Embracing God's Love and Purposeful Giving This Christmas

Devotional

Day 1: Dedicating the First Fruits of the Year to God

The "Week Devoted to God" is a special time set aside at the beginning of the year to focus on dedicating the first fruits of our time and attention to God. This tradition involves evening meetings and intercessory prayer, where individuals and the community come together to seek God's guidance and direction for the year ahead. It is a powerful opportunity to listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead us in new directions. By setting aside this time, we acknowledge God's sovereignty over our lives and express our desire to align our plans with His will. This week is not just about asking for blessings but about opening our hearts to hear what God wants to say to us, both individually and as a community. [38:38]

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." (Proverbs 16:3, ESV)

Reflection: As you prepare for the "Week Devoted to God," what specific area of your life do you need to surrender to His guidance? How can you intentionally create space to listen to His voice this week?

Day 2: Immersing in God's Word Daily

Engaging in a Bible reading program is an invitation to immerse ourselves in God's Word daily. Historically, access to the Bible was limited, but today we are blessed to have it readily available in various versions. This year, the congregation is encouraged to choose any version of the Bible to read, making it a personal journey of discovery and growth. The goal is not to fulfill a legalistic requirement but to develop a deeper relationship with God through His Word. By reading the Bible daily, we allow God's truth to shape our thoughts, actions, and character, equipping us to face the challenges of life with faith and wisdom. [45:48]

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105, ESV)

Reflection: What specific time each day can you set aside to read the Bible, and how can you ensure that this time becomes a consistent and meaningful part of your daily routine?

Day 3: Purposeful and Intentional Giving

The story of the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of purposeful and intentional giving. Recognizing Jesus as the King, they brought Him gifts of great value, demonstrating their reverence and love. This act of giving was not done out of obligation but from the heart, setting an example for how we should approach our own giving. Purposeful giving involves recognizing the needs around us and responding with generosity and love, reflecting the heart of God. It is an opportunity to participate in God's work and bless others, knowing that our gifts, no matter how small, can have a significant impact. [54:36]

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a specific person or cause that God is prompting you to support. How can you give intentionally and from the heart this week?

Day 4: Living as Kings and Priests

Understanding Jesus as King is crucial as we look forward to the coming year. We are called to live as kings and priests, recognizing the authority given to us by our King to impact the world around us. Jesus' life and message were about love and the kingdom of God, and as His followers, we are invited to participate in this kingdom work. This calling involves embracing our identity in Christ and using our gifts and influence to bring about positive change in our communities. By living as kings and priests, we acknowledge the authority of Jesus in our lives and commit to serving others with humility and love. [01:10:10]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you exercise your God-given authority to serve and bless others in your community this week?

Day 5: Acknowledging Jesus as King and Lord

Calling Jesus "King" and "Lord" aligns us with His kingdom, but it also brings opposition from the world. However, when we acknowledge Him as King and Lord, we have the support of all heaven behind us. This acknowledgment is not just a verbal declaration but a commitment to live under His lordship, allowing His values and principles to guide our decisions and actions. It requires courage and faith to stand firm in our identity as followers of Christ, especially when faced with challenges and opposition. By acknowledging Jesus as King and Lord, we invite His presence and power into our lives, knowing that He is with us every step of the way. [01:24:27]

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." (Philippians 2:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What specific area of your life do you need to submit to Jesus' lordship, and how can you take a step of faith to align your actions with His kingdom values today?

Sermon Summary

In this Christmas season, we are reminded of the majesty, power, and authority of God, but most importantly, His profound love for the world and for us. This love calls us to love others as He loves us. As we gather, we reflect on the significance of the "Week Devoted to God," a tradition that has been part of our church for many years. This week, starting on January 5th, is a time of evening meetings and intercessory prayer, where we seek to dedicate the first fruits of the year to God, asking Him to speak to us individually and as a community. It's a powerful time of listening and praying, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us.

We also encourage everyone to engage in our Bible reading program, aiming to read through the Bible in a year. This is not a legalistic requirement but an encouragement to immerse ourselves in God's Word daily. Historically, many did not have access to the Bible, and we are blessed to have it readily available. This year, we can choose any version of the Bible to read, making it a personal journey of discovery and growth.

As we reflect on the story of the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus, we are reminded of the importance of purposeful giving. They recognized Jesus as the King and brought Him gifts of great value. This act of giving was intentional and from the heart, a model for how we should approach our own giving.

