And behold, you will conceive in · Lord Jesus, show me those friends who I need to bring to you....

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

ADVENT IS UPON US once

again. We can easily recognize the

season by the decorations and music

that lead up to Christmas, but do we

fully grasp exactly what is meant by

Advent? The word Advent simply

means “coming” and this season is

for us to prepare for the coming of

the One True King—Jesus. It is not

a passive waiting, but an expectant

waiting. We stand ready—watching

and waiting for his arrival—because

we are a people of promise.

Throughout the Scriptures you will

find many examples of God’s people

waiting for what he has promised.

Whether it was waiting for a deliv-

erance from an enemy, an answer

to prayer, or a promised land, God’s

people constantly lived in a state of

hopeful expectation.

There was nothing that they longed

for more than the promised Messiah.

They may not have fully understood

all that the Messiah would come to

do (and not do), but from the days of

Garden of Eden, where sin entered

the world, God’s people have watched

and waited for their Savior to come.

They hoped for the one who would

finally free them from the shackles of

sin and death—once and for all.

We, however, know the end of the

story. We have the blessing of being

able to look back on the birth, life,

ministry, suffering, and death of Jesus

to appreciate his work on our behalf.

And yet, we are also people of prom-

ise. We too, long to see Jesus come.

We watch with hope and celebrate his

birth because it reminds us of another

of God’s promises from John 14:2-3:

—Luke 1:31

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

We find ourselves eagerly

expecting Jesus to come again—

and this time, to take us back to

heaven to dwell with him and

the Father forever.

As we wait during this sea-

son, let us be reminded who

Jesus truly is. Let us remember

all that he has done for us by

looking at the names that he

has been given in Scripture

and how they provide hope,

joy, love and peace for us who

believe in him. Happy Advent!

—The Staff of Cedar Springs

AS WE LOOK with eager anticipation

upon the Lord’s coming during this Advent

season, it is good to be reminded of who

he was and what he did while he was here.

I am constantly amazed how even after

reading the same passage dozens of times

that God’s Word continues to come alive and

reveal new things about Jesus. This passage

was one of those moments for the disciples.

Peter has already confessed that Jesus

was the promised Messiah and he and the

rest of the disciples have spent the last few

years observing firsthand the miraculous

power of Jesus. They probably figure that

they have a pretty good comprehension of

who Jesus is and whathe can do, and then

Jesus reveals even more. As with other

times, Jesus invites only Peter, James and

John to go with him and as they ascend the

December 1

5 He was still speaking

when, behold, a bright

cloud overshadowed

them, and a voice from

the cloud said, “This

is my beloved Son,

with whom I am well

pleased; listen to him.”

1

MATTHEW 17:1-13

Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Man Gives Us Hope

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the Son of Man and can sympathize with our weakness and have been tempted as we are—and yet, also, are the Son of God —who is perfect, holy and gave his life for us. Let our hearts be filled with hope as we await your return. Amen.

mountain I am sure that the three disciples

were filled with eager anticipation, won-

dering what would Jesus do next. What

Jesus does was so beyond explanation

that a Word had to be created—transfig-

ured. Jesus allows the disciples to catch a

glimpse behind the veil and see Him for

who he really is, God who put on flesh.

They had the unique privilege of seeing

both Jesus’ deity and humanity on display

and they respond with worship.

As we prepare our hearts for this sea-

son, let us remember that we worship the

one who is 100% God and 100% man. The

one who can understand our weakness

and yet has lived the perfect life that we

could not and then died so that we may live

forever. Let that truth bring us hope.

MISSION PRAYER REQUESTS

Sybil Baloyi lives in Mozambique and runs a school for orphaned and vulnerable children, starting with preschool and going through middle school. Beginning in 2020 they will expand to high school! Pray the children learn to love God from an early age, become people of high character, and that their caregivers will seek God in all things. Ask God to use the high school to prepare many for college and community leadership. Pray also for Sybil’s strength and endurance.

Thrive Lonsdale is led by Cedar Springs member Clayton Wood. This organization challenges inner-city youth with the love of Jesus Christ to serve others and reconcile by creatively meeting their spiritual, educational, and recreational needs through Bible study, tutoring, mentoring and outings. Pray today for the Thrive team of volunteers and staff as they connect with the children of Lonsdale during the Christmas season in the four target areas-school campus, Thrive upper, Parkridge, and Sprouts.

D A I L Y P R AY E R

A N D P S A L M 1

I HAD A FEW HOURS and I was tasked

with watching my two boys (9 and 10). They

were picky about what they wanted to do —

all my ideas were shot down (ride bikes, two

dollar theater, …), instead they wanted to see

friends, but that only worked out for a short

time. I found later, back home, that the boys

were more interested in a video game than in

spending time with me. Frustrated, I jumped

on my computer to look at this passage and

begin writing this devotion. In John 5, we see

that Jesus was very connected to his father—

Jesus only did what he saw his Father do

(v19). I am reminded of all the times I choose

to work, rather than interact with my family.

My boys’ choice to play a video game should

not surprise me, because that is the exam-

ple I often set when I pull away from them

to work. “The acorn doesn’t fall far from the

tree.” I want to love my family, but it is so

easy to let my phone, laptop or other projects

December 2

19 Jesus gave them

this answer: “Very

truly I tell you, the

Son can do nothing

by himself; he can

do only what he sees

his Father doing,

because whatever

the Father does the

Son also does.

2

JOHN 5:19-25


Lord, help each of us to reach out to those around. Following Jesus, to turn away from isolation and turn towards others. Give us hope to risk rejection in order for us to enter in with others. Help us recognize the opportunities to love sacrificially, so that when people follow our lead, we will point them toward our Father.

take my attention. I should not be surprised

when I see the same choices (with less

sophistication) made by my boys.

When Jesus follows his Dad, it is always a

positive! The Father loves and gives himself

away for his people, his son Jesus, loves peo-

ple and gave himself sacrificially for them.

he did what he “sees his father doing”. Jesus

coming in the flesh (his advent as a human)

was an act of sacrificial love. He entered into

our world and gave himself away. The result

is that we have hope —a certain and sure

promise—that he has delivered us from our

sin and shame. In that hope, let each of us

turn away from self toward God and others.

Isolation (turning toward self) is a destructive

option while choosing to be with people is

costly but life giving. Let us follow our eldest

brother, Jesus, as he follows his Dad, God

the Father, in entering in with people in life

giving sacrificial love.


Mark and Annemarie Dye are passionate about building Christian leaders to mobilize and equip the African Church for mission in the world. Pray today for the ongoing equipping of Bible study leaders in Turkana. They recently received MP3 players preloaded with the Bible in the Turkana language. Pray for God’s Word to deeply impact the lives of hearers. Also pray for discernment in determining partnership opportunities with two national ministries.

Campus Ministries such as the Cross, RUF, InterVarsity, and Navigators pour into students at the University of Tennessee. Pray for each as they hold Christmas celebrations this week, that the gospel message would be winsome and received with joy. Pray for students as they endure the stress of finals this week, that they would take their anxieties and fears to God. Pray today for God to draw many to Himself.


A N D P S A L M 2 3

MANY YEARS AGO, I was a small

group leader of about 10 middle school boys.

During their 6th grade year the students

bonded and became very close to each other.

We met at many different locations around

West Knoxville that were conveniently

located between their homes.

Near the end of the first year, one of the

students, named Saxon, started complaining

about his stomach. After several tests and

procedures, it was determined that he had

a very rare form of cancer. Saxon immedi-

ately started undergoing treatment, and this

made him tired and he needed to stay at

home. It was a hard reality to face that one

of the students we had all grown so close

to would not be able to attend small group

the following year and would most likely die

within two years.

Instead of giving up, the other students in

the group decided to meet at Saxon’s home.

December 3

10 But that you

may know that the

Son of Man has

authority on earth

to forgive sins.


3

MARK 2:1-12

Lord Jesus, show me those friends who I need to bring to you. Help me to be willing to tear a hole in a roof if you call me to! Help me desire to see the power of your forgiveness on my life, and that I would desire my friends who don’t know you to experience the same.

He lived out in East Knoxville, which added at

least another hour of driving to their already

busy night. The guys didn’t care, and they

quickly rallied together to bring Saxon to

Jesus. We met each week at Saxon’s home.

His mom told me that he looked forward to

that time every week, and that no matter

what he had undergone as far as treatment

was concerned, Saxon would make it a pri-

ority to be present.

This story of the friend who brought their

paralytic friend to Jesus seemed so familiar

to what these Middle School boys were doing

for their friend Saxon. At Saxon’s funeral, I

told these boys how proud I was that they

“tore a hole in the roof” to get their friend to

Jesus. They knew that Jesus has the power

to forgive sins, and I found out that he has

the power to make selfish middle school

boys think outside of themselves and go the

extra mile to do what is most important in

life, bring their friend to the feet of Jesus. I

guarantee that Saxon is an eyewitness to the

truth of Jesus’ forgiveness today.


