5 Terrific Christmas Advent Devotionals

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Looking for a terrific Advent devotional this Christmas? We've mined the best of the best - our family favorites - for you. After 22 years of parenting, we have some definite favorites!

5 Terrific Christmas Advent Devotionals

1.

Starting with the youngest in the family, we love Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Adventure for Little Hands. It's a perfect Advent study for the little ones because each lesson is short and to the point. If you aren't into pulling out all the crafy stuff, you can also get the printables. Color, cut, and go!

2.

If you have a heart to get past all the crazy stuff that comes with Christmas and seek Jesus this advent season, then Counting the Days, Lighting the Candles migh be the devotional for you. It begins, centers, and ends on the gospel - the good news - and leaves us breathless with gratitiude and wonder.

3.

Our hands-down family favorite from year to year is the Jotham's Journey series. Fast-paced, engaging for most ages (from 4-year-old to adult), chalk full of Christmas truth, and tender, each book in the Jotham's Journey series will leave you wishing Christmas was right around the corner again so that you can read the next one!

Jotham's Journey
Bartholomew's Passage
Tabitha's Travels
Ishtar's Odyssey

4.

If you want a hands-on approach to a Scriptural study of the Bibilcal account of Christ's birth, we think you'll love Grapevine Studies' Birth of Jesus. Draw your way through all of the events surrounding Christ's birth. Beginning in Nazareth, you will introduce your students to Mary and Joseph as they learn the news that they will be parents to Jesus, the Messiah!

5.

If your home is filled with teens or college students, young adults, and you, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas is a book that will help you dive deep into the meaning of the gospel. Compiled from the sermons and writings of Christians such as Timothy Keller, Randy Alcorn, Francis Schaeffer, John Whitfield, and Martin Luther, this is a book that will point you to the one who gives us reason to breathe in the middle of the holiday rush.

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10 Terrific Family Devotionals

On a recent live hangout we did with Rachael and Davis Carmen of Apologia, Fletch mentioned that he hasn't always been a dad who really gets deep into Scripture with our kids, or who has been consistent with family devotions. I love that he was transparent with this, because there are valid and tangible factors that play into that, as I'm sure there are for a lot of dads who work outside the home.   

Family devotions can and should look different for every family. Your dynamics are different than ours, and God delights in how creative He is with each of us. There's no one-size-fits-all here. 

Keeping that in mind, here are 10 family devotionals that we have loved over the years. Sometimes we read them all together after dinner, sometimes Kendra reads them to the kids after breakfast, and often, not every one of us is around to hear what's being read. God works with that, and we're never left lacking. 

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The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones - Great for younger kids, The Jesus Storybook Bible puts Jesus at the center of every major Biblical event. The readings are just the right length for sleepy kids who can't grasp a whole lot of depth but who can fully understand that the only real Bible hero is Jesus.

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing, Sally Lloyd-Jones - Short and easy, these daily devotions by Sally Lloyd-Jones often had me teary. I would take pictures of the text and send them to friends who needed to be reminded of the gospel, and though written for a younger age group, I reminded my junior higher that she could get a lot out of them if she were willing to tune in.

Long Story Short, Marty Machowski - Written for a variety of ages (junior high and down, I think), Long Story Short is also a gospel-centered devotional that will remind us all that Jesus is the redeemer from Genesis to Revelation.

Old Story New, Marty Machowski 

Exploring Grace Together, Jessica Thompson - Jessica Thompson has been a guest on the podcast before, and we love how she reminds us all that as parents, we desperately need redemption, too. Exploring Grace Together is great for a K-6 crowd, and tells stories that mirror the circumstances they may be dealing with themselves.

Grapevine Studies- Draw your way through the Bible using stick figures! Grapevine Studies have been a good all-ages devotional for our family, and everyone has their own style when it comes to illustrating the passages we're reading from.

Practical Happiness: A Young Man’s Guide to a Contented Life, Bob Schultz - Not just for boys, Practical Happiness is an excellent book covering topics that both kids and adults can relate to. We found ourselves in rich discussions after each chapter.

Draw To Learn the Book of Proverbs - The Notgrass Company publishes several books with the title "Draw to Learn . . .", and all of our kids loved these. A verse is presented with instructions on how to illustrate it. Really fun to see each child's creativity.

Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption, Starr Meade - Grandpa's Box contains treasures that illustrate Biblical truths. The story and themes kept our elementary kids' attention very well.

A Year With Your Children in the Bible, Jim Cromarty - Now out of print, you can find a used copy for a great price. Spend a year in the Bible with your kids; you won't regret it!

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