Month: December 2025

This Christmas, pray that those who are lost would come to know the hope, peace, and love of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 2:12-18

Look around you. At this time of year, it’s easy to find people who eagerly celebrate the secular aspects of Christmas, such as meeting Santa Claus or watching holiday movies. But some of them might be less accepting of the true cause of “joy to the world.”
This hostility isn’t new. Herod was angry when he realized that the Magi hadn’t returned to share the location of the King of the Jews. Herod’s fury was fueled by his desire for power and control. He didn’t want another king to dethrone him. Perhaps some people today scorn the celebration of Christ’s birth for the same reason—they don’t want anyone else “ruling their life.”
Romans 1:18 says that people who reject Jesus have suppressed the truth. Others won’t come to the Light for fear that their deeds will be exposed (John 3:19-20). However, we shouldn’t assume salvation is impossible for someone who is hostile to Jesus. After all, Paul persecuted the church until his conversion, and he became one of its greatest witnesses.
Sometimes people who push back against the true meaning of Christmas may feel like a lost cause. But remember that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus. So make space in your heart for those who don’t know the Lord, and pray they would be open to seeing Christmas in a new way.

In the busyness of the holiday season, let’s remember to worship Jesus.

Matthew 2:1-6

Each year, there’s a variety of responses to the holiday season. Over the next three days, we will examine different reactions to Christmas. Although more than 2,000 years have passed since Christ was born, His birth still elicits similar attitudes.
One common response is apathy. Even if they are filled with the holiday spirit and celebrate Christmas with gifts, decorations, and parties, some people remain indifferent to Jesus. He doesn’t even register in their minds because they’ve lost sight of the reason for Christmas.
The Bible story about the Magi searching for the newborn King of the Jews reveals a similar indifference on the part of the religious leaders. The entourage from the East caused quite a stir in Jerusalem. It wasn’t every day that impressive visitors arrived with such a shocking and exciting announcement. Yet when King Herod asked the scribes and chief priests where the Messiah was to be born, they simply told him the answer but made no attempt to go to Bethlehem themselves as the Magi did.
Sometimes it’s easy to let the activities and pressures of Christmas push Jesus out of our thoughts. Though it may take a deliberate effort, this year let’s intentionally make Jesus the priority of Christmas.

Our heavenly Father sees past our faults and mistakes to the precious child He loves.

Psalms 37:3-5

Scripture mentions children coming to Jesus(Matthew 18:2-3; Matthew 19:13-14). Some probably climbed onto His lap, while others perhaps sat at His feet. We can picture them asking Him questions, begging to hear more stories, and whispering secrets in His ear. It isn’t surprising that they would gather around Jesus; children can usually sense when an adult loves them deeply.
Contrast this image of the Savior’s welcoming, loving nature with the picture some Christians have of God—they see Him as a judgmental taskmaster who motivates by intimidation. While it’s true that we are to obey the Lord, we’re also to delight in Him, just as we would enjoy the company of a close friend.
How much better to have a biblically accurate view—that God, while sovereign over the universe, balances authority with love. While He does want us to pursue spiritual growth, He also wants us to relax and enjoy spending time with Him.
Taking pleasure in the Lord requires that we understand His attitude toward us: Our Father loves us tenderly and compassionately. He sees past our faults and mistakes to the precious child He created. In fact, He loves us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to save us and enable us to be with Him in heaven eternally. We have no greater friend!

Jesus came to earth as a baby, lived without sin, died in our place, and rose again to reconcile us to God.

Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:2-7
God came to earth in the person of Jesus. His humble birth was the beginning of a mighty work the Father accomplished on our behalf—work that included … 
•The incarnation. From the moment of His physical birth, Jesus was both fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9). He chose to submit to His Father’s will and live as one of us. Throughout His earthly life, He remained the eternal Son of God but simultaneously possessed a human nature unblemished by sin.
•Revelation of God. The Son came into this world so we could understand what the Father is like. Jesus said, “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me” (John 12:45).
•Identification with man. By calling Himself the Son of Man (Matthew 8:20; Mark 10:33; Mark 10:45), Jesus was fully identifying Himself with us. He walked among us, experiencing suffering and death. During the crucifixion, He knew the consequences of sin, as He took all our iniquities upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21).
As wonderful as the birth of a baby is, what occurred at Christmas was far greater. God became man and dwelt among us so we might become reconciled to Him—all because of His great love for us. On this last Sunday of Advent, may we remember all that He has done—and rejoice!

In every moment of pain, the Lord provides the grace we need in order to endure.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

What should we do with our pain when God doesn’t remove it? How can He be a God of love and yet not come to our aid?
Today’s passage gives us insight into a painful event in Paul’s life. We don’t know what the “thorn in the flesh” was, but his account of what he learned through that experience is an amazing example of three things God teaches us through adversity: 
1. God is sovereign over the situation. Ultimately, He is the one who allowed the difficulty and the one with the power to end it.
2. God prioritizes the spiritual. Paul wanted physical relief, but the Lord was working for his spiritual good. Whatever God allows to afflict believers is designed to protect them from sin, produce holiness, and equip them for faithful service.
3. God’s grace is sufficient. The Lord gave Paul both the grace to endure and strength in his weakness.

