Christmas Promise: Living as God's Adopted Children

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Was Born: Promise Keeper, Hope Arrived

Jesus’ birth is more than a charming scene; it is God breaking the silence to be with us and for us. Emmanuel means the Holy One stepped right into our world, keeping promises spoken since Genesis. The cry of the newborn King declares that hope has arrived and that God is not distant. Let that assurance steady you as you step into a new year—He keeps His word and He is close. In response, become an extravagant worshiper who holds nothing back from the One who held nothing back for you. [34:28]

Matthew 2:1–2 — When Jesus arrived in Bethlehem during Herod’s reign, travelers from the east came asking, “Where is the child born King of the Jews?” They had seen a sign pointing to Him and came to bow before Him.

Reflection: Looking back on this past year, where did you specifically see God keep a promise, and how can you respond this week with one simple act of worship that refuses to hold back?

Day 2: Adopted Into the Father’s Family

God’s plan in sending Jesus was an adoption plan—to buy our freedom and bring us back into the family. Jesus holds out “adoption papers” with your name, not forcing you, but inviting you to believe and receive. When you say yes, you move from being outside to being a beloved son or daughter, fully welcomed. This is grace: not what we could do for God, but what Christ has done for us. Rest in that secure love today and live from it, not striving for it. [37:57]

Galatians 4:4–5 — At just the right moment, God sent His Son, born under the law, to purchase our release so we would no longer live as slaves, but be brought into His home as His own children.

Reflection: If you imagine Jesus handing you adoption papers today, what would saying “yes” look like—gratitude in prayer, confessing a sin you’ve carried, or taking a specific step of faith?

Day 3: Live, Act, and Walk as God’s Children

Being in Christ means more than existing; it means living like the family we belong to. Imitate your Father in what you think, feel, say, and do—body, mind, soul, and spirit. Don’t let any part of you become an instrument for what harms; instead, present your whole self to God as your act of extravagant worship. You once were dead, but now you have new life—so live new. This is a continuation, not perfection—thank God we’re not where we used to be. [43:16]

Romans 6:13 — Don’t hand over any part of yourself to be used for what is wrong. Rather, place your whole self in God’s hands, since you’ve been brought from death to life; let every part of you become a tool for what is right.

Reflection: Which specific part of your body (your words, eyes, schedule, or hands) most needs to be offered to God this week, and what concrete action will you take to offer it?

Day 4: The Word for Transformation, Not Information

Stop reading the Bible as a textbook and start meeting with the Lord in it. Draw near to know His heart, and let His character—merciful, gracious, patient, abounding in loyal love, and faithful—reshape you. Hold tightly to these truths so they don’t slip through your fingers in a hurried life. The Word is not for information but for transformation through application. Come to Scripture this week to be with God, and you’ll leave different. [22:17]

Exodus 34:5–7 — The Lord came near and announced His name, revealing Himself as compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving wrongs of every kind, and still just in His judgments.

Reflection: When will you set aside fifteen unrushed minutes this week to be with the Lord in His Word, and how will you approach that time relationally rather than academically?

Day 5: Extravagant Worship Moves Us to Mission

Because God has given us everything in Christ, we offer Him everything—this is worship that refuses to hold back. Present your whole life to God, and then step where He leads: re-invite a guest, serve, give, start a group, or go help launch a campus. Every time faith moves, it intersects with God’s faithfulness, and there is blessing. We’re not waiting on God nearly as much as He’s inviting us to move with Him. Let this new year be a living “yes” to His purpose. [48:28]

Romans 12:1 — In light of God’s mercy, offer your bodies—your whole selves—as a living, holy sacrifice that brings Him pleasure; this is the clear and reasonable way to worship.

Reflection: What one faith step is God nudging you to take—re-inviting someone, serving, giving, or starting something—and what is the next small action you will take in the next 48 hours?

Sermon Summary

A vibrant gathering celebrated God’s faithfulness, honored volunteers, and cast vision with a clear call to become extravagant worshipers who hold nothing back because Jesus held nothing back. Gratitude overflowed for hundreds who served through a packed Christmas season and for sacrificial generosity that fueled local and global impact—from Convoy of Hope’s feeding, empowerment, agriculture, and disaster relief initiatives to student training at Mission University, local outreaches in Haverhill, Lawrence, and Salem, and supporting a New England church planter. The invitation was simple and bold: re-invite Christmas guests, because most encountered grace, truth, and community—and many are ready for another step.

