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Celebrating Advent: Looking Back and Looking Forward & A List of Resources for the Whole Family

by Marci Ferrell
Christian Living Holidays

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Advent is the season leading up to Christmas and it begins with the four Sundays before December 25th. 1 Peter 1:10-12 gives a picture of what it means to look back during Advent:

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

1 Peter1:12 stands out to me because it says these saints of the past were serving us. We are on the other side now of Christ’s birth – the waiting for his arrival is over but the reality is we are still waiting for His second coming. We are still waiting for redemption. Advent can be looked at as a season to look back and one to look forward—preparing for Jesus second coming.

Advent can be looked at as a season to look back and one to look forward—preparing for Jesus second coming.Click to Tweet

Our family doesn’t do a traditional advent wreath, we have in years past but we take this time to focus our reading on the birth of Jesus and the Old Testament prophecies of His coming. For us, it usually happens around the dinner table because we’re already gathered.

You have so many options on how to celebrate the Advent season. I know many of us are not in churches where advent is celebrated but my hope is we would still take time to celebrate the wonder of Christmas and again ponder as Mary a bit deeper these truths.

Setting aside time to read a good devotional book together along with the scriptures is a great way to do this. There are so many resources out there now for advent readings for families with children of all ages so choose one that works with your family or make your own by using the scriptures and songs.

Families with young children may benefit from using an advent calendar. Try to find one that has a Christ-focused theme to use. There are some cute ones with nativity scenes so as you count down the days with your readings by sharing maybe just bits of the Christmas story with your littles each day.

Noel Piper shared in her Treasuring God in Our Traditions book a good reminder as we continue on in the 1 Peter 1 verses. In verse 13 it says “Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

She reminds us that Advent is a season for introspection – or pondering as Mary did. She shared some questions that I keep in my journal to ask myself this time of year:

  1. Am I clear thinking and sober-minded, or are my thoughts mainly trivial?
  2. Is my hope set fully on the grace I will receive from Jesus at His Second Coming, or do I cringe at the thought of leaving behind the life I love?
  3. Am I an obedient child of my Father, or am I still shaped by the passions that drove me before I became a Christian?

Advent Resources:

(Some of the resources below are affiliate links – see my full disclosure here)

Family Devotional Readings:

Repeat the Sounding Joy: A Daily Advent Devotional on Luke 1-2 by Christopher Ash

 

The Christmas We Didn't Expect: Daily Devotions for Advent by David Mathis

 

Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent by Sinclair Ferguson

 

Come Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional by Paul Tripp

 

A Jesus Christmas by Barbara Reaoch

 

Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God (free PDF) or on Kindle or Paperback at Amazon

 

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy at Desiring God (free PDF) at Amazon in Paperback too.

 

Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Family Devotional by Marty Machowski

 

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent by Nancy Guthrie

 

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas by Nancy Guthrie

 

Personal Devotional Readings:

Consider Jesus  by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

 

A Thrill of Hope Advent Devotional at Gentle Leading

 

My Soul Magnifies the Lord: Meditations on the Meaning of Christmas by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

To Listen:

Good News of Great Joy: 25 Advent Meditations by John Piper at Desiring God

The Incomparable Christ at Revive Our Hearts

Three Wise Men Walk into a Barn at Knowing Faith Podcast

Celebrating Advent with Little Ones at Risen Motherhood

Longings Fulfilled Through Advent by Sally Clarkson

Solid Joys Podcast by John Piper

Miscellaneous:

Advent Devotional for Kids at Crew & Co. 

The Family Tree of Christ Advent Cards from Tiny Theologians

The Giving Manger

Knowing Him by Name – Advent Calendar from Focus on the Family (free download)

The Messiah at The Bible Project

The Innkeeper Video by John Piper

A Visual Theology Advent Reading Calendar for Your Family from Tim Challies

Closing Thoughts:

My prayer always is that we desire to have a Christ-centered celebration for ourselves and our families but the greater hope during this season is that our faith and hope in Jesus would be deepened and strengthened and that we would look with anticipation and joy in His coming again.

The Christian message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity – hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory – because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.

~ J.I. Packer

Related Resources:

Christ-Focused Christmas Gift Guide

Podcast Ep 9: Christ-Focused Christmas Celebration Ideas

Our Simple Family Christmas Traditions 

14 Simple Outreach Ideas with an Eternal Focus

*Please note: I don't affirm every aspect of every resource, and inclusion on this page doesn't equate to a full endorsement of all an author's works. Please always hold to the Bible as your primary source of truth.

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Related posts:

  1. Resources to Help Your Family Celebrate a Christ-Focused Easter
  2. Our Simple Family Christmas Traditions
  3. Learning from Elisabeth Elliot: A List of Resources
  4. Podcast Ep. 22: Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter


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Welcome to Thankful Homemaker

So thankful you’ve stopped by for a visit. Please grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit a bit. I hope to remind you that contentment in our role as homemakers begins with finding our satisfaction in Christ.

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Marci Ferrell
Though gradually, though no one remembers exactly Though gradually, though no one remembers exactly how it happened, the unthinkable becomes tolerable. And then acceptable. And then legal. And then applaudable.⁣
~ Joni Eareckson Tada
We have to pray with our eyes on God. Not on the d We have to pray with our eyes on God. Not on the difficulties.⁣
~ Oswald Chambers⁣
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Listen in to EP 98: 4 Truths to Pray for One Another at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows⬇ and then this image 🎧.
Dear friends, I recorded this episode last year af Dear friends, I recorded this episode last year after sharing my testimony with my church family. It was one of the hardest podcast episodes to work through. ⁣
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My testimony comes from one who remembers what it was like to be unsaved and seeking an abortion and now coming from the other side of being born again, a new creation in Christ and understanding the beauty of forgiveness and redemption in Christ. ⁣
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No sin is beyond the grace and forgiveness of God, even the sin of abortion. True forgiveness, hope, and healing can only be found, but it is only found in Jesus Christ. ⁣
I pray you'll listen in if you haven't yet. ⁣
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The gospel is the one great permanent circumstance The gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. 
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“The Christian's primary need is for wisdom and “The Christian's primary need is for wisdom and obedience to appropriate the abundance of blessings the Lord has already given. Our problem is not lack of blessings, but lack of insight and wisdom to understand and use them properly and faithfully.”⁣
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Come listen in to the new BITESIZE Podcast Episode this week - 4 Truths to Pray for One Another - at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
EP 98: BITESIZE - 4 Truths to Pray for One Another EP 98: BITESIZE - 4 Truths to Pray for One Another:⁣
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Wisdom in God's ways is something we should all desire to seek as believers and to pray for others that are in Christ.⁣
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"Much of my learning to follow Jesus is unlearning "Much of my learning to follow Jesus is unlearning to follow myself."⁣
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Charles Spurgeon on gentleness and respect:⁣ Ha Charles Spurgeon on  gentleness and respect:⁣
Have your doctrinal views, and all your knowledge of Christ, packed away in a handy form so that, when people want to know what you believe, you can tell them. If they wish to know why you believe that you are saved, have your answer all ready in a few plain, simple sentences; and in the gentlest and most modest spirit make your confession of faith to the praise and glory of God. Who knows but what such good seed will bring forth an abundant harvest?⁣
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