Summary of this week's sermon
Every week we want to have a 5 day devotional recapping our previous sermon so we can grow deeper together.
This Sunday Pastor Scott continued in our series for Christmas entitled, "Through the Eyes of." This is week we are looking at The Wisemen.
Day 1: From Wonder to Wisdom
Devotional
Have you ever noticed how a child's eyes light up when they see something amazing for the first time? That sense of wonder is precious, and it's exactly what drove the wise men to begin their incredible journey. When they saw the star, they didn't dismiss it or try to explain it away. Instead, they let that wonder push them toward seeking truth. The wise men may have been descendants of those who learned from Daniel centuries earlier. Imagine generations of faithful people passing down the promise of a coming King, keeping the flame of expectation alive through 600 years of waiting. When the star finally appeared, their wonder didn't make them passive observers—it motivated them to action. Too often, we lose our sense of wonder about God. We become so familiar with His promises that we stop being amazed by them. But wonder is meant to lead us somewhere. It should push us toward seeking God more deeply, studying His Word more carefully, and pursuing Him more passionately. The wise men's wonder led them on an 800-mile journey. What journey is your wonder leading you on today? Maybe it's time to let amazement at God's goodness motivate you to seek Him in new ways. Don't let familiarity rob you of the wonder that should characterize every believer's relationship with Jesus.
Bible Verse
'I will look up to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.' - Psalm 121:1-2
Reflection Question
What aspect of God's character or His work in your life still fills you with wonder, and how can you let that wonder motivate you to seek Him more deeply?
Quote
The wonder of the star pushed these wise men to the wisdom of the scripture.
Prayer
Lord, help me never to lose the wonder of who You are and what You've done. Let my amazement at Your goodness push me toward seeking You more earnestly. Rekindle the sense of awe that should mark my relationship with You.
Day 2: Knowledge Without Movement
Devotional
Picture this: you have the answer to the most important question in history sitting right in front of you, but you choose not to act on it. That's exactly what happened with Jerusalem's religious leaders. When asked where the Messiah would be born, they immediately quoted Micah 5:2—Bethlehem. They had the right answer, the correct information, and perfect theological knowledge. But here's the heartbreaking part: Bethlehem was only six miles away. A two-hour walk. Yet not one of them made the journey to see if their Messiah had actually arrived. They had spent their lives studying about the coming King, but when He came, they were too comfortable in their knowledge to actually seek Him. This reveals something dangerous that can happen to any of us. We can become so familiar with spiritual truth that we stop being moved by it. We can know all the right answers, quote all the right verses, and still miss Jesus entirely. Knowledge without movement is spiritually deadly. The religious leaders had 400 years of accumulated wisdom, but they lacked the one thing that mattered most: a heart that was actively seeking God. They were content to be experts about God rather than seekers of God. Don't let this be your story. Let your knowledge of God's Word drive you toward deeper relationship with Him, not away from it.
Bible Verse
'But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.' - Deuteronomy 4:29
Reflection Question
In what areas of your spiritual life have you become comfortable with knowledge without allowing it to motivate you toward deeper seeking and relationship with God?
Quote
The people who had the answers were not the ones seeking the king.
Prayer
Father, don't let me become satisfied with knowing about You. Give me a heart that constantly seeks You, not just information about You. Help me to act on what I know and to let my knowledge draw me closer to You.
Day 3: The Danger of Familiarity
Devotional
There's something beautiful about a well-worn Bible, pages soft from years of reading, verses highlighted and notes scribbled in margins. But there's also a hidden danger lurking in that familiarity. When we become too comfortable with God's Word, we risk losing the very thing that should characterize our relationship with Him: the heart of a seeker. The religious leaders in Jerusalem had this problem. They knew the Scriptures inside and out. They could quote prophecies from memory and explain theological concepts with precision. But somewhere along the way, they stopped seeking and started expecting. They became content with their existing knowledge rather than hungry for fresh encounters with God. Familiarity can be a relationship killer in any context. When we stop being curious about someone we love, when we assume we know everything about them, the relationship begins to stagnate. The same thing happens with God. When we replace wonder with routine, seeking with assuming, we miss out on the dynamic, growing relationship He desires with us. The wise men, on the other hand, had limited knowledge but unlimited hunger. They didn't have all the answers, but they had something more valuable: hearts that were actively pursuing Jesus. They were willing to travel 800 miles based on a star and a hope. That's the heart of a true seeker—someone who values the relationship more than the information.
