Archived Messages
ADVENT
December 01, 2008
How will you prepare for Christmas this year?
For most of us, Christmas is such a joy-filled season, spiced with giving gifts and celebrating with cherished friends and family. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can get pretty hectic as we plan parties, squeeze in trips to the mall, and bake dozens of our favorite cookies.
But when we wake up on Christmas morning, we want to welcome Jesus to a heart that we’ve prepared for him as carefully as we’ve placed each holly wreath and each ornament on our tree.
This Advent, set aside some quiet time—each day if you can—to prepare for his coming. Pray. Reflect. Read the Bible or some spiritual works. Think about what his coming into this world means for you.
Then be still and listen to what God asks of you. Mend the broken relationships. Think about giving gifts and food to someone who won’t otherwise have any—and spending time with the lonely and sad who aren’t filled with Christmas cheer. They need it more than you can know.
But most of all, invite Jesus into the quiet of your own heart and welcome him there.