Favorite Advent Guides
It’s that time of year. Everyone is arguing over when is the correct time to bring out Christmas decorations and when is the appropriate time to start listening to the joyful sounds of Christmas music. Better yet, it’s the time when Christians are preparing for Advent. It’s important to know what something is before you just jump in and celebrate. Advent has multiple definitions:
ADVENT // noun
*Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- The coming or arrival of something or someone that is important or worthy of note.
- The liturgical period preceding Christmas, beginning in Western churches on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and in Eastern churches in mid-November, and observed by many Christians as a season of prayer, fasting, and penitence.
- The coming of Jesus at the Incarnation.
- A coming into place, view, or being; visitation; arrival; accession: as, the advent of visitors, of an infant, or of death.
- Specifically The coming of Christ as the Saviour of the world. Hence [capitalized] Eccles., the period immediately preceding the festival of the Nativity.
- The period including the four Sundays before Christmas.
- the first Sunday in the season of Advent, being always the nearest Sunday to the feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30).
When you’re celebrating Advent, I’m assuming you’re counting down days until the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. We do a few things at our house (probably too many but we love it all). You do not have to do a million things. Figure out what works for your family and DON’T STRESS YOURSELF WITH UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. I need you to go back and read the bold portion again. If you have tiny children, they won’t have the attention span or the care to do a big sit-down lesson every evening before bed. You’ll get there and one day your kids will be reading to you.
For Families/Kids
- Advent Book Countdown // This is my all time favorite. I wrap 23 books and the kids alternate picking and opening every night and we read before bed. We have a variety of books. Some are silly and some are serious. Classics mixed with new stories. On December 24, we read the story of Christmas from Luke. For a list of ideas see the blog post about this or this book list.
- Tracing Glory // We’re adding this to our mornings this year and I’m most excited. Sarah Rice has this fantastic and short book with reading and discussion questions for Advent. Great, simple, & intentional!
- The Advent Storybook // Beginning with Creation, The Advent Storybook invites your family on a beautiful, chronological journey through ancient stories, tracing God’s faithful promise to send a Rescuer—Jesus.
- Let Us Adore Him // Written by me for our family last year. Study the Nativity & all the characters. From Mary and Joseph to the shepherds and wise men. This study includes the context, genealogies, notes, activities, word games, and questions & conversations for you and your children.
- Family Tree of Christ Advent Cards from Tiny Theologians // This set of 25 cards walks you and your little ones through the family tree of Christ – from Abraham all the way to Jesus. Each colorfully illustrated card includes a short Scripture reading, exegetical explanation, and questions for discussion.
For Adults
- Coming Glory // The NEW advent study by ME! Discussion questions and a reading plan.
- The Dawn of Redeeming Grace by Sinclair Ferguson // 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 Came Down at Christmas by SInclair Ferguson // This Advent devotional contains 24 daily readings from 1 Corinthians 13. Sinclair B Ferguson brings the rich theology of the incarnation to life with his trademark warmth and clarity. We’ll see what “love” looked like in the life of Christ and be challenged to love like him
- Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas by Nancy Guthrie // This anthology edited by Nancy Guthrie draws from the works and sermons of classic theologians such as George Whitefield, Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and Saint Augustine, and from leading contemporary teachers such as John Piper, Randy Alcorn, Tim Keller, and Joni Eareckson Tada to help readers enter into the wonder of Jesus’s incarnation and birth.