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In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." — John 3:3 Thoughts on Today's Verse... "Fast away the old year passes..." But we can be new and fresh and clean in Jesus ( 2 Corinthians 4:17 ). Kingdom people are those who have been born fresh and new through the power of the Spirit and the grace of God ( John 3:3-7 ; Titus 3:3-7 ; John 1:11 ). So as we close out the old year, remember its good things and bad, achievements and failures, successes and disappointments, let's approach the New Year as Kingdom people. God's mercies are new every morning, and our lives can be made new every day by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Because we are the Father's born-again children, each sunrise offers us the opportunity to greet life as a gift. The Father's grace can rekindle our hope as the Holy Spirit makes us new, trusting in Jesus our LORD. Our God is the God of new things, and we will celebra...

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God... — John 1:12 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Isn't it incredible that we are called children of God!? But that is precisely who we are ( 1 John 3:1-3 ): God's children! Our Father created the universe with its billions and billions of stars and planets. Our Father paints a new sunset every evening and chases away the darkness every single morning. Our Father not only loves us; he also claims us as his own and will bring us to his eternal home. Why? Because we heard God's message to us in Jesus. Because we received God's grace offered to us in his Son. Because we trust that God's grace is received and made real to us through our faith in Jesus. Incredible! Glorious! Grace! Adoption! My Prayer... Abba Father, thank you for claiming me as one of your children because of your grace and through my faith in Christ Jesus. I praise and thank you in his name. Amen. ...

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. — John 1:11 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus came to his own things - the world he had created and the land God had promised his people - and his very own people didn't receive him. Sometimes we are misled by OUR desires and OUR dreams for what Jesus will do for us that we miss what God wants for us and from us. Let's not let the following be true in our lives. "Jesus came to me, but I wasn't ready to receive him. I had other things I wanted to do and other things I wanted to experience before I fully surrendered my heart to him." Each time we put off surrendering our will to Jesus, each time we push him away as LORD, we allow our hearts to harden, and it becomes easier and easier to push him away. Now, while our hearts are still attentive to his grace, let's renew our commitment to him, wholly and afresh, offering Jesus our hearts and lives to be used for his glory and grace. Let's ...

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only [Son], who is at the Father's side, has made him known. — John 1:18 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus IS God's greatest message. He not only proclaims and declares God's love, mercy, and grace, but he has also made them known to us. Only Jesus can display God to us fully, for he is one with the Father. When we "see" Jesus ministering in the Gospels, we "see" God ministering. If we want to know how God feels about us, all we have to do is look at how Jesus ministers to others. If we want to know what God would do for us, we can notice what Jesus does to bless others. Jesus is our window to the Father's heart. So, as this year winds down, and as you stand in the afterglow of Christmas, why not make a commitment to get to know Jesus better in this coming year by spending more time with him in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). If you read one chapter a day, you can go through all four gos...

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. — Luke 2:20 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Can you imagine the shepherds returning to their flocks after the night they had? They had seen God's glory. They had experienced the presence of the angel of the LORD. They had seen the newborn King, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. It was just as they had been told by the holy heavenly messenger. As amazing as the angel's words of announcement had been, they were gloriously fulfilled. Jesus the Christ was newly born; he was also the absolute answer to God's greatest promises and the greatest assurance that God keeps his word. Incredibly, God had chosen shepherds, unnamed to us and unimportant to their peers, to be the first human witnesses and participants in God's glorious story of salvation in sending his Messiah. I believe Luke wanted to remind us that no matter who we are o...

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." — Luke 2:14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... There is only one proper response for God's gift of Jesus - our praise and adoration. Heaven's angels worship with praise and adoration at Jesus' birth. So should we! God's love, grace, favor, blessing, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation come to us through the incredible gift of Jesus' coming to earth. How can we not praise him? How can our hearts remain still and voices remain silent before such an amazing and gracious God? They can't, or at least they shouldn't, at least right now! Let's see our joyous worship of Christ our King as the reminder that we need to reach as many other people as possible so they can join our chorus of praise. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus is LORD to the glory of the Father ( Philippians 2:10-11 )! Those who welcome that day of salvation will do so because...

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." — Luke 2:11 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Look at all the angel reveals in this verse. Jesus is a descendant of David, the king of eternal promise ( 1 Kings 8:25-26 ). He is the Savior of all peoples. He is Christ, the Messiah, the promised hope of Israel. He is LORD, ruler of all creation and master of our lives. The real question is not who is this one placed in a manger, but whether we have decided that this Jesus means all those things to us today? If he is not your Savior today, why not ask him to be and seek him? And if he is, then with whom do you need to share his amazing love and grace? My Prayer... Father, I praise you for sending Jesus to be our LORD and Savior. Help us as we seek to share your grace and Jesus' story with those we love and long to find him as their Savior and honor him as their LORD. O God, the following specific people are on my heart, and I ask you to use th...

