— Brittany, Mom in Missouri

Give your kids the greatest gift this Christmas.

We’ll give you everything you need to show your kids the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

  • Discover the Bible’s Big Story
    (and learn why Christmas is such a big deal.)
  • Interactive
    Train kids to read the Bible for themselves (not just sit through it.)
  • Read the Actual Bible
    (Not oversimplified retellings.)
  • Realistic, even during the busy holiday season (Only ten minutes each day.)

— Shannon P., Mom in Georgia

What’s Inside…

  • 31 days of short Bible readings and discussion questions (beginning December 1).
  • Printable Christmas activities for all ages.
  • Leading up to Christmas, read about God’s people longing for a king to save them.
  • After Christmas, read about how we are still waiting for King Jesus to come back.

Learn more about what’s inside this devotional.

— Jonathan C., Dad and Pastor in Florida

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— Brianne J., Mom in California

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Train kids to engage with the Bible, ask good questions, and dive deeply into Scripture for the rest of their lives.

— Angela C., Mom in Colorado

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— Lara, Mom in Kentucky

What is Advent?

The word “Advent” means arrival. For hundreds of years, Christians have used the word “advent” to describe the season of the church year leading up to Christmas when we celebrate the first arrival of Christ to our broken world.

While Christ has already “arrived” one time, we are still waiting for his second advent — when he will come back to save his people, judge the wicked, and make everything right again. Advent isn’t just a season of the year to get ready for Christmas; we really are an Advent People, eagerly waiting for our king to come again.

Why These Readings?

This is a really unique advent devotional. It’s meant to begin on December 1 with parents and kids of any age. Every day from December 1–December 24, we’ll read a passage about the expectations for Jesus to come the first time. Then, after Christmas (December 26–31), we’ll read passages from Revelation about the return of Jesus.

The entire story of the Old Testament is a story of Israel waiting for a king to save them from their enemies, set them free from sin, and fix everything that we have broken. God had promised to send them this kind of king and they were setting all of their hopes on that promise.

The Scripture readings are relatively short every day to help you make a regular habit of family devotions, even if your kids aren’t used to listening to the Bible for long stretches yet. We hope that this is training for your kids — preparing them to read entire books of the Bible with you.

See the Full List of Readings

Part One: Waiting for a King

Leading up to Christmas, we’ll read about the predictions and promises that God was going to send his people a king who would make everything right again.

  1. Genesis 49:1–12
  2. Deuteronomy 17:14–20
  3. 1 Samuel 16:1–13
  4. 2 Samuel 7:8–29
  5. Psalm 2
  6. Psalm 45:1–7
  7. Psalm 72:1–14
  8. Psalm 110
  9. 1 Kings 11:1–13
  10. 2 Kings 11:1–16
  11. Isaiah 9:1–7
  12. Isaiah 11:1–10
  13. Jeremiah 23:1–8
  14. Isaiah 31:6–32:3
  15. Daniel 2:31–45
  16. Ezekiel 37:21–28
  17. Amos 9:7–15
  18. Ezra 1:1–7
  19. Haggai 2:20–23
  20. Micah 4:9–5:6
  21. Matthew 1:1–17
  22. Luke 1:26–38
  23. Matthew 1:18–25
  24. Matthew 2:1–12
  25. Luke 2:1–7

Part Two: Waiting for a King (Again)

Christmas is over and Jesus has come, but we are still waiting for a king to come and make things right again. Jesus came once but we know that he is coming again. On that wonderful day, he will be fully recognized as the king of the world.

We’ll close out our year by reading passages about the return of Christ from the book of Revelation.

  1. Revelation 1:1–8
  2. Revelation 5:8–14
  3. Revelation 15:1–4
  4. Revelation 19:11–16
  5. Revelation 11:15–19
  6. Revelation 21:22–27

Key Themes to Watch For

  • The King — God had promised to send his people a king who would reign, not just over Israel, but all the earth; not just for a short time, but for all time.
  • Christ/Messiah — The Messiah (which means “Anointed One”) was a long-awaited king who would set the Israelites free from suffering forever. He would reign as King over Israel and all of the earth, save his global people from sin, and bring lasting world peace. Messiah is a Hebrew word and Christ is the Greek translation of it.
  • David — The greatest king in Israel’s history was David. God promised that an even greater king would come from David’s family line.
  • The Nations — God has a heart to save all kinds of people. On the last day, every single ethnic group will be represented around the throne of King Jesus and every language will sing his praises. We participate in global missions because God is a global God. Missions is the theme of the entire Bible.

Why Celebrate Advent With Your Kids

This is likely a time of the year that has your kids REALLY excited. It’s wonderful to look forward to Christmas presents, cookies, parties and gatherings, and trips to see family; but we should invite our kids to look forward to an even greater joy in Christ. We hope and pray that these readings will help your kids look forward to the return of Christ more than they look forward to whatever is waiting for them under the tree.