Bible Verse
'You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.' - Jeremiah 29:13
Reflection Question
How can you guard against spiritual familiarity and maintain a heart that actively seeks Jesus rather than just accumulating knowledge about Him?
Quote
The danger of familiarity is we start expecting instead of seeking.
Prayer
Lord, protect me from the danger of familiarity. Keep my heart hungry for You, not just information about You. Help me to seek You with fresh eyes and an expectant heart every day.
Day 4: Seeking the Creator, Not Just Creation
Devotional
Imagine receiving a beautiful love letter from someone special. You could analyze the handwriting, study the paper quality, and memorize every word—but if you never respond to the person who wrote it, you've missed the entire point. This is exactly what can happen with our approach to God's Word. The religious leaders had become experts at studying the letter without pursuing the Letter-Writer. They could dissect prophecies, explain theological concepts, and quote Scripture with precision. But they had lost sight of the fundamental purpose of God's Word: to lead us into relationship with Him. We face the same temptation today. It's possible to become so focused on gaining biblical knowledge that we forget we're supposed to be seeking the God who gave us the Bible. We can crave information without craving the Information-Giver. We can pursue wisdom while neglecting the relationship with the One who is Wisdom itself. The wise men understood something profound: they weren't just seeking answers; they were seeking a Person. They didn't have extensive theological training, but they had hearts that were pursuing Jesus. That's what made them truly wise. True wisdom isn't measured by how much you know about God, but by how earnestly you're seeking to know God Himself. Knowledge is meant to be a bridge to relationship, not a destination in itself. Every truth you learn about God should draw you closer to Him, not make you feel like you've arrived.
Bible Verse
'And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.' - Hebrews 11:6
Reflection Question
Are you seeking information about God or seeking God Himself, and what's the difference in how these two approaches affect your daily relationship with Him?
Quote
We are not supposed to be seeking the info from this book. We are supposed to be seeking the Creator, the author of this book.
Prayer
God, help me to seek You, not just knowledge about You. Let every truth I learn draw me closer to Your heart. Make me a seeker of relationship, not just information.
Day 5: The Cost of True Worship
Devotional
Picture the scene: grown men, probably wealthy and influential, traveling hundreds of miles to bow down before a toddler in a humble home. By any worldly standard, it was absurd. But that's exactly what true worship looks like—it defies logic and costs us something. The wise men didn't just bring their presence; they brought their treasures. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh—expensive gifts that represented real sacrifice. They understood something that the religious leaders missed: authentic worship always requires something of us. It costs time, resources, pride, and comfort. Meanwhile, the religious leaders in Jerusalem had all the knowledge they needed but chose comfort over costly pursuit. They could have made the short journey to Bethlehem, but it would have required effort, humility, and the willingness to be wrong about their expectations of how the Messiah would come. This challenges us today. Are we willing to worship Jesus in ways that cost us something? Or are we content to be spiritual spectators, watching from a distance without real investment? True worship isn't just singing songs or attending services—it's the costly decision to pursue Jesus with everything we have. The wise men were called wise not because of their education or social status, but because they were pursuing Jesus. That pursuit led them to worship, and that worship cost them something. When following Jesus doesn't cost you anything, you're not worshiping—you're just watching.
Bible Verse
'Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."' - Matthew 2:1-2
Reflection Question
What is following Jesus currently costing you, and how does that cost reflect the authenticity of your worship and commitment to Him?
Quote
When you worship Jesus, it will cost you Something.
Prayer
Jesus, I want to worship You with more than just words. Help me to pursue You in ways that cost me something. Give me the courage to sacrifice comfort, pride, and resources in my pursuit of You.