Northwest Gospel Church - Summit View

REFLECT: "Shopping for the last gift.
Figuring out what you’re going to wear to your fourth Christmas party.
Assembling the grocery list for Christmas Eve.
Making sure you didn’t leave anyone off your Christmas card list.
And so on…

Our time is held captive by the myriad of tasks we must do during the Christmas season. And if we’re not careful, this list can strip us of remembering the true “reason for the season.” We celebrate Christmas to remember Jesus taking on flesh and stepping into this world. When we open the pages to the beginning of Luke, we read in awe of the unfolding events that brought us the baby Jesus laying in a manger.

Over 2000 years have passed since the moment Jesus breathed His first breath. During this time, Christmas has become more about expectations other people placed on us and less about the expectations our Heavenly Father has for us. To do this, we must give Jesus our hearts and not just our minds. We must declare with words, actions, and priorities that Jesus truly is the reason for the season."

RESPOND: As our mouth declares that “Jesus is the reason for the season", our priorities communicate that friends, gifts, family, and busyness is the real reason for the season. We have one week left before Christmas day. What shift will you make to declare with your heart that “Jesus is the reason for the season?”

REFLECT: Last week we saw God’s plan unfolding through the promise of John the Baptist--the man sent to prepare the way for Jesus the Rescuer. This week we will focus on Jesus' birth! His birth is important because of what He came to do. God sent Him to earth as a human baby, to bring Him into our world, to save us from our sins.

RESPOND: Plan with your family to celebrate Jesus’ birthday! You can make Him a birthday card--bake Him a cake! Sing Happy Birthday to Him. Whatever you like! You can post pictures of your birthday party for Jesus and tag us:
@SVKidsVancouver. To access our extended family devotional click the following button.

REFLECT: The past couple of years have been marked by unexpected difficulties, foiled plans, and losses to grieve. And yet, God promises that He is with us, even in the midst of confusion and uncertainty.

Just as God was with Mary in a season of unexpected hardships, we can look to God and His eternal promises for comfort and security. May we be like Mary when unexpected circumstances come our way; resolved to likewise say "I am the Lord's servant…may things be for me as you have decided them to be." This simple act of submission opens us up to engage the presence of a gracious God and experience His favor and presence.

RESPOND: What places in your life do you need to submit to God's perfect authority; your future, your finances, your relationships, your current circumstances? God has a plan for you. Take time today to sit with God; ask Him to reveal what strongholds might be holding you back from receiving all that He has for you, and surrender them to Him in a confession of faith today.

REFLECT: This week has all been about Elizabeth and Zachariah. Their son, John the Baptist, became the one who was the “voice in the wilderness” and the one who “prepared the way of the Lord.” His mission on earth was not to be the Christ, but to declare to the world what he already knew before he was even born--that Jesus was the Christ and the Son of the Living God. He lived a life that pointed others to Jesus as their long-awaited Savior.

Are you living a life this Christmas season that points others to Jesus? Do you find yourself caught up in the commercializion and busyness of Christmas or have you been able to engage the real reason for the season? Turn your eyes upon Jesus and declare His coming to the world.

RESPOND: We are getting close to Christmas--just 10 more days! Who might God be calling you to share the joy of Christ with this Christmas season? Identify 2 people or families to attend a Christmas Eve service with you this year and invite them. Don’t know where to start? Print and fill out this invitation!

REFLECT: Romans 8:28 tells us “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Today, we see Elizabeth and Zechariah, righteous before God, having their greatest prayer answered and God working miraculously for their good. Not only is this miracle for their own personal good, but also for the good of the world! John comes on the scene as a blessed surprise, an unusual man born to unlikely parents. Ask yourself: “Am I comfortable with surprises? Am I open to God using the unlikely in my life for good, to fulfill His purposes?”

RESPOND: Elizabeth & Zechariah received a great gift and surprise with the pregnancy of John the Baptist! How can you be a blessing in suprise to someone in your life this week? Bake a dozen cookies (or purchase from the store) for a neighbor or coworker and invite them to join you at church on Christmas Eve!

REFLECT: In this week’s passage, Gabriel’s describes how John would prepare the people of Israel: “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God...turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Is your heart prepared to receive what God has for you this Christmas season? What might be keeping you from hearing from Him or being receptive to His refining hand? Sometimes it’s as simple as too many distractions, as complicated as past hurts driving us to hold tightly to a sense of control, or as straightforward as unrepented sin.

This Christmas, how do you need to prepare to celebrate King Jesus? What does it look like for you turn your heart to God?

RESPOND: As we anticipate celebrating Jesus, we don’t have to wait to engage Him; He doesn’t require us to submit a request for an audience with Him but rather invites us to talk with Him anytime and anywhere—even in the midst of our mess.

Today, spend some time preparing your heart to celebrate Jesus at Christmas. Ask Him to reveal what distractions you might need to eliminate, the uncovering of sin requiring confession, and the softening of your heart to trust Him in all areas of your life.

Invite the Spirit to prepare your heart for the King’s arrival and celebrate with joy.

REFLECT: The word Advent means “coming.” During Advent, we remember Jesus' first coming and prepare our hearts for Him to return someday. Throughout the Bible, we see the unfolding of God’s big picture plan to bring a Rescuer--Jesus--and in today's passage we learn about the birth of John the Baptist, sent to prepare the way for Jesus, the Rescuer.

RESPOND: Draw a picture of your favorite part of this story. Hang it up where you can see it, so that when you look at it, you will be reminded to prepare your heart for Jesus. Make charade cards from scenes or keywords from this story. Play charades as a family! To access our extended family devotional click the button!

REFLECT: As we approach the Christmas season, let us celebrate like Elizabeth--finding joy in our lives for how God works in the unexpected and celebrating His faithfulness. Even more more importantly, let us find our joy in the knowledge that our Messiah has come! Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, is with us and He is forever faithful; always at work in our lives. His plans will always come to pass in His perfect timing. Through His choice to come, He did for us what we could not do for ourselves, saving us from our sins and reconciling us to God. Our Savior is born!

RESPOND: Got Zechariah syndrome? Spend some time reading throught Luke 1:5-25 again today. Search your thoughts and ask God to reveal to you any areas where you--like Zachariah--are not believing God's promises for your life. Confess those thoughts to Him and to a loved one; invite them to pray for you in this area, and ask God to clear out obstacles in your heart preventing you from receiving all that He has for you in this season.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come.

The joy of Jesus’s birth echoes throughout all of creation "fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy”. This is good news!

Jesus brought joy to the world through His salvation; through Jesus we can be released from bondage to sin and live lives of purpose in freedom. This is what we celebrate at Christmas–our King has come to bring us everlasting joy!

Join in with Heaven and nature and sing praise to God.

Ask a friend or family member what brings them Joy. Use that information to make their day! Buy them a cup of coffee, make time to catch up, take care of a task they dread doing, or give them a word of encouragement. Let the joy that comes from knowing Jesus spill out into the lives of those around you!

God has a long history of redeeming the irredeemable, exalting the unremarkable, and restoring the broken. As we take a look at the ancestry of Jesus, we discover it is no exception. God brings forth the world’s great hope and salvation from a succession of all different types of people with all different stories. Some were mighty, some were ordinary, some were scandalous. Jesus’ origin story displays a tapestry of messy people being used in mighty ways for God’s purposes. Do you trust God to redeem your most shameful parts and accomplish something beautiful?

What does your story say about God’s character? Meditate on the ways that God has redeemed your life. Write out a list of the things that are true about God in light of the ways He has shown up in your life. Set aside a moment to give thanks and praise to God for the salvation He offers through His Son, Jesus Christ.