Advent 1 - Your Favorite Gift
Day 1 - Your Favorite Gift
Romans 5:16-17
What’s one of your favorite Christmas gifts?
Maybe it’s a game, your first smartphone, or even a piece of jewelry! It’s hard to pick one, but every year as a kid I looked forward to new action figures. I especially loved getting Super Friends: Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern.
As an adult, I like giving more than getting. Jesus said, “It’s better to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, NIV). But we should think more about the gifts we get! We should be grateful and make a habit of thanksgiving. Gratitude lifts our gaze to God, the true source of every good gift.
We think a lot about gifts during Advent, but most of all, we should think about those gifts from God. Advent is the worship season that gets us ready for Jesus - ready for his birth and ready for his return. Paul says in Romans 5 that the best gift from God is eternal life through Jesus Christ - being made right with God and a victory over sin and death. God’s gift of salvation is so rich! This Advent, we’re looking each week at one of God’s gifts for us.
We’ll do that by looking at how the four Gospel writers uniquely introduce Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all highlight different details about Jesus’s arrival on Earth. Their special angle on Jesus also helps us better appreciate God’s gifts offered to us through the Lord. We’ll look at Matthew’s Gospel this week. As Advent begins, try to slow the rush to Christmas and give thanks for God’s many gifts.
REFLECT
What is one of your favorite Christmas gifts received? What makes it so special?
PRAY
Faithful God, your promises stand unshaken through all generations. Renew us in hope, that we may be awake and alert watching for the glorious return of Jesus Christ, our judge and savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. AMEN.
Romans 5:16-17
What’s one of your favorite Christmas gifts?
Maybe it’s a game, your first smartphone, or even a piece of jewelry! It’s hard to pick one, but every year as a kid I looked forward to new action figures. I especially loved getting Super Friends: Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern.
As an adult, I like giving more than getting. Jesus said, “It’s better to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, NIV). But we should think more about the gifts we get! We should be grateful and make a habit of thanksgiving. Gratitude lifts our gaze to God, the true source of every good gift.
We think a lot about gifts during Advent, but most of all, we should think about those gifts from God. Advent is the worship season that gets us ready for Jesus - ready for his birth and ready for his return. Paul says in Romans 5 that the best gift from God is eternal life through Jesus Christ - being made right with God and a victory over sin and death. God’s gift of salvation is so rich! This Advent, we’re looking each week at one of God’s gifts for us.
We’ll do that by looking at how the four Gospel writers uniquely introduce Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all highlight different details about Jesus’s arrival on Earth. Their special angle on Jesus also helps us better appreciate God’s gifts offered to us through the Lord. We’ll look at Matthew’s Gospel this week. As Advent begins, try to slow the rush to Christmas and give thanks for God’s many gifts.
REFLECT
What is one of your favorite Christmas gifts received? What makes it so special?
PRAY
Faithful God, your promises stand unshaken through all generations. Renew us in hope, that we may be awake and alert watching for the glorious return of Jesus Christ, our judge and savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. AMEN.
Posted in Winter 2022
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The Way DAY 9 - Full of the Holy SpiritThe Way DAY 10 - Defeating Your DefeatersThe Way DAY 11 - The Year of JubileeThe Way DAY 12 - FreedomThe Way DAY 13 - Freedom to LoveThe Way DAY 14 - Ditch "What About Me"The Way DAY 15 - The Way of LoveThe Way DAY 16 - The TeacherThe Way DAY 17 - What is the Kingdom of God?The Way DAY 18 - Trust and ObeyThe Way DAY 19 - Follow MeThe Way DAY 20 - Differences and DisagreementsThe Way DAY 21 - Jesus and Mr. RogersThe Way DAY 22 - Respond Like JesusThe Way DAY 23 - Bend Toward MercyThe Way DAY 24 - Burden or Bless?The Way DAY 25 - BONUS: The TwelveThe Way DAY 26 - Happy?The Way DAY 27 - Excessive GenerosityThe Way DAY 28 - What is Love?The Way DAY 29 - Give What God Gives
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The Way DAY 30 - Follow the LeaderThe Way DAY 31 - Dinner with a PhariseeThe Way DAY 32 - Don't Be the HeroThe Way DAY 33 - God's GraceThe Way DAY 34 - The Grace You ShowThe Way DAY 35 - Our Sin and Our SaviorThe Way DAY 36 - Jesus and ParablesThe Way DAY 37 - The Farmer and the SeedsThe Way DAY 38 - The Seed and The SoilThe Way DAY 39 - The Good HeartThe Way DAY 40 - Who is Jesus, Pt 1The Way DAY 41 - Who is Jesus, Pt 2The Way DAY 42 - They Saw His GloryThe Way DAY 43 - Your Next StepThe Way DAY 44 - His DevotionThe Way DAY 45 - The Leadership of JesusThe Way DAY 46 - Pick Up Your CrossThe Way DAY 47 - Daily DenialThe Way DAY 48 - Forgive Like Jesus
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COMING SOON! RevelationRevelation Day 1 - TAKE IT TO HEARTRevelation Day 2 - IN THE SPIRITRevelation Day 3 - Learning to SeeRevelation Day 4 - The VoiceRevelation Day 5 - A Faithful WitnessRevelation DAY 6 - Past, Present, or Future?Revelation Day 7 - PRESS ONRevelation 8 - Comfort and ChallengeRevelation Day 9 - Compromised CommitmentRevelation Day 10 - I'm Fine, ThanksRevelation Day 11 - Holy, Holy, HolyRevelation Day 12 - Who is Worthy?Revelation Day 13 - Don't Give Up!Revelation Day 14 - No ContestRevelation Day 15 - Worship WellRevelation Day 16 - The Problem of EvilRevelation Day 17 - When You Don't Know WhyRevelation Day 18 - The Limits of SufferingRevelation Day 19 - Is God Angry?Revelation Day 20 - Saved Through Suffering
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Revelation Day 21 - The Cry for JusticeRevelation Day 22 - The Judgments of GodRevelation 23 - They Still Did Not RepentRevelation Day 24 - Don't Curse CorrectionRevelation Day 25 - Search Me, O GodRevelation Day 26 - You Shall ProphesyRevelation Day 27 - Eat This BookRevelation Day 28 - Fight!Revelation 29 - Let the Truth TalkRevelation Day 30 - Worship and WitnessRevelation Day 31 - Our EnemiesRevelation Day 32 - The Enemy's WeaponRevelation Day 33 - The Enemy's FallRevelation Day 34 - Our ChampionRevelation Day 35 - Our BattleRevelation Day 36 - Where the Wild Things AreRevelation Day 37 - The Sea MonsterRevelation Day 38 - The Antichrist?Revelation Day 39 - Ordinary FaithRevelation Day 40 - The Heart of Ordinary FaithRevelation Day 41 - God's Guarantee
August
Revelation Day 42 - The Ugliness of EvilRevelation Day 43 - God's WrathRevelation Day 44 - God's DelightRevelation Day 45 - God's Just-nessRevelation Day 46 - The Wild Woman on a DragonRevelation Day 47 - Why a Wild Woman?Revelation Day 48 - Why is Babylon So Bad?Revelation Day 49 - Get OutRevelation Day 50 - Renew Your VowsRevelation Day 51 - He Shall Come Again