Julian and Melanie Reese, with the Graduate and Faculty Ministries of InterVarsity, bring an Incarnational Presence to the academic departments of the University of Tennessee. Pray they find a welcome to dialogue between Christian and secular thought, offer healing to people wounded by difficult religious experiences, and encourage the professors of tomorrow’s universities to integrate their faith with their academic discipline.

Wears Valley Ranch offers a Christian home, education, and counseling to children from families in crisis. Their vision is to see each child inspired to follow Christ, healed from the past, and equipped to reach their full potential. Pray today for the staff of WVR as they model Christ’s love and salvation to the residents and for young adults to become mentors.


A N D P S A L M 4 6

December 4

17And behold, a voice

from heaven said,

“This is my beloved

Son, with whom I

am well pleased.”


4

MATTHEW 3:13-17 IF YOU WATCH any of the 3,754 Christ-

mas movies that will play on Hallmark and

Lifetime this year, you might notice that Jesus

often holds the same significance as Santa,

the elves, or reindeer. Little baby Jesus in

the manger at the nativity scene is simply a

decoration, or just a small part of the Christ-

mas tradition. This is indicative of how the

world often thinks about Jesus. Some see him

as a religious figure with a few good ideas,

and others simply see him as a character in a

fictional story. What we think about who Jesus

is, and what role he plays in this world, will

drastically change the way that we think about

the season of Christmas. And the passage

from today shows that seeing Jesus as just

part of the Christmas tradition isn’t an option.

At this point in the true story of Jesus’ life,

Jesus is getting ready to begin his public

ministry. John the Baptist has been preparing

the way for him to do so, preaching that “The

kingdom of God is at hand.” John was baptiz-

ing people in the water for repentance, but he

Lord, would you help us to never grow cold or numb to the fact that you, Jesus are the Son of God. That you were pleased with Him, and that you were pleased to dwell among sinful and broken people. Would you help us to keep that at the forefront of our minds as we celebrate this Christmas season. Would you keep us from ever seeing you as anything less than the Son of God.

was clear to point out that he was not the one

doing the cleansing, but that someone greater

was still to come. So even before this passage,

John is seeing and describing Jesus as some-

one with power and significance. When Jesus

approaches him to be baptized, John rightly

sees that Jesus is powerful, holy, and has noth-

ing to repent of, so he is hesitant to baptize

him. But Jesus insists that it needs to be done

to “fulfill all righteousness.” It is understand-

able that John was confused by this, but part of

what Jesus was doing was demonstrating that

he was fully obedient to the will of God. The

scene at Jesus’ baptism is a perfect picture of

his humanity and divinity. Humanity in that he

submitted himself to baptism, and divinity in

what happens after his baptism.

Immediately after his baptism, the Spirit

of God rests on Jesus, and God the Father

speaks the words “This is my beloved Son,

with whom I am well pleased.” God the Father

makes it absolutely clear that Jesus is the

Son of God. He is confirming everything that

John the Baptist had been preaching, showing

that Jesus was more than just a wise person,


A N D P S A L M 6 2


Tim and Barbie K. are working to translate the Bible into the “Makori”* language, currently working in Ephesians and Romans. Barbie is also guest house manager and a Regional Director, having responsibility for more than 20 missionaries in the area. Their main goal is to see the church in their area effectively using its own Bible translation. Pray today for Tim and Barbie and their family.

Jeff & Ellen A. work with Mekong Ministries in countries of Southeast Asia, catalyzing Church Planting Movements. Pray for the prayer teams, locals, and missionaries to the White Lahu, the Tai Lue, and Tai Dam people. Jeff and Ellen are on an extended trip in this area at this time. Pray for Jeff’s health especially during this trip.

*For safety reasons, we don’t use the actual name of the people group

CONTINUED IN THE BACK

December 5

31And he began to

teach them that the

Son of Man must

suffer many things

and be rejected by

the elders and the

chief priests and the

scribes and be killed

and after three days

rise again.


5

MARK 8:31-38 ANTICIPATION AND EXPECTATION

are some of the themes of the Advent season,

whether it is looking forward to family time,

presents, or remembering the expectation of

Jesus coming down to earth. This passage in

Mark also highlights expectations.

For Peter, it is the unmet expectations

when he realizes that Jesus is talking about

dying and suffering. His idea of who Jesus

as Messiah is, and what he is coming to do,

is challenged. The other expectation in this

passage is for what it will look like to follow

Jesus. Jesus is telling of his way forward, and

He is also showing us our way forward. It

says in verse 34 that “if anyone would come

after me let him deny himself and take up his

cross and follow me.” In that statement, we

see that not only are we following Jesus in

doing what is right, but also in his suffering.

Lord, thank you for the reminder today that you are with us even in our suffering. Thank you that you went before us and died the death that we deserve. I pray that our hope would not be in the things of this world but in you who is everlasting.

That might be difficult to hear, especially when

many of us spend our days trying to avoid

pain. I hope that it brings you great comfort in

knowing that because Jesus is the Son of Man

and the Son of God—He can sympathize with

every weakness. He knew the path to follow

Him was not going to be easy, but our hope

lies in the fact that he is going before us in

everything—including our suffering.

As we consider who Jesus is as both the

Son of Man and Son of God may we be

encouraged that He came to earth for us. We

are not alone and that gives us hope as we

consider this season. We get to put our hope

in Jesus and he will meet our needs every

time—even when it is in unexpected ways.

With this eternal hope in mind, how are you

being called to take up your cross and follow

him today?



Heath and Angela Many have been serving as medical missionaries in their respective fields (surgery and obstetrics/gynecology at Tenwek Hospital, a Christian mission hospital in rural Kenya. Pray for the two OB/GYN physicians and their families moving there to assist with the new residency program. Pray for good adjustment for all as Rees attends boarding school. Pray also for the spiritual growth and integrity of the residents. Ask for wisdom and grace as they face daily challenges that come with rural Kenyan medical care, working cross-culturally, and teaching/discipling residents.

In recent weeks, 12 of the 80 churches in Algeria, an Islamic country, have received written orders to stop all activities; their doors have been roped off and sealed. 5000 Christians now have no place to worship. Pray for K and S as they lead from the oldest and largest church. Pray for the removal of the opposition that the Church is experiencing, for the government to uphold the freedom of religion guaranteed in its Constitution, and for the gospel to be shared boldly in the midst of the persecution. Pray for wisdom and creativity as the pastors try to continue discipleship training.

A N D P S A L M 1 3 0

6

December 6

62And Jesus said, “I am,

and you will see the Son

of Man seated at the

right hand of Power, and

coming with the clouds

of heaven.”


MARK 14:53-65 RECENTLY I WENT camping in a rural

part of North Carolina. As we neared the

location of our campsite I grew less and less

confident that the GPS in my phone was

giving me accurate directions. We ventured

several miles off course before seeing spray

painted in the middle of the road, “GPS IS

WRONG” in big bold letters. It can be so

frustrating to put your faith in those in power

who tell you the world is a certain way; only

to find that when you are there and see it for

yourself, it is not.

Jesus tells us in Luke 5:32 that he came

not for the righteous, but for the sinners.

He infuriates the Pharisees and confounds

those in power regularly. Jesus chooses to

dine with sinners, heal the destitute, and

value social outcasts like widows and pau-

pers. The ruling class could tolerate him no

Father, thank you have given us Jesus that we can trust him to lead and guide us through this life. Help us during this season to see him rightly as both holy and human. In Jesus’ name. Amen

longer. When he finally outright tells them

he is the I Am, they are all too happy to con-

demn him to death.

It is easy to read the story and think how

foolish they were; however, we are daily

lied to in overt and subtle ways by this

world and the devil. May we take the time to

come and see his side, and touch his hands,

and see him for what he really is. Let us not

listen to what others say, but come and see

for ourselves.

I pray that Jesus will break me of my own

foolishness and religion. I desperately want

him to reveal himself to me, and not let me

live in the patterns of this world. And on that

day, I want to rejoice when I see him, coming

with the clouds of Heaven, because my eyes

have been opened to what others stubbornly

refused to see.



T & J are serving in Africa. T is a consultant to Bible translation teams from multiple people groups. Pray today for the translation teams to be led by the Spirit, find unity in decisions, and for technology equipment to work when needed. Pray for T as he is taking monthly chemotherapy this year. Pray that God will use the Rendille translation to change lives among the Rendille people.

FOCUS Prison Ministries helps men and women find new beginnings by fostering faith, strengthening families, re-engaging the workplace, and coaching needed life skills. Pray today for the volunteers who go behind the walls to lead bible studies. Pray for inmates to be comforted as they are separated from loved ones during the holidays, for receptiveness to the gospel, for the Holy Spirit power to overcome addictions and change destructive behavior, and for wardens and officers to be people of compassion and integrity.

