DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Park Cities Baptist Church

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3
“Now faith is being sure of what we
hope for and certain of what we do
not see.” – Hebrews 11:1
Christmas – just the word brings floods
of memories – some good, some sad,
some funny, some magical. I know we
all feel that way. From my first memory
of sitting in my great-grandfather’s
lap on Christmas Eve to the pain of
my first Christmas without someone I
dearly love, I thought it would be a
hard task to pick just one memory,
but I was wrong.
As I reflected on years past, one
poignant moment stood out to me.
That moment is as clear today as
when it occurred 14 years ago. It was
my daughter’s first Christmas Eve.
We spent the evening, as I had for
many years, with our dear friend Jane.
Jane had been blind since her early
twenties, but in all the many times I
spent with her I never once heard her
complain. She “saw” by feeling. As we
entered her home that evening, she
was sitting in her living room
surrounded by friends and family.
When she heard my voice she asked
me to bring the baby over to sit in her
lap. I immediately complied. The
baby was wearing a soft, green velvet
dress with a lace collar and lace trim.
Jane felt her little cheeks and her soft
dress and proclaimed, “Oh, she is
beautiful!” And then, very softly she
said just to me, “I wish I could see
her.” In all my life, that is the only
time I heard her say that.
Many times since that evening I have
thought of that moment and Hebrews
11:1. Just as Jane was certain my
daughter was beautiful (and she is!), I
am certain in the love Christ has for
us. I can’t see it, but I can feel it every
moment of every day. That night was
my most tangible example of faith.
FOR DISCUSSION:
Christ’s love this week.
• In what ways can you be an
example of faith for someone today?
Kathie Smith is the Assistant to
Rodney Schell, Executive Pastor.
Kathie, her husband, Larry, and
daughter, Alyssa, enjoy their life on
the farm south of Dallas.
One of my favorite Christmas
memories came when I was in high
school. As a family, my parents, three
sisters and one brother-in-law, we
went on a ski trip to Utah. We flew
out early Christmas morning, and I
can still remember us all getting up
early and heading to the airport
together. We spent a week on that
trip, and I remember it as a great
time of being together. Of course
Christmas has always been one of my
favorite times of the year, but my
favorite thing about Christmas is
being together--together with family.
When you get right down to it,
togetherness is what Christmas has
always been about. God loved me so
much that He sent his Son to earth to
live a perfect life and die in my place
so that He and I could be together.
This Christmas season, as we no
doubt, will all be together, let’s not
forget the One who gave so much to
be together with us.
“For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV
FOR DISCUSSION:
• What are some of your favorite
ways your family celebrates and
experiences togetherness during the
Christmas season?
• How can you celebrate and
experience togetherness with God
in a new and special way this year
at Christmas?
Damon Berry, Minister of Sports
Outreach, and his wife, Anna, have
two daughters, Brailyn and Camdyn.