Be Thankful for Someone
Read: Ephesians 1:15-23 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (v. 16) Over the years I’ve tried to cultivate the habit of starting each day by thinking of someone to be thankful for. I’ll be brushing my teeth, or shaving, and I’ll think: Who should I be thankful for […]
Be Willing to Cooperate
Read: Luke 1:26-38 Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. (v. 38) Imagine God tapped you on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, but I have work to do in this world, and I could use a little help. Would you give me a hand?” It […]
Display Baby Pictures
Read: Luke 2:1-7 [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. (v. 7) Go through your treasure trunk, find your baby pictures, and think about this: you began your journey through time as a microscopic kernel of humanity, invisible to the naked eye, hidden away […]
Sing “Joy to the World”
Read: Philippians 2:1-8 [Jesus] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (v. 7) Jesus was a man. Not half God, half human. Not God pretending to be human. He was a man, flesh and blood, muscle and bone, who was born into this world just like all […]
List Your Ancestors
Read: Matthew 1:1-17 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (v.1) Among my most treasured possessions is an old family Bible. Written on the inside cover, in my mother’s small, neat handwriting, is a family tree. Mom traced her ancestry back four generations. It was important […]
Do Good in Secret
Read: Matthew 6:1-4 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. (v. 3) He was a candidate for public office, and his campaign speech was one long, self-congratulatory tribute. Those of us in the audience were given a guided tour through the treasure room […]
Feed the Birds
Read: Matthew 6:25-34 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (v. 26) The book Birds of the Bible by Peter Goodfellow describes how ravens fed Elijah, how God sustained the children of […]
Embrace the Unexpected
Read: Luke 1:5-25 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. (v. 7) The Christmas story abounds with unexpected happenings. Think about it. Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t expect to become parents at their age. The shepherds didn’t expect an entourage of angels to appear in the sky. King Herod […]
Listen to the Elderly
Read: Luke 2:25-38 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. (v. 25) Anna and Simeon were old. They were past the age of working, managing a household, or taking care of children. Instead, each in their own way, they […]