Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. —Luke 2:8-11

The word Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival” is the four-week season of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

Advent celebrates the coming of Christ in three ways:

1. Christ coming in human flesh at a certain
   Reveal Answer
   and
   Reveal Answer
   in history.
2. Christ coming to the
   Reveal Answer
   of his followers.
3. Christ coming in final glory to set
   Reveal Answer
   things right

“Advent is a season of expectant waiting, tapping into the sense that all is not well, the longing for the world to be made right again. It’s a season for restless hearts and people weary of a broken world who want, with all our being, to know there’s more than this.” —Eugene Peterson

Advent reminds us that the light has come and is coming to drive out the

.

“The light is coming to give back everything the darkness stole.” —Ariana Grande

Meet the Herdmans

The Herdman children were

and resented by the entire town.

The Herdman children decide to come to the church in part because there was

.

The Time of Jesus

Things are

as they should be. (Luke 2:5-7)

Jesus came to save those in need of a

. (Luke 5:31-32)

It was

that the Herdman children needed help.

It was not clear that the church people understood their own need for Jesus as Lord and

.

This Week God Speaks through Gladys

The Third Sunday in Advent is the Sunday of

. (Luke 2:9–12)

Notice that great joy does not require

accommodations. (Luke 2:13-14)

“There are no box seats in heaven.” —Old Church Saying

What God desires and what happens in heaven is that God is praised and the people of earth live in

.

The

to joy is to buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.

“Satisfaction is all of the things you have, divided by all the things that you want. You can increase your satisfaction buy wanting less and watch your happiness rise.” —Arthur Brooks, Happiness Researcher

The other primary path to joy is

others. (Luke 3:7-8a)

Leroy, Claude, and Ollie Herdman walk into the Christmas Pageant as the three wise men with a

.

They brought what they loved and

most and gave it to Jesus. (Luke 3:9-14)

The Herdmans didn’t give out of a need for

or expectation of praise.

Like John the Baptist, they too were “rough around the edges” and gave their

to Jesus. (Luke 3:15-17)

What will you give to Jesus this Christmas that others may not

?

How are you remembering that God’s plan is

than any darkness you face? (Philippians 4:4-7)

“Remembering God’s story in your life is the antidote to dark memories that metastasize like cancer. God’s story is a bigger, sweeter story than any story ever told. And we are part of it. Remember.” —Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Action Step:

Invite God into a place where you are facing a

or darkness and take action into God’s plan for you.

“My additional notes:

”.