King of Righteousness

JANUARY 1                                                                                      

Scripture Reading
Read Jeremiah 23:1-6 and reflect on the passage.

Happy New Year beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! What a wonderful call to righteousness for 2018; I unpacked the word righteousness and related it to virtue, morality, and honor. I think to be righteous is to lean into the call to “tend” to the body of Christ “unafraid”. To me, tending to the body is to daily take a posture of service; to get down on my hands and knees, in complete humility, to wash my brothers’ and sisters’ feet. 

Luke 9:23 calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. As a human I am entirely incapable to serve or love, until I pick up my cross- until I am walking beside the Righteous Branch, the Righteous King. I challenge you this New Year to walk this journey with me- to consistently lower yourself to serve the Church. This call to service looks like standing beside the person struggling with porn, walking unfaltering with the struggling teenage couple or doing a new mom’s laundry. I challenge you to wash the dirty, beautiful feet of the Church. To act as a vessel of righteousness, showing honor, grace, and mercy to the lost as well as the found.

QuestionsHow will you intentionally remember to humble yourself and then ACT on this call to service?In what capacity are you equipped and called to serve? What types of people or situations?

Prayer

Lord, help me to humble myself before You to lift my cross to serve and wash the feet of the Body of Christ!

                                                                                                                                    Hannah Gilliam

The Word Became Flesh

December 19                                                                               

Scripture Reading
Read John 1:14-17 and reflect on the passage.

I don't want to be overly personal, but honestly, these verses made me think of a modern Christmas morning.  This passage is like that one Christmas from your childhood that you'll always remember.  The one where you got both the starter pack and boxes and boxes of refills.  Wrapping paper was thrown everywhere.  You didn’t even know where to start, what gift to take out of the box first.  Your little mind was completely blown. You couldn’t stop repeating, “Thank you! Thank you!”

Of course, as we Christians know, that awesome gift is Jesus. We say it every year though, and so the freshness of the idea can be lost on us.  But to anyone who has really, really messed up lately, and received that wonderful gift of grace anew, that is grace upon grace upon grace. We become like the woman in Luke 7, weeping at His feet, thanking Him over and over again.  The gift is an embarrassment of riches.  Our little minds (and hearts) are blown.   Jesus, so perfect, so lovely, given for you and me.

Questions

1    What is a time you were most thankful for God's grace?

How can we extend that grace to others? 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for being our Gift.  You are more than we ever could have asked for.  In Your precious name, Amen.

                                                                                                                                    Ashley Hyatt

My One Word

I spend a lot of time worrying about tomorrow.  Will I have enough money? Will there be enough time to do the things I dream of doing? This sermon series has me thinking a little different. I am starting to feel the only thing I need is to get over myself. I am working toward that end.

The word, discipline, has been in my face a lot lately. Each year around this same time, I begin praying about or for, the word God wants to use to speak to me. The words God has used in the past always seemed to coincide with something I need to learn. A behavior I needed to improve or eliminate. He even uses words as an acknowledgement of a season of life I am stepping out of or into.

For example, one year, faith was my word. God wrapped it in scripture verses for an appointed day in my devotional; or plopped it right in the devotion for that day. That year I began to intentionally build my faith, spending an twelve months seeking God's direction and blessing the area of faith.

The year following my husband's death, my word of perseverance. That year I felt God's hand on my life and my hart as I practiced perseverance in spite of the difficulties and obstacles. Today, I find myself praying for my word for 2018. God keeps bringing me to the word discipline. Oh, oh. What is this about?

I recognize that God has been preparing me for this. I know how much I need discipline in many areas of my life. He is preparing me for tomorrow. He is showing me where I need to improve. He is revealing how my focus needs to be pulled away from all those things I want...and they need to be on all those things I have.

I love these words from Proverbs 3:11-12 (MSG)

But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; 

don’t sulk under his loving correction.

It’s the child he loves that God corrects;

a father’s delight is behind all this.

I am still in the process of discerning what discipline will mean for me moving forward, but I am sure it will be just what I need.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26

The resurrection shows Jesus is God’s Son

ApriL 20

Read Romans 1:1-6 and reflect on the passage.

