Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

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Random (and not-so-random) Acts of Christmas Kindness 2012!

November 28, 2012 by Marissa Leave a Comment

December is almost here . . . are you ready?  I know I’m enjoying this extra week between Thanksgiving and the reality of December and all it’s craziness.  I’m using it to finish wrapping gifts and addressing cards, but it’s also time to get organized for our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project.  It was a huge blessing to the kids and me last year!

Last year, the school calendar gave us more than a week between the end of the school semester and Christmas day.  That was the time when we did most of our RACK projects.  This year will be a little more complicated, with the last day of school falling on December 20.

So this year’s Acts of Kindness will be a little less Random and a little more Planned.  I’ve got my list of RACK ideas and my December calendar, and I’m going to try to map out a few ideas for each week.  On my list, I’ve got one set of projects that we can do as we go places we already go . . . the bank, the grocery store, restaurants, etc.  There’s another set of ideas that will require a little extra planning or an extra trip somewhere.

And because it’s fun, but just not practical, to hand out money all over town, I’ve starred some ideas on the list that can be accomplished for less than $10.  Print out some cards and buy some candy canes, and you’re ready to spread Christmas joy with very little money required!

If you need some inspiration, check out my list of RACK ideas below or click on the link to download a PDF.  And here’s a PDF of the cards I print out, mount on card stock, and hand out along the way.   Leave me a comment and let me know what RACK you are planning for this December!

 

 

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How will you spend December?

September 26, 2012 by Marissa Leave a Comment

If you are anything like me, when someone asks, “How are you?” the answer is usually:  “Busy!”  There’s a lot on your plate.  Free time is almost non-existent.

And then December shows up.  You are expected to do all your normal stuff PLUS . . .

buy (and wrap and possibly ship) gifts for dozens of people,

produce a trendy photo card with all of your children looking well-dressed and filled with Christmas joy and mail it to everyone you’ve known since high school,

decorate your house and then try to keep your toddler from pulling the tree over on herself,

coordinate and execute a 3rd grade class Christmas party,

(what?  you didn’t sign up for homeroom mom this year?  good for you!  but this one is on my list.)

and bake fabulous goodies and deliver them to your neighbors while singing Christmas carols with your kids in three-part harmony.

We all know this list (plus the rest of the Christmas trappings) takes HOURS to complete.  Hours that you and I don’t have in our normal days, let alone the turbo-charged days of December.  And yet we are expected to do all this while maintaining some semblance of peace and joy.  We are celebrating the birth of our Savior, after all.

I have good news for you!  There is another way!  A few years ago, my sweet friend Karen introduced me to the idea of finishing all my Christmas preparations by December 1.  (Click on the link on the left and you can read more.)  Imagine a December with no shopping, no wrapping, no yelling at your kids to smile because if you don’t get this photo today you might as well send out valentines instead.  Imagine spending December preparing your heart to celebrate the birth of your Savior and making memories with your family.  (Last year, Karen also introduced me to a great way to spend the month of December:  Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.  But we’ll get to that later.)

How in the world can you finish all your Christmas preparations by December 1?  All you need is a head start and some planing.  I start by making a list of everything that I need to finish by Christmas:  shopping, wrapping, Christmas cards, decorating, baking, etc.  I list every step of the process and work backwards.  For example, in order to ship gifts to out-of-state relatives, I need to wrap gifts, buy wrapping paper, buy gifts, and ask relatives for their wish lists.  Then I plan out when I am going to do each of those things, working backwards to know when I need to star the first step:  asking for wish lists.  (My request is going out this weekend, by the way.)

I begin my checklist at the end of September, so don’t put this off!  But if you feel overwhelmed, just remember that anything you complete now will save you time in December.  This can be the year that you experience the joy of celebrating Christ’s birth rather than being weighed down by the burdens of the holiday season.

Click here to download my checklist and get started on your own.  When you’re snuggling under the Christmas tree, reading “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” to your kids, you’ll be so glad you did.

 

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RACK Recap

December 29, 2011 by Marissa 2 Comments

Our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project is over for 2011, but my kids are still talking about it, pointing out ATM machines as we drive around town.  Our Christmas by December 1 effort really made the Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project possible, because I was relaxed and able to put the time into it.  Next year I’d like to plan ahead for the RACK project and have bags decorated and labeled for each day of December, like an Advent calendar, with cards inside to let the kids know what we are doing that day.  (See my friend Karen’s blog for photos of her bags.)

