one sitting next to you that you care. It can say to the hurting heart, “I want to free you to think about yourself, your failures, and your goals. Because I love you and am interested in you I am willing to sit in silence with you.”

Can you sit with a friend without talking? Can you sit with your husband in silence? Or do you, as I tend to, complete all his sentences for him? That particular habit irritates him to distraction, but I find myself doing it anyway. It’s such fun to guess the ending of his story and race him there!

I have to confess, though, that both God and Stuart have been working on me lately to exert more self-control.

I am learning to use a short reply, because it invites more response! I have thanked God that he has graced me with a companion, and I have reminded myself that he is indeed a companion and not a competitor in a word game!

I have learned to listen and discover with joy the unusual and unique facets of the one I love. I pray hard to fight down my impulsive, emotion-al response and let him talk.

For this I need to rely on Jesus. I have discovered that God is delighted to tame my tongue and tune my ear; and whenever he has been allowed to do so, he has filled my heart with the knowledge that listening with love brings love in return!

For Further Study: James 1:19-27

Devotion by Jill Briscoe

316Judith

An Advent Prayer for Faith - Your Daily Prayer - December 4, 2022

An Advent Prayer for Faith
By Emma Danzey

Isaiah 40:3-5 says, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”

As we pray through the second candle of faith for the Advent season, may we be reminded that we serve the God who makes a way and prepares our hearts. Jesus is the Way; He is the One we are celebrating who came and fulfilled every prophecy of the Old Testament. He is the Savior of the world.

Let's Pray:

Our Awaited Savior,
Thank You that this is a season of preparation and anticipation as we wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth. God, we thank You that we live this side of the cross where we already know that He came.

As we have read in Isaiah of Your people still awaiting this promised One, it gives us faith that You are the fulfiller of all things, You have a sovereign plan, You are working in the wait, You hear our prayers, and You care for us.

Thank you that Your Holy Spirit is within those who believe in You today. Would You help us to lean into Him and not our own sinful ways as we seek to live lives that honor You. Would you soften our own hearts to the gospel in any ways in which we have become numb or hardened.

Would You grow our faith in our prayers, actions, and lives. Help us to know that You are still doing new things today and give us spiritual eyes to see them and to be aware of how You are working.

Give us a renewal of excitement this Christmas season over Bible stories that we may have heard many times over. Help us to have a newfound joy to ponder the faith that we have in such a mighty God. Grow us closer to You in this season. Show us fresh angles of Your Christmas story that launched the gospel.

We know that when we put our faith in you that we will not be put to shame. You say in Romans 10:9-11, “If we declare with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that You raised him from the dead, we will be saved. For it is with our hearts that we believe and are justified, and it is with our mouths that we profess our faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in You will not be put to shame.”

Thank You that in our faith we are not put to shame, but we are sealed and confident of the salvation that we have which came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Thank You that You are the God of the world, over every nation.

Thank you that Your pursuit and Your declaration of love on the cross was not just for a few, but for anyone who believes in You. Thank You that You care personally about us.

Lord, please forgive us for our lack of faith in You. Please help us to remember that we are being molded into Your image and this is a process.

Remind us that we are not stuck in our sin or old habits, but we are transformed and made new.

Thank You that faith in You means that everything changes. We are no longer slaves to sin, but we are friends of God. We are no longer lost, we are found, and we are no longer held captive, we are free. We praise You for Your final work on the cross. We glorify Your name.

Thank You for preparing our hearts to remember
what You have already done and to receive a new word in this time in our lives of what You want to do in and through us now. Speak to us, we are listening. Amen.

316Judith

Turning Christmas Chaos into Christmas Joy- Advent Devotional December 5, 2022

Today’s Truth

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen which were just as they had been told (Luke 2:16-20, NIV).

Friend to Friend

According to the American Institute of Stress, more than 110 million Americans take medication for stress-related causes each week. During the holiday season, another one million people battle what experts refer to as the holiday blues.

I am very familiar with depression and the pain it holds and must constantly battle to stay out of that pit.

