Luke 1:32

Every good story has a plot twist—an unexpected moment that changes everything. One of the biggest plot twists in the Bible is the Christmas story. Over the next five days, we’ll explore how this one event changed the world and how it can change your life today.

Our Christmas story starts with the angel’s annunciation to Mary and concludes with the visit of the Magi. In these reflections and applications of the Christmas narrative I will mostly refer to Luke, as his is the fullest of the gospel accounts.

So often, the holidays come and go before we have a chance to focus on preparing our hearts for Christmas. Advent is our way of remembering that God came to be with us, is still with us, and will come again. Over the next 5 days, we’ll examine the four Advent themes: hope, peace, love, and joy.

It seems we’re all in need of a good hug, real connection, and something delightful to celebrate right now. Our prayer is that this Advent devotional will offer you and your family a way to connect, learn about the real Christmas story, and celebrate Jesus’s birth with new traditions, dinnertime stories, bedtime conversations, and family activities. We hope this Christmas “hug” brings beautiful memories to your home this Advent season!