Christmas Day Devotional Guide

Good morning and merry Christmas! As you celebrate this morning, we wanted to share a few tools for individual or family worship. Everyone observes this day differently—fit as much or as little of this into your day as you’d like!

Read or Watch

Luke 2:1–20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
(ESV)

KIDS: Jesus Storybook Bible Christmas Story

Pray

“Celebrating Together on Christmas Morning” from “Words for Winter” by the Austin Stone

LEADER/PARENT:
Wonder upon wonder, Christmas morning is here:
tree trimmed, decorated, and gifts in tow.
We gather together, anticipating delights and traditions,
preparing our hearts to both give and receive.
Let the symbols and celebration of Christmas morning-exchanging gifts,
opening stockings, and reading about Santa-
turn our heads and hearts to the better story of Jesus birth and eminent reign.

PEOPLE/OTHERS:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.

LEADER:
We give to each other with generosity,
like the bishop Saint Nicolas did to the poor and needy.
For we were once poor and needy,
but now are rich in faith and heirs to God’s kingdom.
Because God sent Jesus, born of woman, born under the law,
so our status as poor and needy orphans might change to righteous, adopted children.

PEOPLE:
We love each other in generosity because You first loved us.
For the Lord takes thought of us.
You are our Help and our Deliverer, O Lord.
Your generosity toward us
is abundant and immeasurable.

LEADER:
We recount the nativity and remember with all the saints
how from the foundation of the world,
You, O Lord, have been weaving a glorious story, reconciling a people to Yourself:
how Mary and Joseph trusted You,
how the angels declared the good news to the shepherds,
and how the wise men brought gifts to Jesus, because He is King and worthy of worship.

PEOPLE:
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given.
His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation,
and His kingdom will know no end.

LEADER:
He is calling a people to Himself,
from every tribe, tongue, and nation,
and while we celebrate His kingship around a Christmas tree this morning,
we will celebrate with final rejoicing around His throne when He returns again.

PEOPLE:
So, until we see Him face to face, we will give thanks to the God of Heaven,
for His steadfast love endures forever.

ALL:
Amen.

Sing

Pick a Christmas song or two from this playlist to sing through as a family, or just listen through in the background.

in Advent 2022 Weekly Devotional Series

Advent Devotional Guide: Week Four

The Second Coming and Mission

In our fourth and final week of Advent, we are focusing on how the Second Coming of Christ shapes and motivates our mission in the world. The story of the Bible culminates in the return of Jesus to renew and restore the world. This future restoration is not disconnected from our current reality. Rather, it’s the culmination of the mission that Jesus has given to His people.

As we anticipate His future return, followers of Jesus are called to participate in this mission by representing Christ in the way we live and by spreading the good news about Jesus to our neighbors, communities, and around the world.

The glorious truth is that the Bible gives us a Gospel that addresses every dimension of the problem that sin has created. God’s mission is the final destruction of all that is evil from His whole creation. Our mission therefore has to be as comprehensive in scope as the Gospel the whole Bible gives us. […] God chose not to abandon or destroy His creation, but to redeem it. And He chose to do so within history through persons and events that run from the call of Abraham to the return of Christ.
(Christopher Wright, “The Mission of God’s People,” p. 41)

Prayer Invitations & Discussion Questions

  • Individually, with your co-workers, or with your household, pray the the Lord’s Prayer 1–3 times a day (morning, noon, and night):

    “Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
    (From Matthew 6:9–13)

    • Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven: Pray that God would give us passion and courage to participate in His Kingdom mission:

    • Who are your friends or family members that don’t know Jesus? Pray that God would give you opportunities and courage to share the good news of Jesus with particular neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates, or family members.
    • Are there areas in your life where you don’t feel like you are representing Christ well? Pray that Jesus would help you to grow as a representative of His character in that area.
    • Jesus has called us to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth.” Pray for missionaries and Christians around the world who are bringing the good news of Jesus to unreached or under-reached regions and communities.
  • Join us for our final Advent Weekly Prayer this Wednesday, December 21, at 12pm in the Gallery at the church building. Consider also fasting from breakfast and/or lunch. New to fasting? Here are some thoughts.

