Advent is an exquisite tapestry of remembrance and hope. It urges us to transcend the temporal allure of holiday celebrations and step into a sanctuary of reflection, rest, and renewed faith. Advent embodies a period of waiting that bridges past, present, and future expectations of Christ's advent. So today, Stephanie invites us to enter the heart of Advent—a time of reflection, prayer, and preparation centered around the comings of Jesus Christ.
Drawing from the Anglican liturgical tradition of the weekly "collects," prayer can transform the season, linking believers to a contemplative experience and encouraging introspection. On that note, consider checking out our Gospel Spice Advent Course, a series of 12 videos that will guide you on a prayerful 24-day journey that will highlight original, unexpected, deep insights for your heart and faith. More at gospelspice.com/advent
The Advent season encapsulates both the commemoration of Christ's first coming, and the anticipation of His return. This duality highlights Jesus' role, initially as a humble Messiah, and soon as a returning Judge and King.
Amidst the festive frenzy, we need to remember to emphasize rest during Advent. For many, resting in God's presence contradicts a performance-driven mentality. This, in turn, beckons us to relinquish control and engage in trust. Resting in God not only fosters spiritual quietness, but also enhances our awareness of His guidance.
As the season progresses, Stephanie extends an invitation to experience Advent not merely as a time of expectation, but also as a process of spiritual readiness. Repentance, grace, and prayer point us towards preparation for Jesus’ imminent arrival. This sacred anticipation encourages us to reflect on our identity in relation to God, seeking quietness, trust, and strength through His presence.
Advent sends forth a sacred invitation to step away from commercial clamor and enter into a season of faith-journey marked by expectation, repentance, and joyful anticipation. Let us heed this call to embrace Advent as a season of profound spiritual transformation and expectation in Christ!
Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on Holy Day traditions in upcoming episodes of Gospel Spice!
Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store
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What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.
Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.
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Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.
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