Free Reading Plans and Devotionals related to Matthew 1:21

Not many people knew about the first Christmas when Jesus was born physically on earth. Just a handful of people celebrated the first Christmas and were blessed. Even today, while many people celebrate Christmas, not everyone is blessed during this season. Let's take time to learn how to position ourselves for heaven's attention this Christmas.

Christmas is a time to pause, ponder, and praise the gift Jesus. Rather than succumbing to the unwanted burden of financial and social obligations, we must intentionally seek stillness to hear the voice of God. Much of our loss of peace comes with the financial pressures we feel when the emphasis of the season is on buying gifts.This plan will help you focus on what really matters at Christmas.

Does comparison steal your holiday joy? Do you feel constant pressure to look better, be better, or have better things during the holiday season? If you've ever felt discouraged after scrolling social media or disheartened after learning about a friend's fabulous holiday--stress not! This plan is for you. Author and podcast host Heather Creekmore takes you on a 4-day practical and relatable journey to help you enjoy a comparison-free Christmas.

The vocations represented in the characters of Christmas can teach us a lot about God and how our work is a means of co-laboring with “the newborn King.” In this four-day plan, we’ll look at the vocations of Joseph, Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds to draw out applications for our own work today.

At Christmastime, Advent calendars serve as tangible reminders of expectation slowly moving toward fulfillment. Likewise, the Old Testament records how the failures and weaknesses of God’s people created a longing and a need for a perfect King to come. This four-day plan reminds us that Jesus’ birth wasn’t an isolated event but the fulfillment of God’s promise to establish His kingdom forever. In Christ alone we find our long-expected, perfect King.

It’s easy to feel small in a world filled with seven billion people, especially when there are people with titles like president, king, or even influencer. But most of the people in the Christmas story weren’t all that powerful or famous, and yet they played a part in one of the greatest stories ever told! This four-day devotional will remind us that everyone has a role in God’s story.

The Bible tells the wonderful story of Jesus' birth – but what was happening behind the scenes? Have we added to the story? Believed things that aren't true? Let’s take a look at scholars’ further scrutiny of God’s Word and into the customs of the times to learn even more about the cast of characters and our Savior’s entrance into the world on that amazing night.

Discover the wonder of the Christmas story with fresh eyes - looking deeper at the tough experiences, challenging settings, and real people it's made up of. At its heart, the Nativity isn't a cute kids' play: it's the gritty, wondrous story of Jesus entering the mess and madness of the human world.

In this 4-part devotional, Pastor Dylan Dodson asks, “what if some of the big promises in Scripture are actually true?” This plan will encourage you as you see that Scripture is a unified story that finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

Game systems… new clothes… snacks that are honestly kind of gross but we eat them because it’s tradition… We are talking about GIFTS! Over the next few days, we will be focusing in on the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive: the Savior of the world… Jesus!