As we think about the upcoming advent season, our good intentions for a relaxed and reflective Christmas are all too often eclipsed by the pace of back-to-back holidays and all that accompanies them: the shopping, decorating, baking, entertaining, and traveling. For others, this season is a reminder of all that's been lost, as another year has come and gone–the time still marked with sadness. 

It's especially good then, to pause, to take time each day to reflect on Christ's birth so many years ago. The Gospel of Luke records that the shepherds were told that that this would be "good news, causing great joy for all the people." In this week's Insider, we have chosen a few resources to help remind you of the good news and great joy found in this season. All can be currently found in our bookstore.  

1. Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, by Asheritah Ciuciu

"What if you could spend this Christmas season delighting in your Savior instead of trying to create a picture-perfect holiday? In Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu invites you to prepare your heart so you can worship Jesus as never before. Each daily reflection will lead you to meditate on a different name of Jesus from Scripture." In the morning service on Sunday, November 11, we studied the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11. One of our principles for prayer was to start by reflecting on God’s worth as we pray. We think this book will be a fantastic resources to that end because it reminds us why we can say “Hallowed be your name” for a new reason each day.

2. Love Came Down at Christmas, by Sinclair Ferguson

"Christmas is all about love. It's in the music we hear and the movies we watch. It's the reason behind our gift-giving and get togethers. This Advent, Sinclair Ferguson invites you to slow down amid the busyness and be refreshed by this perfect love. As you meditate phrase by phrase and day by day through one of Scripture's most treasured passages - 1 Corinthians 13 - you'll see that 'love is' the Lord Jesus himself, and you'll be inspired to love like him during the Christmas season."

3. Prepare Him Room, by Marty Machowski 

Those in search of a family devotional will find Prepare Him Room to be an especially helpful resource. "This brand new, four-week devotional guides your family on an unforgettable advent journey, exploring some of the most wonderful prophecies in the Bible and how God fulfills them in Christ. From Bible devotions which tell the Christmas story through the eyes of the prophets to an original Christmas short story called “Bartimaeus,” Prepare Him Room helps you build family Christmas traditions around Christ." You can pick up this book at the bookstore or through Truth For Life.

Book description excerpts courtesy of the publisher.