“The word advent means ‘expectation.’” What Advent can do for us is create a sense of hope.”– Louie Giglio.

Advent is a season shaped by longing—holy, expectant, hope-filled longing. It is the time when the Church slows down to remember that God stepped into the world as light in the darkness, and to awaken our hearts to the truth that He is coming again. Advent is not simply a countdown to Christmas; it is an invitation to wait with faith.

In a world that celebrates speed, productivity, and instant results, waiting is a weakness. Yet Scripture tells a different story. So many of God’s most significant works unfolded slowly, quietly, and often invisibly at first. Abraham waited for a promised son. Israel waited for deliverance in Egypt and later in exile. Mary waited while the world had no idea that salvation grew within her. God’s timeline is not slow; it is precise. And Advent teaches us to match our hearts to His rhythm.

Advent is a season of holy anticipation, a time when believers pause to remember that our faith is rooted in a God who comes near. It is more than a tradition on the church calendar; it is an invitation to slow down and awaken our hearts to the wonder of Christ’s coming—past, present, and future.

For the believer, Advent begins with remembering. We remember that Jesus entered the world not in power but in humility, choosing a manger instead of a throne. His first coming reveals the character of God: gentle, compassionate, willing to step into human darkness to bring light. Advent reminds us that God keeps His promises, even if His timing surprises us.

But Advent is also about the present. Christ comes to us now—into our ordinary days, our struggles, our waiting. Advent teaches us to look for Him in unexpected places, just as the shepherds looked past the stable and into the face of a newborn King. It encourages us to open the quiet spaces of our lives and invite Jesus to dwell there, transforming our hearts with His hope, peace, joy, and love.

Finally, Advent points our eyes forward. For believers, this season stirs our longing for Christ’s return. We live between two comings: celebrating what He has done and yearning for the day He will make all things new. Advent strengthens us to wait with faith, knowing that the God who came before will come again.

In this sacred season, we are reminded that we do not wait alone and we do not wait in vain. Advent calls us to hope with confidence, to watch with expectation, and to prepare our hearts for the One who still draws near.

Emphasizing the anticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ during Advent helps bridge the age-old gap between the sacred and the secular of the Christmas season. They find that drawing close to God enriches all other aspects of the Christmas celebration—fellowship, gift-giving, gift-receiving… even shopping. Four weeks of focusing on Jesus can help to put everything else in its proper light.

May this season renew your faith and awaken your longing for Christ’s presence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does the word Advent mean, and why is “waiting” such a central theme of the season?
2. Why do you think God chose to enter the world in humility—through a manger, an obscure town, and unnoticed by most?
3. Advent highlights both Christ’s first coming and His promised return. How does remembering these two comings strengthen your faith?

“Snag the best deals before they’re gone this Black Friday.” “Black Friday: Your chance to grab exclusive offers.” “Don’t miss out on Black Friday’s limited-time steals.” “Seize the best Black Friday deals and save money while they last.”

Black Friday arrives every year with a familiar energy—lines forming before dawn, ads promising the “best deal ever,” carts overflowing with things marked down just enough to convince us that we need them. It’s a day marked by activity, excitement, and the thrill of finding something valuable at a discount. But for believers, Black Friday can actually become a quiet window into something far richer: the reminder that we never purchased the greatest treasure we have.

On a day centered on chasing bargains, Christians are invited to remember a very different kind of pursuit—the pursuit of God for us. Black Friday is built around the idea of getting a good deal. The gospel is built around the reality that we received the most precious gift when we had nothing to offer. “For God bought you with a high price,” Paul writes (1 Corinthians 6:20). Not a discounted price, not a limited-time special—a costly price. Jesus didn’t wait for us to line up early, perform better, or prove our worth. He stepped into our world, took on our sin, and purchased our redemption with His own blood.

Black Friday also reminds us how quickly our hearts can chase temporary things. A new device, an upgraded appliance, a must-have toy—none of them are wrong in themselves. But they cannot fill the deeper longing inside us. The rush of buying fades. The novelty wears off. The thing that seemed so important ends up in a closet or on a shelf, forgotten as quickly as it was exciting. Jesus addressed this cycle when He said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19–20). Earthly treasures fade. Kingdom treasures multiply.