A N D P S A L M 1 3 1

7

December 7

54 When the centurion

and those who were

with him, keeping

watch over Jesus, saw

the earthquake and

what took place, they

were filled with awe

and said, “Truly this

was the Son of God!”


MATTHEW 27:45-54 THEY KNEW JESUS’ REPUTATION.

They had either watched him or heard about

him through the trial. The centurion and those

who were with him likely knew about Jesus

for the last 3 years (his public ministry years)

and possibly before, if they happened to know

him personally.

At that time in the holy land, there were

many others who claimed to be messiahs,

would gather followers, and proclaim they

taught truth. It seems it could have been con-

fusing deciding where to place one’s hope.

Proof—what everyone was looking for in

making their own decisions about who to fol-

low, who Jesus was, and what truth looked like.

Darkness in the middle of the day…Jesus’

cries to His Father…the temple curtain torn

in two…the earthquake…the rocks split-

ting…the tombs opened. Not only proof, but

dramatic proof, ‘Truly this was the Son of

God”—the words that flowed from their lips

at such spectacles.

Proclaimed in His death. The death of the

Son of God. Surely the centurion, and those

who were with Him, wondered how such a

great truth could be: death + Son of God. How

can they exist together? I wonder if there

was any hope associated with their procla-

mation or if they perhaps believed instead

that final judgment had indeed fallen upon

the world. I think that’s what I would have

concluded in that moment!

Regardless, their utterance was worship.

Their declaration revealed the utter truth of

the moment, regardless of their understanding

of immediate circumstances. Truly this was

the Son of God. And if that is true, then he is

everything; He is above the natural phenom-

ena of chaos that surrounded his cross; He is

above their emotion and understanding; He is

holy; and he is hope.

That hope was fulfilled in the resurrection.

But as we live often in the days between the

crucifixion and the resurrection—the now and


Lucky and Sonnet Mnisi are South African and serve in Mozambique. Lucky has pastored the Reformed Church in Mucatine and has helped plant other churches in Gaza Province, including Tchake. Pray today for wisdom and God’s guidance as they help serve their church and seek to fulfill God’s purposes for them. Pray for the youth, that they will catch the flame of evangelism and reach out to others with the gospel.

Wycliffe Associates (India, Kenya, Nepal) accelerates Bible translation around the world by empowering national translators and equipping the local church to translate God’s Word into every language. Wycliffe Bible Translators (China) has Bible translators located in China translating the Bible into local dialects. Pray today for several New Testament translations, due soon to be completed and distributed, to be a life-transforming gift this Christmas. Ask God to oversee final checking, printing, and delivery of the NT’s. Pray for translation coordinators, like Todd, to be “invisible” as they travel from team to team.

Lord Jesus, may my imagination be lost in the holiness that ‘truly you are the Son of God’, who walked a dirty earth and felt a painful death, ultimately bringing hope found only in You. Amen.


A N D P S A L M 1 3 3


8

December 8

10 And the angel said

to them, “Fear not, for

behold, I bring you good

news of great joy that

will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born

this day in the city of

David, a Savior, who is

Christ the Lord.”

Jesus as the Savior/Messiah Brings Us Joy

LUKE 2:8-20 WHAT A DIFFERENCE a name makes!

I don’t know about you, but there were times

I wished that I had a different name. I even

got in trouble in Kindergarten for not turning

in work because I put a different name on my

papers. It wasn’t until I understood the heri-

tage of my name (that I was named after my

two grandfathers) that I fully embraced and

appreciated it.

Jesus has many names and titles through-

out Scripture, and each reveal a unique part

of his person and character. They allow us

a fuller picture (although still not complete)

of the one we love and worship. Of all those

names, the one that meant the most to God’s

people during Jesus’ time was the name

Christ. It is almost comical how many Chris-

tians simply assume that Christ was Jesus’

last name rather than grasp its true signifi-

cance. The title Christ was the Greek trans-

lation of the Hebrew word Messiah which

meant chosen one. To fully understand its

importance we must trace it through the

Messiah, thank you that for the joy set before you, you endured the cross scorning its shame for us. You willing came to suffer and die for our sakes so that we can fully grasp the love that God the Father has for us and to give us hope in life eternal with you. We thank you and praise you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Old Testament. The idea of the Chosen One

began in the garden after Adam and Eve

sinned when God promises one who would

crush the head of the Enemy. From there we

see the term used when describing prophets,

priests and kings because they were each

“anointed ones” which reminds us what

Jesus’ roles would be for us in ruling over us

and giving us truth but also being the media-

tor between God and His people. He was the

one who all the people of Israel had longed

for, the Promised One who would defeat

their enemy and bring a lasting peace.

In all of this, the term Messiah was a clear

picture of God’s love. Even despite the con-

tinual sins of the people, God continued to be

at work and continued to show them grace

and mercy until ultimately he sent his own

Son. He sent him as the Messiah, the Sav-

ior, the Chosen One not just to show us the

Father, not just to proclaim truth, not just to do

miracles, not just to show us how to live for



Andy and Bev Warren serve with an MTW team that is involved in HIV/AIDS work and church planting through the Ethiopia Aids Care and Treatment (ACT) Project. The project targets slum communities in Addis Ababa which contain the neediest people in the community - large percentages of women with small children. Pray today for the 299 AIDS affected families and 56 HIV positive children that are currently being served by the project. Pray for the Family Advocates to have wisdom and creativity as they work on the front lines to care for physical needs and make a spiritual impact.

YOKE mentors middle school children by building friendships with Christian adults through clubs, camps, and Kid Time (hanging out with kids in their world). Currently YOKE reaches out to nearly 20,000 students at 26 middle schools located in Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, and Knox counties. Pray today for the Yoke volunteers as they connect with middle schoolers during this holiday season.

A N D P S A L M 1


9

December 9

16 Peter replied,

“You are the Christ,

the Son of the

living God.”


MATTHEW 16:13-20 MY FAVORITE PART of a story is when

it seems like all hope is lost, then suddenly, the

tide turns in favor of the good guys. Think of

Israel’s history leading up to the birth of Jesus.

God had been silent for around 400 years.

Without a word from a prophet, the Romans

had taken over a huge portion of the known

world, and most rebellions at that point had

been squelched. Even Jesus’ disciples seemed

uncertain as to who He truly was, because he

didn’t come in a way they expected.

Christ revealing himself reminds me of one

of my favorite movie scenes of all time, the

battle of Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings. The

handful of heroes trying to protect the king-

dom of Rohan seemed vastly outnumbered by

the worst evil imaginable. Even King Theoden

asks the question: “What can men do against

such reckless hate?” The gates of the kingdom

are almost torn down and the enemy is about

to take over. It seems like all hope is lost. Yet

Aragorn knows that Gandalf had made him

Lord Jesus, thank you that you reveal yourself to us. When we forget who you truly are, remind us. You are the Christ the one who defeated the darkness of sin, sickness, pain, death and evil. Meet us where we are even in the dark places of life. Shine your light on us. Amen.

a promise, “At dawn look to the East.” If I was

Aragorn at this moment, I would have begun

to question that promise.

Then in an amazing way, we see a promise

kept. Light pierces through the darkness of

night. The scene is captured beautifully by a

gleaming Gandalf on his white horse lead-

ing reinforcements charging down the hill

to overtake the enemy. Even though I know

that scene is coming, it always lifts my heart

as if I am in the battle too. To me it’s a visual

reminder that Christ defeated the darkness of

sin, sickness, pain, death and evil.

We see in scripture that Peter makes the

claim that Jesus is the Christ, yet in the darkest

moment Peter denies Jesus. It’s not until the

resurrection that the truth of Jesus finally

sinks in.

It’s easy for us to also forget who Jesus

really is. Sometimes we are in really dark

seasons of life when all is lost. It’s in those

moments that we need a reminder. Yes, Jesus

was a baby born in a manger but he is also

the Christ, the Anointed One, the King of the



Cedar Springs is involved in work with the European Refugee Crisis. Please pray for EuroRelief Volunteers in Camp Moria on the island of Lesvos who are caring for the flood of new refugees coming into Greece currently. Pray for our ministry partners in Athens, Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Gouda, and Helsinki who are all caring for refugees and introducing them to Christ through loving relationship. Give thanks for the many new believers in Christ in Europe! Ask God to heal their suffering.

Young Life Europe is an organization that pursues and befriends teenagers to introduce them to Jesus. Pray for Nekane Larreategui as she works in a resistant area-the Basque Country of Spain. Pray for David Beltran as he leads YL in southern Spain. Pray for an initiative to introduce a service-oriented YL club into German schools. Pray for the 44 girls that recently attended the first meeting of a new YL Impact Club at Santa Teresa High School in Donastia.

