Week three of Fishhook's Christmas devotional resource is here for you!

The holidays are busy for everyone, especially for those working in ministry! 

We've created a devotional to help you slow down, be present to God and others this Christmas.

Join us for the third week of a 4-week journey where we slow down to be with God.

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

Week 3: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Day 1 – Reconciliation

Lyric
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled

Scripture
2 Corinthians 5:17-19

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

Reflect
In our world that is so divided, is there a more hopeful message than that of reconciliation? The amazing thing is that this is and has always been what God is about from the very beginning. His desire is that all people are reconciled to Himself and to one another!

The Church is supposed to carry out the mission Jesus left her. Central to this mission is unity and reconciliation. Jesus prayed in John 17:21 that all believers would be unified SO THAT the world would believe in him. Unity among believers actually draws people to Jesus, because the world wants to experience this but doesn’t.

True unity and reconciliation happens when the Holy Spirit changes the hearts of followers of Jesus.

  • Is there anybody in your life that you have unresolved conflict that Jesus would have you pursue reconciliation with?

Day 2 – All People

Lyric
Joyful, all ye nations, rise Join the triumph of the skies

Scripture
Revelation 7:9-10

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

Reflect

Yesterday was about unity and reconciliation, and today is about diversity. This scene in Revelation is a picture of what the Church is supposed to look like today.

Unfortunately, we know that most churches still lack true diversity. This is way too complex to try to tackle in a short reflection, but diversity starts at the individual level when we seek relationship and proximity with those who are different than us. This is exactly what Jesus did when he came to be with us!

  • Is there any group of people you have a hard heart toward? What would Jesus have you do?


Day 3 – Jesus: Everlasting God

Lyric
Christ, by highest heaven adored Christ, the everlasting Lord

Scripture
Colossians 1:15-17

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Reflect
There’s a scene in the Will Ferrell movie, Talladega Nights, where Ferrell’s character prays to “8 pound, 6 ounce newborn infant Jesus.” So many times, it’s easy to have this image of Jesus in our mind this time of year. Yes, Jesus experienced the vulnerability of a baby, but Jesus, from day one was fully God - the everlasting God. This baby in a manger is the One every knee will bow to and every tongue will confess is Lord (Phil. 2)!

  • Today, spend some time focusing on the holiness, majesty and sovereignty of Jesus, and ask Him to show you anything in your life that needs to surrender to His sovereign plan. 

Day 4 – Jesus: Fully Man

Lyric

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell Jesus, our Immanuel

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-8

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Reflect

As much as Jesus is fully God, the reality that He came to walk among us and be one of us is perhaps the most amazing thing of all. What God, what king would choose to humble himself and become like frail people? Our God - Yahweh, the everlasting God of Israel would. And why? Because of love. Because He is humble. Because he wanted to walk with us, be among us and model what it looks like to selflessly serve others.

  • What is one way we can follow Jesus’ example of humbly serving others in our daily life today?

Day 5 – A Humble Savior

Lyric
Mild he lays his glory by

Born that we no more may die

Scripture

Philippians 2:8-11

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Reflect
Jesus set aside His power and glory to give His life for people who were actively opposing Him from day one. Jesus lived a perfect life, not deserving to die for anybody - let alone people like us! But, He did, and through His humble sacrifice, He became the humble savior of the world.

This message is the Gospel - that God created us because of love, pursues us even when we resist him, would die for us and now is the only way to salvation.

  • How does the sacrificial example of Jesus and the hope of salvation change how you live today?

Miss Week 1 or 2?

You can read and download Week 1 of our devotional or catch up on Week 2.