God’s heart was clarified from Exodus 34: He reveals Himself first as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and faithful—His justice satisfied at the cross of Christ. Scripture was framed not as a textbook but as a table of fellowship—read to meet God, not merely to collect information. The Word is for transformation through application. Jesus’ birth was presented as the declaration that God is a Promise Keeper: after centuries of silence, the cry of a newborn King confirmed that hope arrived and God keeps His word.

The year’s fruit was celebrated: hundreds indicated decisions for Christ, many received Bibles, and numerous baptisms marked public faith. The call now is stewardship—help people get planted, lock arms, and grow together like the Acts 2 church. Galatians 4 highlighted adoption: Jesus came on purpose to purchase our freedom and welcome us into the Father’s family; John 1:12 underscores the necessity of believing and receiving. With identity rooted in Christ, three encouragements were offered for the year ahead: continue living as children of God (Ephesians 5:1), act like children of God by presenting our bodies to Him (Romans 6:13), and walk out the Father’s family values by being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14–15). Romans 12:1 framed all of life as worship. The vision ahead is faith-filled: start another campus, raise up leaders, create more room for people, and trust that every move of faith intersects with God’s faithfulness. An invitation closed the gathering, welcoming any who are ready to enter the family of God through Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Extravagant worship holds nothing back Extravagant worship flows from seeing what Christ has already given—Himself. When grace is real, restraint feels misplaced; love answers love with open hands. Worship becomes a life posture, not a moment on a setlist. Surrender is not loss; it’s alignment with ultimate worth. [08:59]
2. Read Scripture to meet God Approaching the Bible as a relationship changes the outcome. Information can leave the heart untouched; presence forms, convicts, and comforts. When Scripture becomes a place to meet the Lord, application becomes natural—not forced—because love seeks to obey. Slow down, listen, and respond. [22:05]
3. Adopted to live as God’s children Adoption is not a metaphor—it’s a transfer of family, future, and formation. Christ purchased freedom so sons and daughters could come home and bear the family resemblance. Identity precedes activity: live from belovedness, not for it. Receive—and then reflect—the Father’s heart. [36:17]
4. Walk out Spirit-led family values Being “in Christ” is not performance; it’s participation with the Spirit. Led people live recognizable lives: mercy over cynicism, purity over compromise, and courage over passivity. Family likeness grows as the Spirit reshapes desires, words, and habits in the everyday. [44:14]
5. Step out; faith meets faithfulness When God’s people move, their faith intersects with His faithfulness. Mission always feels risky until after obedience, when fruit reveals what trust unlocked. Stop waiting for certainty; start moving with clarity. Provision often follows motion, not before it. [48:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:40] - Prayer and worship kickoff
[13:11] - Thanking volunteers and dream team
[16:02] - Christmas offering and global reach
[17:33] - Local outreach stories
[19:20] - Re-invite Christmas guests
[22:05] - Read the Bible relationally
[22:32] - God’s character: Exodus 34 revealed
[24:09] - Year-in-review: salvations and baptisms
[33:29] - Jesus was born: promises kept
[36:17] - Adoption into God’s family
[39:50] - Three calls for 2026 growth
[45:29] - Extravagant worship as living sacrifice
[49:02] - Gospel invitation and closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Bold suggests a primary text. Since several passages were woven together, read these:

- Exodus 34:5–7

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

- Galatians 4:4–7

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

- Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Observation questions

In Exodus 34:5–7, what attributes does God list first about Himself, and what order do they come in? What does He say about His justice, and how does that come after mercy and grace?
In Galatians 4:4–7, what timing words describe when God sent His Son? What family language is used to describe the result for believers?
In Romans 12:1, what is the motivation for presenting our bodies to God, and how is worship described?
What concrete fruit was celebrated from this past year (decisions for Christ, Bibles given, baptisms, first-time servers)? Name the specific markers that stood out ([24:09]).

