This post is the fourth in a series adapted from Anticipating His Arrival, a family Advent devotional by Rick Brannan. We will be posting one devotional a day through Christmas. Luke 1:46–55 And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my...
The songs we sing at Christmas are some of the richest, most special in the church’s history. But even the best songs can get overplayed. Here are a few modern Christmas songs you can add to the mix for some variety this year. “He Shall Reign...
This post is the third in a series adapted from Anticipating His Arrival, a family Advent devotional by Rick Brannan. We will be posting one devotional a day through Christmas. Psalm 126 When Yahweh restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like...
This post is the second in a series adapted from Anticipating His Arrival, a family Advent devotional by Rick Brannan. We will be posting one devotional a day through Christmas. Isaiah 64:1–4, 8–11 Would that you would tear the heavens and come...
This post is the second in a series adapted from Anticipating His Arrival, a family Advent devotional by Rick Brannan. We will be posting one devotional a day through Christmas. Isaiah 64:1–4, 8–11 Would that you would tear the heavens and come...
In the book 300 Christmas Quotations and Prayers, editor Elliot Ritzema pulls from centuries of Christian writing to offer timeless yet fresh reflections on Advent and Christmas. Here are just three quotes. *** “Unless He were true God, He would not...
As Christ’s arrival draws closer, a natural consequence is joy. When the thing we have been waiting for gets closer and closer, joy increases. When I was a boy, my dad was in the Navy. There were times he was away from home for months. We wrote...
This post is the first in a series adapted from Anticipating His Arrival, a family Advent devotional by Rick Brannan. We will be posting one devotional a day through Christmas. As Christ’s arrival draws closer, a natural consequence is joy. When the...
It’s easy to imagine what Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, or the Magi were thinking and feeling when they encountered the baby Jesus for the first time. I can imagine the mix of excitement, nerves, and expectation as they wondered when God would...
Christmas is just a few weeks away, and that means it’s the season for carols and Christmas hymns. We compiled this list by identifying the most-used songs in Proclaim last December, plus a few more that thematically fit well (covering themes of the...
The rear seating in our 2004 Yukon must have some kind of magnetic field that provokes good questions from kids. This week it was, “Why do we decorate trees at Christmas? What does that have to do with Jesus being born?” I don’t remember asking such...
What Flannery O’Connor said of the South is true of all America—but it seems truest at Christmas: While the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted. The Southerner, who isn’t convinced of it, is very much afraid that he...
What do we really know about the “magi,” the three “wise men” who brought gifts to Jesus? I get questions like this from my kids all the time, questions about Bible and theology stuff. I love their curiosity. And I often find myself answering them...
It’s that time of year when churches kick things up a notch. We’re celebrating God’s greatest act of mercy: sending his Son to redeem the world. And since a multitude of angels sang at his appearing, it’s right that churches celebrate with at least...
Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire. (This first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. So Joseph...
What do you think is the most “Christmasy” book in the New Testament? The obvious frontrunners are Matthew and Luke, especially their opening portions. One of the reasons these books will show up so often in Christmas-time sermons and Bible studies...
Imagine being one of the first people to use Facebook. Without many others to connect with, would the social media company hold any value to you? Probably not. But add a couple dozen of your close friends to the site, and suddenly you’d probably...
We’re celebrating Advent by giving away dozens of free books and beautiful Advent Art. In this post, Martin Weber reflects on the peace signaled by this season of anticipation. Martin is the author of numerous books, including My Tortured...
During the Christmas sale, you can use coupon code BUNDLEUP14 to get 15% off all topical bundles. Topical bundles have been completely rebuilt with the launch of Logos 6, and in each bundle, you’ll find high-quality resources essential to a specific...
There’s no better time of year to explore the life of Mary than now, as we head into the Advent and Christmas season. The Gospels mention Mary in only a few verses, so we easily assume there’s not much to learn about her life. Yet she was present as...