The prophecy of Jesus' coming, as foretold in Isaiah, speaks of a child born to us, a son given, with the government upon His shoulders. Jesus came as a humble baby, not as the valiant warrior many expected. His life and message were about love and the kingdom of God. Understanding Jesus as King is crucial for us, especially as we look forward to the coming year. We are called to live as kings and priests, understanding the authority given to us by our King, to impact the world around us.

Key Takeaways

1. The "Week Devoted to God" is a time to dedicate the first fruits of the year to God, seeking His guidance for our lives and community. It's a powerful week of listening and prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in new directions. [38:38]
2. Engaging in a Bible reading program is an encouragement to immerse ourselves in God's Word daily. Historically, access to the Bible was limited, and we are blessed to have it readily available. This year, we can choose any version of the Bible to read, making it a personal journey of discovery and growth. [45:48]
3. The story of the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus reminds us of the importance of purposeful giving. They recognized Jesus as the King and brought Him gifts of great value, modeling intentional and heartfelt giving. [54:36]
4. Understanding Jesus as King is crucial for us, especially as we look forward to the coming year. We are called to live as kings and priests, understanding the authority given to us by our King, to impact the world around us. [70:10]
5. Calling Jesus "King" and "Lord" aligns us with His kingdom, but it also brings opposition from the world. However, when we acknowledge Him as King and Lord, we have the support of all heaven behind us. [84:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:36] - Announcements and Gratitude
[38:38] - Week Devoted to God
[40:37] - Power of Listening to God
[45:48] - Bible Reading Program
[54:36] - Purposeful Giving
[58:30] - Christmas Reflections
[60:47] - Prophecy of Jesus' Coming
[62:42] - Jesus as a Humble King
[64:37] - Understanding Kingdom
[67:28] - Jesus' Unique Nature
[70:10] - Living as Kings and Priests
[73:20] - Jesus' Claim to Kingship
[77:13] - Preaching the Kingdom
[81:09] - The King's Authority
[84:27] - Calling Jesus King and Lord
[87:33] - Closing and Baptism

Sermon Clips

But we just, we come together in the, and just like Michael said, we want to just dedicate the first fruits of the year to God. God, what are you saying to us? What are you saying to, to me as an individual? You can say that you, what are you saying to you as an individual? What are you saying to us as a church? What are you saying to your family, our community? God, what are you doing? And just listening. There are benefits to listening to God. When we listen to God, he speaks to us and he's going to, there's things that happen that week that are so powerful. [00:40:37] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

If you spend 15 minutes a day you can read through the Bible in one year. It's that systematically easy. So I encourage you to commit to that this coming year. And the one year Bible, when you hook it up, I still don't know how to adjust the dates. You have to do it on January 1st. So plan ahead, set a reminder right next to diapers put in a reminder for January 1st to download the You Bible and there's the UPC code, that code, you can click on that, takes you right to it. [00:46:12] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

They planned ahead of time. They knew the quest that they were on. They knew the process that they were in. And that they were headed to, following that star, to, to see the king of the Jews. And in that, they wanted to be a blessing to him, so that they could see the king of the Jews. So they purposefully brought expensive gifts to give. And that is a, there, there's so many parallels in, in, in that story of how we, the attitude we should have about giving. [00:56:08] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

In the prophecy of Jesus' coming, in the prophecy of the Messiah coming, Jesus is the Messiah. The Messiah was a foretold individual who would come and restore the kingdom of God back to Israel, restore the kingdom back to the earth. He would redeem everything that had been lost in Eden, redeem all that was lost because of sin. He was going to come and he was going to redeem everything back to God. The whole world, the opportunity for the world to be in right fellowship, the opportunity for you and I to be in right fellowship with God. [01:00:47] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

And understanding that what we're doing, what we do, what we're doing right now, and what we do on a daily basis has everything to do with God. But many, many don't, it's not a sermon that gets preached on enough of a regular basis so that we understand what that kingdom is about and how to live within that kingdom. I mean, most of us here are American, and we grew up in under a republic, a democratic, you know, a democratically, orchestrated republic where everybody gets a voice. Kingdoms are not like republics. [01:04:37] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

And because of it, I believe the world suffers. And we suffer. If we really understood who God has made you to be, when you understand who God has really made you to be, look out. Because we have authority that's been given to us by our king to live differently in this world and to affect the world around us in a powerful way. So this morning, I titled it, Introduction to Kingdom. I actually have a pretty good sense of understanding that there will be others who teach on kingdom this next year. [01:10:10] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

You can call Jesus anything you want until you call him king and Lord. The moment you call him king and Lord, all hell is against you, but you need to call him king and Lord, because when you call him king and Lord, all heaven's behind you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on up, guys. [01:24:27] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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