Today's Verse - 1 Corinthians 12:27

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

—1 Corinthians 12:27

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What part of the Body are you? What's your function? What's your purpose? How are you blessing others in the Body of Christ? Who is someone in Jesus' Body who serves others but also needs your encouragement and praise? Who are people who feel neglected and lonely in Jesus' Body who need your love shown to them? Remember, the human body looks after its parts and members because each is vital to properly functioning. The same is true with Jesus' Body. That means you are essential to your congregation. It also means you are crucial for Jesus' church to function as the LORD's bodily presence in our broken world that desperately needs his love!

Video Commentary...

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My Prayer...

Father, thank you for making me a part of something so precious, so incredible, as the bodily presence of the LORD Jesus. Please help every person in our church family find their gifts and use them to touch others with your grace, build up Jesus' Body, and bring you glory. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - John 12:26

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

—John 12:26

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We can't out-serve, out-love, or out-give Jesus. He longs to bless us. He longs to pour out heaven's riches and grace upon us. Even more incredibly, he longs to honor us as his friends and younger brothers and sisters in God's family. When our lives are over, God the Father, LORD of the entire universe, will honor all who have served his Son and blessed others in Jesus' name! Jesus promised that the Father would bring us home to Himself, who will honor us! Unbelievable? No! It's just another example of God's incredible grace given to us in Jesus. And Jesus promised us:

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

My Prayer...

Loving Father and Holy God, please help me follow the will of Jesus, obey his teachings, and serve others as he did when he was on earth. Father, I know I cannot earn your grace, but I want to follow Jesus. I want to serve others in his name. I want to help them find your grace in Jesus, too. So, I pray this in his name to honor you. Amen.

Today's Verse - Hebrews 12:25

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

—Hebrews 12:25

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

As with all the daily verses this year, we are syncing with the date, so finding a 12:25 reference related to Jesus' birth was difficult. But I believe that Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection confront us with a choice on what to do with the wonder, joy, and glory God has lavished on us in Jesus. When God made Herod face the choice of what to do with Jesus, the evil and corrupt king met Jesus with violent rejection, jealous hatred, and murderous intent. Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zachariah, Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the angels, and the magi joyfully accepted God's invitation to grace in Jesus. We can, too! With the gift of Jesus comes a tremendous opportunity and responsibility: we must choose to listen, obey, follow, and honor Christ — both the Christ child and Christ, who is our Savior and LORD! Since God demanded that his people obey his lesser messengers — prophets, priests, and kings in the days before Jesus — imagine how much more is our responsibility. God emptied heaven of his Son's glory to send him to earth as one of us so that the Light of Life could shine on us and bring us salvation. What a glorious gift, a divine present!

My Prayer...

Thank you, dear Father, for sending your Son and my Savior, Jesus. Please, dear LORD, I do not want to ever take the gift of Jesus for granted. Please, Holy Spirit, empower me and give me wisdom so I can faithfully know, obey, and honor Jesus with my life as you transform me with increasing glory to become more and more like him. I thank you and ask for your continuing grace, Father, in the precious name of Jesus, the Christ child and my LORD! Amen.