Yet Black Friday can also serve a redemptive purpose: it reminds us of God’s generosity. We love a good deal because we love receiving something valuable that we didn’t fully pay for. That desire points to something built into our souls—the desire for grace. God wired us to long for generosity because He Himself is generous beyond measure. Every blessing, every answered prayer, every moment of peace is a reminder that we live under the overflow of God’s kindness.

So as we move through this season—whether we’re shopping, relaxing, traveling, or avoiding stores altogether—let Black Friday turn your heart toward worship. Let it be a reminder not of consumerism, but of grace. Not of pressure, but of peace. Not of what we can get for ourselves, but of what Christ has already given us.

Take a moment today to thank God for the gifts that can’t be discounted: salvation, forgiveness, purpose, hope, and His nearness in every season. These are the treasures that never go out of style, never break, never become obsolete, and never need an upgrade.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can Black Friday remind us of God’s generosity?

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thanksgiving invites us to pause in a world that rarely slows down. The pace of life pulls us from one task to another, one worry to the next, and without even noticing it, our hearts begin to drift toward complaint, comparison, or self-reliance. Yet Scripture quietly calls us back to something far better: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1). Thanksgiving is not an annual holiday—it’s an opportunity to reorder the heart toward God.

Gratitude begins with remembering. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly instructed His people to remember what He had done for them—how He had rescued, provided, protected, and sustained them. When they remembered, they worshiped. When they forgot, they grumbled. Our hearts aren’t much different. True thanksgiving is not rooted in how smooth life feels right now but in the unchanging character of God. He is good. He is faithful. Gratitude grows when we intentionally remember God’s faithfulness.

Thanksgiving also challenges the illusion of self-sufficiency. In Deuteronomy 8, God warned His people not to forget Him once they entered the land of abundance. He knew their temptation would be to look around at full cupboards, peaceful homes, and fruitful fields and say, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But Thanksgiving humbles us and reminds us that every good gift is ultimately from the Father above. When we give thanks, we confess that we are receivers, not owners; stewards, not sources.

A grateful heart also keeps us from the trap of comparison. Gratitude opens our eyes to what God has already entrusted to us instead of what He hasn’t. It roots us in the present rather than in the perceived perfection of someone else’s story. When we cultivate thankfulness, we begin to notice blessings we once walked past: mercies, answered prayers, unexpected encouragements, moments of peace where anxiety once ruled. Gratitude makes the invisible visible.

Most importantly, thanksgiving is a way we experience God Himself. Psalm 100:4 teaches us that we “enter His gates with thanksgiving.” Gratitude isn’t just a nice attitude—it’s an entry point into God’s presence. When we thank Him, our hearts soften, our worries shrink, and our perspective aligns with His truth. Thanksgiving turns our focus from what is uncertain to the One who never changes.

As you gather this season—around a table, with family, with friends, or even in quiet solitude—take time to remember God’s faithfulness. Let gratitude become more than a moment; let it become the rhythm of your heart. For the God who has carried you this far will carry you still. And as you give thanks, you’ll find that gratitude doesn’t just acknowledge what God has done—it opens your heart to trust Him for what He will do next.

Discussion Questions:

1. What has God changed in your life for which you are grateful?
2. What keeps you from thankfulness?
3. How can you foster a thankful heart?

“So also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” — Hebrews 9:28.

There are moments in the Christian life when our hearts need to be gently redirected back to the central truth that defines our faith: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, not merely as a historical event, not as a theological concept, but as the deepest act of love ever displayed. Remembering His sacrifice is not something we do only on Good Friday or during communion; it is meant to shape our everyday lives, guiding our decisions, calming our anxieties, and awakening our gratitude. When we remember what Jesus has done, we see everything else more clearly.

Jesus’ sacrifice was not accidental or forced—it was intentional. He said in John 10:18, “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.” His willingness reveals the heart of God: a love that moves toward sinners, not away from them; a love that absorbs the cost rather than demanding repayment; a love that gives everything so that we might live. To remember His sacrifice is to remember that grace is not cheap. It cost Jesus His life.

Yet His sacrifice was also victorious. When we remember the cross, we are not remembering a tragedy of defeat but a triumph of redemption. Jesus didn’t simply die—He conquered. He took on sin and crushed it. He faced death and defeated it. He entered the grave and shattered its authority. The cross is the place where love and power meet, where justice and mercy embrace, where our past is forgiven, and our future is secured.

