IMatta 2:11

Christmas is a time to celebrate the greatest gift of all, Jesus. Looking at the story of Christ's anticipated arrival at Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to be the fulfillment of God's promises and faithfulness. All our hopes and prayers are answered in the presence of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but we often find ourselves hustling through the holidays. This Christmas, what if we reclaimed wonder? In this 5-day Bible Plan accompanying Pastor Craig Groeschel’s series, The Gift, we’ll discover how the three gifts the wise men gave Jesus can lead us to a place of wonder and worship 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.