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December 10

31 God exalted him at his

right hand as Leader

and Savior, to give

repentance to Israel and

forgiveness of sins.


ACTS 5:27-32 DURING THIS TIME of year, marked

by longer dark skies and colder air, it is both

fitting and strange that we walk quietly through

the Advent season towards Christmas. The

possibility of joy being awakened again in us

as we move toward celebrating the birth of

Jesus reflects the surprise of full-life found in

the cold, the dark, the confounding, and the

empty; thoughts and feelings we may even be

experiencing today. Amidst that, the promise

and improbable hope of Christ’s birth, as we

intentionally begin to imagine and receive the

truth of it once again, invites us toward an inex-

plicable joy. In. This. Moment.

Acts 5 reflects much of the deep mystery of

“found-joy” encircled by ambiguities, darkness,

lament, and bleary-eyed “What next?” Much

of it is a narrative rife with turmoil, discom-

fort, anger, and fear. Yet right in the midst of

that, also shared, are moments of miraculous

healing, overwhelming hope, and words of light

and life. Here we see the zenith of the hope,

inviting us to a joy unbounded: Jesus —the one

Behold the one beholding

you, and smiling.”

-Fr. Anthony DeMello

“

Father, shine your light through the darkness of this season so that we may live in the joy that comes from the hope that only comes from Jesus as our Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

raised and exalted, the giver of repentance to

those earnestly wrestling with him, and the

forgiver of sins. This is no small declaration

Peter has made, and he makes it having been

explicitly told not to! But to not say it is to not

live it according to Peter and all those follow-

ing Jesus in the narrative of Acts. Proclaiming

is living and living is proclaiming. Explosive

joy exhibited in words spoken and lives lived

with—by individuals, by the community of

believers as a whole. Christ Jesus, resurrected,

is revealed to be individually and corporately

transforming. This bears verbal and tactile

witness to the hungry, hurting, watching, and

waiting ones: world, city, neighborhood, neigh-

bor...self. Regardless of status, or even other’s

receptivity, the gift of life offered by Christ is

now reflected by those who do not merely

speak of it but incarnate it. It could only be a joy

rooted in the depths of one’s being that moti-

vates this. Even surrounded by the fears and

resistance of the proud, the privileged, and the

powerful, shouts of joy unspeakable begin to

reverberate, resonate and be realized. May it be

with us today as well, that the life, hope, grace,

and smile of this Jesus, whisper-shout joy into

and out of the deepest places of our being.



Paul and Karan Davis have been working with TEAM in France since 1978 in church-planting ministries. Pray for three couples who recently heard Paul speak and caught the vision to plant a church in their own city of Montmelian. They will need faith, wisdom, and perseverance! Pray for all of the Evangelical churches in France, especially Pontcharra, as they plan outreaches during the Christmas season. Ask God to draw many to attend, and for the programs to touch the lives of those who come.

Beatriz and Gustavo Fuentes lead the work of Young Life in Mozambique. Beatriz first encountered Young Life in Brazil and became a Christian through that encounter. The Fuentes moved to Beira, Mozambique in 2010 and began building relationships with teenagers there to introduce them to Jesus. Pray today for the Fuentes and the students they are reaching through Young Life.

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December 11

25 The woman said

to him, I know

that the Messiah

is coming (he who

is called Christ).

When he comes,

he will tell us all

things. 26 Jesus said

to her, “I who speak

to you am he.”


JOHN 4:25-42 THE PROBLEM WITH the Jews who

rejected Jesus was not that they weren’t look-

ing for a Messiah. They were. The problem

was that they weren’t looking for the Messiah.

Their visions for the One to come were much

different than the One that would come. They

were looking for a political deliverer. Instead,

Christ came to deliver from a much greater

need, indeed, the greatest need. He would

deliver his people from their sins (John 1:29).

This is displayed on a grand scale in this

narrative from John’s gospel. Jesus and his

disciples were coming up from Jerusalem

toward Galilee to the north. John 4:4 tells us

that he had to pass through Samaria on his

way. This is understandable since Samaria

was in between Jerusalem and Galilee making

it the fastest route, but more is happening

here. God is revealing his heart. Strict Jews

bypassed the direct route through Samaria

in favor of a longer way around to avoid any

association with the unclean Samaritans. That

Jesus stepped foot in Samaria at all and spoke

God, we thank you for your grace and goodness toward us. We thank you that when the fullness of time had come, you sent Christ into the world to be made sin for us that we would become his righteousness! We thank you for that great exchange. Now, empower us to boldly share this good news with the nations. Cause our hearts for them to be more like yours. Seek and save the lost according to your great love and glory. And help us to live our lives in the fullness of joy that comes from knowing our Savior and Lord. For it is in his name and for his sake that we pray —Amen.

alone with a woman was doubly scandalous.

This Jesus was certainly not the type of Mes-

siah that the Pharisees were looking for.

Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah

to the Samaritan woman (v. 26). She made

it plain that even the Samaritans were

aware of his coming (v. 25). And it was the

Samaritans, those who were considered not

worthy to even associate with the Jews, that

joyously accepted His Messianic claims (v.

39). We see on full display God’s heart, not

only for the Jews, but for the nations. The

Messiah to come wouldn’t save from polit-

ical, earthly perspectives, but would save—

without distinction—a people for himself.

This should bring us great joy! God has

revealed himself to us through his Son and

He has done so intentionally. But not only

has he revealed himself to us, he has taken

upon himself the divine initiative to save

us. He is the revealed Messiah who was

prophesied to come, and he is our Savior to

the uttermost! It is because of his coming to

seek and save, to reconcile us to God, that

we now live with great joy.



Pastor of the First Greek Evangelical Church, a historic Presbyterian church in the center of Athens, Giotis Kantartzis leads a church planting movement called “Polis” (or, “city” in Ancient Greek). Giotis’ church is largely responsible for a significant amount of outreach to the thousands of refugees who have landed in Greece. He spearheaded the Houses of Hope project in which several apartments were purchased and converted into refugee housing (with up to two families per apartment). Pray today for new church planting initiatives in an area of Athens called “Neos Kosmos.”

Young Life Tennessee seeks to pursue and befriend lost or disinterested teenagers to introduce them to Jesus, share the gospel, and help them grow in their faith. Pray today for the staff and volunteers with Young Life Knoxville as they connect with students at schools as the fall semester winds down.

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December 12

64 Jesus said to him, “You

have said so. But I tell

you, from now on you

will see the Son of Man

seated at the right hand

of Power and coming on

the clouds of heaven.”


MATTHEW 26:57-68 READING ABOUT THE TRIAL of

Jesus does not initially bring about feelings of

joy. That is not the first emotion I feel. Often

it’s more likely anger, sadness, feelings of

injustice and wondering how the sinless son

of God has been found guilty. The question of,

what is God up to, often comes to mind. But

I am so thankful there is more to the story.

This sentence by Caiaphas is not the end—

and that begins to bring in the joy.

When I read this passage a second or

third time and slow down in my reading, I

actually hear the words of Jesus. And the joy

begins to bubble up. I almost want to giggle

or smile behind my hand at Caiaphas and

the gathered Sanhedrin—they think they

are killing Jesus and doing away with him.

But just wait. Something big and bold and

beautiful is coming! If I were as bold as Peter

in Acts, speaking to the Sanhedrin during his

arrests, I would say to the ruling leaders that

they are not the ones that Daniel 7:13-14 was

written about—it was Jesus. And Jesus tells

Father, thank you that even when it seemed all hope was lost that you prevailed. You sent Jesus to conquer sin and death, once and for all, for us. Let us live in the joy of that truth today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

them right after confessing/agreeing with

Caiaphas’ statement that he is “the Christ, the

son of God” (v.63).

Reading the passage in Daniel, it is

understandable (somewhat) why Caiaphas

becomes angry and hands Jesus over to

death. Jesus has not only said that he is

the Christ/Messiah but then gives further

evidence to the court. He, in a few words,

brings the listener back to Daniel’s vision

and says to the whole court “I Am He”. “I Am

the One in the form like a man, who rides on

the clouds. I Am the One who approaches

the Heavenly throne, is ushered into God the

Father’s presence and brought to His side.

I Am He who is given authority, glory, and

sovereign power. All nations and languages

worship Me. My kingdom and dominion is

everlasting. I Am the One you all have been

waiting for. I Am”.

If I had been Caiaphas and heard all this in

Jesus’ confession, I would have been terrified!

I would have wanted to either fall down in

worship (because I believed and understood)

or have Jesus killed. Either Jesus is speak-



Bobby and Teresa LaDage are working with Redeemer City to City (the church planting arm of Redeemer Church in NYC) envisioning, equipping, and mentoring church planters and their wives in order to have gospel-centered churches that reach the major cities of Eastern and Central Europe. Pray for renewed vision and joy after a time of frustration and disappointment. Also pray they have wisdom, strength, and courage to follow God’s plan for their future.

