December 11

New City Church

December 11

December 11, 2023

The Christmas story is a tale of two kings. King Herod was cunning and ruthless. He built great cities and palaces. He ruled with an iron fist, and no rivalry or disloyalty was allowed. So when the Magi bring word that they were in search of a king, Matthew tells us “King Herod heard this and he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” [Matthew 2:3] The Magi left Herod’s opulent palace, with its servants and armed garrisons and set out to find a king. This king was to be born in a stable too small to enter without stooping, laid in a feeding trough for animals, visited not by heads of state, but by common shepherds. Two kings, two kingdoms, two competing visions of greatness. At the heart of one is power and wealth, posturing and intimidation, and at the heart of the other is a dirty manger, an agonizing cross and an empty tomb. Two kingdoms, and our hearts can only be at home in one.

Bible Verse: Matthew 2:6 “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means

least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my

people Israel.”

Download The Advent Journal Here

December 1, 2023

Dear Reader, Thank you for taking the time to walk through this daily devotional. As you read, reflect and journal, our prayer is that these simple thoughts from the scriptures will encourage your heart and stir a deeper sense of devotion and appreciation for the gift of our Savior this season. Merry Christmas! Pastor Steve Andres and New City Church

December 1

December 1, 2023

Advent is anticipation and preparation. Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of Christ and said, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” As we start this Christmas season, we are inviting God to shine a light on our hearts and lives, to search us and give us clarity and vision for who He is calling us to be and how we should live. We want that light to clarify the way we see ourselves. How can it do that? 1 Peter 2:9 says, “God has called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” Our destiny is not darkness, it is light. Someone once said, “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” Just because there is darkness in your past doesn’t mean that you aren’t made for light. Thank God today for sending light into our world at Christmas, for rescuing us from darkness and putting us on a path to light and life! 1 Peter 2:9 “God has called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.”

December 2

December 2, 2023

Words are a miracle. The act of speaking is incredibly complex. It starts in the speech center of our brains, where a message is sent to our diaphragm telling it to push breath from our lungs, through our throat, making our vocal cords vibrate. Subtle movements of the palate, tongue, and lips shape those vibrations into the sounds we know as words. Those are the mechanics of speech, but words are more than mechanics. Words bring us closer to people. They form bonds and give meaning; they express who we are. Words aren’t just for communication, they are for communion. The Apostle John begins his biography of Jesus saying, “In the beginning, the Word was with God and the Word was God.” God has always been speaking, inviting us to know Him, but at Christmas He spoke with a thundering clarity, His word expressed in flesh and bone, the language we understand best. Are you listening to Him speak today? John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”