Hello friends!
It’s my favorite time of year again! Advent – preparing our hearts and homes for the coming of the Baby Jesus. Jesus, Emmanuel – God with us! There are so many awesome things about Jesus coming to earth as a human child… it’s hard to choose what to focus on!
Right now, our church is going through a series on restoration. Last week, we learned about how Jesus came to bring us salvation. So, this year, during Advent, we are celebrating Jesus, our salvation!
Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Although we often treat salvation as a one-time deal — our ticket to heaven — the word here for save, “sozo”, is much more. It includes deliverance, restoration, protection, preservation, healing and being made whole. This year we hope to celebrate Jesus, who came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). We will celebrate:
Jesus the Healer — He came to heal us from our sickness and death and from the effects of sin in our lives.
Jesus the Deliverer — He came to deliver us from bondage to sin and temptation.
Jesus the Protector — He came to protect us from the evil one and to be the very armor we wear in battle.
Jesus the Restorer — He came to restore us back to our original design, authority and intimacy with God.
You can download our Advent Calendar (click here), or you can pick up a copy at church in the Children’s Hallway. There are lots of fun activities to do as a family to get ready for Christmas. We encourage you to do as many as your family can manage during this often busy season. We hope that you will make sure to carve out time each day to prioritize family and to prepare your hearts and homes for welcoming the Christ-child this Christmas.
There are two traditions you can use with this calendar. The first is to just simply do the activities on the calendar. You can combine it with a fun Advent calendar or Christmas countdown you have at home or just cross off the days on this calendar until you get to Christmas. The second way is along with an Advent wreath. The wreath does not have to be fancy: there are 4 candles in the wreath (usually 3 purple and 1 pink) and 1 candle in the center of the wreath that is white. Each day at home the candles are lit, perhaps before the evening meal — one candle the first week, and then another each following week until December 25th. The pink candle is usually lit on the third Sunday of Advent. As the candles are lit, refer to this calendar for devotionals or activities to do when you light your wreath each night. All candles, including the white candle, are lit on Christmas Eve. The white candle signifies the birth of Christ.
Let us celebrate the Baby who is God’s salvation wrapped in a human body. Jesus – our Salvation.
(Advent starts this Sunday, Nov 27th!)