Collegiate Abbey works to strategically meet the needs of the collegiate faculty and staff by shepherding with the heart of Jesus Christ. Pray that God would grant wisdom, insight and direction in how to serve as they seek to encourage and come alongside those who God has put in leadership positions at the University of Tennessee.

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13

December 13

20 But our citizenship

is in heaven. And we

eagerly await a Savior

from there, the Lord

Jesus Christ.


PHIL. 3:12-20 AS EACH CALENDAR YEAR closes

and a new year begins, we typically begin to

take stock of our past year and make future

goals for the year to come. December is a time

of reflection and looking back and January is a

time of new beginnings and resolutions.

As we take stock of this last year and

look to the next, surely we recognize, like

Paul, that we are still works in progress.

God has a lot of work to do to perfect,

prune, and shape us into the likeness of

Christ. As we consider our goals for next

year, Paul encourages us to “forget what is

behind and strain toward what is ahead”

(v.13). Like runners in a race, we will fall

and stumble if we keep looking behind us.

We must instead “press on toward the goal

Father, thank you that you are continually working on us and perfecting us. Help us to see, like the old Gospel song reminds us, “this world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through.” Give us eyes focused on our one true goal, the joy of eternal communion with you. Amen

to win the prize for which God has called

[us] heavenward in Jesus Christ” (v.14). We

are called to set our eyes on the finish line,

to press on, to keep going, to strain ahead

toward Christ. Do our new year resolutions

reflect this as our primary goal? If not,

we might need to work on changing our

perspective on our true “home.” Sure, these

earthly bodies of ours might need some

TLC and attention. But we are to remember

that “our citizenship is in heaven and we

eagerly await a Savior from there” (v.20).

This transitory world in which we live is

not our true home. Let’s set our eyes this

Christmas season on the joy of heaven, our

goal and finish line, where God promises

He will redeem all things.



Al Massira, “The Journey,” is a series of DVDs for groups to use that presents the Christian faith through a chronological overview of the Bible. It centers the Christian faith in its original Middle Eastern context. Pray for those who have been trained as group leaders to use the Christmas season to invite others to take this “journey.” Pray today for those just starting the course, that they will find Jesus through it and begin a new life with him.

Pray today for Satellite broadcast ministries like Isik Abla and Al Hayat that reach into the living rooms of closed countries in the Muslim world. Pray also for internet outreaches like Maarifa and for radio programs around the world during this Christmas season. Pray that many would stumble across these sites/channels. Pray for the team members who respond to their questions. Pray that, as the thousands who download bibles read it, they will know they have found the One and Only true Word of God.

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December 14

4 But when the goodness

and loving kindness of

God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because

of works done by us

in righteousness, but

according to his own

mercy, by the washing of

regeneration and renewal

of the Holy Spirit.


TITUS 3:3-8 LIVE DIFFERENTLY. That is what

Paul’s message to Titus was as he led the

followers of Jesus on the island of Crete

about 64 A.D., which was known for false

teaching, laziness, gluttony, lying, and evil.

The letter to Titus is filled with remind-

ers on how to not only live differently, but

be different. In the later verses starting

with verse 4, we are reminded why…

Because “when the goodness and loving

kindness of God our Savior appeared, he

saved us.”

Salvation is God’s gift to us, not by any-

thing we did, but according to His mercy.

Father God, thank you for loving us when our hearts were selfish and we would choose our own way. Your kindness and mercy makes it possible for us to enter into your presence through your son, Jesus who is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow. Help us to remember that truth as we seek to be your followers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

He renews our life when we come to faith

in Christ through a washing and renewal

by the Holy Spirit.

Just like in Titus’ time, filled with evil in

all its various forms, we live in a corrupt

world that has not changed, but he has

changed us. For me, where there was

aggravation and tension, there is now

patience. Where there used to be anxiety

and worry, now peace is growing. What is

he renewing in you?

What joy it is to know that Christ is with

us and we will be with him forever...living

differently forever.



Neil and Louise MacMillan have planted three churches in Scotland, the latest of which is Cornerstone, Edinburgh. Neil is also Director of Church Planting for the Free Church of Scotland which is an evangelical Presbyterian denomination. Pray today for the Latin American immigrants who are part of Cornerstone that the church will provide them with a true sense of being home.

Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, in Beirut, Lebanon, has the vision of seeing God glorified, people reconciled, and communities restored through the church in the Arab world. Pray for the school as it works to equip faithful men and women for effective service. Pray today for students to cast off areas of brokenness, gain wisdom in church leadership, and become agents of peace-building in their countries.

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December 15

2 Looking to Jesus the

author and perfecter of

our faith…

Jesus as the Alpha and Omega Shows Us Love

HEBREWS 12:1-2 HAVE YOU EVER written a book or

story? I have never fashioned myself as

an author, but at different times of my life I

have attempted to tap into my creative side

and put pen to page (or fingers to keyboard)

as an outlet to my imagination.

The two main impediments that hindered

my Pulitzer prize were mistakes and

finishing. As a person with often questionable

penmanship who is also a two-finger typer,

I found myself often with a long litany of

unreadable words or scores of extra letters

strewn in. The thought of going back to

correct them all just seemed overwhelming—

which contributed to my second problem.

I had no problems starting with great

enthusiasm —and enjoyed creating characters

and the situations for them to face, but

eventually I would get bored with them or

find myself unsure on how best to resolve

the problems which I had created, which

inevitably led to an unfinished story.

Lord Jesus, thank you are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the Author and the Perfecter. Allow us to fully see the full extent of your love in your leaving heaven to come and die for us and that you endured that all with great joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Aren’t we glad that as God writes our

stories that he isn’t like me! Hebrews

reminds us that Jesus is the author and

perfecter of our faith. He is the one who

began it and he is also the one who will

take it all the way to completion. He never

makes mistakes so we can trust him as

we experience the story of our lives being

played out and he never gets bored of us

as his creations and his people. We are

promised that “He who began a good work

in you will carry it on to completion until

the Day of Christ Jesus.” Even now, Jesus

is revealing how our story fits into his

grand story of redemption and he does this

because of his great love for us. A love that

allowed him to see even the cross and its

pain as joy because it redeemed us. Open

our eyes Lord to see your Love and your

story during this season!



After years of leading Young Life Spain and Young Life Western Europe, Jim and Barbara McNamee are retiring to Nashville, TN. Pray for their transition as Barbara volunteers as a CASA Court Advocate, and Jim will be a Young Life volunteer leader at Glendiff High School (52% Hispanic). Praise God that the ministry of YL in Spain grew from the two of them, to now having 9 national leaders!

Located in South Knoxville and led by Milad and Theresa Guirguis, immigrants from Egypt, the Arabic Church is spreading the word of God, and hope, by embracing Christian and Muslim background people from all Arabic countries. Most of the members of the congregation are from Iraq, Egypt, and Syria; many are refugees. Pray today for church members to be unified across cultural barriers, to have a heart for outreach to other Arabs around them, and for seekers to understand and respond to the gospel.

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December 16

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our

likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and

over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on

the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image

of God he created him; male and female he created them.


GENESIS 1:1 & 26-27

Gracious Heavenly Father—Thank you for the way you have blessed us with this amazing world in which we get to live. Thank you for creating us in your very image. We pray we would never take these facts for granted and that we would be careful to never make fun of or look down on others who are also your image bearers. May we each have hearts that are continually thankful for all you have done in creation and in providing your only son, Jesus Christ. Amen.


AT CHRISTMAS TIME we remem-

ber with amazement and wonder that God

came near to us as a baby! Yes, for the

purpose of saving his people, for showing

us how to live and to restore all that he had

created. God is the author of all life, includ-

ing all of us who are created in his image. All

things begin with God, the Holy Spirit and

Jesus and there is no end. He has created

us “in his image” with souls that will last

forever. The fact that he made us in his very

likeness and gave us his only Son should

cause us to walk this life in a manner that

gives him praise and glory! Our life is to be

lived in service to him and to his kingdom

work. He also calls us to be good stewards

of the world he has created and to be good

stewards of our bodies, hearts and minds.

We can have peace with God knowing he is

the keeper of our souls and has secured for

us an eternal home in heaven.


Pete and Ruth Mitchell are church planters in France with Mission to the World (MTW), where he is the team leader. The Mitchells are living in Toulouse planting a new church in Tournefeuille. Pray that their sanctuary renovations will be ready in time to use for the Christmas program. Pray their church will be known for its love, and that all who come will be drawn to the Lord.

Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Cru, is ministering to college athletes at the University of Tennessee. Rachel and Jason Stankus and Teg and Mikkel Tegelaar minister to and through the athletic department and are trusting God to build a spiritual movement that impacts the campus, community and world for Christ. Pray today for the Stankus and Tegelaar families and the student athletes they are serving.

