Imagine a group of travelers going hundreds of miles with a treasure chest in tow, guided by nothing more than a star. When they finally found Jesus, their first reaction wasn’t relief or exhaustion—it was joy! They “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”
The Wisemen remind us that joy comes from seeking (and finding) Jesus. They didn’t let the long journey or the uncertainty stop them. And when they found Him, they gave their best gifts—not because they had to, but because their hearts were overflowing. Overflowing with joy!
This season, let’s follow their lead. Joy isn’t about perfect plans or shiny packages. It’s about finding Jesus, wherever we are.
Reflection: What would it look like for you to “seek” Jesus this Advent?
Application: Let the joy of Christ fill your heart. Share it with others through laughter, generosity, and maybe a little Christmas smile!
Have you ever tried to measure the love in that perfect Christmas gift? A handmade scarf shows thoughtfulness. A heartfelt card brings tears. But God’s love? That one is immeasurable.
Paul prays that we’d grasp the width, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love—a love so vast it can’t fit under the tree. It’s a love that crosses the galaxies to meet you in your living room, a love that fills every empty corner of your heart.
This Advent, let Christ’s love fill you to overflowing. It’s not just a gift to receive but one to share generously with others.
Reflection: Where do you see God’s love at work in your life this Advent season?
Application: Love big! Go out of your way to show someone they’re deeply loved by God—and by you.
The shepherds were the night-shift workers of ancient Israel—ordinary folks doing an ordinary job. But on that first Christmas night, angels filled the sky with a message just for them: “A Savior has been born to you!” Imagine their awe as heaven’s choir sang a private concert just for them.
Those common, ordinary, anything but significant shepherds were the first to hear of the amazing news of the birth of Jesus. How great is it that God didn’t choose the elite or the high powered but instead the humble and lowly! Sure gives me a chance!
And the shepherds didn’t stay in their fields either. They dropped everything, ran to Bethlehem, and found Jesus lying in a manger. It was exactly as the angels told them. Their love for the newborn King couldn’t be contained—they shared the good news with everyone they met.
This season, let’s follow their example. Let’s look beyond the outward trappings and see the heart of those around us. And when love bursts into your life, you can’t help but share it!
Reflection: Who needs to hear the good news of Jesus from you this Advent?
Application: Love isn’t meant to be bottled up. Let your joy overflow in conversations, hugs, and maybe even a Christmas card.
If Christmas had a tagline, it might be John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” Talk about the ultimate gift exchange! God didn’t give us something small or temporary—He gave His best, Jesus, to bring us back to Him.
And here’s the kicker: Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world but to save it. That’s a part of the story we often leave out. We love that he came to save us, but often act as if he came to have us condemn the world around us. Not cool friends!
Imagine a Christmas where everyone gets a second chance—a fresh start wrapped in the love of God. That’s what Jesus offered you and what he calls us to offer one another.
This season, as you wrap gifts and share cookies, remember the greatest gift of all: God’s extravagant love, packaged in a manger and delivered to your heart.
Reflection: How can you reflect God’s love to others this Christmas?
Application: Spread the love! A smile, a kind word, or an act of generosity could be just the gift someone needs.
The psalmist describes waiting for the Lord “more than watchmen wait for the morning.” This waiting is like when I was a kid staring at the clock, waiting for Christmas morning. I couldn’t take the waiting. The anticipation was electric!
Advent is about leaning into that expectancy, knowing God is on His way. Just like the sunrise is certain, so is God’s faithfulness. This season, wait actively—pray, hope, and trust that He will meet you right where you are, right when you need Him to be there.
Reflection: What are you most eager to see God do in your life?
Application: Don’t just wait—watch! God’s best surprises often arrive when we least expect them.
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the waiting. The cookies need baking, the decorations need hanging, and those shipping delays—ugh! Similarly, God’s timing often feels slow, but Peter reminds us: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise.”
I’m not the most patient person in the world. Actually I’m not very patient at all. But Advent is a great reminder that even though we have to wait, God’s “slow” is never late. Advent is about trusting God’s timing. Just as Jesus came at the perfect moment in history, God’s promises to you are always on schedule.