If you have never tried finishing your Christmas preparations early or Random Acts of Christmas Kindness, I would encourage you to consider it for 2012.  Just make a mental note or a note on your calendar to start planning for Christmas after you finish with back-to-school madness.  You won’t need to start shopping in September, but if you at least sit down then and map out what you need to do and when you are going to do it, you will be on the right track.

I’ve had a few people ask about our RACK cards.  Here is a PDF of the RACK cards I printed and taped to construction paper.

Here is a recap of what we did for RACK 2011.  I’m also labeling those that are easy to do with little kids (assuming you are in those places already, such as eating out or running errands), and those that can be done inexpensively.  You don’t have to get kids in and out of the car in the cold or leave large amounts of cash all over town to make a difference!

1.  Left money to pay for people behind us in line at a coffee shop (EASY)

2.  Left a huge tip for our waiter at a restaurant (EASY)

3.  Left money to pay for the person behind us taking photos with Santa (EASY)

4.  Left money for to pay for people behind us at the mall food court (EASY)

5.  Handed out candy canes to people in line on a busy day at the post office (SUPER FUN FOR KIDS, INEXPENSIVE)

6.  Delivered Starbucks and coffee cake to our pastor and church secretary . . . would be easier with kids if our church office had a drive-thru–ha!

7.  Sang Christmas carols in the chemotherapy room at the oncology clinic (ADVANCE PLANNING NEEDED BUT TOTALLY FREE–although we did hand out candy canes around the clinic, it was still inexpensive)

8.  Delivered Christmas treats to neighbors (INEXPENSIVE)

9.  Left Shell gift cards on gas pumps (EASY)

10.  Handed out candy canes to bell ringers while we ran errands (EASY, INEXPENSIVE)

11.  Taped candy canes to ATM machines (EASY, INEXPENSIVE)

12.  Took a plate of cookies to ER workers on Christmas Eve with a basket of candy canes for them to hand out to patients or other hospital employees (INEXPENSIVE)

Here are some other ideas we might try next year:

1.  Make cards to mail to military personnel overseas (ADVANCE PLANNING NECESSARY, BUT EASY AND INEXPENSIVE)

2.  Buy a candy bar for your cashier at the grocery store (EASY, INEXPENSIVE)

3.  Hand out balloons to kids at Target or Wal-mart–it’s a birthday party for Jesus!

4.  Pay for another table at a restaurant or someone behind you in a drive-thru line (EASY)

5.  Leave a gift for your mail carrier (EASY)

6.  Take flowers to residents at a nursing home

7.  Take baby supplies to the crisis pregnancy center

8.  Take coffee to the kids’ teachers in the morning

What other RACK are you planning for next year?

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RACK Update ~ Carols, coffee, and candy canes!

December 23, 2011 by Marissa Leave a Comment

We have been having a blast with our RACK projects in the last few days.  On Tuesday, we called our church office and got Starbucks orders from our pastor and church secretary and took them coffee and coffeecake.  It was so fun to see them and chat for awhile!  The boys are both very enamored with Pastor Chris, so I think they were thrilled to do something for him.

On Wednesday was my FAVORITE of all our RACK projects.  We went with some friends to sing Christmas carols in the chemotherapy treatment room at the oncology clinic.  Last December, when I was there receiving chemo, some nurses got together and sang carols for us.  I decided then that if I was able, I would bring my kids to sing the next Christmas.  So it was very meaningful to me to be able to go and spread joy to the nurses and patients there this year.  After the kids sang, I handed out candy canes to the patients and nurses and chatted with a few, then went around the clinic handing out candy canes to all my old friends.  Everyone was so excited to see my hair!  🙂

On Thursday, we got a Shell gift card and taped it to a gas pump.  Then we had a stake-out to see if it would get used.  I put it on the last pump so no one would see me, but as it turns out, the last pump doesn’t get used very often.  Despite all our cheering from inside our van for cars to pull up to “our” pump, no one did.  After about 20 minutes, we left and went to the grocery store and came back later.  The gift card was still there!  So I got out, moved it one pump over, and we resumed our stake-out.  About two minutes later, someone pulled up to the pump where the card USED to be.  We couldn’t believe it!  We waited another 20 minutes, but still no action on our pump.  We gave up and trust that the Lord brought just the right person along eventually!  We also enjoyed handing out candy canes to Salvation Army bell ringers as we ran errands that day.