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December 17

6 “Thus says the Lord,

the King of Israel and

his Redeemer, the

Lord of hosts: ‘I am

the first and I am the

last; besides me there

is no god.’”


ISAIAH 44:1-8 WHAT IS LOVE? Love songs have

been sung slowly and swiftly, sounded

sweet sirens, sonnets and soliloquies but

have only expressed feelings, not answers

to the question “What is love?”. Poems have

been penned and poems have pricked our

emotions but poems have not defined love.

Sometimes beautiful art has articulated

what the heart cannot express but those are

rare pieces and are open to interpretation by

the artist and the eye of the beholder. Love

has been said to be a verb and is only love

when actively expressed. We all fail at that.

Probably more times than not. So, what is

love? Love is given. Love is approachable.

Love is inviting. Love is expressed. Love is

sacrificial. Love is steadfast. Love is pow-

erful. Love is peaceful. Love is turbulent.

Love takes away fear. Love gives life. Love

redeems. Love is everlasting. Love is the

invisible made visible. Love is God made

flesh who lived among us. Love is first. Love

is last. Love is God. God is love. And besides

Father, thank you that Jesus is the First and the Last. What he began, he will complete which shows us his great love for us. Help us to see and experience his love today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God there is no god, no Rock, no Redeemer

and no love.

Through love we have hope. Through love

we have security, strength and steadfastness.

As we move through this Advent season we

are reminded of Love—the love of the Father,

the love of the Son and the love of the Holy

Spirit. This passage opens our eyes to some

of the beauty of love. Love gives and in this

passage the Lord gives, he speaks and we are

invited to listen. That is grace. God gives of

himself and needs not. He speaks and con-

siders us as an invited audience. He needs no

thing from us and yet he chooses us, invites

us and he blesses us. Through him we are fed

like trees next to flowing streams and when

we are thirsty and dry of emotion or faith or

feeling he gives us living water. That is love.

“Thus says the Lord…I am…” (Is. 44:6)

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”…”

(Exodus 3:14). The name that God gives

himself is “I AM” and the great I AM said



Joe and Cindy Platillero proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training to all who come through their doors. Their main ministry is through the Torchbearer Center where they have camps, conferences, and a small Bible School during the winter. Pray today for the Platilleros as they seek to guide Spanish youth to truly seek Christ with their lives which feels impossible in this aggressively secular society.

Becoming Like Christ (BLC) for women, and Christian Leadership Concepts (CLC) for men, seek to find, strengthen, and deploy disciple-makers in our city. This challenging program provides a discipleship experience that encourages going deeper in relationship with God and each other, in a small group of 10-12 followers of Jesus. Pray today for Kristin Cazana and David Bianconi as they lead these ministries. Pray for the men and women currently involved in BLC and CLC.

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18

December 18

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and

peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and

from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from

Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead,

and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has

freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us a kingdom,

priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion

forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds,

and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and

all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so.

Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,

“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”


REVELATION 1:4-8

God, may we see you in what has been, what is, and what is to come. May we glorify you even when we do not understand your purposes for us. Place our trust and hope in your son Christ Jesus, who has redeemed us through his blood and offers us the promise of everlasting life in glory with you forever. Amen.

IN THIS ADDRESS to the “seven

churches” (possibly the full and complete

bride of Christ made up of every tribe and

tongue and nation) the writer John can’t

get past the first sentence without spilling

into praise for God: Father, Spirit, Son! He

reminds us that this God whom we praise

existed before the foundation of the heav-

ens, is present and active today, and has

ordained a future glory for his restored cre-

ation. We are not clutching onto a promise

that one day things might get better if God

ordains it —we rejoice in the fact that even

as we are waiting, Christ Jesus reigns now

and forever at the right hand of God the

Father and the Holy Spirit! In our Advent

waiting, we celebrate and remember the

birth of Jesus as a foretaste of the unimag-

inable glory to come when he returns

again. As one of our popular worship songs

reminds us, “with all creation I sing praise

to the King of kings; You are my everything,

and I will adore you.”



Chris and Donna Roberts were living in Müllheim, Germany working with Young Life’s German-speaking ministries. They moved back to the US permanently in June 2019, as Donna is having health problems that need to be addressed here. Pray for resolution there, and for their children-Mac at Furman University, and Madelena, a junior in high school.

Bethany Christian Services is a global organization caring for orphans and vulnerable children on five continents. They manifest the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting and enhancing the lives of children and families through quality social services such as adoption, family support, foster care, pregnancy counseling, refuge services and infertility. Pray today for the staff as they work with families to facilitate adoptions.

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December 19

12 “Listen to me, O Jacob,

and Israel, whom I

called! I am he; I am

the first, and I am the

last. 13 My hand laid the

foundation of the earth,

and my right hand

spread out the heavens;

when I call to them, they

stand forth together.”


ISAIAH 48:12-17

FROM THE BEGINNING, humans

have had a problem with forgetfulness.

Throughout the book of Isaiah, God through

the prophet Isaiah, reminds us of many

important things. In this passage, two stand

out. As verse 12 starts I can picture the Lord

kindly grabbing us by the shoulders and say-

ing, “This is important, pay attention!”.

First, we are reminded of who we are.

We are God’s people, the ones he has

called, protected, led out of slavery, and

through the wilderness. Second, we are

reminded of a piece of the character of

the God that has called us his people. He

is the first and last, the God who created

every part of creation. Nothing within

creation can stand against him. The Lord

Lord, thank you that you alone are the Alpha and Omega. Thank you for the reminder that you are in control of all of creation, and nothing within creation can stand against you. Teach me to see your goodness and your might more clearly each day. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

is all powerful, and he is most powerful.

If we served a god who was unjust or

changing, the thought of this would bring

us great distress and hopelessness. But,

our God, the one true God, is abounding in

steadfast love (Lam. 3:22-23), He is a God

of great mercy (Ps. 51:1) and compassion

(Lk. 19:41-44). The God who is in control of

all of creation, is the same God who is our

Redeemer (Lk. 4:16-21). He is the one who

calls us by name (Is. 43:1).

As we are reminded of this, it causes us

to worship and praise God, who is before

all things, and lasts beyond all things. And

as we remember who God is, we start to

long to be the people the Lord has called

us to be.



Mostafa and Mona Sharkawy serve among Arab Muslims in the U.K. Their goals are to see Arabic churches arise from Muslim background believers, to see new generations of leaders from Muslim believers. Pray today for the continuing ministry inside the Immigration Removal Centre for refugees who have arrived in the United Kingdom. Pray for open and soft hearts for the detainees as they hear the gospel this Christmas season. Pray for Mona as she works with Arab women in trauma healing, and as she teaches in a school for Arab diplomats and leaders.

The Bible Society of Egypt is the largest Arabic Bible publishing operation in the world. Pray they would be able to continue to provide the Scriptures at a reduced rate, in view of the economic downturn of the Egyptian dollar. Pray they will lead the families of the Christian churches in Egypt to grow in maturity, to reach out in love to their Muslim neighbors, and to respond to persecution with grace. Pray for those of the Christian faith to stand strong in proclaiming and living the love of Christ.

A N D P S A L M 1 3 0

20

December 20

We look at this Son and

see the God who cannot

be seen. We look at this

Son and see God’s original

purpose in everything

created. For everything,

absolutely everything,

above and below, visible

and invisible, rank after

rank after rank of angels—

everything got started in

him and finds its purpose

in him. —The Message


COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 IT’S DECEMBER 20—we’ve spent a

good part of the past few weeks celebrating

and decorating—so many traditions that point

us to the arrival of Jesus. In many ways this

passage from Colossians and the lives we

are living are in conflict with each other….the

hustle that we’re caught up in and the stress

that our culture seems to dictate and yet, this

is our hope. The season with all intended

purposes points to December 25, the day we

light the Christ candle, change our para-

ments from purple to white, and we expe-

rience, as fully as we can now, the words of

O Holy Night. While all the celebrations and

traditions of this season give us glimpses

and reminders that something amazing

has happened in time and space, they are

merely shadows that tell us of the hope we

have —that he is before all things, creator of all

things and in all things.

The last two lines of the passage offer

such important emphases, pointing to

Father, in the busyness of this season help us to not miss the most important parts. Still our hearts so that we may see your glory, hear your voice and obey your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

the transcendence of Jesus as well as his

imminence. The wholly other and the inti-

mately incarnational nature, not separate,

but one. Not at all at odds but in constant

complement. And the most striking fea-

ture of his glorious nature is found in His

active, caring, empathetic work of binding

together all the broken elements of the

universe—“people and things, animals and

atoms.” Why? Because he loves all of it and

refuses to give up on it/us or toss us aside.

