"Everything that is wonderful about this time of year finds its origin and inspiration in the amazing reality that God became flesh..."
Even as we begin to make plans for Thanksgiving Day (the most immediate holiday on our calendar, as of this writing), it’s also time to start thinking of the next holiday: Christmas. Oh, I don’t mean it’s time to start planning parties and buying gifts. There will be plenty of time for all of that after we enjoy our turkey. What I do mean is that it is time to plan for Advent.
Advent is the way that Christians through the centuries have reflected on the Christmas story and its significance as a way to prepare their hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Living in a culture that loves the Christmas season but is less interested in the Christmas story, it is necessary and important for us to make special efforts to not be sucked into the distractions that this season brings (enjoyable as they might be). Everything that is wonderful about this time of year finds its origin and inspiration in the amazing reality that God became flesh - the Son of God born as a helpless baby boy.
There are a number of ways that you can mark the Advent season, whether you do so individually, with your family, or collectively with your church or small group. To aid you in your Advent meditation, we are going to do a few things at Cornerstone South Bay. We will have a special Advent sermon series during our Sunday morning worship time in December. We are also going to be reading through Paul Tripp’s Advent devotional book, Come, Let Us Adore Him. This book includes short daily readings for each day in December. Included at the end of each reading is a central theme and suggested ways to discuss it with children.
In addition to the devotional book, we have developed an Advent Bible Reading Plan for December. This plan is designed to take you broadly through the biblical story, from creation to fall to redemption to consummation. The plan is provided with two reading options. The column on the left provides the selected passages for each day in December. For those who find devotional times particularly difficult on the weekends, the column on the right provides the reading in a Monday-Friday format.
How ever you are planning on observing the Advent season, our prayer is that the LORD will bless you by revealing the glory of His Son to you in new and remarkable ways!