It All Starts From Here
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on towards the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. (Genesis 12:1-8)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
This is our last day of Everyday Devotions before we take a break for the Christmas season and recommence our Everyday Devotions on Monday 4th January. We are stopping in a really wonderful place together. We end today with Abraham standing at an altar he has made and offering his worship to the Lord.
It has been wonderful to do these Everyday Devotions together over the past few weeks. In a very difficult year for most of us, it has been good to focus our eyes on the Lord each day together. As we move into the Christmas season and eventually leave 2020 behind, take some time out today just to stand before the Lord and worship.
Romans 12 encourages us to let this spill over into the rest of our lives too. Abraham offered a sacrifice on his altar, and Romans 12 encourages us to offer ourselves to the Lord as living sacrifices. God loves it when we begin each day saying to him: Good morning, Father. Here I am. I belong to you. Please use me through your Holy Spirit!
You have a break of three-and-a-bit weeks between now and when we post the next group of Everyday Devotions. It would be just enough time for you to read a chapter a day of Luke’s gospel. If you do that, then you will finish on the day we restart our Devotions together. You will also get to enjoy the Christmas story!
It has been wonderful to do these Everyday Devotions together over the past few weeks. In a very difficult year for most of us, it has been good to focus our eyes on the Lord each day together. As we move into the Christmas season and eventually leave 2020 behind, take some time out today just to stand before the Lord and worship.
Romans 12 encourages us to let this spill over into the rest of our lives too. Abraham offered a sacrifice on his altar, and Romans 12 encourages us to offer ourselves to the Lord as living sacrifices. God loves it when we begin each day saying to him: Good morning, Father. Here I am. I belong to you. Please use me through your Holy Spirit!
You have a break of three-and-a-bit weeks between now and when we post the next group of Everyday Devotions. It would be just enough time for you to read a chapter a day of Luke’s gospel. If you do that, then you will finish on the day we restart our Devotions together. You will also get to enjoy the Christmas story!
1) What are the biggest things that you have learned through these Everyday Devotions and through the Start Again sermon series that has accompanied them? What has God particularly highlighted to you?
2) How can you turn that into worship right now? What do you need to say thanks to God for?
3) As Abraham stands at his altar, we are told that he calls on the name of the Lord. Which aspects of God’s name do you need to call on as you move into the Christmas season and into a New Year? Why not do so today?
2) How can you turn that into worship right now? What do you need to say thanks to God for?
3) As Abraham stands at his altar, we are told that he calls on the name of the Lord. Which aspects of God’s name do you need to call on as you move into the Christmas season and into a New Year? Why not do so today?
Father God, I thank you for the way that you have spoken to me and led me through these Everyday Devotions over the past term. I worship you for who you have been to me in this difficult year. I say thank you to you for so many blessings too. Help me to worship you during the Christmas season, as God Incarnate among us! Amen.
We will post the next Everyday Devotions on Monday 4th January. Enjoy the Christmas holidays and, if you are reading Luke’s gospel over the next 3 weeks, please keep on sharing what you learn with your church friends!
We will post the next Everyday Devotions on Monday 4th January. Enjoy the Christmas holidays and, if you are reading Luke’s gospel over the next 3 weeks, please keep on sharing what you learn with your church friends!
If you have time, consider carrying on your conversation with God using one of our helpful Prayer Pathways.
Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.
Join our online service at everyday.online
Today’s Everyday Devotions have also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube channel.
Join our online service at everyday.online