GPS: Grow, Pray & Study Guide
For week starting on December 28th, 2025
“What Is The GPS?”
“When we engage the Scriptures for spiritual transformation… we engage not only our mind but
also our heart, our emotions, our body, our curiosity, our imagination and our will. We open
ourselves to a deeper level of understanding and insight that grows out of and leads us deeper
into our personal relationship with the One behind the text. And it is in the context of relational
intimacy that real life change takes place (Ruth Haley Barton).”
Each week our Grow, Pray, and Study guide will feature Scriptures from the Revised Common
Lectionary (https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/ ). Our Lord will help us to grow as we pray
and meditate with these words from the Bible each day.
Dear Lord, lead us into a deeper relationship with you as we read your Scriptures this year.
Amen.
Monday December 29 – “His presence that saved them.”
Isaiah 63:7-9
“I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all
that the Lord has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them
according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, ‘Surely
they are my people, children who will not deal falsely’; and he became their savior in all their
distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity
he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” Our Lord will lift us
up and carry us in our need and distress.
Tuesday December 30 – “His glory is above earth and heaven.”
Psalm 148
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his
angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of
the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He established them forever and ever; he
fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and
all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! Mountains and all
hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and women
alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is
exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all
his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!” What joy to praise
our Lord for his faithfulness among us.
Wednesday December 31 – “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”
Hebrews 2:10-18
“It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children
to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who
sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed
to call them brothers and sisters, saying, ‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in
the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And
again, ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me.’” Our Lord faithfully cares for us as
his children.
Thursday January 1 – “So that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of
God.”
Hebrews 2:10-18
“Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things,
so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and
free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did
not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his
brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the
service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself
was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” Our Lord has
destroyed the terror of death by living among us.
Friday January 2 – “Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to
Egypt.”
Matthew 2:13-23
“Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up,
take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is
about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother
by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what
had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’” Joseph
faithfully served our Lord as an earthly father and protector.
Saturday January 3 – “There he made his home in a town called Nazareth.”
Matthew 2:13-23
“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and
killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to
the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken
through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’ When
Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get
up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the
child’s life are dead.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of
Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he
was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of
Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken
through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’” Joseph humbly heard
God’s leading.