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We feel the tension of the busyness of the holidays, so we developed a resource to help you slow down, be present to God and others and be aware of your own soul.

We hope you can use this resource for personal reflection time, in a group setting or with your family!

Join us for the second week of a 4-week journey where we slow down, be with God and allow yourself to be in awe of Jesus who is Emmanual, God with us.

Follow along with the daily devotional below—or if you'd like to download the resource, you can do so at the bottom of the page!

Week 1 – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Day 1 – Freedom

Lyric
O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel

Scripture
Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

Reflect
Jesus came to set people free—bottom line! He brings good news, healing and freedom. These ailments (poverty, brokenness, imprisonment) take on any number of expressions from literal poverty, brokenness and imprisonment to emotional, spiritual and relational poverty, brokenness and imprisonment. BUT JESUS came to restore it all! He came to set us free!

• Is there sin or brokenness in your life that you can’t seem to get past? Write these things down.

• Ask Jesus to bring life to these things today.

Day 2 – Jesus: Our Salvation

Lyric
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave

Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:54b-57
“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus’ death and resurrection was the price for our salvation. Without Christ, we walk with the sting of sin and death that we cannot escape. And the truth is that sin left unchecked always leads to death. But, like the writer in 1 Corinthians says, God gives us victory over sin and death! Christ is our salvation, so we don’t need to fear! The grave couldn’t hold Jesus, and because we have the same Spirit in us that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8), the grave can’t hold us down either (somebody cue Johnny Cash)!

Reality is, life is hard, and sin lingers. We are in a constant journey of becoming more like Jesus. This isn’t quick or easy, and often times, it feels daunting! That said, in Christ, we have access to the source of victory through the Holy Spirit who gives us power to walk in freedom!

•  Is there sin or brokenness in your life that you can’t seem to get past? Write these things down.

• Ask Jesus to bring life to these things today.

Day 3 – Light in the Darkness

Lyric
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight

Scripture
John 1:4-5
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Reflect
For so many people, life feels like the gloomy clouds of night where death’s dark shadows aren’t going away anytime soon. Mental health is, as we all know, a massive problem in our world. It’s incredibly complex caused by everything from chemical imbalances to trauma to the compounding disappointments of life. Disclaimer: Many people deal with chemical imbalances and need professional care and medication.

That said, there is a promise and truth that followers of Jesus can cling to - Jesus is the Light of the World! His light overcomes all darkness. It may not be fully experienced until heaven, but we can certainly experience his peace and hope right now, where we are. Jesus’ light shines in the darkness and the darkness can not overcome it. Try this simple 10-minute exercise:

• Take 3-4 minutes to write down any burdens you’re carrying…any darkness in your life.

• Slowly read John 1:4-5 out loud a couple times.

• Slowly pray this simple prayer: Jesus, You are the Light of the World. Bring your light into the darkness of my life.

• Take 3-4 minutes of silence in God’s presence keeping this prayer in mind.

• Take 1 minute to write down something Jesus spoke to you.

• Is there somebody you can safely share this with? 

Day 4 – Citizens of Heaven

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home

John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Do you ever experience sadness when the holidays are over or when you head home after vacation? There’s a longing in our souls for rest, peace and joy that these things can temporarily bring us in this life. This is planted in our hearts because we are created in God’s image - children of God who long to be with Him.

The Christmas season is a time that we remind ourselves that Jesus has come, and he is coming again! If we are in Christ, complete rest and joy await us one day, because we are merely visitors in this life (Phil. 3:20; 2 Cor. 5:1-10).

But, we don’t only look to that day. We are citizens of heaven here and now, and as followers of Jesus, we get to represent the just, peaceful and merciful King in how we live.

• What ways do you think God would have you live as a citizen of Heaven today?

Day 5 – With Us

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

John 14:15-18
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Reflect
If you look through the whole of Scripture, the phrase “I am with you” shows up all over. It’s the promise and reality that God has always been with his people, and He will never leave us.

There is something incredible about the promise of the Holy Spirit with us. Jesus actually said it’s better that he leaves so we can have the Holy Spirit. Here’s the catch: the opening words of John 14:15 indicate an important pre-requisite… obedience. The Holy Spirit is given as we obey and follow Jesus.

• What is something God has been asking you to do that you’ve been resisting? What would God have you do?

Looking for Week 1?

You can read and download Week 1 of our devotional here.