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Advent is more than a countdown to Christmas—it’s a season of spiritual preparation, reflection, and anticipation for the coming of Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 reminds us of the promise of a Savior, calling Him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. By intentionally preparing our hearts and homes, we can embrace the joy, hope, and light of Christ, creating meaningful family traditions that honor His arrival and cultivate a posture of worship.

Highlights

• Advent is derived from the Latin word for “coming” and lasts four weeks, focusing on Christ’s first and second comings.

• Attend special Advent services to reflect, pray, and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

• Use an Advent calendar to daily engage with Scripture, small treats, or family moments that highlight Christ’s arrival.

• Light an Advent wreath weekly to symbolize expectation, reflection, and Christ as the light of the world (John 8:12).

• Create visual reminders like Advent chains or prepare a manger to help children and families anticipate Christ’s birth.

• Share the story of Jesus with others each week, following the example of the shepherds in Luke 2:17-18.

• Advent encourages both personal reflection and communal celebration, fostering gratitude, faith, and joyful expectation.

Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas!

Full Transcript Below:

Preparing Our Hearts and Homes for Advent 

By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:

“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

Preparing a home for the arrival of a new baby is a busy time, full of choosing clothes, bedding, accessories, and more. It’s an exciting time of getting everything ready and waiting for the day to come. It’s a time when families and friends come together to help prepare and celebrate the coming birth.

As well, during the Advent season, we can remember, prepare, and celebrate anew the coming of Jesus as a newborn baby into our world.

Some Christians may ask, what is Advent? 

Even though I grew up as a pastor’s daughter, we didn’t really emphasize Advent; it was something celebrated in more liturgical churches like Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran, so we didn’t really learn or practice the observance growing up.

The word Advent is derived from the Latin word “coming” and is a time of anticipation, prayer, spiritual

A Special Bonus Episode From Bought + Beloved: How often do we take our own blessings for granted? And how much more often do we neglect to steward what we've been given to make a life-changing and Gospel impact for those in need? Kirby Kelly is partnering with Samaritan's Purse this holiday season and had the pleasure of interviewing Kristy Graham to discuss how their ministry is changing the world one donation at a time. From beekeeping to raising chicks, all to feeding starving babies and digging wells, I want to encourage my listeners to give alongside me this holiday season and to reflect the heart of Christ this Christmas!

CHECK OUT THE GIVING CATALOG HERE: samaritanspurse.org/Beloved

Kristy's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-ground-with-samaritans-purse/id1482448472 

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Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bible-study/id1851714701

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/2dGcgjPhKjVI0sseXOKWcK?si=e6faa35a84624b9d

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Most of us don’t enjoy waiting. Waiting feels inefficient, unproductive, and frustrating — especially in a world wired for instant results, fast answers, and constant movement. But Scripture teaches that waiting is not a glitch in the Christian life; it is the Christian life. Followers of Jesus are people who wait: for His return, His redemption, His renewal, and His promises fulfilled.

Yet biblical waiting is not passive. It is not idle or stagnant. Waiting is an active posture of trust — a discipline where we slow down enough to notice God’s presence, His movement, and His voice. When we stop racing long enough to be still, we discover that God is already at work both around us and within us. Waiting becomes the space where faith deepens, hope strengthens, and Christ reshapes our hearts.

Paul reminds us in Philippians that we are citizens of heaven who eagerly await Jesus. Our waiting is not in vain; it is anchored in a promise. Christ will return. He will transform us. He will bring all things under His loving reign. This truth gives meaning to the spaces of delay we experience today.

As we enter the season of Advent, we are invited once again to practice this active, attentive waiting. Waiting for Jesus’ birth reminds us to also wait for His return. And in the meantime, we open our lives to His transforming presence, trusting that He is near and at work right now.

If you find yourself in a season of waiting — for direction, healing, provision, reconciliation, or hope — know this: waiting does not mean God has forgotten you. Waiting is where His promises become more real, His presence becomes more precious, and your soul finds rest.

Bible Reading:
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ; who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” — Philippians 3:20–21

Takeaway Truths

• Waiting is a central part of the Christian life, not an interruption.

• Biblical waiting is active — attentive to God’s presence and purposes.

• Christ is already working in the unseen places of your life.

• Waiting gives space for transformation, hope, and deeper trust.

• Jesus’ return is assured, and His promises offer peace to our waiting hearts.

