Click here to watch our seventh and final storybook entry! Did you find “baby Jesus” the other times? Keep your eye’s open and see if you can spot him today!

Also, did you find “baby Jesus” last Sunday?! Make sure when you go to Grow Zone for Christmas Eve you look for him!

PARENTS, tomorrow’s activity has a challenge to complete at check in for Grow Zone tomorrow! In case you typically do the advent calendar at night you may want to look ahead!

This week we are talking about the Wise Men and the gifts they brought Jesus when they met Him. They didn’t fully understand who Jesus was but they knew He was important. Once they met Him, He changed everything!

Today we want to challenge you to have a conversation with your parents. Begin by asking the following question and make sure to answer yourself.

If you met Jesus, and you had to bring a gift for Him, what would you bring?

Pause where you are and ask God to open your eyes to see Him today.

Specifically ask for Him to show you ways that you focus your worship on things of this world instead of on Him.

The incarnation wasn’t just about God showing up—it was about God showing us how to live.

Think about what Jesus gave up. He didn’t cling to His divine privileges or leverage His position for comfort. Instead, He emptied Himself, stepping into our messy, broken world with all its limitations and pain. This wasn’t a reluctant sacrifice or a dramatic gesture. It was love taking the form of a servant, choosing humility over honor, choosing connection over control.

READ

Let’s take a moment to read Philippians 2:5-11

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

REFLECT

Paul reminds us that the mindset of Jesus is marked by humility. Even though He was fully God, He didn’t cling to His status or power. Instead, He chose to step down, becoming human and living as a servant. His obedience went all the way to the cross, showing that real greatness isn’t about being above others but about lowering yourself in love for them.

Because of this humility, God exalted Jesus to the highest place, giving Him the name above every name. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. In the upside-down kingdom, humility leads to glory, sacrifice leads to life. For us, it’s a call to live with the same mindset: serving others, laying down pride, and pointing people to Jesus through the way we love.

The incarnation teaches us that love doesn’t stay theoretical or distant. Love gets its hands dirty. Love enters into difficulty. Love makes itself vulnerable. When Jesus became human, He wasn’t just visiting our world; He was showing us that authentic love requires presence, humility, and sacrifice.

This Advent, as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, we’re invited to examine our own hearts. Where are we clinging too tightly to our own comfort, our own way, our own advantages? Where might God be calling us to take on the mind of Christ—to humble ourselves, to serve sacrificially, to love courageously?

The amazing thing about Jesus coming to earth is that it wasn’t just a one-time event to save us—it’s also an example of how we’re meant to live. Jesus showed us what real love looks like: humble, selfless, and willing to put others first. When we live with that same kind of love, people around us get a glimpse of God. We become living reminders of His love in our schools, on our teams, in our families, and with our friends.

Jesus didn’t just tell us to love—He showed us how. He descended into our darkness so that we might ascend into His light. He emptied Himself so that we might be filled. He humbled Himself so that we might know the exalted life of belonging to God.

Let today’s scripture passage remind you that the way down is the way up, that humility is the path to true honor, and that self-giving love is the heartbeat of the kingdom.

• How is humility different from weakness? How does Jesus’ example challenge the way we usually think about power?

• What areas of your life might God be inviting you to surrender your advantages or comfort for the sake of loving others?

PRAY

Jesus, thank You for not clinging to Your divine privileges but choosing to enter our world as a servant. Transform my heart to have Your mindset—humble, sacrificial, and fully committed to love. Help me release my grip on my own rights and reputation, and give me courage to follow. Your example of self-giving love in every relationship and situation I encounter this week. Amen.

READ

The incarnation wasn't just about God showing up—it was about God showing us how to live.

Think about what Jesus gave up. He didn't cling to His divine privileges or leverage His position for comfort. Instead, He emptied Himself, stepping into our messy, broken world with all its limitations and pain. This wasn't a reluctant sacrifice or a dramatic gesture. It was love taking the form of a servant, choosing humility over honor, choosing connection over control.

Let’s take a moment to read Philippians 2:5-11:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

REFLECT

Paul tells us to have this same mindset. But what does that actually mean for us today? It means that the way we love others should mirror the way Jesus loved us. It means that when we're tempted to assert our rights, protect our reputation, or demand our way, we pause and ask: "What would self-giving love look like in this moment?"

Consider Mary and Joseph, who said yes to God's plan even when it meant confusion, shame, and uncertainty. They embodied this humble, obedient love long before Jesus took His first breath. Their willingness to surrender their plans for God's purpose reveals what the mind of Christ looks like in real time—it's not always comfortable, but it's always guided by love.

The incarnation teaches us that love doesn't stay theoretical or distant. Love gets its hands dirty. Love enters into difficulty. Love makes itself vulnerable. When Jesus became human, He wasn't just visiting our world; He was showing us that authentic love requires presence, humility, and sacrifice.

This Advent, as we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth, we're invited to examine our own hearts. Where are we clinging too tightly to our own comfort, our own way, our own advantages? Where might God be calling us to take on the mind of Christ—to humble ourselves, to serve sacrificially, to love courageously?

The beauty of the incarnation is that it wasn't a one-time event meant only to secure our salvation. It was also a pattern, a blueprint for how we're meant to live as people transformed by God's love. When we embody the same humble, self-giving love that Jesus demonstrated, we become living testimonies to the power of the gospel. We become incarnations of God's love in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes.

Jesus didn't just tell us to love—He showed us how. He descended into our darkness so that we might ascend into His light. He emptied Himself so that we might be filled. He humbled Himself so that we might know the exalted life of belonging to God.

Let today’s scripture passage remind you that the way down is the way up, that humility is the path to true honor, and that self-giving love is the heartbeat of the kingdom of God.

RESPOND

Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.

• How can you embody the same humble, self-giving love that Jesus demonstrated in His incarnation?

• What areas of your life might God be inviting you to surrender your advantages or comfort for the sake of loving others?

• In what practical ways can you "make yourself nothing" by serving those around you this week?

REST

Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:

Jesus, thank You for not clinging to Your divine privileges but choosing to enter our world as a servant. Transform my heart to have Your mindset—humble, sacrificial, and fully committed to love. Help me release my grip on my own rights and reputation, and give me courage to follow Your example of self-giving love in every relationship and situation I encounter this week. Amen.