THE TRANSFORMATIVE LOVE OF CHRIST

The Eighth Day of Christmas

ISAIAH 25:8 (ABP)
God will transform the humiliation his people around the world have suffered, turning it into honor.

1 JOHN 4:9 (MSG)
This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.

THE ESSENCE
Through the love fleshed out in Christ Jesus, God reveals the love that forever transforms our lives.  

DAILY FODDER
Consider making the TRANSFORMATIVE LOVE OF CHRIST your theme for 2026. Use the next twelve months to study and ponder what this key idea means.

PRAYER
Glorious God, I'm grateful for the transforming presence and sacrifice of Christ Jesus. All my guilt and shame have been dismissed and I'm free to live a new life associated with him. Forgive me for wasting my energy on lesser pursuits. Help me to understand and embrace the new life he gives. My goal this year is to live into the transformative love of Christ. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

PEACEMAKING

The Seventh Day of Christmas

PSALM 147:14 (MSG)
God keeps the peace at your borders,
he puts the best bread on your tables.

MATTHEW 5:9 (MSG)
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

THE ESSENCE
God and his true children prioritize peacemaking. 

DAILY FODDER
How do you make peace in a situation (or a world) where people with power thrive because they are unfair to others? What does peacemaking look like in those situations? 

PRAYER
Great and all-wise Heavenly Father, I thank you for allowing me to live through another year. I confess that 2025 was hard because I allowed the injustices of the world to unsettle me. I pray that as we enter a new year you would show me which issues you want me to address and how to do it while maintaining the peace of Christ in my life. I want to be a more fruitful peacemaker in this coming year. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

FRIENDS OF GOD

The Sixth Day of Christmas

EXODUS 33:17 (ABP)
GOD said to Moses, “Consider it done. I know you well and am pleased with you.”

2 TIMOTHY 2:19 (ABP)
God’s solid foundation remains, the cornerstone bearing a plaque which reads, "The Lord knows his people..."

THE ESSENCE
The Lord knows you as a good friend. 

DAILY FODDER
How does knowing that God reconizes you as a friend affect your relationship with him? How is that different from thinking of God as some kind of impersonal force or even a cosmic goods supplier? The way you think of God affects the way you relate to him.

PRAYER
Dear God, I'm grateful that I'm among your friends. You know me and are keenly aware of my sin and shortcomings, yet, because of my relationship with Christ, you're pleased with me. That is a mindboggling joy. Help me to live into who I am in your mind. I want to act like your good friend. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

POWER AND PRESENCE

The Fifth Day of Christmas

PSALM 22:19 (ABP)
O GOD, don't be a stranger. Hurry up! I need your help.

LUKE 5:17 (CEB)
The power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal.

THE ESSENCE
The healing power of God moves through Jesus.  

DAILY FODDER
The healing power of God moves through Jesus (and us as we are connected to him [John 14:12-14; 15:7-8]). Stay close to him.

PRAYER
Gracious God, I'm grateful that I can turn to you during times of special need. You aren't ever far away, even though because I'm caught up in my own world, you sometimes feel distant. Nurture our relationship so that leaning into your presence is second nature—whether I'm the one in need of help or you want to help someone else through me. I want to be operating in the power and presence of the Lord. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.