DAY 1 — Dead Things Don’t Need Advice
Scripture: John 1:1–5; Ephesians 2:1–5
Reflection:
John begins his Gospel not with a baby or a manger — but with eternity.
In the beginning… was the Word… and in Him was life.
Not advice.
Not inspiration.
Not self-improvement.
Life.
Dane Ortlund says Christ did not come to wake sleepy people, or advise confused people, or educate good-but-struggling people — He came to raise dead people.
Your story begins here:
Not with weakness, but with death.
Not with mistakes, but with spiritual lifelessness.
Not with “I need to do better,” but “I need to be resurrected.”
We weren’t hurting fish needing cleaner water —
We were Jonah at the bottom of the sea.
We weren’t limping —
We were lifeless.
And into that darkness, the Light shines.
Reflection Prompt:
Complete the sentence honestly before God:
“I once was _______ but now I’m _______.”
Prayer:
Jesus, the Life, breathe on the dead places in me. Help me see the truth about my condition and the truth about Your power to resurrect. Amen.
Practice:
Write down one area of spiritual “deadness” you’ve been pretending is just a struggle.
DAY 2 — Morally Good… and Spiritually Dead
Scripture: Colossians 2:13–14; John 1:10–13
Reflection:
Some people’s spiritual death looks dramatic — addiction, rebellion, chaos.
Others look like Erica and Clayton on their first Sunday:
beautiful family, solid values, hard workers… but still dead.
Some look like Ryan five years ago —
a “good guy,” but spiritually empty.
Some look like faithful church attenders…
baptized, served, prayed once in a while…
but no daily life with Jesus.
The sermon put it bluntly:
There are immoral dead people and moral dead people — but without Jesus, both are dead.
Spiritual death wears disguises:
✔ accomplishment
✔ morality
✔ busyness
✔ familiarity with church
✔ “I’m a good person”
✔ “I believe in God”
But believing about Jesus is not the same as Jesus bringing you to life.
The Good News?
You don’t have to stay dead.
Jesus came not to polish you but to resurrect you.
Reflection Prompt:
Where have you relied on goodness rather than Jesus for life?
Prayer:
Lord, rescue me from the illusion of goodness without You. Make me alive with Christ in a way that is unmistakably real. Amen.
Practice:
Tell God one area where you’ve settled for going through the motions.
DAY 3 — When Jesus Steps Into Your Story
Scripture: John 1:14; John 11:25; John 14:6
Reflection:
When Ryan told his story, his phrase was simple:
“I once was dead, but now I’m alive.”
Not “better.”
Not “improved.”
Not “trying harder.”
Alive.
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, steps into real stories:
• a man numbing stress with alcohol
• a couple glowing on the outside but empty on the inside
• a young woman carrying trauma, abandonment, loss
• a long-time “Christian” who’s never truly surrendered
When Jesus comes near, the dead rise.
When He becomes the Center instead of an accessory,
life begins to pulse again.
This is Incarnation:
Life stepping into death.
Light stepping into darkness.
God stepping into your story.
The question today isn’t “Do you believe in Jesus?”
It’s:
Has Jesus brought you to life?
Reflection Prompt:
Where did life begin for you? If it hasn’t yet, what’s keeping you from surrender?
Prayer:
Jesus, step into my story again today. Be my Life, not just my belief. Bring resurrection where I have settled for survival. Amen.
Practice:
Speak aloud your own “I once was… but now I’m…” testimony — even if you are still in the “once was” part.
DAY 4 — The Valley Where Life Meets Death
Scripture: Psalm 23:4; John 1:5; John 20:31
Reflection:
The Delp family teaches us something essential:
Being made alive in Jesus doesn’t mean pain disappears.
It means pain is no longer walked alone.
When they lost their daughter, Grace Elizabeth, they walked into the valley of the shadow of death —
but the Life walked into it with them.
This is Incarnation.
Not immunity from suffering,
but Presence in suffering.
Jesus is not afraid of dark rooms, hospital hallways, ultrasound screens, broken hearts, or gravesides.
He is the One who runs toward death, not away from it.
And often… He sends His people too.
Meals, prayers, tears, presence —
incarnational love in human form.
Even in grief, Clayton and Erica testified:
“We were alive before the valley… so He met us in the valley.”
Reflection Prompt:
Where has Jesus met you in your valley?
Where do you need Him to meet you today?
Prayer:
Lord, be with me in every shadowed place. Let Your life outshine my darkness. Meet me where I am and carry me where I cannot walk. Amen.
Practice:
Reach out to someone walking through a valley. Be the presence of Jesus to them today.
DAY 5 — When Jesus Runs Toward the Dead
Scripture: John 1:16–18; Ezekiel 37:1–6; John 9:25
Reflection:
Arizona’s story captures the heart of the Incarnate Christ:
the God who runs toward those who never knew they could run to Him.
Two hours of church in 25 years…
pain, instability, shame, loss, confusion…
but Jesus met her.
At the altar.
In her sorrow.
In her hunger.
In her readiness.
In her surrender.
Her testimony echoes the blind man from John 9:
“I once was dead, but now I’m alive.”
This is Advent.
Not tradition.
Not nostalgia.
Not holiday warmness.
Resurrection.
Dead things coming alive.
Your story matters because resurrection always multiplies:
into marriages, children, friendships, generations.
Jesus is still doing what He has always done —
running into places of death and calling people to life.
And He’s doing it here.
Now.
Today.
With you.
Reflection Prompt:
Where is Jesus calling something dead in you to rise?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for running toward me. Bring every dead place in me to life. Let Your resurrection power renew my mind, heart, relationships, and future. Amen.
Practice:
Invite someone far from Jesus to church this Sunday — expect Jesus to meet them.
