“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.” – Titus 2:11.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. The stores are all decorated, Christmas carols play in the background and the streets are decorated with lights and displays. Drive through neighborhoods and see houses decked out in lights and all the trimmings. There is that wonderful smell of candles, cookies, cakes, and Christmas dishes. The children especially love this time of year, and with good reason: mounds of presents sit under the tree just waiting to be opened. The anticipation and excitement grow with each passing day for children and adults.

The presents will hopefully remind us of the greatest gift that God gave us all that first Christmas, His Son: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David” (Luke 2:11).  Christmas should fill us with wonder and amazement.

God loves to give gifts. His gifts are not contingent on our circumstances. God gives freely out of the overflow of his heart. Christmas reminds us of this extravagant love. Jesus, God’s gift to us all, is the greatest expression of love, hope, joy, and peace. Jesus came in the most vulnerable way possible: as a baby, born in a manger, in a humble stable. This is shocking. It disarms our sensibilities and should speak volumes to us about Him. He is not angry , distant, or disengaged. He came near with tenderness and profound humility to share in our humanity.

Many people are experiencing messy lives this Christmas season. But if you study the first Christmas, you would conclude that it is a little messy as well. It was far from perfect. The Christmas story has heroes and villains, hopes and hardship, promises and pain, much like many of our stories.  Jesus didn’t come to a Thomas Kinkade Painting. Jesus was born in the most humble circumstances imaginable, and all His life, He lived like most people around Him – only poorer. He came to mud, straw, poverty, and oppression. Think of it:  His home had been heaven, surrounded by all the glory and power that were rightfully His as God’s only Son. But He willingly left all that behind and came down to share our lives on this earth – and even our temptations. The circumstances gave Jesus’ birth a significant humility. This King of kings and Lord of lords would be born in a stable,

Yet, wise men still followed a star of wonder: something they couldn’t fully understand, that led them to an unfamiliar place to meet Someone who would be called “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6). Like them, we need to be led again into the wonders of the season — to be awe-inspired anew at the mystery of what God did for each of us in sending His Son, Jesus, gift-wrapped as a baby, to be our Savior.

The real joy and wonder of Christmas, the true beauty of the Christmas message, is not just hearing about the angels appearing to the shepherds; it’s not even hearing the angelic choirs singing praises to God; it’s not even hearing the angel’s announcement There is born for you this day…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; instead, the true beauty and wonder of Christmas is when we guard and ponder the gift, the surprise of God that first Christmas—that our Savior was born.

Discussion Questions:

1. This devotional talks about the sense of wonder that comes with Christmas. How do you personally experience and express awe and admiration during this time of year? What can you do to evoke a sense of wonder for you?

“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.” – Psalm 89:7 (KJV).

On March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his inaugural speech. With the nation in the grip of the Great Depression, Roosevelt’s speech was awaited with great anticipation. Millions of Americans tuned in to listen to how he would respond to the crisis. The speech is less notable for its specific proposals but rather the iconic maxim coined by Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Roosevelt was speaking to the “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

The Bible says that we need to fear God. But it is not the fear that President Roosevelt was talking about. The Bible is talking about the type of fear that has a reverence for God.  Reverence has a respectful attitude that reveals affection and esteem for that person. A kind of awe: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29, NIV).  During this Christmas gift-giving season, do you give the gift of reverence for God?  Does it impact how you address Him, refer to Him, and worship Him?

The question is worth asking in a culture that casually refers to God as “The Man Upstairs” or my “Big Buddy.”  Reverence for God is elevating Him far above a mere euphemism. We cannot even begin to comprehend the full extent of the glory of God and His greatness. He is our Creator, our King, Savior, and Lord. He is worthy of our awe and our reverence.

In the Bible, we are frequently instructed to reverence God, which can also be phrased as “honoring” or “fearing” God. First Samuel 12:24 says: “But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.” Psalm 2:11 ( NASB) says, “Serve the Lord with reverence.” And rejoice with trembling.”  In Psalm 5:7 (NASB), the Psalmist proclaimed, “But as for me, by Your abundant graciousness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.” Hebrews 11:7 (ESV) tells us, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) tells us to worship “with reverence and awe.”