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." — Luke 2:10 Thoughts on Today's Verse... "Do not be afraid." That's what the angel of the LORD tells the shepherds as they see him and the glory of the LORD" shining around them. They were terrified because the angel was unexpected, glorious, and overwhelming. So, what can cast away fear in such a moment of heaven's glorious radiance? The joy of knowing that God has come to earth to end the domination of sin, death, and hell over human existence ( Hebrews 2:14-15 ). God has come himself in Jesus as Immanuel ( Matthew 1:23 ) to end the evil one's curse and bring salvation for all people. Terror must not master our hearts, only holy fear, a deep reverence and awe as we realize that God has broken through every barrier to reach us with his overwhelming grace and presence in Jesus. Yes, we welcome this "news of great joy for all...

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. — Luke 2:6-7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Despite Jesus' miraculous conception in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, the LORD entered our world in the most common of ways. The time came to be born, his mother went into labor, she gave birth to her child, the child was welcomed and wrapped in soft cloths, and placed in a crib. Jesus' birth wasn't just "normal"; it was common, even below average conditions for his birth. When the Son of God was born, he wasn't placed in a crib. Instead, he was placed in a manger where animals ate. His room was in a house, but a stable. No one made room for him in an inn or a house. Neither of his parents' families opened their homes or hearts to him, even though Bethlehem was also their likely destination for the c...

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. — Luke 2:4-5 Thoughts on Today's Verse... For the next few days, let's journey with Joseph and Mary as they experience the incredible grace of God in the miraculous birth of God's Son to their family. These verses give us the basics: They took a trip south from their home. The expectant couple went to Bethlehem, which was King David's home city as well as their own. The two were "betrothed" (legally pledged in marriage), but not yet married. The time for Jesus to be born was quickly approaching. Joseph and Mary were going there to register with the Roman government in Bethlehem as required by the census. Intrigue about Jesus' biological father hinted at scandal associated with Mary's pregnancy. Themes ...

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ... With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. — Acts 2:21, 40-41 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Call on the name of the LORD to save you! Proclaim Jesus as your risen LORD! Share with him in baptism as the first Christians did. Have God add you to his holy people. Know that Jesus will save you from the corruption that plagues our world and so many of our lives. You see, God sent Jesus to save, redeem, restore, and bless us. Share in the joy of that salvation. Don't wait! Today is the day of salvation! Rejoice in it. Pass it on to others. Christ our King has come to bring his salvation to all of us who will truly believe! My Prayer... Father, thank you for sending Jesus the first time to die for my sins! Thank you for sending Jesus int...

Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. — Acts 13:38-39 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Law couldn't do it. Sacrifices couldn't do it. Piety couldn't achieve it. Religious practices couldn't make it happen. Only Jesus could bring complete salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. Only Jesus can make us fully righteous and holy. Forgiveness and righteousness come through him, and faith in him. Jesus is God's most complete revelation of himself and his grace, and the sacrifice he made for our sins brings us forgiveness and eternal life ( John 1:1-18 ; Hebrews 1:1-3 ; 1 John 2:2 , 4:10 ). My Prayer... Holy and Righteous Father, God Almighty, I confess that your Son is my Savior and LORD, Jesus the Christ. I thank you, Jesus, for being my LORD and paying the price for my sins....

Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. — Psalm 80:19 Thoughts on Today's Verse... In the days of Jesus' birth, a group of devout and lowly people called the "pious poor" were looking for God's redemption of his people. We meet some of them in the first two chapters of Luke's Gospel - Zechariah and Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon, along with Mary and Joseph. They knew that salvation could not, and would not, come without great cost - not just to themselves, but also to God. Isaiah had prophesied about this redemption in his Servant Songs ( Isaiah 53:1-12 ). They had experienced suffering and hardship in their own history. So with honest hearts, they confessed that they didn't have the power to bring their own salvation and deliverance. This power had to come from their almighty God. They believed God would release this power for the powerless, yet righteous and devout, people seeking God's transformation in thei...

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. — Proverbs 31:9 Thoughts on Today's Verse... "No room in the inn!" "Placed him in a manger!" "Take the Child and flee to Egypt!" Those were the kinds of words to describe the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, and our Savior, whose earthly parents were powerless and poor by the world's standards. Our LORD was born into a world that played favorites and often despised the poor and powerless. So often today, we also play favorites with the rich, beautiful, powerful, famous, and prestigious. Isn't it interesting that God revealed himself as the defender of the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner ( Psalm 68:5 ; Isaiah 1:17 ; Zechariah 7:10 ) and then entered the world as the child of a Jewish carpenter and a young virgin from a small town. God wants us to notice those in need around us. He wants it to be more than an annual good gesture at Christmas. He wants us to be advocates for f...

