How are you feeling this holiday season? Maybe life feels like the perfect gift—the kind that leaves you feeling known and grateful.
Or does this season feel more like a gift you wish you could return? One that leaves you feeling disappointed, hurt, and reminded of what you’ve lost?
Maybe this season actually feels like a good gift, but you’re simply too busy to enjoy it, like when you open a toy on Christmas morning but then have to spend all day putting the pieces together. Sometimes it can feel like we’re rushing so much to make Christmas happen that we forget to actually experience it.
That’s why we practice Advent: to point us back to the gift of Jesus.
Table of Contents
What Is Advent?
Advent is a Christian tradition of preparing for and anticipating the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Each week of Advent focuses on one theme that shows us how Jesus’ coming changes our lives.
- Hope: A wholehearted, evidence-based trust that God is making a better future
- Peace: A state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others
- Joy: A resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God
- Love: Following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of care
Below, we’ll look at these gifts through the stories of Scripture and the Christmas story itself. We’ll also see how they shape the way we live and love today.
So whether Advent is a tradition you’ve celebrated for years or this is your very first time, you’re invited to come on this special journey. Discover how Jesus can bring hope, peace, joy, and love into your life today.
Week 1: A Hope Advent Devotional
Hope is the wholehearted, evidence-based trust that God is making a better future.
It can be easy for everyday life to steal your hope. Tragedies, division, aging, and disasters can make it feel like our best days are behind us. But is that true? Or could reflecting on the story of Scripture give us real, resilient hope?
Before Jesus was born, in a province of the Roman Empire called Judea, people were low on hope. Most of the evidence from the past could have led them to give up. But God was still writing their story.
One night, far away, educated stargazers noticed something strange. A new star shone brightly over Judea. The wise men believed it signified the birth of a divine King, so they traveled west to find Him.
Imagine their wonder when they arrived, not at a palace, but at a humble home. It didn’t make sense, but the signs told them it was true. That’s why they entered, bowed low, and offered kingly gifts.
Hope often looks risky.
To others, their actions may have seemed irrational. But the story of the wise men reminds us that hope often looks risky. If you, like the wise men, believe that this child would make the future better, then hope makes sense.
The child they found was Jesus. One small child in a big world running out of hope. His life became the evidence that God’s plan was still moving forward.
Advent begins with hope because the birth of Jesus was a gift, showing us God hasn’t abandoned us. He’s with us, and He’s still working for good.
Read the story of the wise men who came to see Jesus: Matthew 2:1-12
Week 2: A Peace Advent Devotional
Peace is a state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others.
It doesn’t take long to see how fragile peace feels in our world. Conflict, stress, and fear show up everywhere. Especially during the holidays, the pace of life can leave us feeling restless instead of renewed.
At the time Jesus entered the world, life was unpredictable, and peace felt out of reach to most ordinary families. Yet in the middle of that uncertainty, a young woman named Mary received perhaps the most surprising news ever. She would give birth to God’s Son.
Her world was suddenly turned upside down. There were plenty of reasons to panic or feel overwhelmed. But instead, Mary responded with trust. She sang, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior … for the Mighty One has done great things for me” (Luke 1:47-49 NIV).
Mary’s story reminds us that peace isn’t the absence of problems; it’s knowing God is with us no matter what we’re facing. Peace comes when we remember that His promises are true, even when life feels uncertain.
Later, Jesus told His disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. …” John 14:27 NIV
His peace doesn’t depend on perfect circumstances. It comes from knowing we belong to Him and can trust Him with everything.
Peace may feel distant in your life today, but Advent reminds us that true peace has already been given through Jesus. Just like Mary, we can choose to trust God and rest in the peace that only He provides.
Read the story of Mary: Luke 1:26-56
Week 3: A Joy Advent Devotional
Joy is a resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God.
It’s easy to confuse joy with happiness. Happiness comes and goes depending on our circumstances, but joy is different. Joy can last even in hard times because it rests in who God is and what He has done.
