As Christmas draws near, we remember this season can be hectic for many. Holiday hassles like relationship disagreements, too little money, and too many expenses can fray our mental wires. That's where the real message of Christmas comes in. This year's LHM Advent devotions, Child of Promise, are written by Dr. Kari Vo. They will help you focus on the Messiah and not get derailed by the messiness.
With many still grappling with COVID restrictions and uncertainties, Child of Promise offers comfort and hope with its focus on the birth of God's Son. "During this pandemic, it's been hard for a lot of us to feel connected to God's gift of Jesus. We don't have all the usual blessings we're used to-Advent services in person without worries, concerts, and children's programs for example. I hope that these Advent devotions can help just a little with the need we all have to draw near to Jesus and hear God speaking to us in love and mercy," Vo says.
As a way to help others draw closer to Jesus, Child of Promisecan be easily shared.
Available to read online, print off as a PDF, and personalize for congregation use, these brief messages make an ideal outreach resource. Like our regular Daily Devotions, each Advent message features three reflection questions to spark thinking about wider day-to-day applications of God's Word on a personal level.
"The questions are meant to get people thinking, and to help us relate the Bible text to our own lives. I try to write questions that people in all stages of life can use, even those who are not believers yet. The first question is usually pretty easy. By the third question, we are looking at very personal ways that God has acted in our own lives," Vo says.
Child of Promise can be read or heard, beginning Sunday, November 28, 2021, at lhm.org/advent. You can also receive it as a daily e-mail during the Christmas season. A Spanish version, Hijo de la promesa, will be available to read, listen to, or receive as a daily e-mail, beginning November 28. Rev. Hector Hoppe reads the texts. Spanish Advent devotions can be downloaded and printed for personal use or group sharing, too. Visit paraelcamino.com/adviento for all the details.