Remembering His sacrifice reorients our hearts. In a world that constantly pulls our attention toward ourselves—our achievements, our failures, our anxieties, our desires—the cross calls us to look at Him. It reminds us that our worth is not grounded in what we do but in what He has done. His sacrifice reminds us that we are loved—not conditionally, temporarily, or partially, but completely. It silences the lie that we must prove ourselves. Jesus has already proven everything that needed to be proven.

Remembering His sacrifice also shapes how we live toward others. Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).  When we reflect on the forgiveness we’ve been given, it becomes harder not to forgive others. When we dwell on how patiently Christ endured the cross for us, we become less likely to give up on the people around us. His sacrifice transforms us into people who extend grace, patience, compassion, and humility.

So today—and every day—pause. Remember. Reflect. Jesus’ sacrifice is not just the foundation of your faith; it is the heartbeat of your life. Live in its shadow. Walk in its strength. And let its love define you.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you respond to the idea that Jesus’ sacrifice was a choice He made freely?
2. How does the sacrifice of Jesus challenge or change your view of self-sacrifice and serving others?
3. How can the assurance of Jesus’ sacrifice give you hope and confidence to live without the pressure of earning your own righteousness?

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” – Hebrews 12:2.

One of the most liberating truths in the Christian life is this: your hope does not rest on your worthiness—it rests on Jesus’. Yet so often, we live as though everything depends on us. We measure our value by the quality of our obedience, the strength of our spiritual disciplines, the intensity of our devotion, or the purity of our motives. And when we fall short—as we inevitably do—we start to believe that God must feel about us what we think of ourselves: disappointed, distant, frustrated, or unimpressed.

But Scripture calls us to a far different focus. Over and over, the Bible redirects our eyes away from our fluctuating performance to the unshakable worth of Jesus Christ. “Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2). Not on yourself. Not on what you’ve done or failed to do. Not on your spiritual résumé. On Him. Why? Because your worthiness was never the foundation of your salvation. His was.

When you look inward for assurance, you will always find weakness. But when you look to Christ, you find strength that never fades. When you evaluate yourself, you see sin, inconsistency, and limitations. But when you behold Jesus, you see righteousness, faithfulness, and limitless grace. When you examine your own heart, you find reasons to doubt. But when you look at Christ’s heart, you find reasons to rest.

Focusing on your own worth will exhaust you. Chasing spiritual perfection is like chasing shadows, always trying but never arriving. But Jesus’ righteousness does not fluctuate based on your emotions, your mistakes, or your spiritual momentum. His finished work stands eternal, unthreatened, and unchanged.

This is the beauty of the gospel: Jesus’ worth becomes your covering, your confidence, and your identity. He took your sin and gave you His righteousness. He bore your shame and gave you His honor. He carried your failures and gave you His perfection.

So during this season of Thanksgiving, lift your eyes off your own worthiness and fix them on Jesus. Let His flawless character steady your anxious thoughts. Let His perfect obedience silence your self-doubts. Let His unchanging worth remind you that your hope is secure—not because you are worthy, but because He is infinitely worthy.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does focusing on Jesus’s worth change your perspective on what you “bring to the table” in your relationship with God?
2. A life built on your worth leads to insecurity. A life built on Jesus’ worth leads to worship. Agree or disagree and why?

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us,”  – Saint Augustine.

There is something sacred about a table. Most of our lives’ most meaningful moments happen around one—laughing with friends, celebrating birthdays, grieving losses, or sharing simple meals that somehow feel holy. It’s no surprise, then, that God chooses a table as one of the clearest places to reveal His love. When we come to God’s table—whether we’re talking about the Lord’s Supper or simply the daily invitation into His presence—we discover a love deeper, wider, and more personal than we ever expected.

At God’s table, love is not a theory. It is something tasted. Jesus did not simply say, “I love you.” He demonstrated it by taking bread, breaking it, and saying, “This is my body, given for you.” The table becomes a reminder that His love is not distant or abstract—it is sacrificial, embodied, poured out. His love meets us not in our ideal selves, but in our real selves: weary, distracted, inconsistent, and often unsure of our worth. And still He says, “Come. There is a seat here for you.”

