Title: Rock

Text: 1 Peter 2:4-8

Summary: If you want to build something strong, you need a foundation strong enough to carry the weight. Build your life on him, and you’ll be able to handle anything! On the other hand, if you build your life without Jesus, he’s the Rock that will always be in your way.

Bottom line: You can build on Jesus or trip over Jesus… but he’s not going away.

Title: Water

Text: John 4:4-15 (esp. 13-14)

Summary: “Living water” is a gift that God offers to us through Jesus alone. What is “living water”? It is God himself, come to live his life within us through the Holy Spirit. By faith in Jesus, we are washed clean and filled to overflowing with divine goodness and love.

Bottom line: Come to Jesus and receive God’s gift of new life through him!

Title: Fire

Text: Luke 3:15-18

Summary: Fire can be useful… or scary. When under our control, fire gives us light and warmth. But God is not under our control. Scripture teaches that “God is a consuming fire.” How we respond to what Scripture reveals about Jesus determines what in us God’s fire will consume.

Bottom line: Jesus is God’s consuming fire working according to his own judgment and will.

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Title: Word & Light

Text: John 1:1-5

Summary: Jesus is the Word of God who speaks God’s light into existence. There are two kinds of light corresponding to his two acts of creation. In the first act, God made natural light. This is how we see creation. In his second act of creation, the Word spoke again so we could see God.

Bottom line: If you want to see God, let God’s Word-made-flesh speak light into your darkness.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Title: Heaven's Gift

Scripture: I Corinthians 12-13

Summary: God is the giver of good gifts. He not only has given us the greatest gift of all, but He also gives us blessings along the way: hope, peace, joy, and love. Jesus is the embodiment of these special gifts and gives to those that come to him.

Bottom line: Jesus, sent to give and comfort.

Title: Love Seeks

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Summary: Gifts are a great way to express love. The better we love, the better the gifts we’ll give because we know exactly what to get. God loved us and sent his Son—God’s gift of love is the best gift ever! Now then, what sort of gift might he want from us?

Bottom line: Love has come! Your gift of love is all you need to bring.

Advent candle/reading: Love Sent from my iPhone

Title: Joy Sings

Text: Luke 2:8-20

Summary: When we celebrate, we sing. Whether it’s for a birthday, a ballgame, or the national anthem, we sing when we’re happy! The weeks before Christmas are all about longing for our Savior, but not this week. This week we interrupt our longing to sing for joy: the Lord has come!

Bottom line: From angels to shepherds to us, we all have something joyous to sing about!

Advent candle/reading: Joy

Title: Peace Shouts

Text: Luke 1:67-79

Summary: In our broken world, conflict is the norm. We wrestle with God, with each other, even within ourselves. With so much conflict around us, peace can be hard to come by. God’s promise—what we’re all waiting for—is that he’ll bring his people into perfect peace.

Bottom line: When peace breaks out in your life, you won’t keep it to yourself.

Advent candle/reading: Peace