To deal with depression, we must first come to a place of total surrender to God and His plan of healing, even if we cannot see or understand that plan. The bottom line of God’s heart toward His children is always restoration and healing.

While I am not a big fan of television, I do enjoy watching home improvement shows. On a recent program, an interior decorator and homeowner were discussing a list of changes that needed to be made in order to update the home.

Devotion By Mary Southerland

316Judith

Hail the Incarnate Deity - Advent Devotional - December 6 2022

Today's Insight from Chuck Swindoll

Hail the Incarnate Deity

On that still winter's night, something was up... something extraordinary... something supernatural.

The shepherds raced to the City of David and found their Savior, just as the angel had said... swaddled and lying in a feeding trough. This was the Promised One, the Messiah! God had finally come to dwell with His people, but in such an unexpected way.

Just who was this holy Child the shepherds gazed upon? Make no mistake: He was incarnate deity. The newborn Jesus existed in eternity past as God the Son. He was coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus relinquished the privileges and the pleasures of His existence in heaven when He took upon Himself the limitations of humanity (Philippians 2:6-7).

In emptying Himself, Jesus voluntarily set aside the prerogatives and prerequisites of life as He had known it, an existence He had enjoyed; He released His right to that kind of life, saying to the Father, "I will go."

Go where? To Bethlehem. He took "the form of a bond-servant, and [was] made in the likeness of men." Allow yourself to picture what the shepherds saw. There He is, the baby. Do you see His ten fingers and ten toes? His button nose? Can you hear the cries?

There's humanity. In this holy infant is the beginning of an earthly life. Look deep into His eyes and see the beginning of life itself.

Later, this divine man, completely unique in His nature and in the perfect life that He lived, "humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Isn't that amazing? Of all ways to die, He died on a cross—the most humiliating and painful kind of death.

God the Son lowered Himself. He took on the flesh of an infant. He died a humiliating death. As a result, God the Father "highly exalted Him."

One day, all will bow in worship of the risen Lord, "to the glory of God the Father."

It's all about His glory. What a plan. What an execution. What a perfect, awesome wrapping!

The God-man. Jesus is undiminished deity and true humanity, two distinct natures in one person, forever. That's the baby in the manger!

See Isaiah 7:14 and Philippians 2:5-11.

The baby in the manger is undiminished deity and true humanity, two distinct natures in one person, forever.

316Judith

Has the Grinch Stolen Your Christmas? - Advent Devotional - December 11, 2022

And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11

Without a doubt, Christmas is to be a time of GREAT JOY. On that first Christmas night, the angel announced to the shepherds “good news of a great joy.” The Savior has come!! WOW!!

Those shepherds were so excited. That announcement changed their lives forever. They were filled with joy and wonder and praise.

At Christmas time, are you filled with joy and wonder and praise? Or has the devil, the original Grinch, the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, stolen those things from you? If so, there is still time to get it back!

Think about the angel’s announcement, “There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” What does that really mean for you and me?

1. The Savior has come to save you from a dark past. So many people are suffering with intense guilt over bad things they have done in the past.

The devil beats them to death with shame and guilt. But be beaten no longer! All the terrible, horrible things you have done are no match for the Savior’s blood that He shed for you on the cross. The moment you confess those sins to God and repent of them, you are forgiven!!

2. Remember what the Savior said to Peter, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (Acts 10:15).

2. The Savior has come to save you from an empty present. Many people are surviving and not really living. Jesus came at Christmas not to fill your empty stocking, but to fill your empty life! He has a purpose and a plan for you. Come to Him. Surrender to Him. Let Him lead you. He wants to bring you joy and peace, regardless of your circumstances. He wants to use your life to make a difference in others, a difference that will last for all eternity. It makes life worth living to know that everyday is an exciting adventure with the Lord, an opportunity to touch another person with the love and joy of Jesus.

3. The Savior has come to save you from a hopeless future. Everyone without God is without hope. No one comes to the Father without the Savior, Jesus Christ. But now He has come, and we can really know Him personally, and we can be assured of His presence and provision while we live … and His heaven when we die. Paul said, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). WOW! What a future is in store for the child of God!

