Christmas and Advent Devotionals

Resourse links for you and your family this Christmas

On Your Own or with Your Family(Service Program December 4, 2022)

 

Think of someone you know who is especially busy during this time of the year. Is there a way that you can be of help to them? Can you also gently remind them to stay focused on Jesus in their busyness?

 

Look at the various resources highlighted (below) in the service programs. These range from personal devotionals, family activities and full-length books. Find something that works for you and plan to do it so that you keep Jesus at the center of this Christmas.

 

We all have people in our lives who need to make room for Jesus in their hearts. Pray for them during this season. Invite them to our Christmas Eve service or for Christmas day. Look for opportunities to encourage them to make Jesus the center of their lives.


Original link: https://www.challies.com/resources/christmas-devotionals-for-groups-individuals-and-families/


  • 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.

  • Love is at the heart of Christmas.

    It's the reason behind all our gathering and gift-giving at this time of year. In this Advent devotional, Dr Sinclair B Ferguson refreshes our hearts as we reflect on the source it all – love incarnate, Jesus Christ.

    Over the course of December, this devotional walks through 1 Corinthians 13 phrase-by-phrase, showing us that "love is" the Lord Jesus himself.

    Sinclair Ferguson brings the rich theology of the incarnation to life with his trademark warmth and clarity. Drawing on stories from the Gospels, we'll see what "love" looked like in the life of Christ, and be challenged us to love like him during the Christmas season. Each day's reading finishes with carols and hymns for reflection and prayer.

    However you're feeling weary or frantic, lonely or love sick, your heart will be refreshed as you wonder again at the truth that love came down at Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ.

  • In this Advent journey through Luke 1 - 2, Christopher Ash brings these familiar passages to life with fresh insight, color and depth. As you soak up the Scriptures, you'll experience the joy of Christmas through the eyes of those who witnessed it first hand, from Mary and Elizabeth to the Shepherds and Simeon. This devotional will help you to celebrate afresh the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah in history, and learn what it means to wait for him with joyful expectation today. Each day's reading includes a short reflection, a prayer, a carol, and space to journal, helping you to treasure the Lord Jesus in your heart in the hectic run-up to Christmas.

  • Life is full of unexpected twists and turns and this has been particularly so in 2020.

    But the most unexpected and significant event in the history of the world actually happened over 2000 years ago when God himself became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ.

    These Advent reflections, written by David Mathis, help us to lift our eyes to wonder of the incarnation and worship the one who came to save us and make our futures certain.

    Be amazed once more by the unexpected details of Jesus' unique birth and saving work with these short daily devotions and prayers, and renew your worship of our humble, generous and loving Savior.

     

  • Just as with opening the doors of an Advent calendar day by day, this Advent devotional will build your anticipation for Christmas so that you can fully absorb and enjoy its central gift—Jesus Christ.

    Reflecting on a few short verses each day, this devotional examines the wonderful gifts of grace that we receive through the coming of Christ and belief in his gospel.

  • As you wrap, give and receive gifts over Advent and Christmas, use this devotional to focus your whole family on the reason behind it all—the generous and gracious character of God and the goodness of his greatest gift, Jesus.

    These 25 devotions use Scripture to explore the other amazing gifts we receive through faith in Jesus and how we can be generous too.

    This step-by-step guide is perfect for families who want to dig deeper into the Bible this Advent. It includes study and application questions for children and teens at various ages and stages of faith, simple prayers and extra creative ideas.

  • We may be familiar with the baby in the manger, but have you met the Word who was in the beginning with God? Have you met the One True Light who is full of grace and truth? Or the Cosmic Lord who won the right for people to become Children of God? They are one and the same person. Join Tim Chester as he guides us through the opening verses of the Gospel of John, and enjoy a Christmas infused with new meaning and light. With ideas for reflection, prayer and application, these short, meditative readings will excite you about Jesus in the busyness of the run up to Christmas Day.

  • Christmas is meant to be full of joy and light; but all too often it is spoiled by grumbling and arguing. So this year, prepare to encounter Christ afresh in a way that will make you a bearer of peace and goodwill all season long. In these 24 short daily readings for Advent, Tim Chester peels back the layers on Philippians 2. Each day includes ideas for reflection, prayer and application, designed to excite you about the One True Gift—the Lord Jesus—in the run-up to Christmas Day. This collection of inspiring readings also comes with hymns, carols and prayers to help you prepare your heart for Christmas.

  • Everyone loves the Christmas story. But the story of the baby in the manger is the culmination of a thousand other stories. It is the focus of the story of the Bible and the story of human history. The book has 24 short meditative readings working through Bible stories from Genesis to Jesus. Each day ideas for reflection, prayer and application, designed to excite you about the Gospel message in the run up to Christmas Day. As you prepare for Christmas, get a fresh insight into the full script of the nativity, the story of our world, and the plotline for the rest of your life...

  • A Better Than Anything Christmas is the second Advent devotional for families from Barbara Reaoch, author of the very popular A Jesus Christmas. These daily devotions in the Gospels give a thorough investigation of why Jesus came. In the lead-up to Christmas, families will explore 25 reasons why Jesus came, and they will see that what Jesus gives us is better than anything else we could wish for.

    Each day there is a passage to read together, questions to think about, an explanation and a prayer. There are also age-appropriate application questions, some for younger children and some for older children, as well as journaling space so that each family member can write or draw their own response to what God has shown them.