The world is full of claims by advertisers, telling us they have a product that will make our life immeasurably better. Some of the claims are true and some are blatantly false. Unfortunately, we often have to try the product to see if a claim is true. “The proof is in the pudding,” as the saying goes.

Throughout history, many men have claimed to be a god or the son of a god. In ancient times, this claim often meant someone wanted to overthrow a king. To the peasant it made little difference if ruled by a human or a “god.” They were still subject to the limitations of earth and their environment. Their king had no “godly” supra-natural power that helped them.

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the King of a heavenly Kingdom. Many believed Jesus’ claims; others did not. The doubters needed proof. This proof was given: three days after death, Jesus “rose from the dead.” That might be the most incredible thing that has ever happened on earth. Jesus has supra-natural powers and is truly the Son of God. He is our king!

The proof is in the pudding.

Questions

1. How does knowing that Jesus is your king help you in your daily life?

2. Knowing that Jesus is your king, what little thing can you do to grow His Kingdom or make someone else’s life better?


Prayer

May God grant us the grace to comfort us daily and grow our faith to do the things He asks of us.



—Mark locher

Walk in the light

 ApriL  4

Read 1 John 1:5-10 and reflect on the passage.

Admitting I am wrong—it’s no fun. In fact, it’s just plain painful.

The great thinkers of this world understand the universality of this truth, and so summoning all their worldly wisdom they give us an out. It’s called moral relativism, a philosophy that empowers the individual to decide for himself what is wrong or right. There are no absolutes; it’s all a matter of personal opinion. What wonderful work of human ingenuity! Why, with this philosophy two people can take opposite positions on any moral question and no one has to admit being wrong!

Sound too good to be true? The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Today’s passage declares us all sinners. I haven’t met a Christian yet who claimed to be without sin, yet I’ve witnessed many conversations where Christians took opposite positions on a moral question and neither admitted to being wrong.

So, is there a definitive wrong and right? A darkness and a light? 1 John says there is, and all of Scripture defines it (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Questions

1. Is there a question of darkness and light about which the Spirit convicts you?

2. What area of your life stands unexposed to the light?

Prayer

Holy God, wherever there is darkness in my life, convict me so that I may confess, receive Your mercy, and walk in Your perfect light.

—Star Bradley

Empowered

January 8

Our transformation and heart change can only come from the Holy Spirit within.

It’s hard to imagine that God could do even more for us than what we’ve seen so far in Emmanuel. And yet, things get even sweeter. Our amazing, enormous God not only is with us, and became one of us, but now we learn that this same God sent His Spirit to indwell us. God can be in us—leading us, sustaining us, and giving us the ability to live a life that is powerfully devoted to Him!

Scripture for today, John 14:15-23, which invites us to look at heart change through the Holy Spirit.

Take time to reflect together on the passage. Read the passage a second time if needed. If you’d like some help in drawing out reflections, share answers to these questions: How do you show love (to your family, friends, those you don’t like)? How does your love differ from your family and friends to those you don’t like?

Jesus tells us that we are not alone, but that the Holy Spirit lives within us; how does knowing that we do not have to rely on ourselves for heart change, affect how you can love others?

With the start of a new year, what are things you can do this year to show that God dwells in you? Who are people in your life that need to hear the Gospel?

After giving time to reflection, offer up a simple prayer to God. If you aren’t sure what to pray, consider something like this: “Thank you God for sending the Holy Spirit to transform my heart. Thank you God for the strength, peace, comfort, and leading that the Holy Spirit provides in my life. Amen.”

Here are some other ways you can put your faith into practice with this week’s focus - “Empowered.”

For Adults

It is not easy to love everyone. As you go through your week look for the things that you struggle with about others, and ask God to change your heart. In that moment pray that the Holy Spirit would start to transform your heart to see those things as God does.

For Teens

It is not easy to love everyone. As you go through your week look for the things that are hard to love in others. Stop in the moments when you find things that you don’t like, or make you mad. Pray that the Holy Spirit would start to change your heart to see those people as God does.

