Online Only Service!

Pathways Church, on Sunday, December 31, we will be offering online viewing only. Our prayer is that you will use this time at home to connect with your family and/or friends and to draw near to God while being mindful of the miracle God blessed us with by sending his Son to set us free and forever be called his children. You may watch online with us on Facebook, YouTube or our website.

We pray that as you spend time at home you find yourself surrounded by God's presence. So gather your friends and family, prepare your hearts for entering into a new year, and be ready to join us online at 8:30AM or 10AM on December 31!

Pathways Students High School & MVMNT we will not be meeting on Sunday, December 24th but please take some time to review the Christmas devotional below as a family!

Students Devotional

SCRIPTURE READING — LUKE 2:8-14

At the time when Jesus was born, life for shepherds was hard. Their days and nights were spent in the dreary routine of taking care of sheep. Society looked down on them as lowlifes and scoundrels. They had little reason to be joyful.

But shepherds were the ones to whom the angel brought the good news that would cause great joy: A Savior had been born! It was God’s way of saying that he identifies with the down and out, the outcasts of society, the undesirables. And on that night, whatever darkness they were facing was transformed into the most beautiful light they’d ever seen, as the angels of heaven joined in singing, “Glory to God in the highest. . . .” For those shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem, life would never be the same.

Perhaps on this Christmas Day you are finding it difficult to feel joy. Perhaps there is an empty chair at your table. Perhaps you’re thinking about a family member who has turned away from the Lord or is no longer a part of your life. Perhaps you have been diagnosed with a terrible illness. Whatever the reason, you don’t feel like celebrating.

If so, the Christmas message is for you. There is good news with great joy also for you. Why? Because the Savior came to make things right. He came to heal the brokenhearted, to bring light into your darkness.

Prayer

Father in heaven, help us to catch a glimpse of the light the Savior came to bring. We ask this in his name. Amen.

Pathways Students & Pathways Kids ROOTS we will not be meeting on Wednesday, December 27th but please take some time to review the Christmas devotional below as a family!

Kids Devotional

Bible Readings

Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.

Acts 22:1-21

Memory Verse

Romans 10:13

All who call out to the Lord will be saved. (CEV)

Reading

Have you ever had a big problem that you couldn’t fix on your own? Maybe you got a bad grade in school or you messed up and caused a sibling to get hurt. Who helped you understand that what you had done was wrong? Maybe your teacher explained the right answers for the assignment, or your parents showed you how misbehavior can affect other people.

Paul made the worst choices and messed up in a huge way. In Acts 22, Paul tells his life story about how even though he used to put people who loved Jesus in jail, Jesus still saved him. Of course, you haven’t done the incredibly bad things Paul did, but no one- not Paul... not you...not me- can earn God's forgiveness. Just as Jesus had done for Paul, he helps us recognize our sin. It’s Jesus who can pay the price. Remember the Christmas story: God sent Jesus to pay for all the wrong that we’ve done.

So what do we do now? In thankfulness for God’s forgiveness and Jesus’ sacrifice, Christians are called to spread the good news about God’s mercy. Be patient with family and friends, and forgive those who cause trouble for you. By showing patience and forgiveness to others, you can help your family and friends celebrate a peaceful Christmas and focus on its true meaning: the birth of Jesus, God's merciful gift to the world.

Prayer

Dear Merciful God, thank you for sending Jesus as your gift to the world. Help me to remember to share the good news with others, and to be merciful just as you are merciful to me. Amen.

Students Devotional

SCRIPTURE READING — LUKE 2:8-14

At the time when Jesus was born, life for shepherds was hard. Their days and nights were spent in the dreary routine of taking care of sheep. Society looked down on them as lowlifes and scoundrels. They had little reason to be joyful.

But shepherds were the ones to whom the angel brought the good news that would cause great joy: A Savior had been born! It was God’s way of saying that he identifies with the down and out, the outcasts of society, the undesirables. And on that night, whatever darkness they were facing was transformed into the most beautiful light they’d ever seen, as the angels of heaven joined in singing, “Glory to God in the highest. . . .” For those shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem, life would never be the same.

Perhaps on this Christmas Day you are finding it difficult to feel joy. Perhaps there is an empty chair at your table. Perhaps you’re thinking about a family member who has turned away from the Lord or is no longer a part of your life. Perhaps you have been diagnosed with a terrible illness. Whatever the reason, you don’t feel like celebrating.

If so, the Christmas message is for you. There is good news with great joy also for you. Why? Because the Savior came to make things right. He came to heal the brokenhearted, to bring light into your darkness.

Prayer

Father in heaven, help us to catch a glimpse of the light the Savior came to bring. We ask this in his name. Amen.

Pathways Students & Pathways Kids ROOTS we will not be meeting on Wednesday, December 28th but please take some time to review the Christmas devotional below as a family!

Kids Devotional

Bible Readings

Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.

Acts 22:1-21

Memory Verse

Romans 10:13

All who call out to the Lord will be saved. (CEV)

Reading

Have you ever had a big problem that you couldn’t fix on your own? Maybe you got a bad grade in school or you messed up and caused a sibling to get hurt. Who helped you understand that what you had done was wrong? Maybe your teacher explained the right answers for the assignment, or your parents showed you how misbehavior can affect other people.

