Advent – A Time of Preparation
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
I thought I would pause our series through the kings of Judah for December to give a preview of our Advent season. So, it isn’t really a pause as a slight re-direction since Advent is all about looking forward to the coming of the promised King – Jesus. He is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his descendant would reign for all eternity.
The theme for our Sunday morning services “He Will Be Called” comes from the names attributed to the Messiah in the above verse from Isaiah 9:6. In this series, we will see how Jesus uniquely fulfills those titles: Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, and Everlasting Father. All these titles are accurate descriptions of the Messiah reign of Jesus.
For our special services, which include both Wednesday Advent services, our Candlelight service at First American, and our Christmas Day services, our theme will be “For Unto Us.” This series will include: A Child Is Born, A Son Is Given, A Ruler Shall Come (the government will be upon His shoulders), and will conclude on Christmas with the angel’s declaration to the shepherds, A Savior Has Been Born.
As a little extra this year, I have also put together an Advent Devotional. Each day, from December 3rd – December 30th, there is a Scripture verse, a short devotional, a short prayer, and one verse from an Advent or Christmas hymn. Each devotional is centered on the Advent themes for the week: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Since Christmas is on a Monday, that would only give us one day for the Love week, so I extended the devotional for the rest of the week of Christmas. At this time, only the first part is ready (December 3rd – December 16th), but the second part will be handed out when it is finished. While it is written with a family devotion time in mind, it would be beneficial for all ages. For those not in the area, this devotional is available on our website at: FAHope.org/advent.
I pray this Advent season will be a blessing for each of you as we prepare our hearts to receive the Good News of the birth of our King!
– Blessings, Pastor Barry
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