For Kids

We know we love God when we love others. Ask your kids who out of the people they know, is God asking them to show love to?

—Brittany Timm & David White

A Messiah is coming

6 January

Scripture Reading

Read Isaiah 9:1-7 and reflect on the passage.

Davey couldn’t believe his eyes. There in the midst of the ripped wrapping paper, torn ribbons, and crumpled bows was the gift he had not dared to hope for. It was the present that all the boys wanted, but he never thought his parents could afford it—an electric race car track. He was stunned and speechless. Finally, he looked up at his parents, who likewise were caught up in the moment, with joy. Davey flung himself into their loving arms.

Isaiah, the prophet, announced to God’s people that the Lord was intent upon giving them something that they dared not hope for—that God would give them a Messiah, who would not only be a just and fair ruler but who would actually be God Himself— Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This is the gift that exceeds all our imaginations—something beyond what we could hope for.

The joy and wonder of Christmas is that we have a God who delights to give to His children. He loves to amaze us with His generosity. He relishes the moment when He catches us by surprise. His heart overflows with joy as we run into His arms.

Questions

1.      What is the moment in your Christmas memories when you were caught by surprise the most?

2.      What is it about God’s love for you that you know is far more than you deserve or could expect?

  

Prayer

Father, I give You thanks that You are who You are—One who delights in surprising us with gifts. Warm my heart with gratitude to run into Your arms with joy. Amen.

—David Mann 

God created the heavens and the earth

30 November 

Scripture Reading

Read Genesis 1:1-5 and reflect on the passage.

“In the beginning, God created”—from nothing. Amazing! And let’s not miss the miracle of the first day. God spoke: “Light!” and light appeared. Awesome! By a series of truly stunning decrees, He called into being the ordered world. Was He preparing the earth for man’s arrival—His last and best miracle of creation? Above and beyond our imagination!

Then the unthinkable happened—man (we) forgot the Above-and-Beyond God; we chose darkness over His Amazing Light. As we wandered in the dark, hoping for His Light to return, He had already made plans to reconcile us to the Light again! We await this Light. Come Light Divine!

In this Advent time, let’s not miss the miracle of the first Christmas. God spoke through the angel, “I bring you good news…today there has been born for you a Savior” (Luke 2:10-11). Amazing! God spoke through John, “The true light…was coming into the world,” affirming Jesus as that Light (John 1:9). Awesome! Was He preparing man for His arrival as the God-Man to bring us back to Himself? Above and beyond our deserving! Come, Lord Jesus, Light Divine!

Questions

1. What to you is the most amazing thing about creation or about the God of creation?

2. Are you living in anticipation of Jesus coming again? Why or why not?

Prayer

We thank You, Creator God, for showing us that You are above-and-beyond anything we can imagine or deserve. Keep us in Your Light. Amen.

—Mary Lou Garves

God is Powerful

 November 29

Scripture Reading

Read Joshua 3:14-17; 4:10-24 and reflect on the passages.

My family loves to go to new places. Whenever we go someplace new, we have made it our practice to find a magnet that we can put on our refrigerator so that every time we open the refrigerator door it reminds us of some family adventure. Many times when I was grabbing milk or filling up a water glass my eyes fell on one of our vacation-refrigerator-magnets and I smiled—remembering something particular about that special event in the life we are making together.

Our vacation-refrigerator-magnets are physical reminders of experiences we do not want to forget. In Joshua’s day the nation of Israel was not on some family vacation, rather they were locked into survival mode and they needed to daily rely on God’s provision for daily bread, provision, and direction.

Stopping the Jordan river during flood stage was the kind of God-sized miracle you would not want to forget. Piling up the 12 stones in Gilgal was the “vacation-refrigerator-magnet” that stood as a lasting memory of how God cares for His dear people.

Questions

1.     So what are the events in your life that demonstrate God’s power for you?

2.     What can you do to remind yourself of what God has done?

Prayer

Father, You have demonstrated Your power, provision, and love to me in many ways. Help me to always remember Your faithfulness.

—Brodie Taphorn