Showing results for "Advent, Advent" in Christian Living

Join Tom Wright on a journey with the Apostles, exploring the New Testament themes of thankfulness, patience, humility and joy.

Sanctify your time by meditating on the wisdom of the Church Fathers with Advent and Christmas with the Church Fathers: A Seven-Week Retreat on the Mystery and the Meaning of the Incarnation, a timeless guide to preparing your heart for the coming of Christ. This unique devotional pairs the ancient wisdom of the early Church with the liturgical rhythm of Advent and Christmas, offering profound insights into the incarnation and birth of Our Lord.

When we picture the first Advent, we see Mary and Joseph huddled by a manger. We picture Gabriel, magi, and shepherds tending their flocks. A shining star against a midnight sky. But this harmonized version has lifted the Advent story out of its context--those who experienced the first Advent had to travel through great darkness to reach the hope that shining star announced. Trusted scholar and community organizer Kelley Nikondeha takes us back, to where the landscape of Palestine is once again the geographic, socioeconomic, and political backdrop for the Advent story.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is one of the titans of church history. Works such as his "Confessions" and "On the Trinity" have earned him a place as one of “the Doctors of the Church,” responsible for shaping and defending Christian doctrine throughout the centuries. Yet Augustine was also pastor. Week by week, year by year, he shepherded his flock by preaching to them the Good News. In this short collection, listeners will find seventeen Advent homilies in which Augustine expounded from his pulpit the wonders of Christ’s incarnation for the everyday Christians in his congregation.

Do you long for a more honest, imaginative, and Scripture-rich companion for the Advent season? A devotional willing to acknowledge the darkness of exile and the brokenness you see around and within, so you might rejoice more fully in the arrival of Jesus, the Light of the World?

These straightforward, short, and profound Advent readings have been edited from talks given by much-loved Bible teacher Dr. R.C. Sproul, helping listeners to benefit from his enduring insight and wisdom. They delve into the details of the Christmas story and reflect on how these impact our lives now, combining scholarly detail with heartwarming application.

In an ideal world, Advent would be spent in quiet contemplation, meditating upon the wonder of the Christ-child, and anticipating his return as our saviour. Instead, we enter arguably the busiest month of the year. Have we booked time off to see the kids' Nativity play? What's the secret Santa budget? And who became a vegetarian this year? Perhaps, though, it is this busyness which can be the key to a deeper connection with Christ. Perhaps these Christmas 'trimmings' have the potential to teach us more about God.

25 Devotional Readings for Advent and Christmas. In a world that's difficult to make sense of, and a season that's so often overtaken by consumerism, here you'll find heart-stirring illustrations and thought-provoking meditations designed to show you the raw, powerfully sacred story of Christmas...

Find peace amid the holiday rush with prayers and reflections rooted in Our Lady of Fatima’s message. Inspired by the faith of the Fatima children, Mother Teresa, John Paul II, and Fr. Andrew Apostoli, these words guide you to quiet your heart, trust in Mary’s Immaculate Heart, and prepare for Christmas with hope and devotion. Let Advent be a time of true waiting and wonder as you draw closer to the Christ Child.

During Christmas, homes are filled with good food, welcoming family, and lively cheer. Streets are lined with lights and sprinkled with snow. Amid this season of beauty, even Christians can become distracted, keeping Jesus at an unintentional distance. How can Christians effectively prepare their hearts for the arrival of their King and worship him the way he deserves? O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by Jonathan Gibson presents a 40-day devotional liturgy guiding listeners through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany—helping them keep their eyes fixed on Christ.

In Remarkable Advent, you’ll walk through 25 days of Scripture, vivid retelling of the Christmas story, reflection, and guided prayer that bring the story to life. Prepare your heart to rediscover the wonder of Jesus’ birth. Author Shauna Letellier draws upon her degree in Biblical Studies and two decades of Bible teaching to weave history, theology, and fictional detail into this familiar story.

Prepare your spirit for the Savior's coming and magnify your joy this holiday season as you spend the days of Advent and Christmas with your heart and mind intentionally fixed on Jesus. Enjoy more peaceful moments this holiday season with Jesus Listens—for Advent and Christmas. This devotional...

Jesus’ arrival on earth changed the course of history forever. Not only for those who lived in the first century, but for those of us in the twenty-first century as well. The miracle and marvel of the Advent season demonstrates that we are precious to Him. He’s not a distant God. He is...

In this widely popular, exciting story for the advent season, listeners follow 10-year-old Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family. Though he faces thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, Jotham also encounters the wise men, shepherds, and innkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Savior born in Bethlehem. 

Christmas is one of the most joyful times of year, and it can also be one of the most stressful. It comes laden with expectations and, for many, overshadowed by difficult memories and emotions. If every other day of the year has us running in different directions, driven by the bleeping demands of our phones and devices, Christmas makes us run faster still.

More than any other time of year, Christmas brings with it an undeniable sense of wonder and awe. The Advent season gives us the opportunity to delight in the promises we celebrate at Christmas: the HOPE that Jesus will return and make all things new; the JOY that comes from worshiping Him today and for eternity; the PEACE we experience with God today and we long for our world to experience when it is redeemed; and the LOVE of a God who sacrificed His own Son to be in relationship with us.

It’s easy to get caught up in the consumer-driven rush at Christmastime. Advent is a time to slow down and reflect on our faith and our lives. Advent Devotional offers four weeks of daily Scriptures, devotions, reflection questions, and prayers.

The Advent of Relationship is an daily devotional from TJ MacLeslie, the author of Designed for Relationship and Pursuit of a Thirsty Fool. These 25 short daily devotions will help you to prepare to celebrate Christmas and draw you closer to Christ as you reflect on the miracle of Christmas.

Are you fed up with how consumerism has stolen the soul of Christmas? This year, take a stand! Join the growing groundswell of Christ-followers who are choosing to making Christmas what it should be—a joyous celebration of Jesus' birth, not a retail circus. Advent Conspiracy invites...

An Advent devotional for Christmas that will stir hope and inspire worship. As dawn broke on that first Christmas morning, the sun rose on a new era: God's king had come to Earth to bring about his kingdom. Join Sinclair Ferguson as he opens up the first two chapters of Matthew's Gospel in these daily devotions for Advent. Each day’s reflection is full of insight and application, and will help you to arrive at Christmas Day awed by God's redeeming grace and refreshed by the hope of God’s promised king.