After preparing His disciples for the grief they would soon bear, Jesus gives them a glimpse of the ultimate purpose for his suffering and death. He explains that after His resurrection, they will be reconnected directly to Father God! Knowing and trusting Jesus (“using His name”) gives access to God without the need for priests or animal sacrifice. What overwhelming joy to have a restored relationship with the One who lovingly created us!!

Questions for further thought:
1. When have you looked back on struggle or heartache and realized later that it caused something good?
2. How can you help yourself and others see difficulty as temporary? 

​Challenge: Focus your efforts this week on truly having joy in your connection with God. Marvel at the love the King of the Universe has for YOU!

The people of Israel had been waiting for the promised Messiah for centuries, so it’s no wonder that the announcement of His birth would be cause for great joy! This event is so significant that the armies of heaven – a vast host of angels – show up to celebrate and praise God! Imagine how you would feel if you were one of those shepherds who received this amazing news.

Questions for further thought:
1. What have you been waiting for that you think will give you joy?
2. How would your perspective change if you realized the Joy you long for is already available and waiting for you to accept Him?

​Challenge: Take an honest look at how you feel about your life. Don’t wait on circumstances to change to start experiencing joy! Joy came down from heaven as a gift to all of us over two millennia ago – His name is Jesus.

How are your relationships doing? These verses hold some keys to improving and maintaining those relationships in your life. It seems that it has a lot to do with the words that come out of our mouths. Ephesians 4:29 talks about “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”  Corrupt means to break down; cause decay. Don’t say what tears people down. The question we should ask is Will this thing I’m saying build this person up? God is working on every believer growing and changing them in some form or fashion. When we insert our critical words into that plan, we obstruct what God is working on in that person. We may be tearing down what God is trying to accomplish in their life. Instead, “say what is good” speaking words that are helpful to God’s construction program in their life. Why should we build others up? Because we all need grace and God has given it to each believer in amazing measure. 

Questions for further thought:
1. When I evaluate my conversations, what % of my words are building up?
2. Who can I find to encourage today?

Challenge: Make a conscious effort to be an encourager today.

In dealing with some of the hurt we experience in life, we need to focus on not being surprised that we have pain, and also not losing hope that God will help when we need Him and seek Him. Thirdly, we have to take the long range view of our circumstances. I know and have seen people have grown and rejoiced in God’s goodness even in the midst of some unplanned problem they’ve faced. These verses in Romans specifically tell us how to view things we don’t understand or that cause pain. It may not feel like these verses are true at the time, but that’s where the Holy Spirit helps and reminds us of that very truth. Whether it is the news of a bad medical report or an unexpected pink slip, God can and does work things together for a greater good as we place our trust in Him. The question is will we let Him? And remember when life hurts, don’t be surprised, don’t lose hope, and trust God with the long view. For He works ALL things for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Questions for further thought:
1. What does it mean that “all things work together for good?”
2. Have I ever used these verses for comfort during a trial? Did it prove to be true?

Challenge: Try to reflect on a painful situation in your life and try to see the fruit in yourself and others that may have been produced as a result.

Here we are, all the way into the sixth of ten plagues that the Lord is going to unleash on Egypt and Pharaoh has continually hardened his heart and not released the Israelites. However, it seems as if God is now ready to up the playing stakes and change the rules. Exodus 9:12 says that the “LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses” How can this be? It seems as if God was using Pharaoh to accomplish His purposes. Again, we see in Exodus 10:16-20, Pharaoh is suffering from a half-hearted worldly sorrow for his land being demolished from locusts. Moreover, Pharaoh regaining his amnesia and not releasing the people is again hardened by the LORD.  The story does not end well for Pharaoh as we read in Chapter 12:29-32 as he and his people have suffered devastating loss. However, even after this, Pharaoh takes one last feeble attempt at accepting defeat and half-hearted repentance and demands that Moses “bless him also.” It seems that Pharaoh was dead wrong about the sovereignty of God and what he was capable of. I wonder if we, sometimes, might be guilty of the same offense. 

Questions for further thought:
1. How did Pharaoh gravitate toward deifying (making Godlike) man and humanizing God with his negative responses toward Moses’ repeated requests?
2. How am I sometimes like Pharaoh?

Challenge: Take time to read Exodus 1-13 and study the responses of Pharaoh and his relentless pursuit of his own agenda. However, God had other plans and worked them out for the good of the Israelite people.

