Good Morning! and Merry Christmas Eve!!!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first, & use as much or little as you’d like.

GET FOCUSED | Start by simply thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
+ Practice gratitude while singing/playing some worship music from Paradox on Spotify.
+ Spend a few moments meditating on today’s Old Testament Scripture: N/A
+ From your reading, finish the sentence “God, you are ___.”
Take time to thank & worship God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in your life.

MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer involves both talking and listening to God.
+ Pray the Lord’s Prayer, or slow down to pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.
+ Use “Lectio Divina” to listen to God in this morning’s Psalm: Psalm 147:7-14
Reading 1 = Focus. What is one word or phrase that Holy Spirit puts on your heart?
Reading 2 = Feelings. Focus on that word or phrase while you read. What do you feel? What specific situation in your life today relates? Reflect and talk with God about it.
Reading 3 = Invitation. What is God’s personal invitation to you from the Scripture?
Take time to journal anything you feel the Lord might be saying to you.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Today’s New Testament reading is from John 1:14-18 & 58-80 , Matthew 1:1-25 & Galatians 4:4-5
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
Observe. Pay attention to what the text says. Ask who, what, when, where, & why.
Interpret. What’s the main point or meaning? What does it teach about God? Yourself?
Apply. Apply this truth to your own life. What can you put into practice today?

A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
“When the time came to completion, God sent his Son…” These are the opening words of Galatians 4:4. They speak something very profound to us. God had a plan. A very specific point into which he intended to bring his grace and truth into the world through Jesus. The symmetry of the genealogy in Matthew 1 is further demonstration that God is working through a discreet timeline, and the birth of Jesus that we are celebrating tonight is a key act in God’s universal story.
So what do we make of all the people in Jesus’ family line and all the “characters” around the birth of Jesus we remember each year and display around our manger scenes? Did God just move them all around like ceramic figurines to execute his script? I don’t believe so. We see throughout history that God used those willing to listen to him and follow his lead. It is a beautiful mystery how God directed this cosmic tale to completion while using players with free will.
But here’s the thing to remember as we celebrate this holy night some 2024 years ago…the play isn’t over. God HAS a plan.
We are in the throes of a new act in God’s story. One that will ultimately end when Jesus returns. When asked when this time would come Jesus told us that no one knows when the final curtain will close but the Father himself. Until then, WE get to be players in God’s story. All of us willing to listen to his direction and follow his lead have a part to play in this epic tale of love and redemption.
Tonight let’s pause to remember the night that Jesus, the main character of God’s story stepped onto the stage.
Tomorrow, let’s ask God: “what’s my next line?”  - Mike Nank

EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by returning to prayer each evening.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy, joyful, anxious, or burdened?
Rejoice = Give thanks to God for the small and the significant things from the day.
Repent = Ask God for forgiveness where you need. Receive His forgiveness afresh.
Refocus = Ask to see God’s presence more clearly & walk w/ Him more closely tomorrow.
+ Practice hearing from God by asking questions like, “Father, what do you want me to know about you?” or “Father, what do you want to say about your love for me?” Simply be still and listen, or journal anything that comes to mind. Learn more about hearing from God using the Tending Your Heart guide.

SHARE THE FOCUS |
+ Pray a Ripple Prayer or use Nations Prayer to pray for the nations & those serving them.
+ Text someone an encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
+ Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.
+ Who can you share what you’re learning with today personally?

That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!