Tag Archives: Advent

Holy Anticipation

The time is near. In a few days we will celebrate Christmas. But until then, we wait in Holy Anticipation. We’ve been waiting for weeks. Specifically, we’ve been waiting the last four Sundays.

Advent.

Advent is defined as “coming.” For Christians around the world, advent means Jesus, the Messiah, is coming. And while we continually wait for the final return of the Messiah, during the season of Advent we focus on his first arrival.

The last four Sundays have been about hope, love, joy, and peace.

We’ve read liturgies. We’ve lit candles. We’ve sung about the coming of the Messiah.

And we’ve waited.

As we’ve been waiting, an anticipation has been growing in us. We look with Holy Anticipation to Christmas morning when we can together, with all of Christendom, shout and sing,

“HALLELUJAH! THE CHRIST IS BORN!”

Advent Grace

“For it is by GRACE you have been saved…” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

wallwords-grace-300x222

Every other Wednesday morning I lead a Small Group of 8th grade boys at my kids’ school. We talk about a multitude of topics. Lately we have been discussing God’s grace and what it means for us. We’ve watched the video below three or four times. Check it out.

[youtube id=”nUQ58RO6ve4″]

God
Really
Always
Can
Endure

Why is it so incredibly hard for us to remember this simple fact?

We spend so much time (wasted time) worrying about what we have done when all we need to remember is God’s incredible GRACE.

In this season of Advent, take some time in your day to ponder the incredible, awesome, wonderful, gift of GRACE.

Realize the incredible act of sacrifice that the Son freely performed when he left his place at the right hand of the Father.

He came to earth as a human baby. Fully human. Fully divine.

He knew the incredible sacrifice that would be necessary in order to grant his Amazing Grace.

And he still came.

God WITH us.

Immanuel.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7: 14 (NIV)