My friend, do not let the devil steal from you and your Christmas time any longer! The Savior has come, and He has come for you! Receive the
good news and rejoice in the truth!

Devotion by Pastor Jeff Schreve,

316Judith

The Man Who Tried to Stop Christmas - Advent Devotional - December 12, 2022

The Man Who Tried to Stop Christmas

Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. (Matthew 2:7 NLT)

King Herod was the man who tried to stop Christmas. With all his wealth and power, he came to complete ruin. Historical writings tell us that in the final year of his life, his body was infected with disease.

Ironically, Herod pretended to be a worshipper. He said to the wise men, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8). Yet Herod was a false worshipper. There are people like him today. They say they believe in God, but they live a life that contradicts what the Scriptures teach.
Herod wanted to be the king of his own life, but he really was a slave. He ended up being not the King of the Jews but the king of fools. Herod ended up on the ash heap of history like dictators before and after him, reminding us that those who live wicked lives eventually will reap what they sow. Adolf Hitler went into his bunker and shot himself as his nation crumbled around him.

Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hole and was eventually executed by his own people. Muammar Gaddafi was hunted down by his own people, beaten, and shot to death.

All those who blaspheme God, fight with God, or try to stop the work of God eventually will fail. Yet God’s Word ultimately will prevail. Philippians 2:9–10 says, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

One day, everyone—every man, every woman, every believer, and every nonbeliever—will bow before Jesus Christ.

316Judith

A Prayer to Stay Focused on Christ at Christmas - Advent Devotional - December 16, 2022

The modern rush to reach the next big door-buster has stolen our ability to relax throughh z Zi Thanksgiving dinner. There’s no deal greater than Jesus’ birth, and we don’t have to wait in line for it.

“And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” 1 John
2:28

Christmas gives us the opportunity to reflect upon the plight of the last year of life. John encourages us to stay focused on what’s important, the long journey of our earthly lives to be more like Christ. We can aim right at that goal, because He was born to earth as an example of what to shoot for. Christmas is an encouraging reminder to stay focused on the reason for the season. The simple joys connect us to the One who once walked where we trod.

Take Action

“ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” - Romans 12:10
When my children were growing up, one of their favorite stories was about a llama that lost sight of the season, and melted down to the gourd in a tantrum of lost holiday priorities. Sometimes, we have to schedule-out our selfishness, and get busy loving other people. Compassion towards others extends His love to them.

Be Quiet

Time in God’s Word is especially important amidst the commercialism of the season. He promises to reveal new layers of the same Christmas story that we can apply to this season of our lives. When we offer Him our first minutes, we being to see Him throughout the day.

Re-program

The surrounding soundtrack of our lives can take a toll on our hearts, especially if we spend most of our time drenched in secular media. Christmas is a great time to reboot our thoughts by adjusting the message we are tune into. The Word weaved into Christmas carols has the power to move our hearts into the correct place.

Say “No”

Before squeezing other event onto a calendar square, we can pause to pray for discernment on whether an additional event or commitment is necessary. “Thank you for thinking of me!” we can reply in the meantime, “I’ll get back to you.” This Christmas, let’s put the magnitude and majesty of the King of Kings at the center of our holiday planner.

Father, Praise You for Christmas! Thank You for Jesus, born to earth to live among us and pay the ultimate price for our sin. Along the way, He lived a life that we can look to as an example of how to navigate human life on earth. Belief in Him reaches beyond this life, and unto heaven. This Christmas, we ask your forgiveness for getting caught up in the hustle of commercialism, and ask that You re-focus our hearts to Christ. Help us to experience His presence and revel in His
closeness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

316Judith

This Christmas, Receive the Best Gift Ever Given - Advent Devotional - December 17
Devotion by Rick Warren

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us — set us right with him, make us fit for him — we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus” (Romans 5:1 The Message).

