Jesus came near and made a home among people so that nearness is not theoretical but tangible; God stepped down into human life to know the joys, the struggles, the ordinary routines, and invites you to know him personally, to see his glory, and to live in relationship with him now. [39:28]
John 1:14 (NLT)
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Reflection: Where today can you choose to notice Jesus’ nearness? Spend 10 minutes in a quiet place, invite Jesus to reveal his presence, and write down one specific thing you sensed or heard.
Because Jesus opened the way, people are invited to approach God not as distant subjects but as beloved children who can come with confidence to receive mercy and the grace that helps in times of need; this means you are allowed to run to God with your real, messy needs and expect help. [44:36]
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Reflection: Name one specific struggle you are facing now; pray to God about that need today, then choose one practical step this week (who to ask for prayer, when to pray, or what resource to use) to receive grace and accountability.
The deepest longing the heart can have is to live day by day in the house of the Lord—delighting in his perfections, gazing on his beauty, and cultivating daily practices of worship that turn ordinary moments (sunrise, work, meals) into encounters with God that deepen intimacy and reshape life. [47:16]
Psalm 27:4 (NLT)
One thing I ask of the LORD—this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Reflection: Choose one daily practice (10 minutes of Scripture, a short prayer walk at sunrise, or focused worship) to do every morning this week; schedule it and tell one person to help keep you accountable.
All the commands boil down to loving—first God with everything, then people as yourself—so faith that knows God grows into transformational relationships: forgiving quickly, serving generously, speaking life into one another, and risk-taking presence among those who don’t yet know Jesus. [50:39]
Matthew 22:37–39 (NIV)
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Reflection: Identify one strained or distant relationship in your life and take one concrete step this week to begin bridge-building—send a message, invite them for a short conversation, or do an act of service—and write the exact sentence you will use to open that bridge.
Moving into someone’s neighborhood means joining their story—sitting with them where they are, offering hospitality, listening without a mask, and filling empty chairs so that presence brings healing; church isn’t a club but a body that reaches out, loves imperfect people, and guides them to the bridge God already built. [01:02:22]
Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Reflection: This week, choose one person outside your usual circle (a neighbor, coworker, or someone at a local gathering) and practice presence: invite them for coffee or a walk, spend at least 20 minutes listening without agenda, and note one thing you learned about them.
I shared how my own drift toward escape—hiding in the basement with a screen when I felt worn down—was a wake-up call to remember what this season is about: presence. Christmas proclaims that God didn’t stay far off. In Jesus, God moved into the neighborhood. The Word became human and lived among us, not as a distant observer but as one who ate at our tables, shouldered our pain, faced our temptations, and loved us face-to-face. Presence changes everything.
In Jesus, God knows us, shows us, and grows us. He knows us in relationship, not theory. He shows us the Father’s heart and a Spirit-empowered way of living. And he grows us out of stuck places we can’t muscle through—whether it’s sugar at midnight or deeper patterns of the heart. Through his cross and resurrection, he lifts us into new life and gives us a new identity. That’s why we can come boldly to the throne—like children running to their Father—not as trespassers, but as sons and daughters welcomed in love.
But presence isn’t only what we receive; it’s also what we practice. Jesus summed up the entire law in two relationships: love God and love your neighbor. So we love God with whole-life worship—more than songs on Sunday, it’s noticing his beauty at sunrise, thanking him in hardship, and learning his heart in Scripture and prayer. We love each other as a body, not a club—bearing one another’s burdens, forgiving quickly, serving generously, and even speaking hard truth with tenderness when a friend is drifting. And we love others by moving toward them, not away: showing hospitality, offering compassion, and being real in real spaces. God built the bridge to us in Christ; our task is to guide people to that bridge, not build walls around it.
I asked us to picture the empty chair at Christmas. When the one you long for isn’t there, the room feels thinner. Then imagine the chair filled—joy wells up, because being-with is powerful. This is what God has done for us in Jesus. So this week, choose one way to be present with God, one way to be present with believers, and one way to be present with your neighbors—and then do it. Presence changes everything.
- John 1:14 — "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." —
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