Songs for the week

O Come O Come Emmanuel (The Christian Year, Park Church Music, Chichi Agorom from “The Christian Year, Vol. 1“)

Joy To The World (The Christian Year, Park Church Music, Anna Brawner from “The Christian Year, Vol. 2“)

Additional Resource

Witness (Martus) Word Study (The Bible Project)

in Advent 2022 Weekly Devotional Series

Advent Devotional Guide: Week Three

The Second Coming & Holiness

In our third week of Advent, we are focusing on how the second coming of Christ frames and motivates our pursuit of holiness. In His first advent, Christ graciously freed us from penalty of sin. When He comes again, we can be confident that He will complete the work that He began in us. Between these two advents, we are called to progressively become the kind of people that He has designed us to be, delivered us to be, and destined us to be.

“The emotionally mature person is not the one with a starved, deprived existence, but rather one that reaches out and embraces and furthers all that is good – everything that is good. And that’s a long list. You can start just with simple beauty. It’s very hard to be grumpy when you’re looking at a beautiful rose–try it. It’s turning to what is good that fills out the life of the emotionally and spiritually mature person. As you step into spiritual maturity, you step into the wonderful world of God so rich with good things that we won’t have enough time to concentrate on them.

This is, in the classic language of the church, holiness, sanctification. I have to acknowledge that the way many people present holiness and sanctification is a very pinched view of life. It’s very starved, because they have not been encouraged to turn themselves loose into the fullness of God’s presence and all that is good for them to invest their lives in.””
(Dallas Willard, Heart and Soul Conference, 2012)

Questions for Discussion

Discuss with others, with your Gospel Community, or by reflecting in your journal.

  1. Re-read Titus 2:1-14. Which of these characteristics of holiness stand out to you the most? Are any of them uncomfortable, new, or challenging? How do these standards of holiness compare to the world’s standards of what a good person does?
  2. What is our role in helping others grow towards holiness? What is one practical way you can model to your neighbors God’s holiness?
  3. What hope does Jesus give in His second coming in regards to holiness?

Prayer Invitations

  • Individually, with your co-workers, or with your household, pray the the Lord’s Prayer 1–3 times a day (morning, noon, and night):

    “Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
    (From Matthew 6:9–13)

    • Additional questions as you meditate on the Lord’s Prayer this week:

    1. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done: Where do I need to see the values of God’s Kingdom and His will for my life transform my current heart, attitudes, and behaviors? Pray that God would transform you to be who He designed you to be, who He delivered you to be, and who He has destined you to be.
    2. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Where are you tempted (whether by the evil one, your own flesh, or the influence of the world) to turn from God’s design for your life? Where are you pursuing a vision for life that leads you away from the holiness of God? Pray that God would help you turn from these temptations and deliver you from evil so that you could more fully pursue His presence and purposes in your life.
  • Weekly prayer continues on Wednesdays through December 21: 12pm in the Gallery at the church building. Whether or not you join us, consider fasting from breakfast and/or lunch. New to fasting? Here are some thoughts.

A song for the week

“God in Us” (Park Church Music, John Petterson)

Additional Resources

“Live No Lies”, John Mark Comer

See Book

The Bible Project on Holiness

Watch Video
in Advent 2022 Weekly Devotional Series • Blog

Advent Devotional Guide: Week Two

The Second Coming and Hope

Two realities are set before us—present suffering and future glory. Biblical Christianity never asks us to minimize the reality of brokenness and heartache in this life. Indeed, the whole creation groans harmoniously with us in a chorus of aching for restoration. We are free to be honest. But then we are called to consider what awaits us with the return of Christ. In His coming our experience as children of God is fully realized. All things will be made new by the light of His presence—from to greatest societal sin to the most personal pain. As we hold this future state in our minds, pining in the Spirit for its fullness, the glory of our returning Savior helps us have hopeful context for our current weariness. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

In the meantime, Jesus, may we see You and what You’re about in our daily moments.

“A Christian views the suffering of this life in a larger, world-transcending context that, while not alleviating its present intensity, transcends it with the confines expectation that suffering is not the final word.”
(Douglas Moo)

“Weighted in the scales of true and lasting values, the sufferings endured in this life are light indeed compared with the splendor for the life to come—a life undisturbed by anything hostile or hurtful.”
(Charles Hodge)

Questions for Discussion

Discuss with others, with your Gospel Community, or by reflecting in your journal.

  1. Where are areas you feel your soul groaning, inwardly awaiting for Christ to make things right? (Hardship, injustice, broken relationships, personal struggles, etc). What are honest ways to lean into these groans that both embrace real pain and the equally real redeeming promise of Jesus?
  2. In this Sunday’s sermon, Neil mentioned a number of things the new creation will usher in: “only peace, only kindness, only fruit, only rest, only excitement.” We experience some of these things here on earth, but not in their full, redeemed glory. Isn’t that exciting? There is more to peace, more to goodness, more to joy than we can possibly imagine here and now. What are redeemed things you long to experience in full? Is this hard to imagine?