Paul made the worst choices and messed up in a huge way. In Acts 22, Paul tells his life story about how even though he used to put people who loved Jesus in jail, Jesus still saved him. Of course, you haven’t done the incredibly bad things Paul did, but no one- not Paul... not you...not me- can earn God's forgiveness. Just as Jesus had done for Paul, he helps us recognize our sin. It’s Jesus who can pay the price. Remember the Christmas story: God sent Jesus to pay for all the wrong that we’ve done.

So what do we do now? In thankfulness for God’s forgiveness and Jesus’ sacrifice, Christians are called to spread the good news about God’s mercy. Be patient with family and friends, and forgive those who cause trouble for you. By showing patience and forgiveness to others, you can help your family and friends celebrate a peaceful Christmas and focus on its true meaning: the birth of Jesus, God's merciful gift to the world.

Prayer

Dear Merciful God, thank you for sending Jesus as your gift to the world. Help me to remember to share the good news with others, and to be merciful just as you are merciful to me. Amen.

Students Devotional

SCRIPTURE READING — LUKE 2:8-14

At the time when Jesus was born, life for shepherds was hard. Their days and nights were spent in the dreary routine of taking care of sheep. Society looked down on them as lowlifes and scoundrels. They had little reason to be joyful.

But shepherds were the ones to whom the angel brought the good news that would cause great joy: A Savior had been born! It was God’s way of saying that he identifies with the down and out, the outcasts of society, the undesirables. And on that night, whatever darkness they were facing was transformed into the most beautiful light they’d ever seen, as the angels of heaven joined in singing, “Glory to God in the highest. . . .” For those shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem, life would never be the same.

Perhaps on this Christmas Day you are finding it difficult to feel joy. Perhaps there is an empty chair at your table. Perhaps you’re thinking about a family member who has turned away from the Lord or is no longer a part of your life. Perhaps you have been diagnosed with a terrible illness. Whatever the reason, you don’t feel like celebrating.

If so, the Christmas message is for you. There is good news with great joy also for you. Why? Because the Savior came to make things right. He came to heal the brokenhearted, to bring light into your darkness.

Prayer

Father in heaven, help us to catch a glimpse of the light the Savior came to bring. We ask this in his name. Amen.

Pathways Students we will not be meeting tonight but please take some time to review the Thanksgiving devotional below as you prepare to give thanks with friends and family tomorrow.

I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. – Psalm 7:17 (NLT)

What’s going good in your life right now? Are your classes easy? Did you meet a new friend? Perhaps your mom made your favorite dessert for dinner last night.

With all the things going on in the world, it can be easy to focus on what’s wrong, but take a moment and think about what’s going right in your life. And even if you can’t seem to think of anything, think of this.

The Lord is just. Today’s Bible verse tells us that God is just. That means that even in those times where it feels like nothing is going the way you’d like, that God is just. He provides for those who love Him. God is always looking out for you.

So regardless of the things you’re facing, you have something to thank God for this year. God is always just. He always comes through. So remind yourself of the good things God has done. Focus on His favor and goodness and you’ll see you have something to be thankful for.

Pathways Students we will not be meeting tonight but please take some time to review the Christmas devotional below.

A God of Promises (ROOTED)

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Christmas is supposed to be a joyful season where Jesus is exalted. Unfortunately, the season can be a painful, stressful, and lonely time for many. From disappointment in our relationships with family and friends to experiencing sickness and death, the holidays can subtly highlight the brokenness of our world and our lives. But Christmas reminds us that we can take comfort and find hope in a Savior – a Savior God promised us from the very beginning.

All the brokenness that we experience and feel can be traced back to Eden. In the garden, when sin entered the world, God was there. Immediately after darkness broke in, God made a promise to one day overcome it. Before addressing Adam and Eve, God offered a few words to the serpent who tempted them: “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This is not describing a battle between humans and snakes; it is a whisper of a Savior.

We see and feel the traces of sin everywhere. Sin separates us from who we are meant to be; sin separates us from other people; and worst of all, sin separates us from God. Sin is the problem and the serpent wants us to continue in it forever. As we battle with sin and Satan, we need victory because – in case you haven’t noticed – we cannot save ourselves; that’s what Christmas is all about.

Jesus was born into the world to die. As we learn in Genesis 3, from the seed of Adam and Eve will come a Messiah who will bruise the head of the serpent as the serpent bruises His heel. From the offspring of Adam and Eve, Jesus came to crush sin and Satan as He was bruised on the cross. He turned the prophecy from Genesis 3 into a reality. Jesus came to give us comfort and hope, not just in His birth but in His death.

Christmas can be a difficult time, especially if you are dealing with the heartaches of sin and darkness both in others and yourself. When you spend time with friends and family, it can feel like things will never get better. When you reflect on the year, you may feel like a failure, burned out, or maybe drifting deeper into sin. Christmas is not God telling us to toughen up, try harder, or be better, but to remember that God himself came down to earth to do all that heavy lifting for us. God saw our sin and the sins of the world and sent Jesus to save, forgive, and be victorious. No matter what we are going through this Christmas, we can rest and rejoice in Jesus.

Questions for Further Reflection

1. What areas of brokenness are highlighted for you this holiday season?

2. What parts of your life seem beyond rescue?

3. How can you intentionally remember, rest, and rejoice, that there is nothing so dark that Jesus can’t and hasn’t already overcome?

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank you for Jesus, that from the beginning you knew we needed a Savior to rescue us from our sin. Help us to remember Jesus during this season and to rest and rejoice in what He has done for us.