Serving and obeying God can be difficult and inconvenient.  In the Old Testament, the Jews were exiled to Babylon as punishment for worshiping other gods.  They were then being forced to bow down to a golden image of the king.  Several Jews refused and were thrown into a furnace.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declared their God was able to rescue them from the fire, but even if he didn’t – they would not worship an image of any kind. While the fires raged, there was another in the fire with them.  They were removed unharmed and did not even smell of smoke.

Questions for further thought:
1. How do you respond to unanswered prayers?


2. Are you able to remain a faithful follower when God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you want?

Challenge: 
Unanswered prayers can give us time to keep praying, to seek God’s will, and consider what else God may want for us.

Yesterday’s verses showed us God places those in authority.  Following Pentecost, Peter and John were preaching about Jesus and healing people.  The religious leaders put them in jail and brought them before rulers, elders, and teachers to ask them by whose power or name they were acting.  They declared it was in Jesus’ name.  The leaders commanded them to stop.  The apostles’ response was telling the leaders to judge for themselves whether it was right in God’s sight for them to obey men rather than God.

Questions for further thought:
1. When you get conflicting directions from your boss or parents, who do you follow and why?


2. How do we know when to disobey those in authority?

Challenge: 
It can be difficult to know what to do in times of conflict with authority.  If following the government means disobeying God, we must follow God.

These verses tell us those in authority have been established by God and deserve our submission. To rebel is rebellion against what God has established. We must obey laws.  We must pay taxes. In addition, we are to pray for those in authority so we may live peaceful lives in godliness and holiness. This can be challenging when we do not agree or respect those in authority or the decisions they make.

Questions for further thought:
1. How do you struggle with those in authority?


2. What do you do when you disagree with your boss or your parents?

Challenge: 
It can be hard to accept that we are to submit to authority.  Pray for wisdom for your boss or your parents – that they can be the leader God desires. 

The Wise men followed the star in search of the king to be born as a baby.  They went with the intention to worship this new king.  They first met with the current king expecting he would know and desire to worship the baby as well.  The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to King Herod, so they did not obey the king as the dream brought the truth out into the open.  Herod’s secret was brought into the light, and the newborn King was spared.

Questions for further thought:
1. Are you better at keeping secrets or telling secrets?


2. Do you have things that need to be brought into the light?

Challenge: 
If you have something keeping you awake at night, ask God for direction. 
 

The God who began a good work in us continues it throughout our lifetime and will finish it when we meet Him face to face. God’s work for us began when Christ accomplished our salvation by dying on a cross in our place. His work in us began when we first believed. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ each day. This is the process of Christian growth and maturity that began the day you and I believed in Jesus and continues until His return. Thank God that when God starts a project, He completes it. He promises to finish the good work He began. Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him.


Questions for further thought:
1. In what ways do you feel as though you aren’t making progress in your spiritual life?

2. What could you do to alleviate some of the concerns from the above question?

​
Challenge: 
Commit to spending time in spiritual disciplines of daily Bible reading and/or concentrated prayer.

Whoever believes in God’s Son has eternal life! Let that sink in for a minute. He is all you and I need and will ever need. You and I don’t need to wait for eternal life; because it begins the instant you believe and trust in Jesus Christ. You and I can’t work for it and don’t need to since it is already ours through Him. You and I don’t need to worry about it, because you and I have been given the guarantee of eternal life by God Himself. The guarantee is only as good as the One who guarantees it. I would say this one is 100% certain! 

​
Questions for further thought:
1. If I had to rate my confidence in God’s promise given in the above verses on a scale of 1-10, what would be my answer?

2. Give reasons and thoughts for your answer to question #1.


Challenge: 
This Christmas season persevere in giving God glory by proclaiming and telling others about the saving work of that baby in the manger, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Have you ever wondered what conditions were present when the Christ child was born into this world? Despite the popular notion of contemporary Christmas card pictures with pristine and clean surroundings, the true atmosphere was most likely dark and dirty. This was not the environment the Jews expected as the birthplace of their Messiah King. They expected royal surroundings. However, despite limitations put on God by our Jewish counterparts, He still exceeds our expectations and is continually at work in our sin-darkened world. Jesus was the baby in the manger. However, we must be careful that we don’t leave Him there. The helpless baby lived an amazing sinless life, died a death we deserved, and ascended into Heaven. Now He’s awaiting marching orders to return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ will rule this world and judge all people according to their decisions about Him. So how will you choose??


Questions for further thought:
1. In what ways does our society minimize the Lordship of Jesus by continuing to view Him as that baby in the manger? 

2. How does viewing Jesus in this way lead to an underestimating Jesus and His second coming as Lord?

​
Challenge: 
Resolve to view Jesus not only as Savior (which of course He is) but also as Lord. Let Him grow strong and mighty in your life.

Jesus was born of a woman – He was human. He was born as a Jew – He was subject to God’s law and fulfilled it perfectly. Thus, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice because, although He was fully human, He never sinned. His death brought freedom for us who were enslaved in sin so that we could be adopted as heirs into God’s family. As God’s heirs, when we believe in and receive Christ, we can claim what He has provided for us – our full identity as His children. (See John 1:12). What a glorious God we serve!!

Questions for further thought:
1. When you think of the term “heir,” what thoughts or ideas come to mind?
​
2. How does the thought that we are heirs though Christ cause you to glorify God more fully?

Challenge: 
Reread the Scripture from this week and meditate on God’s perfect goodness especially this Christmas season.

​John’s stated purpose for writing his Gospel was to show that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. He clearly and systematically presents the evidence for Jesus’ claims. However, when evidence is produced in the courtroom, those hearing it must now render a decision on what they believe. We must make a choice. In the same way, those who read John’s Gospel must also make a choice – is Jesus the Son of God or isn’t He? We are the jury. The evidence has been clearly presented and we must decide. 

Questions for further thought:
1. In regards to Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God, would I characterize myself as believing or disbelieving? Who could I ask to corroborate my claim?

2. If I have disbelief, what might be the root of that disbelief?

Challenge: 
Commit to reading the Gospel of John to start the New Year. Read John’s Gospel and believe!

Preeminent is defined as “highly distinguished or outstanding” – standing out among all others because of superiority. It seems as if Jesus is given this title by virtue of “all things being created through Him and for Him.” (v.16) In Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and sinful mankind is reconciled or brought into right relationship with God the Father through faith in Him. Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross paid the full penalty for the sin of all who would repent and believe and made reconciliation with the Father possible and actual. When we are reconciled, we will persevere in faith and obedience because, in addition to being declared righteous by Jesus’ finished work, we are actually made new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) with a new disposition that loves God, hates sin, desires obedience, pursues holiness, and is energized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So I must ask, are we growing in these things? 


Questions for further thought:
1. After reading this passage, how has my perception of Jesus changed? 

2. Am I pursuing happiness or am I pursuing righteousness? Which do I think God would want me to pursue?


Challenge: Ask God to provide opportunities for you to share the message of salvation in Jesus Christ this week and beyond. Be prepared as God works.