Today is the second Sunday of Advent. We light the candle of Peace. Our Savior, Jesus, brings eternal peace to our hearts.
This is the second week of Advent. If you missed last week, The Candle of Hope, go back and study all about it. In Week two, we will be studying scriptures on how Jesus brought peace to this earth.
Candle Lighting of Peace
Today, we will light the candles of Hope and Peace. Let us reflect from last week’s reading on the Hope that we have in Jesus. The good news is that he also came to bring us Peace.
Let us pray as we light the candles:
Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. This world is filled with sin, pain and suffering and we know it comes from the enemy. He lurks around trying to kill, steal and destroy our lives. But, we have peace knowing that you sent your son as a Savior for us. I pray for you to send laborers to my loved ones that they will come to know you. Open the hearts and minds of anyone who doesn’t know you Father God. Also, open my eyes as I dive into the reading this week.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
I encourage you to listen to the word for this week. Read the scriptures before and after so you can receive good context. A good and trusted website I love using is Precept Austin. Just google it online. I also enjoy Bible Hub. It goes deeper into all the books of the Bible along with the scriptures. It’s what changed my walk with the Lord. I wasn’t understanding the Bible and didn’t even know where to read each week. I now have a good study plan that I love and can understand scripture. Reading the Bible daily is something I enjoy now.
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Scriptures for This Week
The Coming and Prosperity
The book of Zechariah is the 2nd to last book in the Old-Testament. He also brings forth the promises that God made to restore and heal the people.
Verses 8:10-13
Prophecies Against the Nations
First Coming of Jesus, Verse 9:9
– Explicitly quoted in the Gospel (Matt 21:1-11) as fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
Second Coming of Jesus, Verses Zechariah 14:3–4
– Linked to Christ’s return: Acts 1:11-12 in the New Testament
The Sermon on the Mount
Jesus Came to Teach Us – He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying..
Verses, Matthew 5:1-12
Break Bread With Others
Make a loaf of Sourdough bread and stencil the manger on it. Pass some loaves out to neighbors and/or serve it with your Christmas Eve dinner.
How Does the World Celebrate Christmas?
The worldly view of Christmas is to believe in Santa. Let’s be honest. He’s everywhere. I was raised with Santa and then I raised my kids with Santa. Back then, I wasn’t walking with the Lord. I recently apologized to my son that his dad and I lied to him and his sister. He’s now a father and doesn’t want to lie to his kids. I never thought about the lying part until when we told the kids. I’m not condemning anyone that does celebrate Santa. He is a fun jolly big guy. My grandpa used to play Santa at children’s hospitals and all of us grandkids loved seeing our grandpa dress up in his suit.
I just see so many running around shopping, going here and there during the month of December. I used to do this too. It’s fine to do those things, as long as, we don’t get so consumed with the materialistic part of things. As I’m getting older, year after year, I’m focusing more on the birth of Jesus. This year, let’s see Jesus as the main focus instead of a fictitious character.
Therefore, when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ~ John 6:14
Ways to Celebrate Advent Season
When you create Christ-centered Advent traditions, your family slows down and connects with God’s story. These moments build memories that point everyone back to the heart of Christmas.
- Go to a Live Nativity – this is one of my favorite things to do. Look up churches near you that have real animals and people acting out the parts of the Bible. It’s truly amazing!
- Have Nativity scenes around your Christmas decor. Make them the center of your displays. I always hide baby Jesus and put him out on Christmas morning.
- Make that loaf of Nativity Sourdough Bread
- Advent Wreath and Candle Lighting
- Advent Calendar – instead of putting candy in each section, write scriptures on construction or Christmas themed scrapbook paper for fun.
- Go visit a non-profit like food bank or nursing home. Take homemade cards and sing Christmas hymns to them.
- Have a daily devotional with your family. It should take maybe 10-15 minutes. Due to school and work schedules, evening times after dinner would be a good time.
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Advent DIY Craft
Make this nostalgic Christmas paper chain garland. You can write scriptures on the back of the circles that are connected to each other or put words like “A Savior is born” or “Baby Jesus is coming”.
Luke 2:14 ~“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
How Much Time Should We Spend With God
People ask me all the time how much bread (made with freshly-milled flour, of course) should we eat? How much Jesus do you need? HE compared himself to bread.
John 6:35 ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.
1. Start where you are, but don’t stay there.
• If you’re currently not reading your Bible, begin with 10 minutes a day.
• If you’re already reading your Bible, start reading for 20–30 minutes, then move to an hour.
2. Remove any distractions. I had to ask myself, what is priority in my life?
• Doom scrolling on social media, tv watching or even a hobby can be a distraction from diving into the word.
• An undistracted hour (Bible reading, prayer, meditation, worship) will allow you to develop a stronger relationship with God.
Bible Verse Mapping
My walk with God changed when I started verse mapping in the Bible. I used to just pick my Bible up on Sunday’s and then again the following Sunday. Now, I really enjoy my Bible and look forward to spending time with God on a daily basis.
3. Stay in constant communion.
• “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17) means keeping a running conversation with God all day—short prayers while driving, working, cooking, etc. I’m constantly talking with God during the day. Not begging Him for answered prayers but just hanging out and talking.
• Many believers find that a solid morning hour sets your day up with joy and gratitude. Sometimes I’m rushing out the door, but when I stop and and dedicate time in the morning, I just feel like I can tackle my day.
4. Include “retreats” with God.
• Even Jesus withdrew for 40 days/nights. A monthly half-day alone with God, or an annual 1–3 day personal retreat, can be very transformative.
– Jesus’ Temptation
In the New Testament, Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness stands as one of the most profound uses of this time frame:
“After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry” (Matthew 4:2).
During this wilderness trial, Jesus faced temptation but remained obedient, ultimately demonstrating His sinless nature. This event parallels and fulfills the Old Testament patterns of testing and preparation, emphasizing that Jesus is the perfect representative of humanity, triumphing where Israel (and all people) have stumbled.
Resources
She Reads Truth – Advent Study Guide
The Daily Grace Co. – Advent Study Guide
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-advent.html
Advent Season Readings
This post is part of a four-week Bible Study on the Advent Christmas Season. Join me as we dive into all the scriptures leading up to the birth of Jesus.
Let us find the hope and peace in Jesus this Advent Christmas Season. As you read the scriptures this week, pray that God opens your mind and heart to slow down. The more we dive into the word and really study it, the closer we will be in our walk with the Lord.
Next week, we will light the candles of Hope, Peace and Joy. As we grow in our relationship with God, we shall be Joyful messengers and spread the good news!
Wendy Lea Walker, NTP
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin.
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