Christmas can be a great opportunity for parents to help our children (and ourselves) grow in amazement at the wonder of Jesus’ incarnation. Yet with so much activity in the lead up to Christmas it’s important to be intentional or the opportunity can be missed. Here are some simple ideas to help your family focus on Jesus during Advent:
1. Advent calendar packs. The Good book co. has produced three different packs which each contain a calendar and an accompanying book of short Bible readings. Our family has enjoyed and been helped by these. Links to calendar packs in their online stores here: UK store , US store , Australian store .
2. Jotham’s Journey / Tabitha’s Travels / Bartholomew’s Passage. Each of these books contain daily advent readings of a historical fiction adventure set in Palestine in the lead up to Jesus birth. Each reading also considers and applies a Bible passage. Our family have enjoyed using two of the books in this series over the last couple of Christmases, and look forward to trying the third. The stories are well told, and provide helpful background and sense of expectation and wonder at the birth of the Messiah.
3. Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative.
Russ Ramsey takes his readers on a walk through God’s story of redemption. Dan Doriani says: “Ideal for personal or family devotions, the stories are told with imagination, verve, and Gospel-driven joy.”
4. Free Advent Guide. The Village church have produced
this free guide “to walk you and your family through the season.”
I’d love to hear of other Advent devotional guides or ideas you’ve found helpful in focussing your attention on Jesus during this season. If you think it’s too late to order any of these for this year, you can still open your Bible in the coming weeks and read some of the passages that point to the amazing truth of Jesus’ incarnation. You may also consider ordering one of these devotionals now to help you be prepared for next year.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links with The Good Book Co and Amazon. If you click on the link, and purchase a product, I would receive a small percentage of the total. This would go back into the small cost of running this site. I do not run this site to make money, so feel free to buy from elsewhere.
Paul Barnett, here (pdf) and here (blog)
