But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,    

are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel,   

 whose origins are in the distant past,    

will come from you on my behalf.

And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,   

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

Then his people will live there undisturbed,    

for he will be highly honored around the world.

 And he will be the source of peace.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 

“I am the light of the world. 

If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, 

because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Micah 5:2,4; John 8:12

Don’t let anyone capture you 

with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense 

that come from human thinking

and from the spiritual powers of this world,

rather than from Christ.

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 

Colossians 2:8-9

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,

you must continue to follow him.

Let your roots grow down into him,

and let your lives be built on him.

Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught,

and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

…I have cared for you since you were born.

Yes, I carried you before you were born.

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—

until your hair is white with age.

I made you, and I will care for you.

I will carry you along and save you.

To whom will you compare me?

Who is my equal?

Isaiah 46:3-5

For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

I myself will search and find my sheep.

I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock.

I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places

where they were scattered…

I myself will tend my sheep

and give them a place to lie down in peace,

says the Sovereign LORD.

I will search for my lost ones who strayed away,

and I will bring them safely home again…

Ezekiel 34:11-12; 15-16

This message was kept secret for centuries

and generations past,

but now it has been revealed to God’s people.

…And this is the secret:

Christ lives in you.

Colossians 1:26-27

…God is not the author of confusion…

1 Corinthians 14:33

Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:18-20

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created

and is supreme over all creation,

for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities

in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

Colossians 1:15-17

…May you be filled with joy,

always thanking the Father.

He has enabled you to share in the inheritance

that belongs to his people, 

who live in the light.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness

and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

who purchased our freedom

and forgave our sins.

Colossians 1:11-14