May we truly grasp that the Savior, God’s Son, entered the world during this Christmas season. We need to stand in awe of the mystery of the story of Christmas. We must display reverence when we read the Christmas story and see what God is doing and will do in our lives.

God’s love for us is awe-inspiring. He sent Jesus Christ to die in our place. This sacrifice and willingness occurred while we were caught up in our sins and concerned with ourselves. To people living in today’s culture, this is almost incomprehensible. After all, why would someone sacrifice and love without anything in return? God’s mercy and love, great and awesome, is not conditional like the love we are familiar with; it is perfect. He deserves our reverence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does reverence toward God mean to you?   
2. How do we show our reverence to God during this Christmas season? 

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:8-11 (ESV).

When we think of hospitality, we often think of having people over for dinner, where you serve your friends fine food on your best china. At times, this will include some entertainment, perhaps a sporting event, a game, or some other type of activity. Now, that’s all part of hospitality. But that’s not all of Biblical hospitality.

Most people see hospitality as something only certain people should do because they are good or gifted. That is not how the Bible speaks about hospitality. Hospitality is not a gift some of us have; it is a command for all of God’s People. 1 Peter 4 says we are to love each other deeply. As a body of Christ we are commanded to love one another, and one of those aspects of loving others is through hospitality. Showing hospitality to others is a command from God and a central byproduct of the Christian life. Hospitality is not limited to our homes.

Perhaps the first and most obvious application of Peter’s words is welcoming new people to church. Many people will attend church during this Christmas season; their circumstances will vary greatly. Some are believers who are visiting from out of town with their family while on vacation. It may be years before they come back again. Others may have just moved into the area and are looking for a church. Others may have just had some life crisis and are looking for answers to life’s problems. No matter the circumstances, the goal is still the same. We are called to “show hospitality” to them. They are strangers. And we are called to love and welcome them.

Visiting a church is a difficult thing. The building is new. The people are unknown. The way of doing things is new. Perhaps they are just standing there, not quite knowing who to talk to or what to do. Approach them. Talk with them. Introduce yourself to them. Make them feel welcome. So, if you see somebody you don’t know here at church, they qualify as a stranger. Love them. Practice the golden rule with them. Treat them like you would like to be treated.  Show them hospitality.  God has called us to live by a different approach than the world, to offer hospitality without grumbling.

Colossians 4:5 (NIV) says “ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” Ask that God would give you wisdom in your dealings with strangers.

During this Christmas season our prayer is that anyone visiting Northstar would go home encouraged by the love and hospitality that they experienced from our church family.

Discussion Questions:

1. Who is someone in your life that you would describe as hospitable? What characteristics do you notice as they serve others? In what ways would you like to grow in this area?
2. What can you do to welcome strangers at our church services? What fears or misunderstandings about hospitality keep you from reaching out to others?

“Because of the empty tomb, we have peace. Because of His resurrection, we can have peace during even the most troubling of times because we know He is in control of all that happens in the world.” – Paul Chappell.

How about a story? A king offered a prize to the artist who could paint the best representation of peace. Many artists gave it a shot. Paintings attempting to depict peace in a painting lined the halls of the king’s castle. The king looked at all the pictures and decided two did the best job. One painting was of a calm lake. The mountains beyond were mirrored in the lake’s waters. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. It was peaceful.

The other picture had rugged and bare mountains, an angry sky, lighting, and rain. When the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush, a mother bird had built her nest. There, amid the rush of angry elements, sat a mother bird on her nest of eggs in perfect peace. The king realized that peace does not depend on an idyllic environment. Every one of us has a picture in our mind of what peace should look like in our lives.

Most Christians long for the perfect lake, mountains, and blue sky. No one pictures the angry scene as the place to live a Christ-centered life. No one sees their life in a harsh place. Yet circumstances may sometimes cause us to be in an imperfect place. During these trials and negative circumstances, we need to find a little safe corner. The Bible tells us that inner peace is not about what surrounds us; it’s about our connection with God in our circumstances. Real peace isn’t just about reaching the mountaintop and staying there; it is something we find with and through the challenges of our lives.