Have you ever wondered how sin can become such a force in our lives? It seems as if it is like that frog that we hear about that was in the pot of water. The heat was turned up ever so gently that he never noticed until it was too late, and he was being cooked. Isn’t that how sin lures and entices us. It fools us into believing it provides life, gives pleasure, or fills needs. Then WAMMO, it blindsides us with enormous ramifications. Just like the frog in the water, we choose to stay in our sin just a while longer all the while claiming “I’m going to make things right….. tomorrow.” Of course, the tomorrow turns into days and weeks and decades and we never get to tomorrow. The Lord is standing by ready and willing to help us deal with sin whenever we are willing to repent and ask Him to intervene. The question is… When will we let Him?

Questions for further thought:
1. What sins in my life resemble the frog in the story above?
2. How can I become more aware that temptation often offers something that appears good but is ultimately harmful?

Challenge: Keep an eye out for the lures and enticements that permeate our world this week. Read 1 Peter 5:8-10

The book of Ephesians was addressed to the believers in the church in Ephesus. These believers were being bombarded with false teaching from some of the influential elders in the church. (As seems to be the case in most of Paul’s epistles) Ephesians is primarily written as a letter of encouragement and admonition, written to remind believers of their immeasurable blessings in Jesus Christ; and not only to be thankful for those blessings, but also to live in a manner worthy of them.  In the reading, you may notice a recurring phrase repeated throughout the chapter. The “In Him” to which Paul is referring is a wonderful, gracious gift of mercy given by the Father. It doesn’t happen by osmosis and we don’t go to bed one night and magically receive it. Jesus Christ is the gift above all gifts. So let me ask you….  Are you “In Him”??

Questions for further thought:
1. Have I taken steps to receive the gracious gift God has offered me in Jesus Christ? If not, why?
2. Do I have the “Inheritance” that Paul speaks of in verse 11?  How is this divine inheritance different than one I might receive on earth?

Challenge: Read and meditate on this passage today and ponder the implications of Paul’s words. Could it be calling you to a relationship with the Savior?

We are the Light of the World.  Jesus Himself tells us this.  But are words alone the only way in which to show this Light?  The question answers itself.  But how do we know what we should do to show this light?  Maybe we should be asking Him that question, too.

Questions for further thought:
1. Have you ever been “fired up” for the Lord, but find yourself unable to do what He’s asking you to do?
2. Have you ever been “fired up” for the Lord but find yourself unwilling (at that time) to do what He’s asking you to do?

Challenge: We humans can often be both unable, and unwilling (let’s be honest) to do what the Lord asks us to do when He asks us to do so.  Pray for a willing heart (the ability will come with that prayer) to not only hear Him, but to do what and where and when with whom He asks us to do His will here on earth.  Then we can truly be a part of the Light of the World that He is, and was born to be, for us and everyone.

When we follow Jesus, as we learned yesterday, we know that our brothers and sisters are counting on us. In following Jesus, we also become like Him.  In allowing Him lordship over us, a part of His light transfers and becomes a part of us.  And we need to let that light shine forth from us to our brothers and sisters in this world.  However, we cannot do that if we “hide” that light.

Questions for further thought:
1. Do we actually think of ourselves as being a part of His light to others?
2. Do we question that His power is in us to be that light to others? 

Challenge: Let’s remember that, if we are part of Jesus’ light to others, He gave us all of the power in and through Him to accomplish His purposes here on earth!  Therefore, we shouldn’t be afraid that we’ll “mess up” or somehow “stop” His light in us to show through to others.  He’s more powerful than our human foibles, doubts, and perceived inadequacies.  Let’s ask Him to give us the words He wants us to have, when He wants them, and for whom He wants them.  We just need to listen and obey, and He will do the rest.

We all know who the Light of the world is: Jesus.  Most Christians know this.  But are we following Him to the extent that we ought, particularly in this time of His birth?  We remember that His words to His disciples were, first, “Follow me.”  His command is the same with us every day of our lives.

Questions for further thought:
1. Do we understand the impact of the words “follow me” as Jesus is asking us to do?
2. Do we understand the challenge – and the eternal rewards – of following Him?  

​Challenge: We all know that being a follower of Jesus is going to be tough. (He told us it would be.)  But we also know that it’s the greatest service, and love, that we can offer to our brothers and sisters in this fallen world.  We know He is the light of the world, and we must pray for Him to give us strength to help bring His light to the whole world.  Pray that we do so as soon as we can, since so many lives are literally counting on it!