On the night of Jesus’ birth, a group of shepherds watched their flocks outside Bethlehem. They were ordinary workers doing ordinary jobs—not the kind of people you’d expect to get history’s biggest announcement. Yet God chose them to receive it.
An angel appeared and said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:10-11 NIV).
The shepherds were terrified at first, but then their fear turned to joy. They hurried into town, found Mary, Joseph, and the baby, and then spread the word of what they had seen. They couldn’t keep it to themselves.
The story of the shepherds reminds us that joy isn’t reserved for the powerful or important. God’s joy is for everyone. It’s for people doing daily work, facing everyday problems, and wondering if life will ever change.
Joy interrupts our routine when we remember all that God’s done for us. Joy isn’t pretending life is perfect. It’s trusting that God’s goodness is real and His promises are true. That is news worth celebrating and sharing.
This Advent, we remember that Jesus is the source of lasting joy. His birth brought joy to shepherds in the fields, and His life, death, and resurrection can bring you authentic joy today.
Read the story of the shepherds: Luke 2:8-20
Week 4: A Love Advent Devotional
Love is following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of care.
When we think of love, it’s easy to picture warmth, kindness, and special moments. But God’s love is deeper than a feeling we get while we’re sipping hot cocoa. It’s a love that acts, sacrifices, and restores.
The Christmas story is proof of that love. God could have stayed put and told us to figure out our own problems, but instead He entered our humanity through Jesus.
As John 3:16 NIV says, “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.”
God’s love didn’t shout from the sky. It came in the form of a baby, born to Mary and Joseph in the humblest of places.
Mary responded to God’s call with trust, saying yes even when her future was uncertain. Joseph showed love by staying by Mary’s side despite the unprecedented nature of her pregnancy, protecting and caring for her when it would have been easier to walk away. Together, they became living examples of God’s love in action.
Their story reminds us that love is a choice. It’s not always easy or convenient. But real love looks beyond fear, doubt, and even public opinion to see the value in others and to serve them sacrificially.
Advent leads us to remember that God is love.
Advent leads us to remember that God is love. His love is not earned, and it doesn’t run out. It’s unconditional, personal, and available to each of us right now. The birth of Jesus is God’s ultimate demonstration that nothing can separate us from His love.
This Christmas, when love feels difficult or costly, look to the manger. God’s love came close, and it still does today.
Read the story of Jesus’ birth: Luke 2:1-7
Explore examples of God’s love in the Bible.
God’s Gift for You
Christmas is a celebration of God reaching out to offer forgiveness, hope, and a brand-new way of life.
Have you felt hope rise and peace settle in? If you’ve ever wondered if there’s more to life, there is.
God sent Jesus so you could receive complete forgiveness, start fresh, and live with Him at the center of your life. You can accept this gift right now by talking to Him through prayer.
Here’s an example prayer you can pray today:
Jesus, I believe You’re the Son of God. Thank You for coming to forgive me and give me new life. I choose to follow You today. Please forgive me, change me, and guide me as I take this step with You. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, we’d love to celebrate with you! When you let us know you prayed, someone will be in touch soon to celebrate your choice, offer helpful next steps, and set you up with a free guide for new followers of Jesus.
What if This Year Were Different?
Even after the decorations come down, the hope, peace, joy, and love we’ve talked about can stay with you throughout the year to come!
How will you carry the good news of Christmas into the new year? Living and loving like Jesus in our homes, neighborhoods, and online helps us continue the celebration.
This will look a bit different for everyone, but here are some steps to try:
- Find people who will cheer you on in your faith.
- Talk to God regularly.
- Open your Bible often and ask questions as you read.
- Look for ways to serve and love others.
- Imitate Jesus’ love as you interact with others, regardless of their belief or background.
- Be generous with your time and money.
Remember God’s love, grace, and forgiveness for you.