Paul had a lot to say on the subject. He wrote, “God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel” (Philippians 4:7 CEV). Jesus promised authentic peace, for those who believe in Him. Jesus said: “I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give” (John 14:27 CEV). 2 Corinthians 13:11 in the Amplified version says, “live in peace, and (then) the God of love (who is the source of affection, goodwill, love and benevolence toward men) and the author and promoter of peace will be with you.”

The peace of God is different. It’s lasting. Confident. Real. It gives us deep reassurance in the midst of all that we face in our past, present, and future.  Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

To bring peace into this world will require us to have peace with God. This comes by making Jesus the Lord of our lives. We will have peace in our lives when we have peace with God. The Bible tells us to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. This is the only way we can have peace with each other.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is there an area of your life where you constantly fear what might come or won’t come?
2. How can we be nearsighted, especially when it comes to finding peace?
3. What are practical ways we can trust God for peace in our lives?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” –  John 14:27. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6.

These scriptures are a reminder that true peace isn’t an arbitrary emotion that comes and goes based on circumstances. It’s not an intangible concept. It’s not just a feeling. Peace comes from a person because peace is a person. Peace is Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace. To be a prince means He is ruler and steward. He is the Ruler over peace, and He is the Steward of peace. That is good news for all mankind because where He rules, peace reigns.

Christmas reminds us that Jesus is our Prince of Peace. While there is much that is good in our world, the sad reality is that we sometimes experience adverse circumstances, whatever they may be. In those times, it is hard to find authentic peace. We are looking and longing for peace in our lives, just as those in the Christmas story were. The shepherds, the wise men, all oppressed under Roman rule, even Joseph and Mary, were all seeking peace as they awaited the coming of their prophesied Messiah, and indeed, He came.

The Prince of Peace made His entrance not as a dominating king but as an innocent baby. Jesus humbled himself to dwell among us to rescue the broken, the outcast, the unclean, the unholy, the defeated, the weary, and all those desperately searching for a Savior who could give salvation and peace.  Regardless of our circumstances, we can experience a peace that surpasses logical understanding because of the promise of Jesus’ presence with us. Jesus promised His presence to us in the meaning; in reality, He was “God with us.” This promise fills us with encouragement as His presence helps us overcome all the things that try to overwhelm us. The words of our Savior echo even today, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

When you allow God to rule over our troubled hearts, when we allow Him to rule over our fears, when we give Him our troubles, He will provide us with His peace in exchange. During this Christmas season, remember that He alone is the Prince of Peace—and where He reigns, peace rules.

If you are afraid for the future and are concerned about finances, employment, ongoing illness, or something else out of your control, surrender your cares to Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Ask Him to be your Prince of Peace. He will give you peace in your troubles.

Discussion Questions:

1. Does peace with God through Jesus Christ sound too easy? Is it difficult for you to believe that peace with God is possible? Why or why not?
2. Before more peace can be produced in our lives, we have to make peace with God. Is something currently in the way of your peace with God?

“Christmas has lost its meaning for us because we have lost the spirit of expectancy. We cannot prepare for an observance. We must prepare for an experience.” – Handel H. Brown.    

The Christmas season is all about preparation, but it is also a time of thankfulness and wrapping up the year. The Christmas season brings a heightened feeling that something extraordinary is coming or something special is about to happen while celebrating the miracle and mystery of Jesus’ birth. Every year, we look to find true enjoyment in the Christmas season and to soak up this magical time with family, friends, and neighbors as we celebrate and to thank God for giving us the greatest gift ever:  His only Son, Jesus. Unlike regular days, the anticipation builds up as we psych ourselves up to make this the best Christmas ever.

Like a child on Christmas Eve caught between the joyful memories of the Christmas that was while waiting with breathless anticipation for the Christmas about to be. It is a time for making room and priming our hearts to treasure Christ. And yet, we know all too well what it is like for December to blur by and to arrive on the doorstep of another new year.  This is the time to reflect on how the birth of Jesus shook the world. God came to us. The Creator entered His creation. The Infinite became an infant. The Giver became the gift.

If you are familiar with the Christmas story, you know there was no room in the inn for Joseph and Mary when it was time for Mary to give birth. Instead of a cozy room, Mary had Jesus in a stable. While there was no physical room for Jesus that Christmas, we can give Christ spiritual room this Christmas. The famous Christmas hymn “Joy to the Word” includes the lyric: “Let every heart prepare Him room.” Hopefully, we don’t just gloss over those words.

