A T N E W L I F E C H U R C H
The word Advent means “coming. ” The Advent season stretches out across the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. The Advent wreath symbolizes the never-ending love of God, given to us at Christmas, with the four candles, representing God's gifts of Hope peace, joy, and love. Each Sunday as we countdown to the celebration of Christ birth among us, we light another candle on the wreath.
The first week of Advent is all about Hope
The first candle is sometimes referred to as the “Prophecy Candle” to remember the prophets, especially Isaiah, who
foretold of the coming Savior. Looking forward to Jesus’ birth provided the people with great hope. As Christians today, we also have a great hope we have in the Lord, think about Lamentations 3:21-24.
Gracious God, as the Advent season begins, we come to you looking for hope. When everything else we rely on fails us, our only hope is in You. When we do not understand what has happened, we hope in You. We can hope for better days because we trust You. We know You and we know You are here with us no matter what we are facing. Wherever we find ourselves today, remind us that our hope is in You. In Jesus' name, Amen
"This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is
Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion, " says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" - Lamentations 3:21-24
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During the second week of Advent we focus on peace Without His birth, we wouldn't have the cross Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, those who are saved now have peace with God In Isaiah 9:6-7, Jesus is even referred to as "The Prince of Peace " We also look forward to the day when He will rule over all the earth in peace When we praise God for the peace that Jesus brings, think about Colossians 1:19-20
Prince of Peace, reveal Yourself to us today. We need peace in our lives, our homes, our families, our church, and our whole world. Help us to slow down and seek out the peace You provide, so we may become peacemakers for ourselves and others. Help us to also share Your Good News with those who still need peace with God. In Your name we pray.
Amen. "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross " - Colossians 1:19-20
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J O YDuring the third week of Advent, we spend time thinking
about the joy we have from the birth of our Savior. This joy is
more than being in a happy mood. It is about trusting that God
will fulfill His promises and rejoicing when He does. God
promised a Savior from the beginning (see Genesis chapter
3). He fulfilled His promise by taking on human form, living a
sinless life, and dying on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin. The Gospel of Jesus is a joyous celebration like we find in Psalm 5:11
Dear God, far too often we
associate joy with happiness While our happiness can come and go based on the circumstances in our lives, joy is far deeper Joy is based on the fulfillment of Your promises
Thank you, Lord, for coming to this earth and fulfilling the promise You made long ago - the promise to send the Savior who would bring us into a right relationship with You.
We shout for joy as we celebrate Jesus' birth during this season. It's in His name we pray. Amen.
"But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You." - Psalm 5:11
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A T N E W L I F E C H U R C H
In this final week of Advent, our last purple candle represents love. Here are some verses that speak of the truth of God's love: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins " - 1 John 4:10 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life "John 3:16
God, we have learned to love from being loved by You. And so today, let us enact that love. Let us live that love. We know that what the world needs is to know Your love - to know Jesus. Help us to remember how much You love each one of us and that we are to share that love with others In Jesus' name we pray Amen
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C H
The last candle for Advent is white and represents the pure, sinless life of
Christ. It is known as "The Christ Candle. " May we remember and celebrate the life of our Savior, born in a lowly manger, who gives us hope, peace, joy, and love. For He is truly the reason we celebrate
Christmas. Read Luke 2:1-20.
O Lord, we have been waiting and preparing for this special day On this Christmas Day, let us live as those who let hope, peace, joy, and love reign in our lives As the candles burn brightly and light our path, let us live as those who have Christ's light burning inside us today and every day It's in Jesus' name we pray Amen
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger
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And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them " - Luke 2:1-20 "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city...
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