    So why not set aside a little time each day in the run up to Christmas to look at God’s word together with this inspiring and innovative resource?

  • Explore God's amazing plan for Christmas with this family devotional for Advent. Right from the beginning, the serpent lied to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden – and he has been lying ever since. But right from the beginning, God told us his amazing plan to send Jesus. Each of the 25 readings looks at one of the serpent's lies from Genesis 3, and then shows how the glorious truth of Christmas beats it every time! There is even space for each family member to make their own notes. So get each family member a copy of A Jesus Christmas and a Bible, and find ten minutes a day in December to look at God's word together and dwell on the good news of Christmas.

  • This four-week Advent family devotional by best-selling author Marty Machowski combines devotions on the theme of light and darkness with the story of eleven-year-old Mia and her grandmother as they prepare for Christmas. Grandma loves to share her faith, especially at Christmas time, and although she is blind, she can see the light of Jesus shining bright and helps Mia—and children of all ages—to do the same.

  • Prepare Him Room has been written to help Christian families and churches lead their children through a study of Old Testament promises, Jesus' birth narratives, and New Testament explanations of Jesus Christ's person and work in the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. The memorable and meaningful activities, songs, and stories of Prepare Him Room will become the fabric of your family's Christmas memories. So gather them to watch the amazing gospel story unfold every December for generations to come!

  • These simple 10-minute family devotions for Advent, with graphic-novel-style illustrations, explore the Gospel accounts of the first Christmas in an engaging way, and will help families keep Christ at the heart of their celebrations. With all the Bible passages and questions already laid out, you can lead these devotions without needing any extra time to prepare, making family devotional time an achievable joy, not an unrealistic burden. There are different sets of questions for 3-4s, 5-7s, 7-12s, teens and even parents, so the whole family can enjoy looking at the Bible together.

  • Come, let us adore him. This beloved Advent refrain captures the heart of the season. Advent is for adoring Jesus. It is a season of preparation to ready our hearts for the glory of Christmas Day as we celebrate the coming of the eternal God in our frail humanity. These twenty-five short devotional readings from John Piper aim to help you keep Christ at the center of the Advent season.

  • The Christmas season is often one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year, and it's easy to lose sight of what makes it special. Helping us refocus on what's truly important, well–known pastor and author John Piper leads readers through twenty–four short meditations on Advent. The devotionals—drawn from Piper's extensive preaching and teaching ministry—lead readers to ponder afresh the birth of Jesus, Israel's long–awaited Messiah and the Savior of the world. Reflecting on several Scriptural texts, this accessible volume aims to direct individuals, families, and churches to the most glorious dawning of indestructible joy the world has ever seen: the incarnation of the Son of God.

  • Don’t let this Advent season pass without being humbled by the awesome miracle of the incarnation. In a season when the supernatural story of Christmas can become familiar to the point of complacency, this 31-day devotional can help illuminate the breathtaking plan and character of God for the entire family.

  • The God Who Is with Us takes readers through a twenty-five day Advent journey. Daily reflections on gospel truths drawn from Scripture will stir the imagination of the season while also reminding readers that God never abandons his people, but is present with them even in their most difficult seasons. Complete with beautiful, unique, thought-provoking illustrations and space for daily journaling and reflection, The God Who Is with Us provides readers with a meaningful keepsake to prepare them for the challenges of the New Year in light of the beauty of Advent.

  • Music has always been central to celebrating the coming of Christ into the world. With Hosanna in Excelsis you can experience the hymns of the season like never before. This devotional couples the lyrics and score of a new hymn daily with a devotional message about the hymn's biblical and spiritual truths. You'll find hymns of advent like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" that anticipate the coming of Christ, hymns of Nativity like "O Little Town of Bethlehem" that celebrate His birth, and hymns of Epiphany like "Go Tell it on the Mountain" that marvel at His glory. Go deeper with classic Christmas favorites like "O Holy Night" and learn others that may be lesser-known like "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry." Each devotional teaches you about the background of the hymn, while inviting you into worship and praise.

  • During the holidays the musical tunes of the season are everywhere. Their nostalgic melodies warm our hearts. But the original Christmas songs are different; they lift our hearts to a holy God. They reveal the greatness, glory, and goodness of our Savior. Taking us beyond quaint imagery and feel-good lyrics, the Advent songs of the Bible unfold God's redemptive plan for the world and His eternal purpose for the ages.

    Reflecting her own love for the season, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth offers meditations on the first two chapters of Luke's gospel in The First Songs of Christmas. This 31-day Advent devotional shines new light on the ancient yet inspiring songs of Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon. These readings will lead you to contemplate the loveliness and essence of Christmas. Let this book be your companion as you spend the days surrounding Christmas the way these men, women, and angels did, your gaze fixed on our great God and Savior.

  • In a world of poverty, prejudice, and sickness it can be hard to sing tis the season to be jolly and mean it. We are in a world laden with darkness and grief, and yet by the end of November, so much around us seems to be yelling: HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS. Is this what advent is then? A building pressure to put reality on hold for a while, and to just Have a Good Time? Brightest and Best is a collection of Advent devotions that point to the comfort that God has promised: the coming of Jesus. Philippa Wilson communicates joyful, uplifting, and glorious Christmas truths in fresh ways. The purpose of each devotion is to stir up hope and faith, and praise for Jesus, as well as to encourage readers to think biblically and deeply about the carols we sing each year.