Let’s Pray

Precious Jesus,

I pause all my striving and still my racing thoughts. Help me rest in Your presence in this season of waiting. Open my eyes to see where You are working in and around me. Allow me to notice the quiet traces of Your goodness and hear Your invitation to participate in Your work.

Thank You for Your promises of hope, forgiveness, and new life. As I wait for Your return and for Your purposes to unfold in my life, strengthen my trust.

Most of us know what it feels like to be here while longing desperately to be there — stuck in a job, a season, or a place in life that doesn’t fit who we feel called to be. In tonight's prayer and devotional, Amber Ginter shares honestly about her own season of confusion and restlessness. For five years, she worked in a career that didn’t align with the deeper calling she sensed God placed within her. Every day felt like tension between where she was and where she longed to go.

Underneath that tension was something many of us avoid naming:
We hate waiting.
We resist slow seasons.
We fear stillness.
We rush through discomfort because silence exposes our anxieties.

But Scripture calls us into a different posture.
Psalm 37:7 invites us to “be still” — not as a forced passivity, but as an intentional trust that God is working even when we cannot see it.

Stillness is not inactivity; it is surrender.
It is the humble acknowledgement that God knows what we cannot and sees what we do not.

As fall leans into winter and Advent draws near, Amber reminds us that this is a season designed for holy stillness. Advent isn’t just a countdown to Christmas — it is an invitation to slow our pace, to release our timelines, to surrender our expectations and hopes, and to sit quietly before a God whose plans exceed our striving.

This is a season where hope whispers instead of shouts. A season where God invites us into a deeper kind of trust:
Silent hope.
Hope that doesn’t demand immediate answers.
Hope that rests in God's character rather than in visible progress.
Hope that grows in the quiet places of waiting.

Stillness may feel uncomfortable, but it is in stillness that we hear Him most clearly.
It is in quiet that hope is born.
It is in waiting that faith deepens.

This Advent, before we prepare our homes, we prepare our hearts — slowing down enough to notice His presence, to breathe His peace, and to wait with expectation for the One who came quietly in the night to bring eternal hope.

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE:

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.”
— Psalm 37:7

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• Waiting requires stillness — and stillness requires surrender.

• God works most powerfully in the seasons that feel slow, silent, and uncertain.

• Advent invites us to embrace a holy pause, trading our timeline for His

Today’s Bible Verse:
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” — 1 Corinthians 13:6 (NIV)

This verse points us to a love that isn’t shaped by emotion or preference but by God’s character. True love refuses to celebrate what harms, divides, or deceives. Instead, it finds joy in what is right, pure, and aligned with God’s truth. In a world that often blurs the lines, this kind of love stands steady—choosing integrity over convenience and commitment over compromise. It’s the love we receive from God and the love He calls us to reflect.

Meet Today’s Host: Jennifer Slattery

Discover more devotions with Jennifer at Your Daily Bible Verse on LifeAudio

Jennifer Slattery is a national speaker, multi-published author, and founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She’s passionate about helping believers live with bold faith, rooted in surrender to Christ’s purpose.

Jennifer co-hosts both Your Daily Bible Verse and Faith Over Fear, encouraging listeners to step into their God-given identity. Her teachings blend Scripture with personal insight to help others embrace God’s power over fear and move forward with confidence.

Learn more at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com

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Connect with God — on Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. Use this biblical meditation, narrated by Tyler Boss, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. What has God done for you? Meditate on Psalm 107:8. Allow the music & nature sounds, deep breathing, prayer, and scripture help you connect with God in a new way. 

For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for meditation is right here: https://abide.com/peace

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A Prayer to Let Jesus Lead by Katie J. Trent
What is the significance of the Christmas star?

In today's episode, we learn how the star points us to the greater truth of Jesus’ guidance in our lives. Just as the star led the Magi on their long journey to find the newborn Messiah, Jesus promises to lead and direct us as we trust Him.We reflect on how stars fill our homes and holiday traditions—tree toppers, decorations, and even cookie cutters—reminding us of the light that guided wise men to Jesus. Yet Scripture tells us something even more astounding: God not only created the stars but counts and names them (Psalm 147). If He knows every star, how much more does He care about us?

Reference: Matthew 2:9-10

Prayer: Jesus, we choose to trust in You and ask You to lead and guide us all the days of our lives, just like You led the magi. Help us not to lean on our own understanding, but to seek Your will and Your wisdom in all we do. And let us become an example for our children so that they will allow You to lead them all the days of their lives as well. Amen.

LINKS:

How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide

Connect with Katie J. Trent

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