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Advent Devotional

Advent Devotional

Dec. 1 - Dec. 25

A Weary World Rejoices
An Advent Devotional for When It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas

Introduction

“For more than a millennium, Christians around the world have set aside a season to remember and proclaim the arrival (or “advent”) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The story of Christmas is way more than just one day can hold. We need a whole season to marvel at the incarnation of our Lord. We need time to let our hearts prepare him room. We need space to retell his story to our friends and family.

But life doesn't often create time and space for us to reect on the gospel. In fact, for many of us, our circumstances make it dicult to celebrate at all this Christmas season. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like Christmas, and so we need a little help to see the light of Christ in the darkness around us.

We designed this devotional for that purpose-to help our church family remember and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, right there in the middle of the ups and downs of real life.

The devotional begins on December 1. Each entry takes a few verses from the Summit Bible Reading Plan for the day and provides a Christmas devotion, with an opportunity for you to respond. It should take about 10 minutes each day to do.

At the end of each entry we've provided a prompt for “Engaging with Kids.” Whether you spend time with kids this season because you are a parent, a doting aunt or uncle, a caregiver, or an invested community member, these prompts will help you contextualize the verses you are reading. Celebrating Christmas with kids always seems to make it more fun, and practicing Advent with kids may increase your sense of wonder. You can use these prompts every day, once a week, or just when it works out. Whether you choose to use these prompts with kids or not, we hope that they help you reclaim the joy of this season.

So from the young ones making their first Christmas memories, to those who have celebrated more Christmases than we can recall, this Advent season we join the crowd of Christians who came before us, along with our brothers and sisters around the world, to welcome the King again as we await his return in glory.

Daily Devotional

Day 2 - God and Sinners Reconciled

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 John 2:1-2

This time of year, we carry so much anticipation. We look forward to Christmas parties, opening gifts, and spending time with the ones we love. As we look forward to the next event, meal, or present, it’s easy for us to lose touch with ourselves. We may even be unaware of some of the ways we mishandle the holiday hustle.

So let's take a moment and check in with ourselves. It may seem counterintuitive to look inward at a time of year that focuses outward by buying gifts for others and reflecting on Jesus’ coming. However, while we remember that Jesus came into the world, we can neglect to recall that God sent him into the world because of us, his little children. The great display of Jesus “empty[ing] himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7), came from God’s great love for we hopeless sinners.

Don’t let the idea of you being a hopeless sinner lead you to despair and further disconnect you from the Advent season. Let it resonate with your need for a Savior. God knew you would still fall into sin and had mercy on you by sending his Son. Let joy and gratitude pour out with the knowledge that he prepared Jesus as our advocate and propitiation (atoning sacrfice) for our sins.

While we prepare ourselves for the physical celebrations, we must not neglect our spiritual preparation. John encourages us with ways to be mindful in order to help keep us from sinning. He reminds us that we avoid sinning through abiding in God and keeping his commandments. When we don’t do that perfectly, we can lean into the knowledge that Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection cover our sins and that he is advocating for us, even now. Glory to the newborn King.

Respond

In what ways are you overlooking your spiritual well-being and falling into sin? Take a moment to confess your sins, remember the gospel, and ask for forgiveness. Then, praise God that Jesus was born to be our advocate.

Engage with Kids

Ask the question, “If sin is the problem, how is Christmas part of the solution?” Talk about all the things that come up: What is sin? What is Christmas? Why did Jesus need to be born as a human? How are we saved from our sin? Guide kids to draw or write their answer to the original question.

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