When you sit at God’s table, you don’t bring your résumé. You bring your hunger. God is not impressed by your strength, but moved by your need. His table is not set for the perfect but for the honest, not for those who have earned it but for those who know they can’t. Every piece of bread, every cup lifted, whispers the same truth: You are loved not because of what you have done, but because of what Christ has done for you.

God’s table is also a place of belonging. In a world that often divides, labels, and ranks people, Jesus gathers all kinds—saints and sinners, insiders and outsiders, the loud and the quiet, the confident and the brokenhearted. At His table, we are equals. We are family. We are welcomed, wanted, and woven into His story. Love is not only something we receive there; it is something we share.

And finally, God’s table points forward. It reminds us that His love is not limited to today’s struggles or yesterday’s regrets. Communion is a preview of the great feast to come—the day when God’s love will be fully seen, fully experienced, fully unhindered by sin, sorrow, or separation. Every time we gather at His table now, we rehearse the future joy that awaits us.

So come to God’s table with open hands. Come with gratitude, with longing, with hope. Come knowing that His love is not rationed—it is abundant. Come, remembering that the One who invites you is the One who gave Himself for you. At God’s table, love is offered, love is restored, and love is made real again.

At His table, you don’t just learn about God’s love. You encounter it. And it changes you.

Discussion Questions:

1. Which part of Jesus’ sacrifice at the table reminds you most that His love is not based on your worthiness?
2. How does focusing on Jesus’s worth change your perspective on what you “bring to the table” in your relationship with God?

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1

As Thanksgiving approaches, we should make thankfulness a daily practice, not just a holiday event, by reflecting on God’s constant presence and blessings, even in difficult times. Thanksgiving is more than a holiday on the calendar. It is a spiritual posture, a lens through which we see God’s faithful hand at work in every season of our lives. Gratitude is not merely what we express when everything is going well; it is the anchor that holds us steady when life feels uncertain, heavy, or confusing. Scripture continually calls us to give thanks—not because every circumstance is easy, but because God Himself is unchangingly good.

True thanksgiving begins with remembering. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly told His people to remember His works: the rescue from Egypt, the provision in the wilderness, the victories they could have never secured on their own. Thanksgiving is an act of intentional remembering—choosing to look back and say, “God was faithful then, and He is faithful now.” When we pause long enough to recognize God’s previous mercies, we find fresh strength to trust Him in the present.

Thanksgiving also reorients our hearts. The world trains us to focus on what we lack, what frustrates us, or what still needs fixing. Gratitude shifts our gaze away from scarcity and onto abundance—the abundance of God’s presence, His grace, His forgiveness, His promises. Like the one leper in Luke 17 who returned to thank Jesus, gratitude brings us closer to Him. It awakens worship, turning a moment of blessing into a deeper relationship with the One who blesses.

In seasons of difficulty, thanksgiving becomes a declaration of faith. When Paul says, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), he is not asking us to be thankful for every circumstance, but to recognize God’s nearness in them. Gratitude in suffering does not deny pain—it acknowledges that pain does not have the final word. It proclaims that God is still at work, still sovereign, still good, still worthy of praise.

Thanksgiving is a time to remember the gospel. If God never did another visible miracle in our lives, the cross and empty tomb would still give us an eternity of reasons to give thanks. In Christ, we have forgiveness of sins, adoption into God’s family, a home in Heaven, and His presence with us now. Every earthly blessing is a bonus compared to the treasure of knowing Him.

As we enter this season, let thanksgiving become more than a moment—let it become a rhythm. Take time to name specific blessings. Recall God’s faithfulness in past battles. Thank Him for His provision, seen and unseen. Look around at the people He has placed in your life. Look above to the Savior who gave everything for you. And look ahead with confidence, knowing that the same God who has been faithful in every yesterday will be faithful in every tomorrow.

Discussion Questions:

1. When was the last time you intentionally counted your blessings? What did you count?
2. What spiritual blessings are you most thankful for, and why?
3. How has God changed you in the past year, and which change are you most grateful for?

“How you experience your present is completely shaped by what you believe your ultimate future to be.” – Tim Keller

Every day, whether we recognize it or not, we are carrying something into tomorrow. Our words, our faith, our obedience, our prayers, our acts of love—all of it becomes part of the future God is shaping. What we choose to build today will be the very thing the next generation stands on tomorrow.