Are you looking for a RACK project that only costs $1 and doesn’t even involve getting your kids out of the car?  Today we drove around taping our RACK cards and candy canes to ATM machines.  We also tried our Shell gas card trick again, this time putting them on busier gas pumps.  We got to see people get both of our cards . . . in both cases, they went ahead and paid for their gas, and then stood looking at the pump for awhile, looked around, and then took the Shell card for next time.  I guess when you encounter something that unexpected, it’s hard to know what to do at first!  We had a blast and felt like secret agents!

Our RACK 2011 project is almost done!  Tomorrow night we are hoping to take a plate of cookies to the people working at the desk in the emergency room.  Last year, I spent several hours on December 24 at the hospital receiving a blood transfusion, and I’m sure it’s no fun to work in the ER on Christmas Eve.  We’re looking forward to spreading some joy there, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken a deep dive Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken a deep dive into God’s providence: His sustaining power by which He governs and directs all things according to His purpose, without limit and throughout all eternity. When we talk about God’s providence, the question inevitably arises: What about human decisions?

I hate to disappoint you, but this topic has been debated for centuries and probably won’t be satisfactorily explained in this short devotional. 😝 But, as we should with any question we have about God, let’s turn to His Word and see how it shapes our thinking.

In Genesis 45, we find the words Joseph spoke to his brothers, years after they sold him into slavery in Egypt:

“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life . . . So it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (Gen 45:5, 8a)

So who caused Joseph to end up in Egypt—God or Joseph’s brothers? Did Joseph’s brothers make a free and sinful choice to sell their brother into slavery? Yes, they did. Did God send Joseph to Egypt for the sake of His good plan to preserve His people? Yes, He did.

We tend to think of causality in human terms as a zero-sum game, meaning there can’t be two causes that are both 100% the cause of an event. But God’s causality is transcendent—it's not like human causality at all. There’s no zero-sum game between God’s providence and our freedom.

God’s Word teaches both the total sovereignty of God and the freedom of His creatures. As we consider this mystery, we must also acknowledge that as His creatures, we are not independent of Him. Even our creaturely freedom is a result of His providence.

So when we say God’s sustaining power directs and governs all things, this includes human decisions, even evil decisions (Gen 50:20) and those made by the most powerful people (Prov 21:1).

I know this has been heavy, and we may not agree on every point. That’s okay. But I hope this truth brings comfort as we remember that nothing can reach us without passing through God’s providential, faithful hands.

No matter what you face this week, God’s providence includes all the human decisions that affect our lives.
This month we’ve been studying God’s providenc This month we’ve been studying God’s providence—His power to sustain, govern, and direct all things, according to His purpose and without limits. Today we’ll see in the book of Isaiah that God’s providence extends through all eternity in the past, present, and future. 

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:8-11)

Isaiah’s prophecy in the previous chapters wasn’t good news for God’s people in Judah. Isaiah prophesied that they would be taken into exile in Babylon, and God would then work through a Persian king rather than through another king of Israel like David. The people of Judah must have felt dread as they heard these prophecies. 

But then God reminded the people that He is not like other gods. God wanted them to remember the truth about Him and therefore stand firm in their exile. According to Bible scholar J. Alec Motyer, these verses are “Isaiah’s final appeal to Israel to accept the Lord’s will and trust his providence.” 

This appeal is made based on what is true about God: 

“There is none like me . . .”— Only the Lord has the power to rule providentially in this world He created. He’s not battling for control; He’s in control. 

“declaring the end from the beginning . . . “ — He orchestrates all of history, from the very beginning to the very end, all by the power of His word. 

“I have purposed, and I will do it.” — The Lord accomplishes all His purposes. If He wills it, He will do it. 

Whether you’re anxious today about global events or the cells in your own body, whether you’re concerned with your past mistakes or the future for your great-grandchildren, remember this and stand firm: No matter what you face this week, God’s providence extends to every event of history and eternity.
A few days ago, I was telling someone how I planne A few days ago, I was telling someone how I planned to avoid some potential problems that could derail our summer travel plans. She replied, “It sounds like you have a backup plan and a backup plan to that backup plan.” Yep, that’s my MO. I love to have a plan, including as many backup plans as possible, just in case. And still my plans are often thwarted by changes I didn’t expect - ugh, that makes me crazy! 

God is not like me. My limited knowledge and limited control cause my plans - and even my backup plans - to sometimes fail. But God has the wisdom, power, and sovereignty to bring about all of His plans. 

Last week we started a series on God’s providence, which refers to His sustaining power that preserves, governs, and directs everything in creation. Today we’ll see that there is no limit to His providence. It extends to all creation in all places and all situations. There is nothing beyond His providential control. 