God knew before you were born that you would be reading this in this moment. He planned to get your attention for just a few seconds so he could say this to you: “I’ve seen every hurt in your life, and I’ve never stopped loving you. You matter to me. I love you more than you will ever know. I made you to love you, and I’ve been waiting for you to love me back.”

If you gave me a Christmas gift and I never opened it, you would be disappointed. And it would be a worthless gift, because I don’t receive the benefit of a gift I never opened.

Jesus Christ is God’s Christmas gift to you. Yet some of us have gone Christmas after Christmas and never opened the best gift of all: God’s gift of salvation. Why even celebrate Christmas if you’re not going to open the biggest gift? It doesn’t make sense to leave unwrapped the gift of your past forgiven, a purpose for living, and a home in Heaven.

God has made a way for you this Christmas to be right with him, and all you have to do is receive his gift of salvation. The Bible says, “By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us — set us right with him, make us fit for him — we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus” (Romans 5:1 The Message).

Below is a prayer I prayed years ago when I stepped across the line and accepted Jesus. It’s a simple prayer. If these words express the desire in your heart, then prayer them.

“Dear God, I’m scared, but I want to get to know you. I don’t understand it all, but I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you were with me even when I didn’t recognize it. I thank you that you are for me, that you didn’t send Jesus to condemn me but to save me.

“Today I want to receive the Christmas gift of your Son. I ask you to save me from my past, my regrets, my mistakes, my sins, my habits, my hurts, and my hang-ups. Save me from myself.

“I ask you to save me for your purpose. I want to know why you put me on this planet. And I want to fulfill what you made me to do. I want to learn to love you and trust you and have a relationship with you.

“I need peace with you, God, and I need you to put your peace in my heart. I need you to take away the stress and fill me with your love. Help me be a peacemaker and help others find peace with you and each other. In your name I pray. Amen.”

316Judith

The Christmas Tree - Advent Devotional - December 18

THE
CHRISTMAS TREE
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child. (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend. (John 15:15)

I am united with the Lord. (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)


I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth. (Matt. 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:27)


I am free forever from condemnation. ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant. (Phil. 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me. (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God. (2 Cor. 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 2:18)


I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 2:6)


I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Rom. 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God. (2 Cor. 1:21- 22)

I am assured all things work together for good. (Rom. 8: 28)


I have been chosen & appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)


I belong to God

And that is who He says I am.
How about you?

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn His face toward you

and give you peace…”
Numbers 6:24-26

316Judith

How to Find Hope on a Long Silent Night - Advent Devotional - December 19

by Alicia Bruxvoort

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.” Luke 2:8-9a (NLT)

I sit alone near the window at the end of a long December day, my weary frame wrapped in a wordless sigh and a plush red blanket. The wintry woods beyond the glass are as quiet as my children who sleep down the hall.

Moonbeams mingle with the twinkling lights of our Christmas tree, and starlight waltzes with the shadows on the floor.

I take a deep breath and seek solace in the silence. But my heart refuses to rest in the hallowed hush.

For years, when my wee ones filled the nights with wails, I dreamed of a quiet like this.

But what I didn’t know then — when my midnight hours thrummed to the rhythm of sniffling sighs and colicky cries — is that children aren’t the only ones who can fill the night with clamor.

Sometimes the quiet quakes noisy, too.

Doubts drowned out by the drone of the day can resurrect with a ruckus in the lull of night. Fear can run wild when our feet finally slow. And worry can howl reckless in the hush.

It’s in the quiet where we often come face-to-face with our questions:

Do I really believe that God is good?

Does He truly see my needs and hear my prayers?

Do I trust Him enough to obey when it doesn’t make sense?

Will His promises hold firm even if my hope falls short?

It’s in the quiet where we learn to fight for faith.
So, I shift my eyes from that twinkling tree to the Bible on my lap. And I read aloud from those treasured pages.

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-12, NLT).

God’s Word dangles in the air like the velvet stockings hanging hopeful on my mantle. I close my eyes and try to listen to the truth of Scripture rather than the squall of my own soul.

