Day 17 ADVENT DAY 17: Dec. 17 – King Herod, the Monster of ChristmasDevotionalEvery story needs a villain, and the Master storyteller doesn’t hold back in the Christmas story. This one has one doozy o...  Read More

Day 16 ADVENT DAY 16: Dec. 16 – Anna, the Faithful WidowDevotionalSoon after Simeon appears in the Temple to meet Jesus, we are told of an enigmatic prophetess named Anna (Greek form of Hannah) who al...  Read More

Day 15 ADVENT DAY 15: Dec. 15 – Simeon, the ElderDevotionalUnlike most popular versions of the Nativity story, Luke’s doesn’t end at the manger, and the three Magi do not appear. Instead, like any Jew...  Read More

Day 14 ADVENT DAY 14: Dec. 14 – Luke, the Doctor of DetailsDevotionalEvery year on Christmas Eve my father would grab the family Bible, open it to the Gospel of Luke, and read the Christmas story to s...  Read More

Day 13 ADVENT DAY 13: Dec. 13 – Christmas Prophecies Come TrueDevotionalProphecy is an indispensable part of the Nativity story – with good reason. God has always spoken and acted in real history, thr...  Read More

Day 12 ADVENT DAY 12: Dec. 12 – Shepherds, Humble EvangelistsDevotionalStop for a minute and think – you have great news, the best news ever. Who do you want to tell? Who do you go to first? I don’t k...  Read More

Day 11 ADVENT DAY 11: Dec. 11 – Angels, God’s AnnouncersDevotionalAngels serve a variety of roles in Scripture: they advocate, they protect, they make war, they announce, they teach, they comfort, and...  Read More

Day 10 ADVENT DAY 10: Dec. 10 – Manger Animals, the First WitnessesDevotionalIn his book, An Angel’s Story, Max Lucado sets the scene for the animals.“I’ve heated the water!””No need to yell, Joseph. ...  Read More

Day 9 ADVENT DAY 9: Dec. 9 – Innkeeper, the Unlikely HostDevotionalIn his book, An Angel’s Story, Max Lucado imagines the scene at the Inn in Bethany when Mary and Joseph arrive.“But don’t you have ju...  Read More

Day 8 ADVENT DAY 8: Dec. 8 – Caesar Augustus, the Arrogant RulerDevotionalThe prophet Micah prophesied 700 years before the birth of Christ that he would be born in Bethlehem. Have you ever thought ab...  Read More

Day 7 ADVENT DAY 7: Dec. 7 – Joseph, the Earthly Father of JesusDevotionalTo understand Joseph’s perspective of the Christmas narrative, we need to understand the customs surrounding betrothals/marria...  Read More

Day 6 ADVENT DAY 6: Dec. 6 – Angel Gabriel Reassures JosephDevotionalGabriel shows up a third time in the Christmas narrative, this time to reassure Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, that she was not unfaithf...  Read More