Weekly Prayer Invitations

  • Individually, with your co-workers, or with your household, pray the the Lord’s Prayer 1–3 times a day (morning, noon, and night):

    “Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
    (From Matthew 6:9–13)

  • Join us for weekly prayer on Wednesdays, December 30–December 21, at 12pm in the Gallery at the church building. Consider also fasting from breakfast and/or lunch. New to fasting? Here are some thoughts.

A song for the week

The Gates (Young Oceans, from “Advent“)

Additional Resources

Prayer by Ray Ortlund:

O Father, a new heavens, a new earth, a new humanity—how wide is the scope of Your Gospel! It does not offer me a private religious preference. It leads me into the secrets of the universe. I affirm Your plan for all things. I submit myself to Your will for my particular life, including the hardships You have ordained for me. Lead me into the brilliant glory just ahead, where my tears will be wiped away forever, where the sorrows of this life will be only a fading memory, swallowed up in a heavenly ocean of pure delight. O God, I long to be lifted up out of time, out of this present age, out of my sins, to be with You forever. Keep my heart ablaze for You, dear Lord, until You take me home. In the holy name of Christ. Amen.

Prayer by Anselm (1033–1109):

I pray, O God, that I may know You, that I may love You, so that I may rejoice in You. And if I cannot do this to the full in this life, at least let me go forward from day to day until that joy comes to fullness. Let the knowledge of You go forward in me here, and there let it be made full. Let love for You increase, and there let it be full, so that here my joy may be great in hope and there it may be full in reality. O Lord, through Your Son, You command us—rather, You counsel us—to ask, and You promise that we shall receive, that our joy may be full. O Lord, I ask what You counsel through our wonderful Counselor. Let me receive what You promise through Your truth, that my joy may be full. Meanwhile, let my mind meditate upon it, let my tongue speak of it. Let my heart love it, let my tongue discourse upon it. Let my soul hunger for it, let my flesh thirst for it, let my whole being desire it, until I enter into the joy of my Lord, who is the triune and one God, blessed forever. Amen.

Advent: Christ Will Come Again—Artwork

Artwork is another way for us to imagine the realities of Christ’s kingdom. When art works as devotion—training us to see with the eyes of faith in new ways—it can grow our imagination, even in the theological sense. To learn more about our artwork for this Advent series, use the button below.

Advent Artwork Explanation
in Advent 2022 Weekly Devotional Series • Blog

Advent Devotional Guide: Week One

The Second Coming and Wakefulness

Though often a neglected doctrine, the Second Coming of Jesus—as celebrated and focused on during the season of Advent—has tremendous implications for our we live our lives today. In particular, the reality of the coming return of Jesus encourages us to consider the end and to live wakefully to that reality in the here and now!

“Of all the seasons of the church year, Advent most closely mirrors the daily lives of Christians and of the church, asks the most important ethical questions, presents the most accurate picture of the human condition, and above all, orients us to the future of the God who will come again.”
(Fleming Rutledge, “Advent: The Once & Future Coming of Jesus Christ”)

Questions for Discussion

Discuss with others, with your Gospel Community, or by reflecting in your journal.

  1. When you think of the term “wakefulness” what comes to mind? How might becoming more “wakeful” impact the way you follow Jesus?
  2. In the sermon last Sunday, November 27, Joel mentioned a number of ways we may currently be “slumbering” or “lulled to sleep by the world.” Where are some places you feel spiritually asleep?

Prayer Invitations

  • Individually, with your co-workers, or with your household, pray the the Lord’s Prayer 1–3 times a day (morning, noon, and night):

    “Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
    (From Matthew 6:9–13)

  • Join us for weekly prayer on Wednesdays, December 30–December 21, at 12pm in the Gallery at the church building. Consider also fasting from breakfast and/or lunch. New to fasting? Here are some thoughts.

A song for the week

Even So Come (Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Jess Cates)

An Additional Resource

“Christ Will Come Again”, An Interview with Sam Storms by Gavin Ortlund.

(An excerpt…)

Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.” So goes the well-known memorial acclamation. But sometimes we don’t think much about the third of these three declarations. Where does Christ’s second coming fit in with his first coming? And how does it shape our life and hope now?

To explore the doctrine of Christ’s second coming, and its practical ramifications, I corresponded with TGC Council member Sam Storms, lead pastor for preaching and vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and author of (among many other books) Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative.

Keep Reading
in Advent 2022 Weekly Devotional Series • Blog