I imagine the Hope of Heaven landing on the dust of earth … the squeals of fright and the blaze of light. The angel’s declaration and the shepherds’ consternation.

And I ask Jesus to show me something new in this familiar account of the very first Christmas.
Then all at once, I see it through a haze of grateful tears:

The message the angels proclaimed on that Bethlehem hillside long ago didn’t just change the course of one bygone silent night.

The good news of great joy changed the course of every silent night to come. Because we don’t have a God who merely pierces our darkness.
We have a Savior who lingers beside us on our long silent nights (Isaiah 9:2-7).

The prophets foretold it (Isaiah 7:14). The angel repeated it. And His name confirms it (Matthew 1:23). God is with us.

And in His presence, we can find everything we need when the quiet quakes noisy.

Dear Jesus, thank You for sticking with me whether I’m full of hope or full of fear. I’m glad my doubts don’t diminish Your love and my qualms don’t offend Your faithfulness. Teach me how to rest in Your presence when my heart is unsettled. I want to trust You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Luke 1:78-79, “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” (NLT)

Matthew 1:23, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (ESV)

316Judith

What Christmas Is About - Advent Devotional - December 20

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. —Isaiah 9:7

As we look at our world today, we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled.

The Son has been given. The Child has been born.

But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice.

But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth.

And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.

Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder.

Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

The first time, a star marked His arrival.

But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.

Christ came to this earth. God came near to you so you can come near to Him—to give your life purpose and meaning, to forgive you of your sins, and to give you the hope of heaven beyond the grave.

Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree.

Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.

Devotion by Greg Laurie

316Judith

When Your Heart Grows 3 Sizes - Advent Devotional - December 22, 2022

This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

In Dr. Seuss's classic Christmas tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch suffers from having a small heart.

The source of his heart problem is his lack of understanding the meaning of Christmas. As the story goes, the Grinch tries to put a stop to Christmas, but in the end, he comes to understand what Christmas is all about and his heart grows three sizes!

This heart change makes a big difference in his life.

I'm not sure what Dr. Seuss' intentions were when he wrote the story back in 1957, but it certainly comes across as a Christian parable to me that parallels the change that takes place in a person's life when he or she comes to understand the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, God's Son, who was born to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

When the light of the Good News of Jesus dawns upon the heart of a person, God replaces the old heart of stone, with a new, fleshy heart - and a new person emerges.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

"Welcome Christmas - While we stand - Heart to heart - And hand in hand." It might just make all the difference in the world.

Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in;
Be born in us today!
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
(from O Little Town of Bethlehem)
We celebrate Christmas because of the power Jesus brought to change our hearts.

Going Deeper:

Give an example of a time when you changed your mind about something.

How did the words or actions of others influence your change of heart?

Towards the end of the story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," what happened that caused the Grinch to change his mind about Christmas?

What lessons might we learn from the story?

How has understanding the true meaning of Christmas made a difference in your life?

316Judith

Christmas Proves Your Value - Advent Devotional - December 23

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

Some people believe it’s insulting to say someone is spiritually “lost.” But it’s not. It’s actually a great compliment to be called spiritually lost. 

There’s a difference between losing something and misplacing something. If you misplace something, it means it wasn’t important to you.

But if you lose it, it’s valuable enough for you to try to find it. You misplace a bobby pin; you lose your glasses.

People are only lost because they’re worth finding. Think of it this way: The value of a masterpiece doesn’t go down when it’s lost; it goes up.

When you aren’t connected to God, you’re lost in many ways. You lose your direction, God’s protection, your potential, your happiness, and your future home in heaven—just to name a few. But there’s one thing you don’t lose: your value.

You’re so valuable that, on the very first Christmas, God paid the price of his Son to find you. The most famous verse in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).

You matter so much to God that he underwent a rescue mission to find you. He came to Earth as a little baby so that one day he could die on a wooden cross for your sin. 

The Christmas story reveals your value. God loved you enough that, when you were lost, God sent his very best—Jesus—to get you back.

Never forget: You matter to God.

