Are you looking for a simple way to invite Christ into your Christmas?
We have created a FREE Advent Reading Plan that takes just 15-minutes per day, 5-days per week to complete.
As you walk through this 4-week plan, you will be invited to slow down, remember, anticipate, and rejoice in all Jesus Christ has done and all He has promised to do.
This FREE Advent Reading Plan was written to encourage small group study and Christ-centered conversation throughout the hectic holiday season.
We’ve also included inspirational tips and ideas in today’s article to help families utilize this FREE Advent Reading Plan to grow closer to one another and learn more about Jesus during the month of December.
If you aren’t sure what Advent is or how this Advent series could rekindle your hope this holiday season, read on!
What is Advent?
Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming or arrival.”
Churches around the world have celebrated Advent as the first season of the liturgical year for centuries.
The tradition of Advent exists to remind Christians of the three comings of Christ.
As a tiny babe in a manger at Bethlehem.
As the risen Savior into our hearts.
As our triumphant King at the end of the age.
Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.
There are many ways to celebrate the Advent season, but the general themes that correspond with each week are as follows:
Week 1: Promise
Week 2: Preparation
Week 3: Peace
Week 4: Praise
Our Free Advent Reading Plan follows this weekly structure and takes our hearts on a journey from promise to praise.
The tradition of Advent exists to remind Christians of the three comings of Christ.
Why celebrate Advent?
One of the greatest joys of Christmas is the anticipation of celebrating with family and opening gifts around the tree.
But the holiday is so much more than that for Christ-followers.
Christmastime is a season to remember all Christ has done for us and anticipate all He has promised to do for us in the future.
He came and died.
He saved us from our sin.
He is coming again!
The purpose of Advent is to rekindle our hope by remembering the prophecies and promises of God.
When we commit to an Advent Scripture reading plan, we create space for Christ during one of the busiest times of the year.
The purpose of Advent is to rekindle our hope by remembering the prophecies and promises of God.
How can we celebrate Advent as a family?
If you are anything like our family, establishing a habit of family devotions is a challenge.
This is what makes our Free Advent Reading Plan so helpful!
They say it takes at least 21 days to form a habit. The Advent season happens to be 28 days long.
That’s just long enough to help you form a new Bible study habit with your family.
If you choose to utilize our free Advent reading plan as a family, we encourage you to follow these three steps each day:
1 – Pray
Open your time together with a brief prayer asking God to help you understand and apply the Scripture readings to your life. Another fun way to incorporate prayer into your Advent study is by creating a Prayer Jar as a holiday craft with your children.
To make this step a bit easier, we’ve included a brief prayer inspired by the Scripture reading at the beginning of each day.
2 – Read
If your children are old enough to read, invite them to participate in the reading portion of your study time. We love to go around the table, each reading a verse at a time. This keeps everyone engaged in the process and following along in their own Bibles.
3 – Sing
Kids love to sing, even if they try to convince you otherwise. Advent is the perfect season to invite family worship into your home. Here is a printable PDF with several familiar Christmas hymns.
If you aren’t comfortable singing acapella, Hillsong Worship has lyric videos from their 2017 Peace Project on Youtube. Even listening to these songs as a family would be a beautiful way to wrap up your Advent devotional time.
What Will I Learn From This Free Advent Reading Plan?
Each day of the free Advent reading plan includes a prayer, a Scripture reading, and a reflection question. Here is a breakdown of the principles and themes we will be exploring throughout our 4-week guided Scripture reading plan:
Week 1: Promise
Day 1 – Jesus Gives Us Strength
Day 2 – Jesus Lights Our Path
Day 3 – Jesus Comforts Us
Day 4 – Jesus Fills our Hearts With Joy
Day 5 – Jesus Sets the Captives Free
Week 2: Prepare
Day 1 – Jesus Fulfills His Promises
Day 2 – Jesus Saves Us from Our Sin
Day 3 – Jesus Justifies Us
Day 4 – Jesus Prays for Us
Day 5 – Jesus Frees Us From Death
Week 3: Peace
Day 1 – Jesus is Returning
Day 2 – Jesus is Preparing for Us
Day 3 – Jesus Observes Us
Day 4 – Jesus Intercedes for Us
Day 5 – Jesus Purifies Us
Week 4: Praise
Day 1 – Jesus is Righteous
Day 2 – Jesus is the Anointed One
Day 3 – Jesus is a Priestly King
Day 4 – Jesus is Our Cornerstone
Day 5 – Jesus is Praiseworthy
If you aren’t already part of our community, we’d love to have you join us. Once subscribed via the form below, you’ll receive a copy of the Free Advent Reading plan within 20 minutes.
Once you are signed up, you can expect to receive 1-2 Christ-centered e-mails from Living by Design Ministries each week. You are welcome to unsubscribe at any time.
I am so looking forward to going through this reading plan with my family this December. The whole time I was putting it together, I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to read through these powerful Scriptures with my teens.
I am hoping and praying this reading plan will draw families closer together and help point hearts to Christ this Christmas.
This article was originally published on November 13, 2018.
