Enter 2026 with Purpose: Growing in Grace
Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 5 – PURPOSE (WATCH HERE)
Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
A new year often arrives with high expectations. We tell ourselves that this year will be different. We resolve to be more disciplined, more focused, more faithful. While intention is good, it can quietly turn into pressure. Growth becomes something we must achieve rather than something God nurtures.
Luke’s brief description of Jesus’ early life offers a gentler and truer picture of growth. Jesus grew in strength and wisdom, and God’s grace was upon Him. Growth was not rushed. It unfolded over time, under the care and favor of God. That matters because it reminds us that growth is not about instant transformation, but faithful formation.
God cares about our whole lives: body, mind, and spirit. Scripture affirms that our physical well-being matters, that wisdom is worth pursuing, and that spiritual growth is essential. Yet none of these are meant to become burdens we carry alone. Growth flows from grace, not guilt.
As you begin this year, it may be helpful to shift the question. Instead of asking, “What do I need to fix?” ask, “How is God inviting me to grow?” Growth often begins with small, ordinary practices: consistent prayer, regular worship, time in Scripture, learning something new, caring for your body, seeking rest. These are not ways to earn God’s approval; they are ways to receive His ongoing care.
It is also important to remember that growth is rarely linear. There will be seasons of clarity and seasons of struggle. God’s grace is present in both. A new year is not a demand for perfection; it is an invitation to trust that God is still at work in you.
Begin this year not with anxiety about who you should become, but with confidence in whose you already are. God is faithful to complete what He has begun.
Reflection:
Which area of my life needs intentional care this year?
What small, sustainable step can I take toward growth this week?
Prayer:
Gracious God, as this new year begins, lead me in paths of faithful growth. Help me care for my body, renew my mind, and deepen my trust in You. Shape me by Your grace, one day at a time. Amen.
Purpose: Finishing the Year in Peace
Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 5 – PURPOSE (WATCH HERE)
Luke 2:29–32 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
New Year’s Eve has a way of slowing us down, even if only briefly. The calendar forces a pause. We look back over the year that is ending and instinctively begin to evaluate it. Some memories bring gratitude—moments of joy, provision, growth. Others bring regret, disappointment, or unresolved pain. Very few of us arrive at December 31 feeling finished or complete.
That is why Simeon’s words are so striking. Holding the infant Jesus, he says he can now depart in peace. His life feels complete, not because everything was easy or fully understood, but because God’s promise had been fulfilled. Simeon’s peace did not depend on how much time he had left, how successful his life appeared, or whether all his questions were answered. Peace came from seeing God’s salvation.
As this year ends, Simeon invites us to rest in the same place. Peace is not found in having a “good year” by worldly standards. It is found in trusting a faithful God. When we measure our lives by performance, peace is fragile. When we measure our lives by promise, peace becomes possible even in unfinished seasons.
This matters because many of us carry quiet burdens into the end of the year. There are conversations we wish had gone differently, goals we never reached, losses we still feel. Ending the year in peace does not mean pretending those things don’t exist. It means placing them into God’s hands rather than carrying them forward alone.
Scripture reminds us that God’s mercies are new every morning. That means they have been present every day of the year now ending, including the days we would rather forget. God has not abandoned you in your weariness, nor has He overlooked your faithfulness, however small it felt.
Take time tonight to name God’s presence in the past year. Where did He sustain you? Where did He forgive you? Where did He quietly provide what you needed, even when you didn’t recognize it at the time? Peace grows when remembrance is shaped by trust rather than regret.
As the clock approaches midnight, you do not need to resolve everything. You are invited to rest. Like Simeon, you can entrust your life, past, present, and future, to the God who keeps His promises.
Reflection:
Where did I see God’s faithfulness this year, even in difficult moments?
What do I need to release to God as this year comes to a close?
Prayer:
Faithful God, as this year ends, I thank You for Your mercy that has sustained me every step of the way. I place my regrets, my grief, and my unfinished stories into Your hands. Grant me peace—not because everything is resolved, but because You are trustworthy. Amen.
Purpose: From Comfort to the Cross
Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 5 – PURPOSE (WATCH HERE)
Luke 2:34–35 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
The scene in the temple shifts quickly. What began with praise and peace now turns solemn. Simeon blesses Mary and Joseph, then speaks words that are both true and heavy: this child will not only bring salvation, but division. Hearts will be revealed. Resistance will rise. And Mary herself will feel deep pain. Even here, at the beginning of Jesus’ life, the shadow of the cross falls across the story.
It is tempting to think of purpose as something that brings clarity, ease, and satisfaction. Yet Simeon reminds us that God’s purpose often comes with struggle. The same Jesus who brings peace also brings confrontation. He exposes what we cling to, what we fear, and what we trust. Following Him is not about finding comfort, but about trusting God even when obedience costs us something.
Jesus later makes this clear when He calls His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. The cross is not an optional accessory of the Christian life. It is the shape of it. To follow Christ is to let go of the illusion that life should always be easy, safe, or predictable. The cross disrupts our desire to control outcomes and protect ourselves at all costs.
Mary would learn this slowly and painfully. The joy of the manger would one day give way to the grief of the cross. The child she cradled would be rejected, mocked, and crucified. Yet even then, God’s purpose was not lost. What looked like defeat was the very means by which God brought salvation to the world. The cross reveals the depth of human brokenness and the even greater depth of God’s love.
This challenges us because we naturally seek comfort. We build our lives around minimizing pain and maximizing ease. We prefer a faith that reassures without demanding, that inspires without disrupting. But purpose rooted in Christ often leads us into places we would not choose on our own…into forgiveness that feels costly, service that goes unnoticed, obedience that requires trust rather than certainty.
