December 7

New City Church

December 7

December 7, 2023

The deepest desire that we have as is to be fully known and completely loved. At some point in relationships, many of us have a fear: Can I let them see me for who I truly am? Or even scarier: what if they get to know me and they don’t accept and love me? John 1:14 talks about Jesus, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The greatness of Jesus can be summed up in the fact that he was full of GRACE and TRUTH. He came to speak the truth about our selfishness, our sin, our utter brokenness. He sees us as we are. But he came with grace to bear up our sin and shame, and to lead us to forgiveness and healing. Truth without grace is a hammer, grace without truth is a hoax. Jesus comes with both. He is the one person who truly knows us, and still utterly loves us!

John 1:14 “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

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.”