Reflection: Where in your life do you need to trust God’s timing?
Application: This Advent, rest in the truth that God is never in a rush or ever late, but He’s always right on time.
Just look around. Our pews are emptying, not filling. Our younger generations are leaving, not staying. In a world desperate for truth, love, and purpose, we’re offering shallow programs, culture wars, and clichés. We preach grace but practice judgment. We sing about God’s power while hoarding human control. The gap between the Jesus of the Bible and the Christianity we practice has grown so wide it threatens to swallow us whole.
We need a new Reformation.
The original Reformation in the early 1500s, led by Martin Luther and several others, exposed how far the church had strayed from the gospel. At its core the Reformation was a cry to return to Scripture and reclaim God’s authority. They dealt with issues of indulgences (selling of forgiveness) and excessive emphasis on paying for salvation with good deeds and with money.
Today, the issue isn’t selling indulgences; it’s peddling irrelevance. We’ve exchanged the radical call of Jesus to love God and neighbor for cheap entertainment, partisan politics, and a consumer mindset.
We’ve turned church into a product—marketed, polished, and packaged to please the masses. And when people inevitably see through the facade, they leave. Some leave the faith altogether. Others leave for churches that embrace authenticity, however messy it may be.
The Weight of Our Failure
This is where the pain sets in. We’re not just losing attendees; we’re losing credibility. The broader culture sees the church as judgmental, hypocritical, and frankly out of touch. How can we blame them? We preach about the sanctity of life while ignoring the cries of the marginalized. We talk about Jesus’ love but fail to embody that love in our own homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
It’s easy to point fingers at the culture for abandoning Christian values. But maybe the culture didn’t abandon us. Maybe we abandoned the Jesus they need to see.
This is bigger than declining numbers or shrinking influence. It’s about souls. People are walking away from the hope of Jesus because they don’t see it in us.
The good news? Reformation isn’t about destruction; it’s about renewal. The first Reformation didn’t burn the church to the ground. It called it back to its foundation. Today’s Reformation must do the exact same thing.
We don’t need better branding. We need deeper discipleship. We don’t need bigger buildings. We need communities that feel like family. And we certainly don’t need more culture wars. We need to take up the only war Jesus called us to fight: against sin, darkness, and injustice.
This new Reformation must start with humility. The American church doesn’t need a PR strategy; it needs repentance. Let’s confess where we’ve put comfort over calling, self-righteousness over servanthood, and fear over faith.
The church also needs courage. The truth is, a reformed church won’t make everyone happy. But our goal isn’t to please people; it’s to glorify God. Let’s have the guts to challenge the idols we’ve built in His name—idols of politics, tradition, and power.
A reformed church could be a breathtaking force for good. Imagine churches known for their generosity, not their greed. Imagine Christians famous for their kindness, not their outrage. Imagine communities transformed because the love of Jesus shines so brightly that people can’t help but be drawn to it.
We’ve seen glimpses of this throughout history. The early church grew because it loved so radically that outsiders said, “See how they love one another!” The Wesleyan revival in England led to societal reforms that changed the nation. The Jesus Movement of the 70s brought countless young people to faith.
God isn’t done with His church. But He’s waiting for us to stop clinging to the past and start embracing His future.
The new Reformation won’t come from church growth seminars or celebrity pastors. It will come from ordinary Christians rediscovering what it means to follow Jesus. It will come from pastors bold enough to preach the gospel and lead with integrity. It will come when we stop playing church and start being the church.
Let’s not wait for someone else to start it. Revival begins in hearts, homes, and local congregations like yours and mine. Let’s pray for it. Let’s work for it. Let’s believe for it.
The world doesn’t need more American Christianity. It needs more Jesus. Are we ready to give it to them?