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Life can be very tough. Eventually, our bodies are going to wear out and die. In the process of living, we're going to face some challenging circumstances and experience some awful pain. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I do want to be real about life in our decaying world. So, as bad as life's harshest realities can be, we are never abandoned by God ( Romans 8:35-39 ) and are headed for an eternal glory beyond what we can imagine. Life's difficulties can't compare to this glory that awaits us ( Romans 8:19 ). Our pain is "light and momentary" when compared to our future glory. The things that cause our pain are temporary. The treatments, the prescriptions, the therapies,...

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. — 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Thoughts on Today's Verse... So many sleepwalk through life. They are never really spiritually awake enough to be fully alive. However, as followers of Jesus, we choose not to do that with our lives! We are awake. We are alive because we know Jesus has come and brought us life eternal ( John 5:24 ; 1 John 5:11-13 ). The Son has shown us how to live. So we are going to be alert. We are going to be self-controlled. We're going to be fully alive because we know Jesus' return is imminent, and our day of salvation and deliverance is near. Until then, we are not going to be like others - those who sleepwalk through life - we are going to be alert, self-controlled, and anticipating the day of our Savior's return. My Prayer... Forgive me, Heavenly Father, for the times that I have lost my sense of urgency to live for Jesus. Please use the Holy Spirit within me to a...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus is God's message. It wasn't a message contained in a book or given in a vision. This message from God wasn't revealed on a mountain to only a watchful few. God's most complete message was human flesh, bone, and blood - God's incarnation in human flesh as Jesus of Nazareth. God's message came and lived among us as God's Word - the pre-existent Word. He faced our hardships, got our dirt between his toes, felt our disappointments, struggled with our temptations, suffered our treachery, and bled real blood to redeem us. Yet, living in our world, God's message brought us more than truth; he delivered us from death by his grace and showed us how to live and share his message. My Prayer... Almighty God, thank you for speaking in the past through your pro...

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. — Romans 14:5 Thoughts on Today's Verse... So often, we let personal preferences, peer pressure, and peer concerns about celebrating certain days, especially holidays, have a divisive effect on our Christian relationships. We're not to try to press our opinion or position on anyone else. We're not to judge others because they don't celebrate a special day to the LORD we celebrated. We're not to judge another because she does celebrate special days. Celebrating certain days as holy is a matter of personal conviction that revolves around our desire to please the LORD and to honor him in ways we feel are appropriate. Let's not be so insecure that we have to do what everyone else does. Likewise, let's not force anyone to do what we prefer. Instead, let's remember the right angle to take with everything: honor God with...

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:38-39 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Amen and hallelujah! This passage is incredibly hopeful. Nothing could keep Jesus from coming to save you and me - not the distance between heaven and earth, not the difficulty of an unexpected pregnancy, not a city fully of travelers and parents tired from a long journey, certainly not a maniacal king who sought to snuff out his life, not jeering mobs crying crucify him, not disciples that abandoned him, not soldiers that mocked him, not a whip that raked his flesh, and not a cross that claimed his physical life. So what makes you think God would let you go or give up on you after his love has captured your heart at such a high price to him? Nothing in the created worl...

Jesus answered, "...whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." — John 4:13-14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Water! That precious gift for the tired and thirsty. Water! That essential refreshing liquid we all need for life. Water! That spring of living water welling up to eternal life and renewing our spirits. Jesus offers water we don't have to carry, find, purify, or resupply. Jesus' water wells up within us. The Holy Spirit brings us Jesus' water because we are his disciples who believe in him ( John 7:37-39 ). Jesus' water gives us eternal life, which begins now, lasts throughout each day we live, and continues forever ( John 4:14 , 5:24 ). This water of eternal life is a gift from Jesus, our LORD! Video Commentary... ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer... Father, I know Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live in me when I became a...

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. — John 3:17 Thoughts on Today's Verse... God sent Jesus to save the world. God is not the mean ol' Scrooge in the sky, critically looking down on his flawed children, waiting to condemn them for their mess-ups. Instead, our Father in heaven saw how broken, flawed, and messed up we were, and he entered our world in Jesus to save it and save us from ourselves. God's purpose in sending Jesus was to give us lasting life, eternal salvation, and out of that grows our earthly mission - to join God in saving the lost world. My Prayer... O heavenly Father, deliver us from the sin that entangles our actions and pollutes our hearts. Create in each of us a clean heart and renew a right spirit in us through your sanctifying Holy Spirit. Please, awaken us to our salvation so that we don't keep it to ourselves, but share it with those who desperately need it. Thank you for your forgive...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... What else needs to be said? "For God so loved that the world..." Ah, we should say, "Praise God!" We should say, "Thank you, Jesus!" We should say, "I believe!" We should say, "Let's go share Jesus' saving grace with the nations ( Matthew 28:18-20 ). My Prayer... Thank you, Father, for loving us with everlasting love and for demonstrating that love in Jesus. We love you! We look forward to sharing the longest part of our lives with you in glory, enjoying your presence forever because you sent Jesus. Until then, loving Father, please use us to share this saving message -this message of your gracious and redeeming love -with others so they can believe and not perish. You sent Jesus so no one would perish. We commit to join you in sharing your love with the world...

