Good News of Great Joy

Here is another wonderful free advent devotional.

We are already on day 4 but it is NEVER too late to spend time in His word. Commit yourself to read the Bible, even if it is just a verse. Trust me. It is intoxicating and soon you will be reading whole chapters everyday.

Make NO excuses! 

You DO have the time! 

NOTHING is more important!

John Piper is offering this wonderful devotional as a FREE download on his website.
Come check it out!

 

Click here to download.

Advent Family Ideas and a challenge

With all the focus on shopping and having the right kind of decorations and the perfect gift, it is easy to forget what Christmas is really about. 

THE perfect gift was given to us on a Christmas morning over 2,000 years ago. Yet not all of us have opened that gift and lived a life worthy of that gift. 

"But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness." 2 Peter 3:10-11 MSG

 Do we live like He is coming back today? Or are we too focused on the world? Are we putting up a Christmas tree or are we going with the new cultural norm of Holiday tree? 

So here is our challenge to you: worship the King this Christmas. Center the season with your family around the manger. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

And a challenge that I encourage you to download, print and keep in your Bibles, post on your fridge.

How do YOU keep Christ in Christmas? Share with us!

Truth In the Tinsel. Download the book here.

This website has ton of ideas for free Christmas activities for your family.

Click here!

Family Worship 2013 by murielgregory

Giveaway

As an army wife I need special encouragement for those times that my husband is gone. Most of you probably have heard of the devotional Faith Deployed. They are now launching their new Bible (New Testament and Psalm). And they are giving away 20 of them. The link is below. Just enter to win!

Faith Deployed

Here is what they say about this Bible:

"Happy official release day for the Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs! This beautiful hardcover volume includes, in addition to the text of the Scriptures:

• 60 Reinforcements (devotional readings). See an example of one of these below, written by Bettina Dowell.

• 30 Home Front Heroes (inspiration stories of other military wives)

• 10 Basic Training guides for in-depth Bible study

• 10 Classic hymns that speak to military wives

• Topical listing of favorite Bible verses for military wives

I had the privilege to serve as the general editor of this project, and worked with dozens of military wives who shared their insights. To say I am excited for this release is a gigantic understatement.
Even better? Zondervan has generously offered to give away 20 of these Bibles to FaithDeployed.com readers!!!"

Bible Gateway

Do you know Bible Gateway? If you do I do hope that you are utilizing this website. If not let me tell you why it is a great site to bookmark.

• Keyword Search

Need a verse for a certain issue? Kinda remember a verse but forgot the address? Use the keyword search and you can look for that information in countless versions.

• Topical Index

This is a great tool when you need to cross reference many verses in the Bible for a particular topic. If you look up love, you will have 686 verses pop up. There are 124 verses mentioning grace. 

• Commentaries and Dictionaries

Those are great tools for more in-depth study. If you need help understanding a more complex passage or the Bible or need a different perspective, commentaries are great. 

• Reading plans and devotionals

Daily time in the Word is crucial for personal growth and personal sanity. There is nothing like reading His promises for the day that allows you to face any challenges. Bible Gateway has a variety of reading plans and devotionals suited just for you!