“For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” (Psalm 135:5–7)

In these verses, the psalmists highlights four truths about God. He is the great God above all other gods. He does whatever He pleases. His providential work extends to all of His creation- that means everything! And even the wind and rain aren’t random or purely natural occurrences - they are the providential work of our Creator. 
 
This truth brings comfort because we know we will never encounter circumstances beyond God’s providential care for us. He is good and faithful, and He always accomplishes His purposes. He not only brings forth the wind from His storehouses; He also sent His Son to die for us. We may not understand our suffering or the suffering of those we love, but we can trust God’s unlimited providence. 

No matter what you face this week, God’s providence has no limits.
Last week, I felt overwhelmed with anxiety about e Last week, I felt overwhelmed with anxiety about events happening with all three of my teenagers. (Being the mom of teens is tough, y’all!) As I sat across from them at lunchtime, I silently repeated words paraphrased from the Heidelberg Catechism to remind myself that they are not mine, but belong with body and soul, in life and in death, to their faithful Savior Jesus Christ. 

The truth of God’s providence is the only reason those words bring any comfort to this mama’s heart. I’ve heard people say that the suffering in our lives is due to random chance, but when it happens, God steps in with comfort. If that’s true, God is a supportive friend, but He’s not really God. If our faithful Savior is powerless over the fallen world we live in, then maybe we have a glorious future ahead, but we’re basically left on our own for now. Thankfully, God’s Word teaches us that He is powerfully and providentially ruling here and now. 

God’s providence refers to His sustaining power that preserves and governs everything in the world. He didn’t just create the world like a watchmaker winding a clock and then let it run until Christ returns. He actively rules over His creation in every moment, and He does so according to His perfect will, which is rooted in His unfailing knowledge, wisdom, goodness, and justice. 

We find God’s providence proclaimed in many places in the Bible, but these verses are some of my favorites: 

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” (Eph 1:11-12) 

In this passage, Paul is specifically talking about our salvation. We’ve been saved according to God’s purpose and given this amazing inheritance in Christ. But God’s purpose doesn’t only extend to our salvation. He works all things according to His will for the praise of His glory. 

We’ll look at God’s providence in more detail over the next few weeks. But for today, let’s find comfort in this truth: No matter what you face this week, your faithful Savior sustains, preserves, and governs every moment.
I have a confession to make: I love to tell people I have a confession to make: I love to tell people what to do. I’m a bossy person, and this character flaw revealed itself early in my childhood. My siblings often told me, “You’re not the boss of me!” Our poor brother had two older sisters telling him what to do, and one day, he snapped, “I don’t need three mommies!” 

It’s a natural human tendency to wonder who’s in charge. Some of us also have the strong desire to be the one in charge; others are looking for someone to follow. But we all understand that someone needs to be the boss. 

For the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at reasons Jesus came. We’ve seen how He is our redeeming Sacrifice, our reconciling Savior, and our righteous Advocate. Scripture also tells us that Jesus Christ is our reigning King. 

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11) 

God the Father has highly exalted the risen Son. His name is above every name, proving there is no one greater. Ephesians 1:21 tells us that God has seated Him “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Paul pulls out every extreme phrase he can find, but the human language can’t adequately describe the supremacy of Christ’s reign. 

At Christ’s first coming, only a few knelt in worship—a handful of shepherds and a some traveling kings. The angels sang His praise, but much of the world was silent. As word spread about His birth, the reigning king of His time sought to kill the infant Messiah. 

But at His second coming, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God will be glorified as all creation sees what we know is true today: Jesus reigns. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus came to be your reigning King.
In an episode from the first season of The West Wi In an episode from the first season of The West Wing, White House Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn is on his way out of the office for a weekend away when he runs back to his desk to answer one last phone call. It’s an old high school acquaintance, now a defense attorney, calling to plead the case of a federal death row inmate seeking a stay of execution. 

The defense attorney needs someone with the ear of the President, so he calls Sam. The condemned man doesn’t just need an advocate, he needs an advocate with power and influence to present persuasive arguments to the one man who can grant a reprieve. 

We need an advocate, too. We are condemned by our sin, and the punishment we deserve is death (Romans 6:23). But the Lamb of God who was the redeeming sacrifice for us and reconciled us to God is now seated at the right hand of the Father. What is He doing as He sits there? He’s advocating for us. 

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)

Jesus has the evidence needed for our forgiveness. John describes our advocate as “Jesus Christ the righteous.” Jesus is not only our redeeming sacrifice, He covers us with His righteousness. He advocates for us to the Father based on the perfect life He lived for us, not any good that we have done. 

