What is Advent?
Traditionally, Advent is a four-week season on the Christian calendar dedicated to preparing our hearts for Christmas Day and the celebration of the birth of Jesus! Advent means “coming.”
Similar to those who awaited the arrival of the Messiah over 2,000 years ago, in this Advent season we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth and anticipate His coming again one day. The Advent Season is a wonderful time to intentionally connect with your family.
How to use this Devotion:
Each week provides a focus Bible passage to read, a discussion guide & questions for each domain, a prayer and an activity. Use a calendar to intentionally plan a SPECIFIC DAY to develop your rhythm with you or your family.
About the Domains:
There are endless ways to use this discipleship guide but the hope is that you would use it to continue to seek true fulfillment in Jesus Christ, starting in your own heart and home this Christmas season. The guide can be used individually or with your family to spark gospel centered family discipleship.
The four domains of the Christian life are designed to help believers experience true fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
We “START WITH THE HEART” – our personal relationship with Jesus. If we are experiencing true fulfillment in our heart domain we see the habit of RESTING in the truth of God’s love. Next, the Home Domain reflects true fulfillment in Jesus through BLESSING those in our home and family. Then, if we are experiencing true fulfillment in Jesus in the Gather Domain, we prioritize GATHERING with a community of believers. Lastly, the Go Beyond Domain expresses true fulfillment in Jesus through the GOING OUT and sharing His love with others. The focus of the next four weeks will be to examine the Peace of Advent through the domains of our lives.
Advent begins December 1st!
Week 1
Peace for the Lonely
Step 1: Read the Bible
Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Luke 1:28-38 (NLT)
28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Step 2: Talk About It
Mary and Joseph both heard from an angel (a messenger from God) about the coming of Jesus. They both heard that Mary would give birth to a son and shall call his name Jesus. They trusted and treasured the news in their hearts but their call to obey was not without difficulty. They may have wrestled with feeling isolated and misunderstood by others.
Have you ever felt alone or misunderstood for being a follower of Jesus?
What do you think it means to treasure God’s word in your heart and how does that help you believe God’s love for us?
Joseph and Mary began their family in Bethlehem, in a stable. They were away from home, all alone and at times were probably afraid. They may have needed to remind each other that the angel told them both “Do not be afraid.”
How can we remind our family to not be afraid when we face difficult or lonely times?
How does the birth of Jesus give us hope from fear and loneliness?
God built the church on the foundation of Jesus coming to earth, living and dying as a perfect sacrifice. Jesus came so we would not be alone and separated from God. When we are afraid and lonely, oftentimes it feels difficult or challenging to want to gather in community.
Why is it important to have a community of people who can point us to the hope of Jesus?
Trusting God and having faith over fear is difficult but it brings us true fulfillment and paves the way for us to go beyond and do things that only God can do through us. Mary and Joseph went beyond their own plans to trust God and were blessed to raise Jesus, God’s only son who would save the world from all sin.
Is there a part of your life where you are not trusting God?
Is it keeping you from going beyond your own plans and dreams? Ask God to help you trust him more.
Step 3: Pray About It
God, Thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to earth to bring hope to the lonely.
When we feel lonely, remind us that we are never alone because you promise to be with us. We pray for others who feel lonely or isolated. God show us the people who need to know your love and give us the opportunity to GO BEYOND individually, or as a family, to love someone who is lonely this Christmas season.
Amen
Step 4: Go Beyond
See the Lonely
Spend a few minutes talking about ways you and/or your family can be more aware of others who are this Christmas season.
Challenge: Pay attention this week and ask God to help you notice someone who may be lonely. How can you show love or include those who may be lonely.
Write down some ideas as a family, place it on the fridge, and do it!
Week 2
Peace for the Lowly
Step 1: Read the Bible
Matthew 2:1-12 (NLT)
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Luke 2:8-12 (NLT)
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Step 2: Talk About It
God is the all-powerful, creator of all things. He formed the earth and filled it with every living thing. He could have easily sent Jesus to the earth as a king, or mighty warrior or popular influencer. But instead, God sent him through an unknown woman, in a small town, in the middle of nowhere.
Why did Jesus come through such lowly and humble means?
Are there areas of your life where it is difficult to be humble?
What choices can you make to live in a humble way like Jesus?
Jesus was born by humble means and lived simply with little fame and popularity.
How is Jesus’ birth and humble life an example for the way our family should live?
Does our family reflect Jesus’ example and honor his life in the things we say and do?
