DAILY DEVOTIONAL. Who Needs Christmas? / Week 1 PRELUDE SOCIAL WORSHIP STORY GROUPS HOME WEEK 1 THE ENTIRE WORLD NEEDS CHRISTMAS.

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1 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 1 WEEK 1 THE ENTIRE WORLD NEEDS CHRISTMAS. DAY 1 HEAR // When Jesus came to Earth, He didn t come for a small set of people. He came to save the entire world. And guess what? That includes you. It may sound crazy, but Jesus came both to save everyone on Earth and to offer each individual person the opportunity to experience a personal relationship with Him a relationship that will be enjoyed fully and forever. 1

2 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 1 DAY 2 PRAY // When you think of worship, you may think of the songs we sing at the beginning of a church. And yes, singing songs is a great way to worship God, but there are many other ways we can worship Him. Believe it or not, anything that glorifies God is an act of worship. You can worship God in the way you treat others, in the way you work hard at school and sports, or in the way you spend your time and money. All you have to do is pray and ask God to show you how you can worship Him today. DAY 3 LIVE // What would it mean for God to be glorified in you? Is the way you live your life giving God all the glory? These are tough questions, but when we ask them of ourselves, we can learn a lot about how much of our lives reflect God. As you go through your day today, see if you can find ways to glorify God in your thoughts, words, and actions. 2

3 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 1 DAY 4 HEAR // One fun thing about Christmas is that everybody seems to get into the Holiday spirit. There s something magical about this time of year in the way friends and family and even strangers we meet in stores embrace this season. In heaven, we will see people from every background, culture and society worshipping God like it s Christmas Day. We are going to get to share the joy of Christmas morning with every believer past, present, and future. How incredible is that!? DAY 5 TALK // Jesus promised that word was going to get out about His truth even if that meant the rocks would be the ones sharing it. Do you talk about God to the point where there is no need for rocks to do the talking for you? Or are you someone who keeps quiet about your beliefs? Pray and ask God to give you the courage to speak about what Jesus has done in your life. 3

4 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 2 WEEK 2 GOD NEEDED CHRISTMAS TO DEMONSTRATE HIS LOVE. DAY 6 HEAR // It s easy to get caught up in making sure we love God. We do things like pray, read our Bible, and apply Scripture in our lives to show God that we love Him. And while these are great things to be doing, what if we also thought about what God has done (and is still doing) for us? The truth is, God loved us first and loved us before we ever did anything to love Him back. In fact, God s love for us should be what matters the most. This message can be a breath of fresh air to those of us trying to be the best Christians we can be. And in the middle of all that trying, God says, Hey, I love you. 4

5 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 2 DAY 7 TALK // When was the last time you told someone that Christ died for them? Does that question make you feel guilty? (Psst, that s okay.) It s important for us to realize that Christ died for us and for our sins, but at the same time, he didn t just die for you and me. Think of someone in your life that needs to hear this good news a friend, family member, teammate, or coworker. Ask God to give you the chance to share this truth with them and the courage to follow through when the opportunity presents itself. DAY 8 PRAY // The birth of Jesus is the ultimate act of God reconciling human beings to himself. In order to restore a healthy relationship between God and humanity, Jesus had to pay for the sins of the world. Thankfully, through His death and resurrection, we are forgiven and able to enter into a relationship with God. Today, pray and thank God for sending Jesus so that you could enter into a growing relationship with Him. 5

6 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 2 DAY 9 HEAR // When we sin and make mistakes, it s common to feel like our actions have separated us from God s love, but this isn t true at all. Nothing we do today will make God love us any more or any less. Isn t that a relief? God s love for us is unchanging, even when we are at our worst. Know and trust in the truth that God loves you and nothing you do will ever change that. DAY 10 LIVE // God gave us the perfect example of love in Jesus who laid down His life for the sins of everyone. And while His example is a hard one to follow, there are simple ways you can lay down your life for your friends. Today, look for ways to love and serve the people around you. Try to spend less time thinking about how you can make your life easier and more time on how you can help others. 6

7 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 3 WEEK 3 CHRISTMAS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED FREEDOM. DAY 11 HEAR // Many people think that the Christian life consists of nothing but strict rules and regulations, but the truth is that there s no other place where true freedom is found, apart from Christ. A relationship with God brings a complete change in our life, and when we think about all that He has done for us, we are free to celebrate and worship Him during the Christmas season and the whole year round. 7

8 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 3 DAY 12 LIVE // Does your life look like one of freedom or slavery? Are you caught up in school, sports, or material wealth just like everyone else? Or are you living a life that is free of the burdens of this world and allows you to fully experience the joy that comes with a relationship with Christ? The right answers to these questions may seem obvious, but sometimes our lives don t always reflect what is right. Today, live as one who has been set free by Christ joyful, loving, and eager to share His good news with everyone around you. DAY 13 PRAY // It s so easy for us to think only about our current lives and everything that is happening around us in this world. But, if you have accepted Christ s love, this world is only a temporary stop on your way to forever in heaven. Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for eternal life and for the fact that no matter what happens today or tomorrow, we will get to be in heaven with Him one day. 8

9 Who Needs Christmas? / Week 3 DAY 14 HEAR // This verse speaks about two different types of people the honorable and the foul. One of them lives in a way that leads to joy and life, and the other in a way that leads to sin and death. Think honestly about which type of person you want to be. Is your life a reflection of what you desire? DAY 15 TALK // This verse gives us a clear picture of what it takes to be saved. It s an easy two-step process: Declare with your mouth and believe in your heart. If you haven t done one of these two things, ask your small group leader what it would look like to take this next step in your faith. If you have already declared and you believe, look for someone around you to share the truth of what you ve learned because of this verse. 9