Every year it seems the time for celebrating Christmas grows earlier and earlier. We are told to shop early, inundated with Christmas music by our coworkers the first day the weather dips below 40 degrees. We may not want to shame our friends and family for whichever way (or how early) they choose to begin the celebration, but we want to give the holiday its due. Advent is something we often don’t consider when planning for the Christmas season. The month preceding the Christmas holiday is one during which many can use to prepare their hearts so as not to get lost in all of the parties and shopping. There are many Christmas Advent books for Christians to focus on the birth of Christ. Ranging from fun family exercises to a collection of essays and poems from famous writers, these Christmas Advent books for Christians offer much for believers this holiday season. Check out some of our picks below.
Leave it to one of today’s biggest authors to be the first choice on our list of Christmas Advent books for Christians. “The Greatest Gift” is a Christmas twist on the bestselling book, “One Thousand Gifts,” from Ann Voskamp. The book walks through the lineage of Jesus to show us how long God had been at work crafting a way for the Savior. On top of this book, there have been a few different expansion offerings, from an Advent calendar to a specially illustrated devotional book titled “Unwrapping the Greatest Gift.” Find the best way to celebrate Advent with your family.
Perhaps instead of one long-running theme for Advent, you’d prefer a collection of writings about Christmas and the birth of Christ. “Watch for the Light” features poems and essays from leading spiritual scholars like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, and Philip Yancey. These intellectual pieces can be enjoyed as a daily devotional or as something to visit irregularly throughout the holiday season. Learning from a number of voices may help you to gain a multitude of perspectives about this important time of the year and think about Christmas in a whole new light.
Author and speaker Paul David Tripp has made a career of giving Biblical advice for parenting, marriage, and other stops along the way in life. “Come, Let Us Adore Him” is one of the best Christmas Advent books for Christians who want to personalize the coming of Christ. It may be easy for us to think of Jesus dying for the sins of all mankind, but the story takes on a different perspective when we think about our own place in it all. This daily devotional tells us why we need a Savior, why God sent His Son, and what we should do in response to His coming.
Anticipation plays a big part in the Advent season. Although we may identify more with a child who is anxious to open the presents underneath the tree, these aren’t the only gifts to consider. God’s people waited centuries for a messiah to come. Christmas, the birth of Christ, was the culmination of all those years of waiting. Scott James details that longing and the many ways in which God displays His love through the life of Jesus in “The Expected One.”
There are few Christian heroes held in such high esteem as Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A man of conviction, belief, and knowledge, his thoughts are sought by many on a variety of subjects. “God is in the Manger” is a 40-day devotional that brings together many of the famous pastor’s writings on Christmas for a wonderful collection capable of putting you in the right mindset this Christmas. At just over 100 pages, this book promises to be a quick study of the holiday season you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Earlier we mentioned the anxious longing of the Israelites as they yearned for a Savior to come and rescue them. What comes after the birth of Christ is an immense level of joy and celebration which continues to this day. “The Dawning of Indestructible Joy” contains 25 daily readings for those wishing to dig deeper this Advent season. We often think about the joy of Christ’s birth on Christmas Eve or Day, but what if we extended that period of celebration for several weeks? This is the aim of John Piper’s book.
Like Bonhoeffer, A.W. Tozer is a celebrated author and pastor from years ago who has plenty of wisdom to share. “From Heaven” is a 4-week collection of devotions two pages in length each examining the impact of Christ coming to earth. These writings display the wonder which Tozer felt by God’s decision to descend upon the earth in human form. Not only does “From Heaven” speak of the birth of Christ, the book also marvels at the future second coming.
Do you ever feel the narrative of Christmas feels set apart from the rest of the Bible? Pastor Russ Ramsey aims to change that in “The Advent of the Lamb of God.” Part of a series entitled “Retelling the Story,” this book is an updated take on a similar work from Ramsey and singer Andrew Peterson called “Behold the Lamb of God.” This new work seeks to connect the birth of Christ with the Old Testament and, furthermore, all of human history.
Max Lucado has written several things which qualify as Christmas Advent books for Christians, but “In the Manger” is what we’ll focus on for this article. If you like the work of Max Lucado, you’ll enjoy this book, as it compiles much of the author’s previous writings about Jesus into the new lens of Advent. “In the Manger” features 25 selected passages of Lucado’s work from “3:16,” “God Came Near,” and other books for the ultimate reading on the birth of Christ.
If you ever feel as though Christmas has snuck up on you and your family, leaving no time to spiritually embrace the season, then Nancy Guthrie’s “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room” is the Advent book for you. As a mom, author, and Bible teacher, Guthrie knows just how busy Christmas can be and how important it is to spend that time with family. This family devotional is a great way for you and your loved ones to focus on Christ this holiday season.
The last of our Christmas Advent books for Christians is "Waiting Here for You” from Louie Giglio. Christians today may find it difficult to wait for just about anything. Even the annual tradition of Christmas can feel a million miles away at times. Imagine how much longing there would have been for the people of God as they waited centuries for a messiah. Louie Giglio walks readers through the process of waiting and what God is really doing during this difficult time.
Whether Advent is completely new to you or something you and your family celebrate every year, we believe these Christmas Advent books for Christians will help you to enjoy the full holiday season this year.
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