Imagine the darkest night you’ve ever experienced. The sun has set. The moon isn’t shining. The stars are mysteriously absent. Now picture a sunrise bursting across the horizon, chasing away every shadow. Not just any sunrise either. This is the fastest, most complete sunrise you can imagine. Dark to full sunshine in the blink of an eye. That’s what Isaiah describes when he says, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” Jesus is that light!
Isaiah prophesied about a child born to bring peace, justice, and righteousness to the world. And boy did they need it! Israel had fallen into the hands of foreign nations over and over again. They went their own way, walking away from God’s command, only to find themselves in a pile of…well you know. This wasn’t just good news for Israel—it’s for everyone!
The promise of light breaking into the darkness was for all people, not just those who were part of Israel. The season of Advent reminds us that Jesus’ love shines far beyond our little corner of the world. It shines through us into every relationship we have.
Reflection: How can you be a “light” to those around you this Advent season?
Application: Let’s reflect Christ’s light through acts of kindness, making the world a little brighter.
The very first Christmas promise wasn’t made to Mary or Joseph—it was whispered in Eden’s garden! Right after Adam and Eve ate that one fruit they were told not to eat, God declared war on the serpent, saying the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. That promise planted a seed of hope in the darkest moment of history.
Advent is a time of waiting. It’s like waiting for Christmas morning as a kid. You know the presents are there, but you have to wait to unwrap them! God’s promise of a Savior was the ultimate gift, wrapped in prophecy and fulfilled in Jesus. This season, remember that the Savior’s arrival was promised long before Bethlehem, showing us God’s perfect plan, perfect time and perfectly executed rescue.
Reflection: What “wrapped up” promises of God are you waiting to see fulfilled in your life?
Application: Trust that God always keeps His promises, even when the wait feels long.
Gratitude has an incredible way of reshaping how we see the world. When we take the time to give thanks, our perspective shifts from what we lack to what we have, from what’s wrong to what’s right. In a culture that constantly tells us we need more—more success, more possessions, more accolades—thanksgiving refocuses our hearts toward contentment and opens our eyes to God’s daily work in our lives.
This isn’t just some feel-good idea. It’s a core biblical truth. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Did you catch that? Thanksgiving leads to peace. When we cultivate gratitude, it doesn’t mean all our problems disappear, but it does change how we approach them. Instead of fixating on our challenges, we become more aware of God’s provision, faithfulness, and presence.
This shift in focus isn’t just some ethereal spiritual exercise. It’s actually transformative. When we’re thankful, we begin to see life through a different lens—one that highlights God’s blessings, both big and small. It’s easy to notice the obvious gifts, like family, friends, or answered prayers. But thanksgiving also helps us recognize the quieter blessings: the sunrise that greeted us this morning, the strength to face another day, or the peace that carried us through a storm we didn’t think we’d survive.
The more we practice gratitude, the more attuned we become to what God is doing in our lives. Suddenly, moments that might have seemed mundane take on new meaning. The kindness of a stranger feels like God’s hand at work. The resolution of a small problem becomes a reminder of His care. Thanksgiving trains our hearts to see the sacred in the ordinary, and in doing so, it draws us closer to God.
This closeness is the foundation for spiritual growth. As we acknowledge God’s goodness, our trust in Him deepens. We’re reminded of His faithfulness in the past, which strengthens our faith for the future. Thanksgiving also keeps us humble, grounding us in the truth that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17).
But gratitude isn’t automatic; it’s a choice. It requires intentionality, especially when life feels hard. On those days when thanksgiving doesn’t come naturally, we can still choose to start small. Write down three things you’re thankful for each day. Speak a prayer of gratitude before you get out of bed in the morning. Keep a journal of God’s faithfulness, and revisit it when doubt creeps in.
The more you practice being thankful, the more gratitude will become a habit. And as it does, you’ll find yourself more in tune with God’s presence and purposes in your life. Thanksgiving is more than a holiday; it’s a powerful spiritual discipline. It sets the stage for joy, peace, and growth, transforming not just how we see life, but how we live it.
This week, pause and give thanks—not just for what you have, but for who God is. You’ll be amazed at how He uses that gratitude to transform your heart and draw you closer to Him.