Once we understand the Lord’s sovereignty, priorities, and sufficiency, we can respond to our afflictions as Paul did—with gladness (James 1:2-3). When Christ’s strength is perfected in us, we can be content in whatever difficulties God allows in our life. The Lord’s unwillingness to give us relief is not neglect. Rather, it is evidence of His surpassing love, which seeks our eternal good.

Joy naturally flows from knowing Christ, and it draws others to Him.

1 John 1:1-4

Jesus calls us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). On hearing this, some Christians worry that they need special skills or charisma in order to explain the good news to someone else. Yet to bear witness is not merely to share the plan of salvation. The phrase literally means “to know by personal experience” or “testify to.” In today’s passage, John wrote that he was sharing things he’d experienced firsthand. What he was saying is this: “I’m full of joy because of the experience of knowing Jesus, and I want you to share in that joy.”
When you’re in love with someone, you are excited about the relationship and enjoy spending time together. Likewise, when you’re in love with Jesus, you can’t keep to yourself the joy that comes from knowing Him—it just spills over, bearing witness and strengthening other believers. People around you will pick up on the deep, genuine gladness in your heart that goes beyond natural happiness. And some who don’t yet know the Lord will find themselves hungering for the joy you have.
Witnessing is not a matter of eloquence or talent; it’s an overflow of a relationship with Jesus. As you allow the Holy Spirit to increasingly express His life and power through you, contagious joy will be the fruit of His indwelling presence.

Sometimes God uses trials to shape our character and strengthen our faith.

Acts 16:13-34

One way we tend to judge whether we’re walking in God’s will is by the outcome. The assumption is that when we’re doing what the Lord wants, life will run smoothly. But if all sorts of problems occur, we often assume we have wandered away from His will.
Paul’s writings, however, show this is not always the case. His first letter to the Corinthians says, “For a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). That’s exactly what happened when God closed one door and opened another on the apostle’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:6-10). After Lydia and her household received the gospel, this new opportunity must have seemed hopeful. Yet, a short time later Paul and Silas, having been stripped and beaten with rods, found themselves sitting in a Philippian jail.
We don’t like to think God’s will for our life might include pain or suffering, but Scripture teaches us that is a possibility. The Lord uses affliction to test our faith, teach dependence on Him, develop godly character, and equip us to comfort others (Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:4).
When the Lord opens a door to trials in our life, it’s an opportunity for others to witness God at work in us. May we learn to respond in a manner that draws others to the Savior.

God often uses closed doors to redirect us into His perfect will and timing.

Acts 16:1-12

Have you ever prayed about a situation and felt confident of God’s will, only to discover that what you thought would happen didn’t come to pass?
On Paul’s second missionary journey, he and Silas had an experience like that. After originally intending to visit previous church plants, they instead decided to move into new territory with the gospel. But the Holy Spirit stopped them from going into Asia. So they went to Mysia with the intention of heading east to Bithynia. Yet once again the Holy Spirit closed the door.
At that point, they may have wondered why God would prevent them from preaching the gospel. After all, hadn’t Jesus commissioned all believers to share their faith (Matthew 28:19-20)? The answer came to Paul in a dream as the Lord redirected them to Greece—a nation with great metropolitan cities. From there, the gospel could spread rapidly, and eventually Paul circled around to Ephesus, bringing the gospel to Asia. By the time John wrote Revelation, there were at least seven churches on that continent.
God often uses closed doors to redirect us into His perfect will and timing. Therefore, the wisest response is to rely on His infinite wisdom, wait for His clear direction, and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We simply need to trust and obey.

Lasting fulfillment comes only when we align ourselves with God’s will.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-23

Not only was King Solomon wise (1 Kings 3:12); he was also blessed with wealth beyond imagination and given the privilege of building God’s temple. So we might expect he also experienced a deep sense of contentment.
In searching for that fulfillment, Solomon devoted himself to exploring all kinds of things. Ecclesiastes tells us that he indulged in the pleasures of the world, even dabbling in pursuits he recognized as folly to see if there was anything worthwhile in them. But the satisfaction Solomon sought evaded him, and he concluded that self-indulgence was without value.
To feel content, the king tried another avenue: personal achievement. He undertook great things, such as building houses, gardens, and parks for himself and carrying out an extensive irrigation project (Eccl. 2:4-6). The king had everything he could ever need to enjoy life, but in the end, he concluded it was all without meaning.
Solomon possessed the wisdom and resources to accomplish whatever he decided to do. Yet everything he pursued brought no lasting contentment. He concluded that the best course was to obey God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). True enjoyment comes only when we align ourselves with His will.

Jesus loves us and has freed us from the penalty and power of our past mistakes.

Revelation 1:4-8

In today’s passage, John gives us a powerful yet simple description of the Lord. Verse 5 condenses the wondrous nature of Jesus Christ to the beautiful essentials of who He is: 
•Jesus is the faithful witness. He came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of His Father (John 14:9). Jesus’ miracles proved His claim to be the Son of God.
•Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. The Savior bore our sins, died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, which is what Jesus taught when He said, “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25).
•Jesus is the ruler of the kings of earth. The Lord raises men to power, and it is also He who removes them (Daniel 2:21).
•Jesus loves us and, by His blood, freed us from our sins. Note the change of tense in Revelation 1:5 (NIV). The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Sin’s penalty and power have both been broken by His sacrifice.
In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. This Christmas season, may appreciation of who Jesus is fill us with joy and gratitude.