Devotion By Rick Warren

316Judith

What Every Couple Can Learn from Mary and Joseph This Christmas - Advent Devotional - December 28

By Heather Riggleman

While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:20-21

I could feel my blood pressure rising as Chris and I argued once again where we would spend Christmas. Chris, an only child, felt it was best spent with his parents while I, the second oldest among six siblings, wanted to see my family. We were both tired of negations because neither one of us was willing to relent.

Chris’ parents had moved to Nebraska and we could see them anytime we wanted. Plus we spent nearly every holiday with them. It was a blessing to have them close by but all my family lived in Wyoming. Because of our busy lives, not to mention the eight hours that separated us, we hadn’t been to Newcastle in years. I was desperate to see my siblings and their families.

When life changes, when circumstances aren’t as we expected, when we are navigating new territory, we need hope. Can you imagine for a moment how the Christmas story might have been written if Mary and Joseph lacked the capacity to adjust to things beyond their circumstances? Where was hope in the middle of their scandalous story?

To begin with, Joseph had to adjust to the fact his fiancé was already pregnant. According to the law, he could have had her stoned instead he planned to save face and quietly divorce her. We can read between the lines of today’s passage the devastation, betrayal, and dashed hopes Joseph felt as he was trying to figure a way out.

But God sent an angel to tell Joseph that Mary was with child conceived by the Holy Spirit and that this child would save their people. So instead of sending Mary away, he married her.

While the first year of marriage is always difficult. Mary and Joseph faced a unique set of challenges. On top of dealing with no ordinary pregnancy filled with disgrace and gossip, trying to establish their home, run a business, and learn how to live together as a couple, they were forced to close up shop. They had to travel to Bethlehem because the Roman government was conducting a census in order to raise taxes. Every man had to travel back to their birthplace. Just what they needed!

Early one morning, Mary and Joseph left their home for Bethlehem. Mary was eight months pregnant and rode on the back of a little donkey. Joseph had a short tether wrapped tightly around his arm to lead the little burro and prevent it from dislodging Mary. They stopped along the road, slept on the hard ground and had to make due with less than ideal circumstances.

Finally, when they arrived within sight of the city, Mary stopped. She probably said something like, “Husband, I cannot ride one more moment. I’m going to sit here while you go into the city of Bethlehem and book us a room at the Holiday Day Inn. Be sure to tell room service to bring up more clean sheets, towels, and boiled water for when the baby comes.”

Mary was a long way from home, emotionally drained, worn-out, and at the end of her rope. Especially when Joseph returned to tell Mary, “Wife, the Holiday Inn was sold out, so I checked every hotel—even the Country Inn.

Finally, I convinced one of the managers of their valet service to let us crash in their manger. I paid him the last of our cash for fresh straw and privacy. We’ll be the only ones there besides all of the livestock.”

That night, heaven bent down and kissed the earth as the Son of God was born.
Can you imagine how the Christmas story might have been written if Mary and Joseph didn’t have the capacity to hope or the ability to compromise beyond their circumstances?

Father Richard Rohr says, “Hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because our Satisfaction is now at another level, and our Source is beyond ourselves.”

Hope is the essence that allows us to bend beyond our circumstances.

Hope has the ability to breathe air into crushed hearts allowing them to expand and beat again.

Hope creates room in our hearts for something more beyond ourselves.

Hope gives us fresh eyes in the midst of our struggles.

Later that evening, Chris came downstairs to check on me. Exhaustion had put me to sleep when he woke me. “I know what we can do, instead of traveling in between houses, let’s have Christmas here this year.”

This idea, this compromise was completely out of the box and unexpected but I couldn’t have imagined a better idea. I was bursting at the seams with excitement and so thankful for Chris choosing to find a way to make it work.

Like Mary and Joseph, every couple on earth must learn to develop this capacity to hope if they are to enjoy a happy marriage. Real-life is filled with unexpected turns and unforeseen problems. There was doubt, trust issues, complications, and instability. But with help from God, Mary and Joseph were determined to make it work. It was their destiny to raise the Son of God. Together. Their love story is a marriage lesson to us all.