Author: thartung

Tuesday, December 8th

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and
unashamed before him at his coming. – 1 John 2:28

The other day, I was talking to a friend who explained that one Christmas, his sister was mad they had Christmas decorations depicting Jesus. She, claiming to be an atheist, did not want her children having Christianity “forced upon them” as they celebrated Christmas. Of course, this puzzled everyone at why then they would be joining for Christmas at all, but that still put the family in a predicament. How do they celebrate Jesus while still trying to bring the family together?

In that moment, my friend and his family decided to still be bold and unashamed of their faith. They kept their decorations and their traditions, honoring God. Fortunately, my friend’s sister and her family still showed up and celebrated the holiday. Hopefully, those decorations and traditions made an impact. This Christmas season, don’t be timid in your faith. Be bold in what you believe. While others may just celebrate Christmas as some other “holiday” take pride in the true meaning behind Christmas.

Ian Jeffries

Monday, December 7th

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NIV

This year at Westside, we are discussing how Christmas brings forth hope, love, joy, and
peace. What Paul explains to us in Romans is that these things are only brought forth if we first
trust in Christ. There has been a lot to worry or stress out about this year. This Christmas season,we want to encourage you to trust in Jesus. Trust that He is still on his throne (because He most certainly is!) and trust in the fact that He still loves and is with you.

Ian Jeffries

Weekly Challenge:
Reflect- Many of us love to hear Christmas songs on the radio. It just adds that extra pep
to November and December. Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey might have some awesome
Christmas music, but this week we want to challenge you to dive in and look at your favorite
Christmas Hymn. What is it really saying about Christ? What makes it so impactful?
Here are a few ideas of some Christmas Hymns:
 Silent Night
 O Holy Night
 Joy to the World

Sunday, December 6th

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong
or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not
have love, I gain nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV

When asked what the greatest commandments are, Jesus replies with the simple idea of
first loving God, and second loving your neighbor. As simple as it can seem, we often can get
tripped up by love. It is easy to perform simple acts of kindness. It might be easy to begrudgingly do a quick “act” of love without having any heart behind it. What is harder is truly having a heart full of love. This passage in Corinthians tell us there is no point in empty acts if we are going to do them without love. In this season where we are finding ourselves giving and volunteering more than usual, we want to challenge you to make sure you follow that up with a loving heart.

Ian Jeffries

Saturday, December 5th

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. – Psalm 51:1-6

All of us have sinned. Unfortunately, it is simply a part of being human. As Christians, we know Christ has forgiven us. Sometimes, we can be so aware of that forgiveness that we take it for granted and think less and less of that sin. In some ways, that is a great thing. At the same time, we need to be aware of that sin. Confession has less to do with telling God your sins. He knows what our sins are before we even commit them. Instead, confession is a humbling experience. We are humbling ourselves before God, just like David is here. By confessing our sins, we are telling God we know we are going to fall short, and we need Christ. Our challenge this week is to write out sins that come to mind on scraps of paper. What is eating you up inside? What is that thing that wakes you up at 3 a.m. and gives you that pit in your stomach? Write it out, confess and pray over those pieces of paper. Then, toss them in the fireplace, throw them in a paper shredder, or toss them out. Let this symbolize Christ on the cross, forgiving you of your sins. You no longer have to let these eat you up inside! Christ has forgiven you!

Friday, December 4 th

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 (NIV)

In all of this craziness this year, it is so important that we remember who is ultimately victorious… Jesus who has overcome the world, sin, and death itself! Even in these trying times, Jesus is still on His throne. He has overcome every obstacle man and Satan could throw at Him. He prevailed, and He has chosen you and I to be with Him in Heaven. Though many of us are held up by sin, this is an invitation to break free from those chains and see victory.

The best part is that you are not alone! Christ is with you every step of the way and will give you all you need for victory if you simply surrender and let Him be your strength. Jesus has promised His Spirit to you as a helper. It is through this Spirit that true transformation and victory is available to all who seek it. Seek Christ and His indwelling Spirit in this season. Whether you feel chained down by sin, fear, or your situation, remember who is in control. Remember who is victorious!

Author Ian Jeffries