5-Day Devo (Based on 12.21.25 Sermon)

Here's a 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the December 21, 2025 Sermon.

Reading: Hebrews 10:1-4; Psalm 51:16-17

Devotional: The Old Testament sacrificial system revealed a profound truth: our best efforts can never truly cleanse us. Bulls and goats couldn't transform hearts—they only covered sin temporarily. This wasn't a design flaw; it was intentional. God wanted His people to recognize their desperate need for something greater.

Today, we still try to earn God's favor through our performance—church attendance, good deeds, religious activity. But like those ancient sacrifices, these things can't change our hearts or remove our guilt. God doesn't want your offerings; He wants you. He's not impressed by your résumé; He's moved by your surrender.

Reflection: What "sacrifices" are you offering God instead of giving Him your whole heart? What would it look like to stop performing and start surrendering?

Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10; Philippians 2:5-11

Devotional: "A body have you prepared for me." These words from Psalm 40 anticipated Christmas morning over a thousand years before it happened. God didn't send another prophet or angel. He came Himself, wrapped in human flesh, to accomplish what no sacrifice ever could.

Jesus didn't come to add to the religious system—He came to fulfill it and make it obsolete. His obedience, lived out in a human body just like yours, satisfied God's requirement once for all. The baby in Bethlehem was God's final answer to humanity's deepest problem.

When you celebrate Christmas, you're celebrating more than a birth. You're celebrating the moment God stepped into our mess to clean it up permanently. The manger points to the cross, and the cross points to freedom.

Reflection: How does knowing Jesus came in a body—experiencing hunger, temptation, and pain—change how you relate to Him today?

Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14; Romans 6:8-11

Devotional: In the temple, there were no chairs. The priests' work was never finished—another day, another sacrifice. But Jesus sat down. Not from exhaustion, but from completion. His work was finished.

"Once for all" might be the most liberating phrase in Scripture. Your salvation doesn't depend on daily sacrifices, repeated rituals, or constant performance. Jesus' single sacrifice perfected you forever. You're not "being made holy" by your effort; you're "being sanctified" by His finished work.

Stop living like you need to earn what's already been given. Stop carrying guilt for sins already cleansed. Stop performing for approval you already have. Jesus sat down because there's nothing left for you to do except trust Him and rest in His completed work.

Reflection: What guilt are you still carrying that Jesus already dealt with on the cross? Will you let it go today?

Reading: Hebrews 10:15-18; Ezekiel 36:25-27

Devotional: God's promise under the New Covenant is stunning: "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Not "I'll try to forget" or "I'll overlook them." God chooses not to remember—He removes our sin from His record permanently.

But there's more. He doesn't just forgive externally; He transforms internally. He writes His laws on our hearts and minds, giving us both the desire and power to live for Him. The Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, changing us from the inside out in ways animal sacrifices never could.

This is why Christianity isn't about rule-keeping—it's about heart transformation. God doesn't demand outward compliance from unchanged hearts. He changes the heart, and obedience flows naturally from love.

Reflection: Where do you sense the Holy Spirit prompting change in your life? Are you resisting or cooperating with His transforming work?

Reading: Hebrews 10:19-23; Ephesians 2:13-18

Devotional: The curtain that separated humanity from God's presence was torn. Not partially, but completely. Jesus opened "a new and living way" through His flesh, inviting us to walk boldly into the Most Holy Place where God dwells.

You don't need to fear God's presence anymore. Your penalty has been paid. You're not an intruder; you're welcomed. You're not tolerated; you're beloved. Draw near with confidence—not confidence in yourself, but in what Jesus accomplished for you.

And hold fast to this hope without wavering. Your salvation doesn't rest on your performance but on God's faithfulness. He began the good work in you, and He will complete it. So approach His throne of grace boldly, rest in His finished work completely, and trust His promises absolutely.

Reflection: How would your prayer life change if you truly believed you're welcomed into God's presence with confidence? What would you say to Him right now if you believed nothing could separate you from His love?

This Week's Challenge: Each morning, before the day's demands crowd in, spend five minutes sitting quietly in God's presence. Don't perform or present a list of requests—just rest. Thank Jesus for His once-for-all sacrifice and practice simply being with the One who made you holy so you could be close to Him.

This 5-Day Devotional was generated with the help of AI, and is based off of Pastor Phil's December 21, 2025 Sermon: Once For All.