Each year, one of our most special times is the season leading up to Christmas.
The Advent season officially commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continues until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In addition to our normal Advent celebration led by Pastor Ken each week in the service, we have an additional resource that we want all of us to use to help us celebrate the coming of Christ. (Download week one’s introduction below.) It is an advent guide for you and your family. It is designed to go through as families or as individuals. We would encourage each of you and your families to go through this together each week leading up to Christmas.
Developed by The Village Church in Texas and used with their permission), this is a 5 week devotional for you to use with your families. It will be a wonderful tool to use during this holiday season to aid in keeping your thoughts and actions focused on Jesus. One of the questions asked in the intro to this devotional is this, “As you think about and plan for the coming weeks, prayerfully consider what you want your children (and you) to value and remember? How will you be intentional in guarding their time, attention and affections so that Jesus is the focus?”
The first week’s devotions look at some of God’s promises to Abraham. Here is a small excerpt:
“Each day there is a choice of where to place hope, either in what we can do or buy or in the hands of the One Who is the answer to the longing in our hearts – the Lamb of God. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord promised that He would make a people for Himself and deliver them from their wicked hearts. Will you trust Him to deliver you from yourself and your perceived needs? Let us set our hope on Him.”
In addition to the written resource, there is also a short video for each week. Sign up on our mailing list at the bottom of the page and every week between now and Christmas, we will send you an email reminder with the links. Please feel free to send this to your extended family and to your friends.
May the Lord use these resources to keep our minds and hearts focused on Him, and may Jesus be praised!
DOWNLOAD >> Advent 2012 Resource Introduction
Advent is has been a special time for me for many years to keep my mind on the true meaning of Christmas when so much around me is focused on the materialism of Christmas. I’m thankful for this additional information.