Jesus not only has the righteousness needed, He also has the ear of the Father. Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. The Father has given the Son the exalted place at His right hand, and we benefit from it. We have a Savior who has the ear of the Creator and Judge, saying, “She’s mine. She’s covered.”

Because of our righteous advocate, “when we enter into the presence of God, we go not to hear his justice prosecute us but to hear his love plead for us” (William Barclay, The Letter to the Hebrews, p. 19). 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ came to be your righteous Advocate.
I got my first credit card when I was in college. I got my first credit card when I was in college. It was meant for emergencies only, but I became very relaxed with my definition of “emergency.” Is going out to dinner with friends an emergency? What about not having something to wear for a special occasion?

By the time I graduated, I racked up more than $1000 in credit card debt and had no way to pay it. The debt weighed on me—I felt the burden of it every day. Finally, I had to tell my soon-to-be husband that he was marrying into this debt. He was gracious about it, and we used wedding gifts to pay it off. But I regretted starting married life with nothing positive to offer our financial situation. 

Last week we saw that Jesus came to be a redeeming sacrifice for us. Our relationship with God was broken because we couldn’t pay the debt our sin required. But Jesus didn’t just wipe the slate clean, put us back at zero, and leave us to prove ourselves to God on our own. In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ did all that was necessary to fully reconcile us to God: 

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20)

We have peace with God because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross. This is why the baby was born in the stable—to pay our debt and fix the devastation our sin caused in our relationship with God. These verses tell us that His redeeming sacrifice had the power to reconcile all things on earth or in heaven. 

Because the fullness of God dwells in Him, Jesus Christ has the power to reconcile you to God. You don’t need to worry about paying your own debt of sin or getting yourself on God’s positive side with your good works. Christ’s work is sufficient to bring you into a reconciled relationship with your Heavenly Father. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ came to fully reconcile you to God.
The week after Thanksgiving, most of us fall into The week after Thanksgiving, most of us fall into one of three groups: those who are feeling great about our Christmas preparations, those who are trying not to panic, and those who are blissfully optimistic that Santa and his elves will make, wrap, and deliver the perfect gifts for their loved ones on Christmas Eve. 

When you’re buried neck-deep in shopping lists, tangled tiny lights, and wrapping paper, it’s easy to lose sight of why God the Son came to earth and was born in that Bethlehem stable. 

I’ve got good news for you—He didn’t come just to give you more to do every December. Over the next few Mondays, we’ll look at some of the reasons Jesus came. We’ve been in John 1 for the past few weeks, so let’s start there in John 1:29: 

“The next day [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)

In this verse, John the Baptist proclaims one reason the Son of God walked on earth—to be the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. 

The Lamb of God lived the perfect life. God’s justice requires a perfect sacrifice—a spotless lamb without blemish. Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed His Father and met the standard of righteousness that we fail to reach. 

The Lamb of God died for you. Romans 8:32 says God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all. After living the perfect life, Jesus Christ took the punishment for your sin as He suffered and died on the cross. 

The Lamb of God rose again. First Corinthians 15:55 reminds us that the Lamb of God defeated death for us: “Oh death, where is your victory?” When Jesus Christ rose again, He proved His power to give eternal life to His redeemed people. 

In His life, death, and resurrection, the Lamb of God accomplished all that was required for your redemption. He came with a mission, and He completed it. Now that’s a reason to rejoice as we prepare to celebrate His birth! 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus came to be a redeeming sacrifice for you.
For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been studyin For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been studying John’s description of Jesus in John 1. We’ve seen that God’s Son is eternal and all things were created through Him and for Him. Today we see that He brings light and life to a world in bondage to darkness and death:

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:4-5, 9)

Again, John wants us to make a connection to the creation story in Genesis 1. God created light and separated light from darkness (Genesis 1:3-4). He made the sun and the stars to give us light (Genesis 1:14-18). He created man and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). God is the giver of light and life.

Because of sin, the world God made was lost in darkness and destined for death. God sent His Son to bring the light of life:

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

Now light and life could be heard, seen, and touched in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. As an eyewitness to Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, John testifies about the “word of life”—that “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands” (1 John 1:1).

God is the giver of light and life. In Jesus Christ, God shines the light in our darkness, that we may see our sin and confess our need for the Savior who died to give us eternal life. The darkness cannot overcome the light Christ brings. He has met our greatest need—our need to be saved from sin and death—so we can trust Him with every other need we have.

No matter what you face this week, Jesus gives you the light of life.
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