We have received a few requests about what we can be reading in the devotional as a church. The short answer to that question is: it depends. Some people are going to have varying amounts of time available for the devotional. However, I have put together a basic guide for the 4 weeks of Advent that you can use, if you would like. The advent week is listed first, and an optional addition of chapters to read is included in parentheses. If you want to read ahead, that’s fine. If you don’t have time to read the chapters, it may still be fruitful to put time into the devotional readings and activities.
Week 1: November 29 – December 5
Hope: 141 – 150 (Chapters 1, 2, and 3)
Week 2: December 6 – 12
Peace: 151 – 162 (Chapters 4, 5, and 6)
Week 3: December 13 – 19
Joy: 163 – 174 (Chapters 7, 8, and 9)
Week 4: December 20 – 23
Love: 175 – 186 (Chapters 10, 11, and 12)
Christmas Eve/Christmas Day
Christmas: 187 – 194
We will be using these weeks as the themes for our Sunday services this December, and I would love to hear how God is using this book to speak to you this season, too. However, it may also be helpful if you find one or two other families that you can connect with each week to reflect on what you’re reading. If you have someone in your small group or another friend you feel comfortable with, I would greatly encourage you to reach out and try to set up a time to connect each week, perhaps even Sundays after service.
I hope this is a blessing for each of you this Christmas!
Pastor Mike