Today’s Reading:
Read I John, 2 John, 3 John
One of our favorite family holiday traditions is a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt! Our family gets in our car and drives around our neighborhood looking for unique and creative Christmas light displays. Some of us love colorful lights, and others enjoy the simplicity of just white lights. Some of us love music choreographed to the light show, and others look for fun representations of what Christmas is all about. Regardless of what our favorites are, the Christmas lights are always a special part of our Christmas season. The lights bring us joy!
I John, 2 John, and 3 John are three books in the Bible that share the importance of walking in the light and not in the dark! “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” John, the author, compared evil to walking in darkness and obedience to God to walking in the light. As we walk in the light, we should be showing others Jesus. Matthew 5:14 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” As Christ followers, as we walk in the light, we are glorifying God.
Walking in the light is also shown in how we love others. I John 2:9 says, “The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now…” John urged Christ followers to remember that we needed to “love one another because love comes from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (I John 4:7) Loving others is a way to light our world and bring joy to others in the same way that the Christmas lights on our family’s scavenger hunt bring us joy at Christmas time!
Application/Prayer:
As a family, find someone to show the love of Jesus to! Make them some cookies, rake their leaves, take them a special Christmas gift. Showing love to others is such a special way to celebrate the season and it shows others the love of Jesus. Loving others is a gift that blesses those we love but also blesses us!
December Memory Verse:
I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
December memory verse coloring sheet