This Christmas season, make it a priority to prepare room for Christ. One of the most significant ways we can prepare room is by keeping the purpose of Christmas central. When we keep the purpose of Christmas central, we approach Christmas with a worshipful mindset. We view Christmas as ultimately not a time to receive gifts but to extend worship and praise to our King born in Bethlehem. And as we keep the purpose of Christmas central, we embark on the season with joy.

Don’t let the commercial craze that can accompany Christmas keep you from focusing on Jesus and spending time with Him. Rather use this time to draw close to Him.

Amongst the hustle and bustle the holiday season often brings, we can forget to focus on our relationship with Christ. When we fill up our time during the holidays with holiday-related events and activities, we can essentially fail to prepare Him room. Maybe all God wants for Christmas this year… is you. Just you.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can we do to prepare for Christmas this year? 

“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God,” – Psalms 62:11 (ESV).

As Hurricane Michael tracked across Florida and the Southeast United States, it knocked out power to an estimated 3 million people. Extended power outages may impact the whole community and the economy when the electrical power goes out unexpectedly. Life changes dramatically until the power comes back on.

The Apostle Paul, of course, didn’t have the luxury of waiting for the power company to turn the power back on. He depended on a different power supply. His energy and power were supernatural. Paul operated under the power of the Holy Spirit, relying on Him to power his every action. “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”  – Colossians 1:29 (ESV) Paul “toiled” and “struggled” but he was never striving in his strength alone. John Piper said this: “God does not work instead of our working but through our working. God does not energize instead of our having energy; He energizes our energy.”

In his prayer in Ephesians 1:19-21, Paul prays that we might “… understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.”

There are no outages when it comes to God’s power. It is power without limit. It never falls short of accomplishing what God has designed for it. And if that were not enough, this immeasurably great power that lives and abides and pulsates inside the soul of the believer, And that power is on display everywhere. Romans 1:20 reminds us of that fact: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” And we have that power.

Paul reiterates this point in his prayer in Ephesians 3, where he asks that God would”… according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (3:16). Paul concludes this prayer with these famous words: “ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

The power of God is essential for every facet of Christian living. Experiencing the power of God the Holy Spirit is not an exceptional, rare, or sporadic phenomenon but is intended by God to be the routine, ordinary, daily reality in the life of every believer. This power isn’t merely available to you this week or next year. God intends for you to live in it and draw from it every moment of every day.

Discussion Questions: 

1. Have you experienced the power of God in you?
2. What can we do this week to better tap God’s power supply?

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” – 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Change is something we all need. It is an ongoing part of life. With its constant flux, life demands adjustments to our schedules and plans. Essentially, change is the new norm. But people’s spiritual lives call for more than slight changes to the calendar. Real change is a process, not a destination. So we as followers of Jesus need transformation, but not a one-time act or occurrence. Genuine transformation is God–achieved and God–sustaining, and is it a continuous, in-process transformation?

Our culture tends to look at transformation as a one-time thing. We see a problem, develop some action steps to fix it, and continue working on it until it is fixed. Then we consider it fixed. For Christians, it is an ongoing process. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” God wants to transform us every moment of every day.

In a world that thinks we are all locked into an endless chain of cause and effect, 2 Corinthians 3:18 gives us incredible good news. We are free to change in ways the world cannot imagine. Too often, we accept that God doesn’t have the power to transform us continually, and as a result, we are who we are. We live as if the Holy Spirit is a God who only shows up now and then to shake things up and retreats back into the heavens. The Holy Spirit is constantly ready to lead us in love and transform our lives.

So what does continual transformation look like? How do we live in sync with the Spirit, who can constantly change us from the inside out? Romans 12:1 says, “…I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Continual transformation will come when we decide to stop living for ourselves.

You see, when we live for ourselves, we naturally take control of our own lives and, therefore limit God and His desire to transform us. But, when we seek to be a “living and holy sacrifice” to God, our hearts are open to what the Spirit is doing and saying every day. If you want to be continually transformed by God’s powerful, life-changing love, you have to choose every day to center your life around the will and desires of God.

Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Our transformation in Christ is a work in progress. “We are changed into his glorious image” is a journey of transitions and degrees and a continuous process.

Discussion Questions:

1. Pray and ask God to continually transform you. 
2. What needs to change in you for that transformation?

“When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return.” ― A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope.

If we accept  A.W. Tozer’s statement that when He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him, how do we prepare for the second coming of Christ?

The return of Jesus Christ could be imminent; that is, His return could occur at any moment. We, with the apostle Paul, “look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed” (Titus 2:13).  Knowing that the Lord could come back today, should we stop what we are doing and wait? There is a big difference between knowing that Jesus could return today and that He will return today. Jesus said, “No one knows the day or hour…” (Matthew 24:36). We don’t know when He will return. But until that day, we should continue serving Him.

The Second Coming is a motivation to action, not as a reason to cease from action. But we also need to be prepared to wait. The first Christians longed for Jesus to come in their lifetime. Believers today feel the same way. But we also need to wait for Christ’s promise, “I will come again” ( John 14:3 ESV).

Jesus compared this waiting time to the experience of servants whose master had left them in charge of his home and property while he was away on a long journey: “You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning” (Mark 13:35–36).

Do you want to be prepared for Jesus’ second coming? Then live like His first coming mattered. Jesus spoke parables about His return. In Luke 19:11-27, He told about a nobleman who traveled to a far country to become king. This nobleman called ten of his servants and “divided among them ten pounds of silver.” He said.”Invest this for me while I am gone” (v. 13). After an unspecified duration, the nobleman returned as king and summoned his servants to give an account of their faithfulness. The first two servants had been productive with what was entrusted to them. But another servant had done nothing. He wrapped money in a cloth and hid it. His mistake was not acting on what he professed to believe. He professed something about his master but didn’t live by his profession and lost his reward (vv. 21-23). The lesson for us is that God expects all His servants to grow and use what they have been given as much as possible. The silver or the money represents the gifts, talents, and opportunities God gives us to save and love Him and others.

The apostle James reminds us to “…be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near”  (James 5:7–8).

Discussion Questions:

1. Practically speaking, how can we be totally “Ready” for the return of Jesus?
2. What practical and simple ways can we invest our time, talent, and treasure for eternity?

“The second coming of Christ will be so revolutionary that it will change every aspect of life on this planet. Christ will reign in righteousness. Disease will be arrested. Death will be modified. War will be abolished. Nature will be changed. Man will live as it was originally intended he should live.” ― Billy Graham,

Every year, there is some sort of radical change happening in our cities, states, country, and around the world.  A recent study found that most people would rather know for certain that they are about to receive an electric shock than not be able to predict it. This confirms what we have all probably experienced to be true in our lives. We fear the unknown and want to feel in control of our lives and circumstances.

Fortunately, we know that no matter what is happening around us right now, God is in control. In Romans 8:35-37 Paul says: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Isaiah 40:28-29, the prophet cries out to the people of Israel and says: “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.”

Despite what is happening around you, be encouraged. God has this. He wrote the ending, the beginning and everything in the middle. He doesn’t fall asleep on His watch, and He isn’t ignorant of what is happening in the world He created. We have hope in God because He knows the end of the story. We don’t have to know it because He does. He holds the future. Like all things, they have a beginning and an ending. Since God’s will is perfect, things are beginning to shift and move into the stage He has set for the ending.

We don’t know how much time we have left here on Earth, but that doesn’t mean we live without hope. We live in the light of eternity. One day, when we meet Jesus in heaven all of our pain, sickness, sorrow, sadness, stress, and grief are going to end. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4).

This world is not all that there is. There is something better yet coming. There is something worth living for beyond this life: Jesus Christ. We must allow Him to fill our hearts, remove our fears, strengthen our resolve, and prepare for His return. Jesus said in the book of Revelation, “Yes, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:20).  Our goal should be to live with eager anticipation and expectation of Jesus coming again.

This is not just a fairytale. This is reality. This is the end of the story. This is a picture of where all of history is headed.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think about the Second Coming regularly?
2. Does the Second Coming of Jesus make a real impact on your everyday life?
3. What are some ways you can grow concerning living in the light of eternity and the Second Coming?