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The First Week of January

Writer's picture: Hannah Jones-NelsonHannah Jones-Nelson



We Read…


What goals do you have for this new year? Nothing is really that different between 11:59 p.m. on December 31st and 12:00 a.m. on January 1st, but celebrating the New Year gives us time to intentionally pause and reflect. It is a great excuse to try something new, give up a bad habit, or recenter yourself. 


In the Bible, time after time, we watch as God works wonders for God’s people, but time after time, we watch as they turn away from God, question God, face exile, and wonder, “Where is God???”. Have we ever felt this in our own lives? Sometimes, it can feel like God is silent or isn’t with us, but this isn’t true. We know that the Spirit is with us, even when we don’t feel that way or hear audibly from God. And the Bible tells us that we are called to praise God, even in these moments. In the moments where we feel lost, we continue to praise. In the moments of silence, we praise. We know that God is with us, will guide us, and will save us. 


What if we took time this New Year to have a heart posture of praise? How would that change our hearts and lives? God has made Godself known to us through Jesus, and that is good news for us. Even in the mundane and difficult moments, we know that Jesus goes with us, and we can praise God for that! 



Jeremiah 31:7-14

7 The Lord proclaims: 

Sing joyfully for the people of Jacob; 

shout for the leading nation. 

Raise your voices with praise and call out: 

“The Lord has saved his people, 

the remaining few in Israel!” 

8 I’m going to bring them back 

from the north; 

I will gather them 

from the ends of the earth. 

Among them will be 

the blind and the disabled, 

expectant mothers and those in labor; 

a great throng will return here. 

9 With tears of joy they will come; 

while they pray, I will bring them back. 

I will lead them by quiet streams 

and on smooth paths 

so they don’t stumble. 

I will be Israel’s father, 

Ephraim will be my oldest child. 

10 Listen to the Lord’s word, you nations, 

and announce it to the distant islands: 

The one who scattered Israel 

will gather them 

and keep them safe, 

as a shepherd his flock. 

11 The Lord will rescue the people of Jacob 

and deliver them from the power 

of those stronger than they are. 

12 They will come shouting for joy 

on the hills of Zion, 

jubilant over the Lord’s gifts: 

grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds. 

Their lives will be like a lush garden; 

they will grieve no more. 

13 Then the young women 

will dance for joy; 

the young and old men will join in. 

I will turn their mourning into laughter 

and their sadness into joy; 

I will comfort them. 

14 I will lavish the priests with abundance 

and shower my people with my gifts, 

declares the Lord. 


Psalm 147:12-20

12 Worship the Lord, Jerusalem! 

Praise your God, Zion! 

13 Because God secures the bars 

on your gates, 

God blesses the children 

you have there. 

14 God establishes your borders peacefully. 

God fills you full 

with the very best wheat. 

15 God issues his command to the earth— 

God’s word speeds off fast! 

16 God spreads snow like it was wool; 

God scatters frost like it was ashes; 

17 God throws his hail down like crumbs— 

who can endure God’s freezing cold? 

18 Then God issues his word 

and melts it all away! 

God makes his winds blow; 

the water flows again. 

19 God proclaims his word to Jacob; 

his statutes and rules to Israel. 

20 God hasn’t done that 

with any other nation; 

those nations have no knowledge 

of God’s rules. 

Praise the Lord! 


Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. 4 God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. 5 God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. 7 We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, 8 which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding. 9 God revealed his hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. 13 You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory. 


John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God 

and the Word was God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 Everything came into being through the Word, 

and without the Word nothing came into being. 

What came into being 4 through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, 

and the darkness doesn’t 

extinguish the light. 


6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. 8 He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light. 9 The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. 


10 The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light. 11 The light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him. 12 But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God’s children, 13 born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 5 John testified about him, crying out, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.’ ” 16 From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace; 17 as the Law was given through Moses, so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made God known. 



We Think…


  • What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense?

  • How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or the church? What are you considering?

  • What questions come to mind?

  • Why did Jesus’s people struggle to recognize who he was?

  • What does it mean for God to be our shepherd and our guide?



We Feel…


  • What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?

  • Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, a friend or adult that cares for you)?

  • What has God made new in your life? In your heart?

  • When have you struggled to praise God? When has it been easy for you?

  • What does redemption in Christ look like in your own life?



We Believe…


In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. We believe in the Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one God with three persons; we believe God has always existed in this way. How does it change what we believe about the Word of God when we see that the Word is Jesus? The Word reveals God to us, the Word came to be with us, the Word guides us, and the Word is Jesus.



We Practice…


Start this year by practicing intentional praise to God. Maybe this comes through reading a psalm every morning, making a list of praises each day, texting a friend each evening with praises, or incorporating prayers of praise into your daily prayer rhythm. By refocusing on what God has done for us, even in the small moments, we can better align our hearts and attitudes with Jesus!


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