Still, the cross is never the final word. Jesus does not call us to carry crosses alone or without hope. He goes before us. He bears the ultimate weight of sin and death so that even our suffering is not wasted. In Christ, God meets us not by removing every hardship, but by redeeming it.
As you reflect on your own life, consider where comfort may be shaping your choices more than faithfulness. Are there places where God is inviting you to trust Him more deeply, even if it means discomfort? Following Jesus does not mean seeking suffering for its own sake. It means trusting that God is at work even when the path is hard.
The good news is that the same Savior who calls us to follow Him is also the one who carries us. Purpose is not found in avoiding the cross, but in walking with Christ through it—confident that His resurrection promise still stands.
Reflection:
Where am I tempted to choose comfort over faithfulness?
What might it look like to trust Christ more deeply in a difficult area of my life?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You know how quickly I seek comfort and avoid the cross. Give me faith to trust You when following is hard. Remind me that You go before me, that Your grace is sufficient, and that Your purposes are always good even when the road is difficult. Amen.
Purpose: Living for Christ, Not the Clock
Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 5 – PURPOSE (WATCH HERE)
Luke 2:25–32 (NIV) 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
We are very good at measuring life. We count birthdays, track milestones, mark accomplishments, and quietly compare ourselves to others. We ask questions like, How long will I live? What have I achieved? Did I make the most of my time? Scripture invites us to ask a better question: For whom am I living?
Simeon helps reframe how we think about purpose. Luke tells us that Simeon was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was not described by his career, his status, or even his age. He was known for waiting—waiting with hope rooted in God’s promise. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Lord’s Messiah before he died, and Simeon trusted that promise even as the days passed.
When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus into the temple, Simeon recognized what others easily missed. This was not just another child. This was God’s salvation in human flesh. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God, declaring that he could now depart in peace. His purpose was fulfilled, not because his life was long or impressive, but because God kept His promise.
Simeon’s story is a beautiful picture of justification by faith. Simeon did not achieve peace; he received it. Peace came not from his devotion or his waiting, but from holding Christ. The same is true for us. Our purpose is not earned by how well we live, how productive we are, or how much we accomplish. Our purpose is given to us in Christ.
Psalm 90:12 reminds us to number our days, not so we panic or strive harder, but so we gain a heart of wisdom. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” That wisdom is knowing that our lives are not ultimately about us. As Paul says in Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ.” Christ is not just part of life; He is our life. Everything else, work, family, success, even suffering, finds its meaning in Him.
As you look toward a new year, consider one simple practice that keeps Christ at the center—daily Scripture reading, regular prayer, worship, or intentional conversations about faith. These do not create purpose; they keep us connected to the One who does.
Reflection:
What currently defines success in my life?
How would my days look different if Christ truly defined my purpose?
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to number my days with wisdom. Free me from measuring my worth by time, productivity, or success. Fix my eyes on Christ, my salvation and peace. As I wait, help me trust Your promises and live faithfully where You have placed me. Amen.
Peace that continues…
Today’s devotion is based on Come Home for Christmas Week 4 – PEACE (WATCH HERE)
Isaiah 32:17 -18 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
The day after Christmas often feels quieter. The songs fade, the gatherings thin out, and ordinary life begins to return. Yet the gift we celebrated yesterday has not diminished. Christ has come, and with Him comes peace that does not depend on a season or a mood. Today invites us to consider how the peace that we experience on Christmas becomes a peace that shapes the way we live.
From the manger, our Savior invites us to orient our hearts and lives to the peace that he brings. Isaiah reminds us that the fruit of righteousness is peace and that God’s people will dwell in quiet resting places. Peace is not presented as a fragile feeling but as a lasting result of Jesus’ work on our behalf and as we walk rightly with God. When our lives are aligned with His ways, peace grows naturally. It settles our hearts and steadies our steps, even when the world around us remains uncertain.
To receive peace from Christ is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of a mission. Those who belong to God reflect His character, and one of His most beautiful traits is peace that restores and reconciles.
On this day after Christmas, we remember that Jesus did not arrive in a calm world. He was born into tension, oppression, and fear. Yet His presence introduced a new reality. Peace entered quietly, like light filling a dark room. It did not shout or demand attention, but it changed everything it touched. When Christ rules our hearts, His peace spreads in the same way. Others begin to notice a steadiness, a hope, a gentleness that cannot be explained by circumstances alone.
Living as people of peace means walking closely with Jesus and carrying His presence into anxious and broken places. It means allowing His rule to shape our responses. In conversations marked by stress or conflict, we choose patience instead of pressure. We listen before speaking. We respond with grace rather than defensiveness. Sometimes peacemaking looks like sharing how Jesus met us in our own fear and gave us rest. At other times it looks like quiet faithfulness and prayerful endurance.
Peace is not passive. It is active trust in God’s grace. As we step into the days following Christmas, opportunities will come to embody this peace. Family dynamics may be strained. Work and school pressures may return quickly. News headlines may stir worry. In each moment, Christ invites us to be reminded that he came to bring peace between us and God and then empower us to live differently, to let His peace guide our words, posture, and choices.
Take time today to ask where God wants you to bring his peace forward into your day and year ahead. Remember that peace grows as we walk in step with Jesus. The world does not need louder voices. It needs hearts anchored in the Prince of Peace.
Prayer: Lord, make us people of peace. Let Your shalom shape our lives and flow through us to a restless world. Use us to point people to you to find peace in the manger and always have that peace in their hearts, Amen.