God has always invited His people to be participants in His unfolding story, not spectators to it. When He called Abraham, He didn’t simply promise him a future—He invited Abraham to deliver it by stepping out in faith. When the Lord placed Joseph in Egypt, He didn’t just show Joseph what was coming—He prepared him to become the vessel through which the future would be preserved. Throughout Scripture, God entrusts ordinary people with the extraordinary task of delivering the future He ordained. You and I are no different.

The future is not an abstract concept; it is the inevitable harvest of today’s choices. If we sow peace, forgiveness, generosity, and faith now, we deliver a future marked by those same things. If we sow bitterness, cynicism, fear, and apathy, that too becomes our inheritance.

Paul says, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 ESV). Christ isn’t only the hope we cling to—He is the hope we carry. Wherever we go, we bring the presence, the character, and the kingdom of Christ with us. That means the future of our families, our communities, and our walk with God is shaped not by our abilities but by His life within us.

Delivering the future doesn’t mean predicting tomorrow—it means preparing for God’s promises with faithfulness today. It’s showing your children what faith looks like by praying even when circumstances don’t change. It’s loving your spouse with Christ-like patience. It’s serving your local church with humility. It’s choosing forgiveness instead of holding a grudge. It’s opening your Bible even on the days you feel empty, trusting God to fill you. These seemingly small practices become the spiritual foundation stones of a future built on Christ.

The beauty of partnering with God is this: the results are in His hands. Our role is simply obedience. He takes our offering—our time, our love, our trust—and multiplies it beyond what we could imagine. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed: tiny, ordinary, often overlooked, yet capable of growing into something far beyond its beginnings. Every act of obedience is a seed that delivers a future only God can bring to full maturity.

Today, ask yourself: What future am I delivering through my choices, my faith, and my obedience?  May you walk today with the awareness that you are carrying tomorrow—and may the future you deliver reflect the hope of Christ within you.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can you deepen your relationship with God to be better prepared to “deliver” the future?

“And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” — Matthew 26:27-28.

Communion is one of the simplest acts of devotion that a believer participates in. Yet, it holds some of the most profound meaning in the Christian life—a small piece of bread, a small cup of juice—ordinary elements carrying extraordinary truth. When Jesus instituted this meal, He didn’t ask us to analyze it, debate it, or complicate it. God, in His kindness, has given His people a sacred practice that reminds us of whose presence we are in.

When Jesus gathered His disciples in the upper room, He didn’t simply give them a ritual—He offered them Himself. In that moment, Jesus was not merely establishing a symbolic gesture; He was inviting them into a deeper awareness that He would always be present with them. Through His broken body and shed blood, a new covenant of nearness was being formed. Communion, therefore, is not just remembrance—it is an encounter.

Every time we come to the table, we step intentionally into the presence of the One who overcame sin and death. We are not approaching a distant deity, a historical figure, or a moral example. We are approaching the living Savior who promises, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Communion declares that His presence is not theoretical; it is personal, close, and real.

Communion also reorients our hearts. We live in a world that constantly tries to define us—by our achievements, failures, labels, or past mistakes. But at the table, Jesus reminds us again: You are Mine. In His presence, shame is replaced with grace, fear is replaced with peace, and striving is replaced with rest. The bread tells us His sacrifice was for us. The cup tells us His covenant includes us. His presence reminds us that we belong to Him, not to our past or our anxieties. We join with believers across generations and nations in acknowledging the same Savior, the same sacrifice, the same hope. It is as though Jesus Himself pulls out a chair at the table and says, “Sit with Me. Be renewed. Be strengthened. Remember who I am and remember who you are in Me.”

Communion is not the end of the encounter; it is the beginning of living more aware of Christ’s nearness. It reminds us that we do not walk into any room, any difficulty, or any opportunity alone. The same Jesus who met us at the table walks beside us as we go.

So the next time you take the bread and the cup, pause and breathe deeply. Let your heart settle into the truth that you are sitting in the presence of the One who loves you, redeemed you, sustains you, and promises never to leave you. Communion is a reminder of whose presence you are in—and that presence changes everything.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the act of communion help us remember that Christ was with us, died for us, and is alive in us now?
2. How does taking communion serve as a reminder of God’s presence and His promises to us?