A Snow Day Family Devotional
Due to the impact of inclement weather, Autumn Ridge Community Church will not worship on Sunday, January 12.
As we spend a Sunday morning at home, rather than at a worship gathering, there are still opportunities to worship the Lord by reflecting on one of the marvelous gifts of His creation: snow! It is our hope that this family devotional will help all members of your household recognize the goodness of Jesus we see in winter weather.
Opening Questions:
Passage for reflection: Isaiah 1:18 (ESV): Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Reflection Questions:
5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Gospel Takeaway:
Our sins are covered when we believe in him who justifies – or, makes right – the ungodly!
Our faith in Jesus makes us righteous! Our faith in Jesus makes us fit for heaven, and acceptable to God! Jesus covers our sin through faith!
When the temperatures rise, the snow will melt away, and all of the colors of the surface will be visible again. But Jesus’ covering of our sins will never melt away! It lasts forever, because he who promised is faithful!
Family Prayer:
Lord – thank you for the gift of snowfall! And thank you for the ways the snow teaches us about Jesus.
We are sorry for the ways that we sin against you.
We are so thankful that you have made a way through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for the crimson stains of our sin to be covered by the righteousness of Jesus, just like snow covers up the ground.
Please let us remember these lessons, and live by them. Give us hope and peace fo the days ahead.
In Jesus’ name – AMEN!
As we spend a Sunday morning at home, rather than at a worship gathering, there are still opportunities to worship the Lord by reflecting on one of the marvelous gifts of His creation: snow! It is our hope that this family devotional will help all members of your household recognize the goodness of Jesus we see in winter weather.
Opening Questions:
- Think back to Friday morning, when the snowfall had just fallen. Before we sledded, build snowmen, and threw snowballs – what did it look like? Observations probably will include the surfaces of the land being clean, smooth, and white. The white snow was bright and pure, with nothing disturbing it!
- Were you able to see the green of the grass, the black of the paved roads, the brown of the dirt, or any other colors through the snow? No! The snow fell thick and made those surfaces uniformly white.
Passage for reflection: Isaiah 1:18 (ESV): Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Reflection Questions:
- What sins are like scarlet in your life? Help each family member understand that “sin” means “to fall short” or “to miss the mark.” Sin, therefore, is anything that misses the mark of God’s designs and desires for us.
- What does the Lord promise to do with our sin in this passage? The Lord promises to make them white as snow – to cover our sin, just as the snowfall covered the ground, grass, roads, etc.
- How can God cover our sins? (Read Romans 4:5-8, ESV):
5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Gospel Takeaway:
Our sins are covered when we believe in him who justifies – or, makes right – the ungodly!
Our faith in Jesus makes us righteous! Our faith in Jesus makes us fit for heaven, and acceptable to God! Jesus covers our sin through faith!
- Faith that Jesus lived a life without sin
- Faith that Jesus died on the cross to pay the wages of our sin (death)
- Faith that Jesus rose again to allow us to live forever with him
When the temperatures rise, the snow will melt away, and all of the colors of the surface will be visible again. But Jesus’ covering of our sins will never melt away! It lasts forever, because he who promised is faithful!
Family Prayer:
Lord – thank you for the gift of snowfall! And thank you for the ways the snow teaches us about Jesus.
We are sorry for the ways that we sin against you.
We are so thankful that you have made a way through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for the crimson stains of our sin to be covered by the righteousness of Jesus, just like snow covers up the ground.
Please let us remember these lessons, and live by them. Give us hope and peace fo the days ahead.
In Jesus’ name – AMEN!