Interpretation questions

If God reveals Himself first as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6), what does that suggest about how He wants people to approach Him? How does the statement that “the justice of the Father was satisfied at the cross of the Son” shape that approach ([23:29])?
Galatians 4:4–7 teaches that believers are adopted as sons and daughters. How does adoption language change the way a person thinks about identity, security, and access to the Father?
“Stop reading your Bible as a textbook. Start reading your Bible to spend time with the Lord.” If Scripture is a table of fellowship, not just information, what practices would naturally flow from that relational approach ([22:05])?
Romans 12:1 calls for a living sacrifice. In practical terms, how does “because of God’s mercies” change obedience from earning to offering? Where might someone still be trying to earn what adoption has already given?

Application questions

Extravagant worship holds nothing back. Where is one place you’ve been holding back (time, comfort, finances, a habit)? What would “present your body…a living sacrifice” look like in that exact area this week ([45:29])?
Read Scripture to meet God. When and where will you meet with the Lord this week? What passage will you slow down in, and how will you listen and respond (journal, pray it back, obey one small step) ([22:05])?
Adopted to live as God’s children. If identity precedes activity, what is one behavior you’re trying to use to “prove” yourself? How could believing and receiving (John 1:12) reshape that today ([38:19])?
Act like children of God. Pick one “body part” from Romans 6:13—mind, eyes, ears, mouth, hands. What is one specific way you will offer that part to God this week instead of to sin ([42:56])?
Walk out Spirit-led family values. Where is the Spirit nudging you toward mercy over cynicism, purity over compromise, or courage over passivity? What is one next step of obedience you can take in the next 48 hours ([44:14])?
Re-invite those who visited at Christmas. Who is one person or family you can text or call to invite back? What will you invite them to, and when will you send the invite ([19:20])?
Step out; faith meets faithfulness. What is one faith-risk God may be asking you to take in the next 30 days (serve, lead, give, start a group, join a team, reconcile, start a campus team)? What support do you need, and what is day-one action you can take this week ([48:28])?

Sermon Clips

You know, our reason to become extravagant worshipers who hold nothing back from the one who held nothing back from us. Emmanuel. God with us. Remember, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is a reminder that God came here to be with us. And the cross of Jesus Christ is a reminder that God is for us and he's not willing that any should perish. [00:33:01] (23 seconds) #EmmanuelWithUs

God has stepped out of, and I don't necessarily mean that God's been in the shadows, but remember, we talked about there was a 400 year of silence. And that silence was broken with the cry of a newborn king. Absolutely incredible. Emmanuel. Jesus was born. And I hope that encourages you to know that God is not just a great promise maker. He is a promise keeper. [00:34:07] (30 seconds) #SilenceBroken

And it was for this reason, to bring us back into the family. Why? Because John chapter 8 said there's two families in this world. There's Satan's family and God's family. We're born in sin. Sin separates us from God. We're outside the family. [00:36:50] (15 seconds) #ChooseGodsFamily

Jesus Christ came here to radically redeem and restore, and to bring us back to the forgiveness of sins and embracing Christ as our Savior, back into the family of God. It's this adoption process that Jesus paid it all. And Jesus has chosen each and every one of us, and he has these papers with our name on it, saying, hey, I purchased this adoption for you, but here's the deal. [00:37:05] (28 seconds) #RedeemedAndRestored

Give yourself completely to God. Give yourself completely to God. Why? We're adopted into the family. That's what extravagant worshipers do. We don't hold anything back from God. It's all yours, God. I'm giving myself completely to you. [00:42:59] (16 seconds) #AllInForGod

Man, Lord, today, I want to follow Your Word. I want to follow and carry out Your will. I want to draw attention to myself to bring glory to God. This is all good stuff, right? Remember, just because we're in Christ, we're not better than those who are outside of Christ. We're not better than. We're just better off. [00:44:41] (21 seconds) #BetterOffNotBetter

Man, we're so incredibly blessed. That doesn't mean life doesn't have its challenges. But man, we're so far. The blessings far outweigh the challenges, trust me. Give yourself completely to God because of all He's done for you. [00:45:43] (16 seconds) #BlessedAndCommitted

Man, every time we move, every time we exercise faith, it intersects with God's faithfulness, and then there's blessing. So don't tell me, don't tell me, you know, that we're waiting on God. God's waiting on us. We reap what we sow. So this year in 2026, it's going to be a big year. It's going to be a big year. It's going to be a little bit of a scary year, I think. But I'm excited about it and taking these steps together. [00:48:28] (26 seconds) #MoveInFaith

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