How can we reflect Jesus better in our home?
When Jesus was born the angels rejoiced and the very first people to gather and marvel at his birth were lowly shepherds? He didn’t blast it on social media (well there wasn’t social media back then) but God could have commanded that the whole earth come and see the birth of his son, but he entrusted the good news to the shepherds.
What does that say about the hope the Jesus offers us?
What does that teach us about how we should celebrate and worship Jesus?
What are some simple ways to gather with others and celebrate this Christmas season?
The wise men followed a star to find Jesus and worship him. These were wealthy, important men who likely had important things to do. However, they left their normal lives to search for a baby. It says they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy when they found him! They presented precious gifts and treasures to Jesus.
How can we go beyond our own plans and dreams to follow God’s call for us?
What does God provide when we Go Beyond ourselves? (hint: Exceedingly Great Joy)
Are there small ways we can follow God’s call to Go Beyond this Christmas Season?
Step 3: Pray About It
WALK THROUGH THESE PRAYER PROMPTS:
This is a great opportunity to learn the importance of being honest with yourself and with God. If you are a parent, go first and be an example by admitting your need for God’s help. It’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your kids.
► Ask God to show you where your pride gets in the way of your faith.
► Write down or share anything that God brings to your mind.
► Admit that you need God’s help to put away pride and live humbly.
► Thank God that he promises to help us when we run to him.
Step 4: Go Beyond
Look for the Lowly and Humble
The Magi traveled a great distance to find Jesus and they found him in a lowly stable, in a small town, in the middle of nowhere. They knew he was worthy of incredible gifts and worthy of their worship.
Challenge: Who do you know that lives a humble life and worships Jesus? Write down the names of those people, then commit to telling them that you see and admire the way they live for Jesus. Share how they have impacted your life. Be creative!
Spend time together writing notes or drawing pictures to give them.
Week 3
Peace for the Lost
Step 1: Read the Bible
Matthew 2:13-15 (NLT)
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
Luke 19:1-10 (NLT)
1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Step 2: Talk About It
God is the all-powerful, creator of all things. He formed the earth and filled it with every living thing. He could have easily sent Jesus to the earth as a king, or mighty warrior or popular influencer. But instead, God sent him through an unknown woman, in a small town, in the middle of nowhere.
Why did Jesus come through such lowly and humble means?
Are there areas of your life where it is difficult to be humble?
What choices can you make to live in a humble way like Jesus?
Jesus was born by humble means and lived simply with little fame and popularity.
How is Jesus’ birth and humble life an example for the way our family should live?
Does our family reflect Jesus’ example and honor his life in the things we say and do?
How can we reflect Jesus better in our home?
When Jesus was born the angels rejoiced and the very first people to gather and marvel at his birth were lowly shepherds? He didn’t blast it on social media (well there wasn’t social media back then) but God could have commanded that the whole earth come and see the birth of his son, but he entrusted the good news to the shepherds.
What does that say about the hope the Jesus offers us?
What does that teach us about how we should celebrate and worship Jesus?
What are some simple ways to gather with others and celebrate this Christmas season?
The wise men followed a star to find Jesus and worship him. These were wealthy, important men who likely had important things to do. However, they left their normal lives to search for a baby. It says they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy when they found him! They presented precious gifts and treasures to Jesus.
How can we go beyond our own plans and dreams to follow God’s call for us?
What does God provide when we Go Beyond ourselves? (hint: Exceedingly Great Joy)
Are there small ways we can follow God’s call to Go Beyond this Christmas Season?
Step 3: Pray About It
WALK THROUGH THESE PRAYER PROMPTS:
This is a great opportunity to learn the importance of being honest with yourself and with God. If you are a parent, go first and be an example by admitting your need for God’s help. It’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your kids.
► Ask God to show you where your pride gets in the way of your faith.
► Write down or share anything that God brings to your mind.
► Admit that you need God’s help to put away pride and live humbly.
► Thank God that he promises to help us when we run to him.
Step 4: Go Beyond
Look for the Lowly and Humble
The Magi traveled a great distance to find Jesus and they found him in a lowly stable, in a small town, in the middle of nowhere. They knew he was worthy of incredible gifts and worthy of their worship.
Challenge: Who do you know that lives a humble life and worships Jesus? Write down the names of those people, then commit to telling them that you see and admire the way they live for Jesus. Share how they have impacted your life. Be creative!
Spend time together writing notes or drawing pictures to give them.