He is bound up in and with his creation…

on purpose! What he creates, he remains

with, in order to love and redeem. Of

course he does. No head ever desires sep-

aration from its body. The head only wants

what’s best for the body; that it might

experience the spaciousness of the Holy

Intimate. So we join in celebration that “on

a particular night, in a particular place, so

many years ago, was born to us, an infant

king, our Prince of Peace.”



Vitaly and Oksana Voinov live in Moscow, Russia. Vitaly is working with the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) in Russia/CIS as IBT’s director. IBT has been serving the non-Slavic peoples of the former Soviet Union for four decades by translating the Holy Scriptures. Pray today for the Voinov famil,y and their eldest son Nathan as he begins college. Pray for the Nenets people to become interested in the Scriptures that the translation team has been working on for many years to produce.

Bridges International serves the needs of international students adjusting to living and studying at the University of Tennessee. Pray today for the international students on campus, that they may understand their need of Jesus and have the courage to accept all that God offers in relationship. Pray many Knoxville families will open their homes to international students this holiday season.

A N D P S A L M 1 3 1

21

December 21

6And he said to me, “It

is done! I am the Alpha

and the Omega, the

beginning and the end.

To the thirsty I will

give from the spring

of the water of life

without payment.”


REVELATION 21:6 THESE ARE THE BEAUTIFUL words

of our Savior to the Apostle John on the

island of Patmos over 2000 years ago. John

is at the end of his life and the last Apostle

alive. This conversation between Jesus and

the disciple whom he loved was special

because Jesus shows John some additional

things for his and our understanding of the

past, present and future. John got to see

what was like an amazing movie that Jesus

was showing him with the Mediterranean

Sea in the background. We can only imagine

how eager John would have been to see and

Gracious Heavenly Father—Thank you for sending your one and only Son, Jesus Christ. In him we both hear and see the truth of your living and powerful Word lived out among us. Thank you that he is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End and that you have secured in Christ our eternal home forever. Amen

hear from his resurrected Savior, Lord and

friend! Every Christmas we tend to think

and focus on the birth of Christ; which is

right and good. But it is also important to

remember that in Christ all the fullness of

God’s deity dwells and he has for all times

sealed, accomplished and applied salvation

and faith for his people now and for-

ever and ever. In Christ it truly is a world

without end for those who place their faith

and trust in him alone for salvation. How

thankful we should be!



Eric and Beth Yodis are facilitating church planting in eastern Ukraine. Eric and Beth returned to the Ukraine last year to help with church planting in Kiev. Pray today for a revival throughout Lugansk and the entirety of the war zone and for Eric and Beth to continue to enjoy good health and strength as they serve this country. Pray for their Fall travels as they visit students, pastors, churches, and others throughout Ukraine.

Bridge Refugee Services facilitates the resettlement of refugees in East Tennessee. Bridge empowers refugees to become self-sufficient, and works closely with many volunteers, employers, and churches that sponsor refugee families. Pray today for all the refugee families that have settled in Knoxville to have a ready mind to learn the English language, for jobs that provide for their families, and for Knoxville families to have hearts ready to offer Refugees their help and friendship.

A N D P S A L M 1 3 3

22

December 22

35Jesus said to them,

“I am the bread of life;

whoever comes to me

shall not hunger and

whoever believes in

me shall never thirst.”

Jesus as the Bread of Life Brings Us Peace

JOHN 6:22-40 THINK ABOUT THE best meal you

have ever eaten. If you can, picture the

food, smells and tastes and remember

how you felt during and afterwards. I have

been blessed to eat more good meals than I

deserve, but I can easily pinpoint the best. I

was on a missions trip to Spain and on the

last day we bought some fresh bread and

rotisserie chicken and as a team we sat out-

side on a bridge many hundreds of years old

and ate. I am sure that the atmosphere and

people contributed to the overall experience,

but I can still remember how good that food

was. I remember feeling full and satisfied in

a way that no other meal has been able to

do. But you know what...before long, I was

hungry again. No matter how satisfied I was

for that moment, my body needed more —so I

ate dinner that night —and breakfast the next

morning—and I remember neither of those

meals. No matter how perfect and satisfying

that meal was, it would never be enough.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the Bread of Life. Thank you that you offer yourself to us that we may find our ultimate satisfaction in you. Give us the strength to believe you and allow you to affect our whole lives and say like the disciples, “where would we go, you alone have the words of eternal life.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

As Jesus often did, he gave the people a

picture they could easily understand what

He is like to his people—like bread for the

hungry. Jesus connects this teaching to the

feeding of the 5,000 by speaking to the same

crowd who had experienced that miracle.

They had waited on Jesus because they were

hungry again and wanted more bread—at

least that’s what they thought they wanted.

Indeed, they had a hunger, but it wasn’t com-

ing from their stomachs. It was from their

souls. Jesus then identifies himself to them,

“I am the Bread… of Life.” I am what you are

actually hungering for and unlike the bread of

this world, I can actually satisfy your deep-

est need—your need to be made whole. I am

the one who made you and knows you—and

more than that, I am the one who can pro-

vide rest for your souls. I alone can bring you

back to the Father and give you peace—the

enduring peace that all of our hearts search

and long for.



Paul and Dori Pittman, currently living in Lake City, Florida, serve as area directors for United World Mission’s Latin America region. Paul is also project coordinator of UWM’s Cuba Partnership Project. Pray for missionaries in Honduras, Cuba, and throughout Central America serving in difficult areas and under adverse circumstances. Pray for teams/individuals willing to serve short term in Cuba.

In partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Knoxville, Evangelical churches can “adopt” a local elementary school and begin an After-School Good News Club. Currently there are Clubs in 7 of the 137 elementary schools in the Knoxville area. Ask God to provide the Church partners, volunteers, and open doors (awareness of the 2001 Supreme Court ruling that entitles equal access) to begin 20 additional clubs.


A N D P S A L M 1

23

December 23

47Very truly I tell you, the

one who believes has

eternal life. Your ances-

tors ate the manna in the

wilderness, yet they died.

But here is the bread that

comes down from heav-

en, which anyone may eat

and not die. I am the living

bread that came down

from heaven. Whoever eats

this bread will live forever.”


JOHN 6:41-51 HOW DO YOU NOURISH your body?

Through food. The process is physical; you

can tell from your body’s cues when you are

hungry, thirsty, faint, or full. God provided

manna for the Israelites as they trained and

traveled through the wilderness, giving them

enough for each day’s needs. They learned

dependence and trust as they enjoyed their

morning manna for almost forty years’ time.

God’s provision for them never failed.

So how do you nourish your soul and

spirit? You can’t see them; what are the cues

that your soul and spirit are starving for the

bread of eternal life, not mere physical bread?

Jesus, the master of illustration, took the

physical reality of manna and personalized it.

He asked people to draw a parallel between

God’s provision of physical, bread-like manna

for their temporal survival and God’s provi-

sion of Jesus, the Bread of life, for their eternal

survival. Both manna and Jesus came down

from heaven; both nourished people well.

Manna, constructive for today’s needs; Jesus,

Father, thank you for sending Jesus as our Living Manna. Lord Jesus, may we feast on you and live in your peace. Spirit, please nourish us through the body of Jesus, this day through eternity. Amen.

crucial for eternal needs.

Just as we eat bread and our body is nour-

ished, we ingest Jesus (through prayer, Scrip-

ture, and delight) and our spirit is nourished.

Without Jesus, we are spiritually scrawny and

spare, destined for death by spiritual star-

vation. But because of Jesus’ birth, we have

in Hhm all we need for our spiritual life and

godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

How do you feel physically when you are

satisfied after a meal? Peaceful, contented,

restful. This is possible spiritually, as well. As

we become more and more filled with Jesus,

His peace, contentment, and internal rest sate

our spirit-appetite. Jesus takes away our hun-

ger for affection with his own love, which he

gives fully and freely. He realigns our appetites

by giving us a new heart and his own mind.

He feeds the gaunt loss and boney harm

within us with the fat and lean of truth. He

confronts our ravenous greed and voracious

gluttony through satisfaction with his Spirit.

He fills our emptiness with love, joy, peace,



Carlos and Sandy Rios are planting Rivers of Grace Bible Church in the San Andres area of Guadalajara, Mexico. Pray for God’s guidance as they seek to partner with Pastor Rafa Oropeza and take steps for both churches to come together as one group. Pray for their church’s 3 students in Bible School-for growth in Christ. Pray new believers stand strong in their faith as they have spiritual conversations with family and friends who are not believers, over this Christmas season.

Choices Resource Center is a Christian, life-affirming pregnancy resource center offering services to help people facing decisions regarding pregnancy, parenting, purity, and post abortion healing. Pray today for each young woman who will visit this center this week.

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, and self-control, so rather than

living in famine, we are full to overflowing

with life. God’s provision for you in Christ

will never fail.

A N D P S A L M 2 3

24

December 24

24 and when he had given

thanks, he broke it, and

said, ‘This is my body

which is for you. Do this

in remembrance of me.