From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. — Psalm 3:8 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Deliverance does come from the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our spiritual fathers from previous generations. We can trust in this deliverance because of God's faithfulness to his people under the Old Covenant (the Old Testament). We see God's deliverance as the Father sends his Son, Jesus, as our Savior. We experience this deliverance in the outpouring of the Spirit by the resurrected Savior. So, as this verse suggests, we can confidently ask the LORD to bless us with his richest and greatest blessings as his people because we know that he has already given us the greatest gift of his Son. So, we believe with the apostle, Paul, that since God has done this to save us, "how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" ( Romans 8:31-32 ) My Prayer... Thank you, O God, for the salvation you have given to us in Jesus. Use ...

Therefore God exalted him... that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. — Philippians 2:9-11 Thoughts on Today's Verse... I love the fact that I do each day what everyone will one day do: bow before the majesty and proclaim the glorious Lordship of Jesus Christ to honor the Father's glory. How wonderful it is to be able to make that proclamation because of grace rather than in fear at the end of a life that has been spent wasted in rebellion, denial, and selfishness. I gladly bow my knee, humble myself, and prostrate myself before the King of Glory, Jesus Christ my LORD! My Prayer... Father, I do praise you for the truth about Jesus. I believe that his greatness will one day be realized fully by everyone who has ever lived. Doubters, haters, hypocrites, and pretenders may have sway in our fallen world, but Jesus is coming. I can't wait to see...

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name... — Philippians 2:9 Thoughts on Today's Verse... For Jesus, the formula for saving grace was tough! graciousness + faithfulness + sacrifice + suffering = True Glory Yes, salvation's math doesn't make much human sense in our selfish, self-promoting world. However, from the perspective of faith, salvation's math is powerful wisdom. Jesus came to our world because of God's graciousness . Jesus was faithful and left heaven to face the hardships of humanity. The LORD was willing to sacrifice himself to serve all humanity, even though it required his suffering and humiliation on the cross. Because he faithfully lived salvation's math, the Father crowned the Son with all glory and honor, which has been rightfully his since before creation. The apostle Paul reminds us in this passage ( Philippians 2:5-11 ) that God doesn't forget our sacrifices, hardships, persecutions,...

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who... made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! — Philippians 2:5, 7-8 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Christianity is not for wimps or the faint-hearted. Our example, Jesus, "made himself nothing... taking the very nature of a servant... humbled himself... and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" That's tough stuff. What's more, he is our example of how to live and sacrifice for others. The story of Jesus may begin with a sweet child, a tender virgin girl, and a loving, strong man who protected them. However, it also starts with his crib being the trough where animals ate their food, while an evil king was plotting to murder him. The birth stories of Jesus are precious and powerful. They are not, however, saccharine-sweet fake sentiment...

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped... — Philippians 2:5-6 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus did not cling to his heavenly glory but surrendered it to save us. He was born in a stable, made his first bed in a manger, and was welcomed to this world by lowly shepherds. His adoptive dad, Joseph, had to flee to Egypt with Mary to protect young Jesus. The LORD made his boyhood home in despised Nazareth, apprenticing in Joseph's carpenter's shop. Paul uses Jesus' surrender of his heavenly glory as an example for us. Paul, God's apostle to the nations, expended his human energy so Jesus would come alive in those who followed Jesus as LORD ( Colossians 1:28-29 ). He reminded all disciples to focus on Jesus, to obey his teaching, and to follow his example. As we do, the Holy Spirit transforms us, with increasing likeness, into our Savior's sacrificial characte...

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. — Romans 1:16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Are you ashamed? Culture tries to make us ashamed about our faith, portraying people of faith as stupid, insensitive, judgmental, and hypocritical. Are you ashamed? Or, because you reverence Jesus as LORD in your own heart and life, you are willing to share your faith humbly and gently with those who do not know Jesus as their LORD ( 1 Peter 3:15-16 ). Are you ashamed? Your hero left heaven to come to earth and risk everything so that you could go home to heaven with him. This Gospel is powerful. This Gospel is transformational. This Gospel, and the salvation it brings, are for all people. So let's not be ashamed; let's be joyous and generous with this incredible gift that we have received and share this grace with all peoples of the world! My Prayer... Father in heaven, please give me ...