Adore

Christmas Day

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 If you made or have an Advent wreath, begin by lighting the “Christ Candle” in Jesus’ honor. If you don’t have a wreath, light a candle to honor of Jesus, who brings light to our lives. In the glow of the candlelight, reread the Christmas story from Matthew, chapters 1 & 2 and Luke, chapters 1 & 2. You may have been excited to give and receive gifts today, but the most important gift you’ll ever receive won’t be found under a tree or in a stocking. Jesus left heaven to offer us the unmatched gifts of forgiveness, salvation, presence, hope, peace, love, joy, eternal life, and so much more. 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 Have you received the greatest gift ever offered - to know, love and follow Jesus this Christmas and beyond? If not, perhaps your greatest gift will come today as you accept Jesus’ invitation and welcome him into your heart. OUR PRAYER FOR YOU May the LORD who created the stars, and gave us his only son, bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace. Numbers 6:24b-26 Merry Christmas! This advent devotional was produced by: * Willamette Christian Church - willamette.cc [https://willamette.cc/] * Hope City Church - hopecitypdx.com [https://hopecitypdx.com/] * Beaverton Christian Church - beaverton.cc [https://beaverton.cc/] We encourage you to subscribe to our weekly sermon podcasts, and attend an in-person service if possible.

Week Four: Day 6, December 23

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Luke 2:1 Shortly before Mary gave birth to Jesus she and Joseph embarked on an arduous journey to Bethlehem. There were two pressing reasons why they travelled so late in the pregnancy. The first was that everyone was required by Roman decree to register for the census. The second, and more important, reason took place 700 years before the birth of Jesus, when the Old Testament prophet Micah foretold that Jesus would be born in the little town of Bethlehem. Bethlehem, with a normal population of around 600, was bursting at the seams. Families reunited in overfilled homes and on the streets as relatives converged for the census. The bustling town was completely unaware of what was about to transpire once the weary soon-to-be parents finally arrived. The birth there of Jesus, the Messiah, would forever change the entire world. CONSIDER * The whirl of people and activities in Bethlehem caused most to miss the unfolding miracle. If your Christmas feels like a whirl of people and activities, too, ask God to help you focus on the gift of Jesus during this season. * What have you discovered about God and yourself in this Christmas season? Write a prayer to God to share what you’ve learned and how it will impact your life going forward. This advent devotional was produced by: * Willamette Christian Church - willamette.cc [https://willamette.cc/] * Hope City Church - hopecitypdx.com [https://hopecitypdx.com/] * Beaverton Christian Church - beaverton.cc [https://beaverton.cc/] We encourage you to subscribe to our weekly sermon podcasts, and attend an in-person service if possible.

Week Four: Day 5, December 22

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18 Mary is three months pregnant when she returns from visiting her cousin Elizabeth, and her baby bump is starting to show. She needs to tell Joseph, even if it risks her life. Imagine Joseph’s devastation and confusion when he learns Mary is expecting, and he knows he is not the father. He had an incomprehensible decision to make. As a man who followed Jewish law, he knew that divorcing Mary publicly would cause her to be disgraced and possibly stoned to death for adultery. And while Joseph would have been familiar with Old Testament prophecies, it had likely never crossed his mind that HIS future wife would be the virgin giving birth to the coming Messiah. But God sent this sign to Joseph: ...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. All of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” Matthew 1:20-25 CONSIDER * What do these passages teach you about God’s character? * What are some areas in your life that you are trying to control and should trust God to control instead? How can you grow your trust in God? This advent devotional was produced by: * Willamette Christian Church - willamette.cc [https://willamette.cc/] * Hope City Church - hopecitypdx.com [https://hopecitypdx.com/] * Beaverton Christian Church - beaverton.cc [https://beaverton.cc/] We encourage you to subscribe to our weekly sermon podcasts, and attend an in-person service if possible.

Week Four: Day 4, December 21

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! Luke 1:45 It is hard to imagine the range of emotions Mary would have experienced during her pregnancy. On one hand, she surely felt great joy as Jesus grew inside her. On the other hand, she likely felt fearful because under Jewish law at that time a woman who became pregnant outside of marriage could be stoned to death. God did not leave her to face this dire situation alone. The angel Gabriel told her, “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:36-37 Six months earlier, the angel Gabriel had also visited Zechariah. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin) had not been able to have children and were now past childbearing years. Gabriel said to him that his prayer had been heard and his wife was going to bear a son, whom they would name John. A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child (John the Baptist) leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Luke 1:39-44 CONSIDER * What does it mean to you that no matter what has gone on in your life, the Lord promises to never leave you if you have put your trust in him? Tell God what this promise means in your life. This advent devotional was produced by: * Willamette Christian Church - willamette.cc [https://willamette.cc/] * Hope City Church - hopecitypdx.com [https://hopecitypdx.com/] * Beaverton Christian Church - beaverton.cc [https://beaverton.cc/] We encourage you to subscribe to our weekly sermon podcasts, and attend an in-person service if possible.

Week Four: Day 3, December 20

... God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.“ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-35,38 The distance between the Old and New Testaments is only one page in the Bible, but it spans four long centuries. The Old Testament prophets shared many details about the coming of Jesus. After 400 years of silence, God dispatched His angel Gabriel first to Zechariah, and then to Mary. With this silence now broken, every Old Testament prophecy about Jesus began to be fulfilled. Bethlehem is often the setting that comes to mind when we think of the Christmas story, but the events in Bethlehem would not have happened without the conception miracle in the small village of Nazareth. The Christmas story as we think of it begins in Nazareth when Mary accepted God’s invitation to be the earthly mother of his son, and Jesus was conceived. CONSIDER * Mary bravely pushed past her fears and focused on the promise of God. Where do you need to be brave and push past fear, focusing on his promises? Spend some time talking to God about your fears, asking for his help in working through them. This advent devotional was produced by: * Willamette Christian Church - willamette.cc [https://willamette.cc/] * Hope City Church - hopecitypdx.com [https://hopecitypdx.com/] * Beaverton Christian Church - beaverton.cc [https://beaverton.cc/] We encourage you to subscribe to our weekly sermon podcasts, and attend an in-person service if possible.