1 COR. 11:23-26 FOR THE BENEFIT OF… As the dawn

grows brighter toward that great day of

celebration of the birth of the baby King we

are drawn into these words of Jesus that Paul

gives us from 1 Corinthians 11, “This is my

body which is for you.” Jesus, on the night he

was betrayed…as the dawn of that great day

was about to break... broke bread and gave it

to his disciples. “for the benefit of…”

He gave bread to them with words that

they haven’t heard before. “What did he

mean?” they must have thought as he uttered

those words. He broke the bread then said,

“This is my body.” The bread wasn’t his

body! Their minds may have stopped listen-

ing with that first phrase if it had not been

Jesus talking. He went on and said “which

is for you (or literally for your benefit).” That

is a pure picture of God’s grace. The bread

was part of the Passover dinner; that which

would give them strength for the next day

and replenish their weary and emotionally

drained bodies from the previous days of

Father, Thank you that you sent Jesus for our benefit. Help us to receive him as we remember all he has done for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

new teaching from their Lord; teachings of

end times and persecution! At least, that is

what they thought before Jesus spoke.

That evening was the start of an eight-day

celebration of Passover which, for well over

1200 years, the Hebrew people had cele-

brated. From infancy they had been told of

God’s provision for them by bringing them out

of bondage in Egypt into the land of promise.

The whole story of God’s redeeming love was

fleshed out in the celebration of the day of

Unleavened Bread which the Passover lamb

was to be sacrificed and was a time, they

might have thought, for them to kick back and

relax from all the people and questions and

teachings of Jesus. What could Jesus mean,

“this is my body”? Bread was their sustenance.

Little did they know that this was a time when

the True Passover Lamb would be sacrificed

once for all. Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Paul was just repeating what he had received

from the risen Christ. And through Paul we

now receive the same instruction. “Do this…”



Manuel and Annabella Valverde are involved in church planting and leadership training in Guatemala. Manuel founded and continues to teach at the Francisco Lacueva Theological Seminary in San Marcos. Pray for the students to be fully equipped as mature pastors. Pray for open doors to continue training pastors in Venezuela and Cuba. Pray for those who come to Guatemala from PassionLife and the group who comes to install wood burning stoves in San Marcos, a remote area of Guatemala.

Global Cities, Church Planting in Cities of Influence: Pray for God to grow these churches in membership and maturity, especially with those new to church. Pray these churches would impact the community around them, especially reaching new folks with outreach efforts during this Christmas season.


A N D P S A L M 4 6

On this Christmas Eve day we, too, look

forward to a great day of celebration in

the life of the church. But in this passage

25

December 25

22 All this took place to

fulfill what the Lord

had spoken by the

prophet:23 “Behold, the

virgin shall conceive

and bear a son, and

they shall call his

name Immanuel” (which

means, God with us).

Jesus is Immanuel

MATTHEW 1:18-25 IT’S FINALLY HERE! After weeks

of waiting on the Coming of the Promised

Messiah, he has come. He has not come as

many expected however. He has not come

as a powerful King to come and overthrow

Roman rule and thus freeing God’s peo-

ple from their political enemy. He has not

come as the perfecting Priest to bring the

people close to God by offering acceptable

sacrifices on their behalf. He has not come

as the proclaiming Prophet with signs and

miracles signifying God’s presence as well

as the words of warning and hope. In fact,

the first sounds of his coming to Earth were

the cries of a helpless baby. Indeed, one day

he would perfectly fulfill all the roles of the

Old Testament and be the Promised One

who would be our perfect Prophet, Priest

Father we rejoice that you loved us enough to become one of us and live the life we couldn’t live and die the death we couldn’t die so that we may be with you in heaven one day. We praise you for your loving and gracious gift!

and King, but he came with no power, no

pomp and no circumstance. He came as

one barely noticed, born in a stable because

there was no room anywhere else for Him

and attended by shepherds as the priests

and kings of the world took no notice of

Him. He came as one of us!

Of all the names the Bible uses to refer to

Jesus, maybe none quite have the power and

beauty of Immanuel, God with us. It seems

impossible and absurd to even insinuate

the possibility of the Holy and All-Knowing,

All-Powerful and All-Present God would

come and restrict himself to time and space

and a body and yet that’s exactly what he

did. He came to fully experience life as we

have and yet to not be controlled or con-

sumed by the sin that has ahold of us. He


came to fulfill the demands of the Law that

we could never fulfill and take the penalty

and punishment that our sin deserved and

free us forever from sin and death, and He

did it willingly. The author of Hebrews tells

us that he did this for the “joy set before

him.” He saw the pain and sacrifice of the

cross not as duty but as a joy and it all

began here in Bethlehem.

More than anything else, He came to

show us the true heart of God the Father.

God loves us so much that he pursues us

and provides for us all that is needed for

our forgiveness and salvation. He is not

just God for us or God near us but he is

truly God with us, so let us rejoice!

A N D P S A L M 6 2

DECEMBER 17 CONTINUED






another prophet, or an interesting person.

He was God in the flesh, God dwelling with

man, and God incarnate. This is the exciting

news of Christmas! This is the unique truth

about Jesus that makes him worth following,

worshiping, and devoting our lives to. Jesus,

the Son of God, is more than just a decoration

or part of our Christmas tradition. He is the

entire point of the Christmas story.

the not yet, may we always proclaim, above

all—and because of that with hope, that ‘Truly

Jesus is the Son of God.”

and love God, but to die—for us. God shows

his love by sending the Messiah to take our

place and the punishment our sin deserves

in order to truly save us and defeat our

greatest enemies—sin and death—forever.

Praise be to Christ!

Universe and the ultimate hero who defeated

sin and death. We know that in the end we

win, because Jesus fought the greatest battle

and won it for us.

ing the truth or he is blaspheming. And as the

High Priest, staying in power and eliminating

any (what I perceived as) false teaching was

important. So Jesus is sentenced to death.

And yet, God! God prevails! Yes, Jesus

is handed over for suffering and death. But

...three days later, he is resurrected! He con-

quers death —for all of us (even for those men

in the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas)! He brings

restoration! And the joy bubbles up and over!

We can rejoice and dance in our joy because

Jesus is the Savior Messiah—the One who

conquered death and sits in power at the right

hand of God the Father. And his kingdom will

never end! What a glorious Savior! What joy

he brings!

that he is the First and he is the Last. The

great I AM hems us in—from the first and

to the last. Love is God and God is love and

his love was shown supremely through the

given, approachable, inviting, expressed,

sacrificial, steadfast, powerful, peaceful,

fearless, redeeming, live giving love of his

Son; The Rock who cannot be duplicated,

only imitated. Christ is the visible expression

of the invisible God and through him we can

have life more abundantly. We can know

love through the baby who suffered through


DECEMBER 22 CONTINUEDJesus finished this chapter with a com-

mand—“Feed on me.” The people misunder-

stand and take offense wondering if Jesus

is meaning cannibalism. Instead, Jesus is

making the point that bread only satisfies

when it is eaten and becomes part of us.

In the same way, unless we take Jesus and

make him a part of our lives, how can he

truly satisfy us? He declares himself as the

Bread of Life for us and now it remains for

us to believe and take him and allow him to

give us peace and satisfaction.

we are reminded as we look back, in

remembrance, to also look forward to the

day of greatest celebration for a believer;

the day when he comes again. When we

celebrate Christmas we celebrate Christ’s

first coming; His birth. When we partake

of the Lord’s Supper we celebrate and look

forward and proclaim to the world, not his

birth but the Lord’s death until he comes

again. Feed on him in your hearts by faith

with thanksgiving. “This..is for the benefit of

…you. Do this…” Christ’s birth and death call

us to not only recognize that his body and

blood are for us but with that recognition

we are then to “Do this…” We are called to

receive what God has given us and then do

what he calls us to do. What is Christ calling

you to do? Chew on that (pun intended) as

you celebrate this Christmas! He is the Bread

of Life, broken…for the benefit of you. Do

this...in remembrance of me.” Think about

that, won’t you? Merry Christmas and Peace.

childbirth and hunger and later suffered

through humiliation and scorn on our behalf.

We can know love because he has made

himself known. He has called us and invited

us to hear him, draw near him and love him.

Isn’t that what love is? Isn’t that what we

long for from our family, our friends, or our

spouse? We deeply want someone to love

us. We deeply want someone to show us that

love. Sometimes those close to us do but we

all fail and we still long for it. Won’t you listen

to God’s call?

What is love? God is love. “{Love is} the first

and {Love is} the last; besides {Love} there is

no other god…No other Rock.” Christ is love.

Jesus invites us to come to him and know love.

Office Phone (865) 693-9331 • www.cspc.net • 9132 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37923

And behold, you will conceive in · Lord Jesus, show me those friends who I need to bring to you....

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