For millennia, Christians around the world have taken the weeks leading up to Christmas, known as Advent, to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Lord. It's a time to remember, rejoice, and rest in the Savior who came as a baby and will come again. In a year when our normal seasons of work, rest, and worship have been disrupted, we invite you to slow down for a season and spend four weeks rejoicing in our God who has come near — our Savior, Jesus. 

The Redeemer staff team has written these devotions to help you reflect on the coming of your King. Each devotion has a passage of Scripture, a short devotion, and some reflection questions. There is also an accompanying craft that you can make to remind you of each of the passages. These passages, reflections, and questions all focus on the God who dwells with us. They follow the story throughout the Scriptures of the God who desires to dwell with us as our God, the God who came as one of us on that first Christmas.

At the end of a year characterized by distance and fear, Christmas will lead us to remember the fellowship and peace that Jesus brings. While we have grieved our broken world this year, Christmas reminds us that Jesus came “to make his blessings flow — far as the curse is found.” While we may have felt, or even still feel alone, Christmas assures us that our God is Immanuel — God with us.

As you work through the devotions, invite your child(ren) to create the corresponding craft. Once each craft has been created, display them however works best in your home — on your Christmas tree, on your dining table, along a piece of twine, around your doorway, etc. And as the number of crafts grows each day, we hope it serves as a great reminder of how Jesus is “God with us.”