Advent Study: {Weeks 1&2}

The gift of HOPE!

Well I had great intentions of blogging weekly throughout this study, but life has been busy and blogging has been on the back burner! This study has been amazing thus far and has really brought the focus and the true meaning of Christmas in our home back to Jesus. 

Week 1: The focus of the first week was on HOPE, God gave the hopeless world the gift of Hope in his son Jesus Christ. 
"May the God of HOPE fill you with all the Joy and Peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~Romans 15:13
There were so many good verses this week, my favorites coming from the book of John.

 

"The Word was first, 

the Word present to God,

God present to the Word.

The Word was God, 

in readiness for God from day one.

Everything was created through him; 

nothing- not one thing, cam into being without him!

What came into existence was Life, 

and the Life was Light to live by. 

The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;

the darkness could not be put out." John 1:1-5

The Lord sent his only son Jesus, the Life-Light into a world of darkness. The world was not ready for him, nor did they comprehend what this little child would one day do for them.  People doubted him constantly, and still do; but those who believe in him and what he stands for have been given the greatest Hope of all. A life that doesn't end when we take our last breath, but a life filled with eternal happiness.  He is the LIGHT in our world of DARKNESS, this tiny baby born in a manger is our greatest HOPE!

Week 2: LOVE, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
While we focus every year on the Love God had for the world by sending his son Jesus to die for us, we often forget that WE as believers must show generosity, compassion  and LOVE to those around us suffering.  We must LOVE and be generous because God LOVES us and is generous to us.

 

"Beloved, let us LOVE one another, for LOVE is from God, and whoever LOVES has been born of God and knows God." ~1 John 4:7

This second week I have had a harder time sitting down to do my study, but once I do I feel ten times better about where I am in my walk with the Lord and in my life in general. 

"By your words I can see where I am going, they throw a beam of LIGHT in my dark path." Psalm 119: 105-106 

As I look forward to week three of this study: Keeping our hearts focused on Jesus, I pray that the hustle and bustle of the holidays will slow down and allow us to really spend time thinking about the true meaning of Christmas! This week I challenge you to do something nice for someone you don't know... buy someone a coffee, wish someone in passing a Merry Christmas, put a little extra into the red kettles (Bell ringers LOVE that... I know from personal experience!!) whatever you do, do it in His name!!

Merry Christmas from our Home to Yours!!