Scripture: John 1:1–5; Ephesians 2:1–5
Reflection:
John begins his Gospel not with a baby or a manger — but with eternity.
In the beginning… was the Word… and in Him was life.
Not advice.
Not inspiration.
Not self-improvement.
Life.
Dane Ortlund says Christ did not come to wake sleepy people, or advise confused people, or educate good-but-struggling people — He came to raise dead people.
Your story begins here:
Not with weakness, but with death.
Not with mistakes, but with spiritual lifelessness.
Not with “I need to do better,” but “I need to be resurrected.”
We weren’t hurting fish needing cleaner water —
We were Jonah at the bottom of the sea.
We weren’t limping —
We were lifeless.
And into that darkness, the Light shines.
Reflection Prompt:
Complete the sentence honestly before God:
“I once was _______ but now I’m _______.”
Prayer:
Jesus, the Life, breathe on the dead places in me. Help me see the truth about my condition and the truth about Your power to resurrect. Amen.
Practice:
Write down one area of spiritual “deadness” you’ve been pretending is just a struggle.
DAY 2 — Morally Good… and Spiritually Dead
Scripture: Colossians 2:13–14; John 1:10–13
Reflection:
Some people’s spiritual death looks dramatic — addiction, rebellion, chaos.
Others look like Erica and Clayton on their first Sunday:
beautiful family, solid values, hard workers… but still dead.
Some look like Ryan five years ago —
a “good guy,” but spiritually empty.
Some look like faithful church attenders…
baptized, served, prayed once in a while…
but no daily life with Jesus.
The sermon put it bluntly:
There are immoral dead people and moral dead people — but without Jesus, both are dead.
Spiritual death wears disguises:
✔ accomplishment
✔ morality
✔ busyness
✔ familiarity with church
✔ “I’m a good person”
✔ “I believe in God”
But believing about Jesus is not the same as Jesus bringing you to life.
The Good News?
You don’t have to stay dead.
Jesus came not to polish you but to resurrect you.
Reflection Prompt:
Where have you relied on goodness rather than Jesus for life?
Prayer:
Lord, rescue me from the illusion of goodness without You. Make me alive with Christ in a way that is unmistakably real. Amen.
Practice:
Tell God one area where you’ve settled for going through the motions.
DAY 3 — When Jesus Steps Into Your Story
Scripture: John 1:14; John 11:25; John 14:6
Reflection:
When Ryan told his story, his phrase was simple:
“I once was dead, but now I’m alive.”
Not “better.”
Not “improved.”
Not “trying harder.”
Alive.
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, steps into real stories:
• a man numbing stress with alcohol
• a couple glowing on the outside but empty on the inside
• a young woman carrying trauma, abandonment, loss
• a long-time “Christian” who’s never truly surrendered
When Jesus comes near, the dead rise.
When He becomes the Center instead of an accessory,
life begins to pulse again.
This is Incarnation:
Life stepping into death.
Light stepping into darkness.
God stepping into your story.
The question today isn’t “Do you believe in Jesus?”
It’s:
Has Jesus brought you to life?
Reflection Prompt:
Where did life begin for you? If it hasn’t yet, what’s keeping you from surrender?
Prayer:
Jesus, step into my story again today. Be my Life, not just my belief. Bring resurrection where I have settled for survival. Amen.
Practice:
Speak aloud your own “I once was… but now I’m…” testimony — even if you are still in the “once was” part.
DAY 4 — The Valley Where Life Meets Death
Scripture: Psalm 23:4; John 1:5; John 20:31
Reflection:
The Delp family teaches us something essential:
Being made alive in Jesus doesn’t mean pain disappears.
It means pain is no longer walked alone.
When they lost their daughter, Grace Elizabeth, they walked into the valley of the shadow of death —
but the Life walked into it with them.
This is Incarnation.
Not immunity from suffering,
but Presence in suffering.
Jesus is not afraid of dark rooms, hospital hallways, ultrasound screens, broken hearts, or gravesides.
He is the One who runs toward death, not away from it.
And often… He sends His people too.
Meals, prayers, tears, presence —
incarnational love in human form.
Even in grief, Clayton and Erica testified:
“We were alive before the valley… so He met us in the valley.”
Reflection Prompt:
Where has Jesus met you in your valley?
Where do you need Him to meet you today?
Prayer:
Lord, be with me in every shadowed place. Let Your life outshine my darkness. Meet me where I am and carry me where I cannot walk. Amen.
Practice:
Reach out to someone walking through a valley. Be the presence of Jesus to them today.
DAY 5 — When Jesus Runs Toward the Dead
Scripture: John 1:16–18; Ezekiel 37:1–6; John 9:25
Reflection:
Arizona’s story captures the heart of the Incarnate Christ:
the God who runs toward those who never knew they could run to Him.
Two hours of church in 25 years…
pain, instability, shame, loss, confusion…
but Jesus met her.
At the altar.
In her sorrow.
In her hunger.
In her readiness.
In her surrender.
Her testimony echoes the blind man from John 9:
“I once was dead, but now I’m alive.”
This is Advent.
Not tradition.
Not nostalgia.
Not holiday warmness.
Resurrection.
Dead things coming alive.
Your story matters because resurrection always multiplies:
into marriages, children, friendships, generations.
Jesus is still doing what He has always done —
running into places of death and calling people to life.
And He’s doing it here.
Now.
Today.
With you.
Reflection Prompt:
Where is Jesus calling something dead in you to rise?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for running toward me. Bring every dead place in me to life. Let Your resurrection power renew my mind, heart, relationships, and future. Amen.
Practice:
Invite someone far from Jesus to church this Sunday — expect Jesus to meet them.
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