How Does Advent Work ?
Each week of Advent, gather around your candle holder and light the candle for that week. Begin with the darkest candle and move to the progressively lighter candles as you advance toward Christmas.
Read through the content online about each candle's meaning—Hope, Peace, Joy, or Love and take a moment to pray together, asking the Lord to form that truth in your hearts as you prepare for Christ’s coming. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, light the large center “Christ Candle”, celebrating the arrival of Jesus, the Light of the World.
Let this simple weekly rhythm help your home slow down, reflect, and worship as you anticipate His coming.
Read through the content online about each candle's meaning—Hope, Peace, Joy, or Love and take a moment to pray together, asking the Lord to form that truth in your hearts as you prepare for Christ’s coming. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, light the large center “Christ Candle”, celebrating the arrival of Jesus, the Light of the World.
Let this simple weekly rhythm help your home slow down, reflect, and worship as you anticipate His coming.
This Week's Devotional
READ THIS TOGETHER:
Advent is an ancient Christian season, going all the way back to the 4th century. The word Advent means “coming”—the arrival of someone great. For followers of Jesus, Advent is about remembering that Christ has come, and Christ will come again.
We live in a world obsessed with the “new”—new ideas, new content, new traditions. But Advent invites us to slow down and remember the old story of God’s faithfulness. As Stanley Hauerwas wrote, “The church does not invent its way forward; it remembers its way forward.”
And at the center of Advent is hope—not shallow optimism, but a deep trust in God especially when life feels delayed, painful, or out of control.
READ GOD’S WORD:Psalm 42:5–6 (NIV) “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you…”
Romans 8:25 (NIV) “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
SHORT FAMILY REFLECTION:
Hope matters most when life is hard. If everything were perfect, hope wouldn’t be needed. That’s why the Bible ties hope so closely to waiting, pain, and things we cannot control. The themes of Advent—love, joy, peace—are all listed as fruit of the Spirit. But hope isn’t. Instead, we see something else: patience (long suffering). Advent hope isn’t just waiting; it’s how we wait. Without the Holy Spirit, our patience breaks under pressure. But with Him, hope grows even in delay and difficulty. God does not cause suffering, but He meets us in it. A broken world breaks people—but God uses pain to build perseverance, character, and hope. And when life feels downcast or out of control, that’s the best moment to place your hope in the Lord and pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” because in Jesus, you can be downcast AND hopeful, grieving AND grateful—all at the same time.
FAMILY QUESTIONS:
For Kids: What is something you’re hoping for right now? When you feel sad, how can you remember God is with you?
For Teens: Where in your life do you feel pressure to “fix” something you can’t control? Why do you think the Bible connects hope with patience?
For Adults: What in your life feels delayed, painful, or out of your control? How might God want to grow patience or character in this season?
PRAYER
“God of Hope, fill our home with Your presence. Teach us to wait with patience, trust You in what hurts, and remember Your faithfulness. We place our hope in You—today and every day. Amen.”
Advent is an ancient Christian season, going all the way back to the 4th century. The word Advent means “coming”—the arrival of someone great. For followers of Jesus, Advent is about remembering that Christ has come, and Christ will come again.
We live in a world obsessed with the “new”—new ideas, new content, new traditions. But Advent invites us to slow down and remember the old story of God’s faithfulness. As Stanley Hauerwas wrote, “The church does not invent its way forward; it remembers its way forward.”
And at the center of Advent is hope—not shallow optimism, but a deep trust in God especially when life feels delayed, painful, or out of control.
READ GOD’S WORD:Psalm 42:5–6 (NIV) “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you…”
Romans 8:25 (NIV) “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
SHORT FAMILY REFLECTION:
Hope matters most when life is hard. If everything were perfect, hope wouldn’t be needed. That’s why the Bible ties hope so closely to waiting, pain, and things we cannot control. The themes of Advent—love, joy, peace—are all listed as fruit of the Spirit. But hope isn’t. Instead, we see something else: patience (long suffering). Advent hope isn’t just waiting; it’s how we wait. Without the Holy Spirit, our patience breaks under pressure. But with Him, hope grows even in delay and difficulty. God does not cause suffering, but He meets us in it. A broken world breaks people—but God uses pain to build perseverance, character, and hope. And when life feels downcast or out of control, that’s the best moment to place your hope in the Lord and pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” because in Jesus, you can be downcast AND hopeful, grieving AND grateful—all at the same time.
FAMILY QUESTIONS:
For Kids: What is something you’re hoping for right now? When you feel sad, how can you remember God is with you?
For Teens: Where in your life do you feel pressure to “fix” something you can’t control? Why do you think the Bible connects hope with patience?
For Adults: What in your life feels delayed, painful, or out of your control? How might God want to grow patience or character in this season?
PRAYER
“God of Hope, fill our home with Your presence. Teach us to wait with patience, trust You in what hurts, and remember Your faithfulness. We place our hope in You—today and every day. Amen.”
