Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. – Acts 10:34 (NLT)

Have you ever had a friend that was one of your teacher’s favorite students? Maybe your teacher always was friendly to them and seemed to go out of their way to treat them well. It’s easy to want to get jealous of those students that are the teacher’s favorites and feel like because you’re not the favorite that you’re not going to be treated the same as another student.

Did you know that regardless of whether you’re a teacher’s favorite or not that God doesn’t show favoritism? If He did something great for one of His kids He will do the same thing for you. God loves you and wants you to experience His best in life.

He wants to bless you like He’s blessed others. He wants to have you walk in peace like you’ve seen others walk in. He wants you doing well in life. So today be encouraged. God wants good things for your life. So choose to believe and expect God to do good things for you.

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. – Mark 11:23

Today’s Bible verse starts with Jesus talking about the power of our words. He shows us the power of our words and that if we speak to something it has the power to change. Our words can change things in our lives. The words that we speak each day about ourselves and our circumstances matter.

If we speak doubt, unbelief, and negative words, then we’ll have negative results in your life. Simply, put, our words matter. They set the course and tone for our life.

Today’s Truth: Your words matter. They set the course and tone for your life.

If you don’t like what you’re seeing in your life begin to change the way you speak. Speak words of life, words that build up and are full of faith. Choose today to put a guard over your mouth. Don’t just speak whatever thoughts or emotions enter into your head. Choose to speak words of faith and build the realities you want to see in your life.

The Bible says that if we believe what we say will happen, that it will be done for us. So speak good things over your life and situation today!

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:17 (NIV)

Don’t you love this verse? It’s so encouraging, and it’s really what Christmas is about. Humankind didn’t need another reminder of how far they were away from God. The law let us know that. By reading it, we realized how hopeless we were at our own righteousness.

That’s why Jesus came. He came not to condemn us, but to save us. He came to set us free and to restore us to a relationship with the Father.

So today, don’t feel condemned if you don’t always measure up. No one does. We can’t. But Jesus did what we were unable to do. He paid the price for our sin and saved us.

This Christmas, don’t get too busy that you forget how much God loves us and gave everything He had so that we could be saved!

Can you imagine being one of the Shepherds? What would you have done if all of the sudden, angels appeared to you?

The shepherds in today’s verse weren’t expecting their night to get interrupted. They were just doing their jobs. And then, here comes a heavenly host of angels. That might have been a little terrifying. That isn’t something that normally happens. Many of the shepherds were probably scared out of their minds.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. – Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

After seeing the angels, the shepherds went to find the Messiah. They didn’t delay, but went and found the baby the angels had spoken about.

How about you? Are you like the Shepherds and run to find Jesus when you need help?

The shepherds did just that, they went searching and found Him, and when they did, they found the answer to everything they could ever need. In the same way, if you’re facing something big that seems overwhelming, have you spent some time seeking your savior?

Have you looked for Him and seen if He could be the answer to the things you face? Because Jesus came into the world to save and help us all. From the smallest thing to the biggest, Jesus wants to help you. So don’t be afraid to look for His help. He’s willing and able to help you today.

It would have been hard to be Joseph. He had to believe by faith that Mary was having a baby by the Holy Spirit. He then had to travel with Mary to Bethlehem to register.

During the journey, Mary was getting ready to have the baby, and they couldn’t find a room to stay in. So the savior of the world was born in an unlikely place.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. – Luke 2:5-7

All of the Christmas story couldn’t have been easy for Mary and Joseph. I’m sure Mary wondered why the son of God was being born in a stable, rather than a nice place. I’m sure Joseph might have had misgivings about Mary and this new baby.

The Christmas story was less than ideal, but it was also amazing. Because often, God takes the unlikely things and turns them into things He can use. Jesus came into the world at exactly the right time. And He’s still using unlikely people and things to show the love of Jesus today.

You might not feel like you’re the best or the smartest, but God can use you this Christmas season to share His love with someone. So open your heart. Be willing to be used by God and see what God can do through you!

I can’t even imagine being Mary, can you? Here you are, ready to get married, and probably deep in wedding preparation. And then an angel shows up, and what he tells you is about to change everything.

The angel tells her the news that she was going to give birth to a son and call him Jesus. There’s no way can she have a child. And she asks the angel just that, how can this happen? And the angel explains it to her.

Can you imagine? How crazy that would be? How impossible it would sound? And yet, we see in today’s Bible verse Mary’s response.

For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:37-38 (NLT)

Mary believed in God, even when it was impossible.

What do you do when things seem impossible in your life? Do you tend to give up? Google solutions to the problem? What would happen if, like Mary, we just believed God? Would things change if we decided to believe the promises in God’s word over the problems that we face?

Today challenge yourself to look to God’s word for your answers. Yes, Google has some good solutions, but God’s word is truth. It will help you come to the right conclusion every time. Be like Mary and trust God’s word!

As we enter into the Christmas season, it’s easy to make it all about us. Your mom and grandma have probably both asked you for your Christmas lists. And you’ve been thinking it through and trying to decide what exactly it is that you want for Christmas.

Getting gifts is certainly a fun part of the Christmas season. However, it can be really easy to forget what Christmas is really all about. It’s not about the ugly sweater contests, the fun games at your youth group, or getting a few weeks off of school. Christmas is about Jesus.

It’s about how humanity needed a savior. That savior was Jesus. Through Jesus, we can now experience peace with God.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)

So regardless of what you get this Christmas, make sure you take some time to think about the greatest gift you’ve gotten, which is Jesus. Realize that He truly is what Christmas is all about. Take time to think about Him