Recipe for Salvation Advent Week 1: HOPE

It's Advent! During this season, we wait and prepare for Jesus' coming, both at Christmas and when He comes again. This year, we'll be exploring the "Recipe for Salvation" and discovering what Christmas baking can teach us about God and His Word.

Light the Advent Wreath

Each Sunday of Advent, we light a candle on the Advent wreath to count up to Jesus' birth at Christmas. This week, we light the HOPE candle.

In baking, there's a lot of waiting. If you use yeast, you have to wait for it to rise. You have to wait for the oven to preheat. Sometimes, you have to wait for the dough to chill overnight. Finally, when the cookies or bread go in the oven, you have to wait for them to bake. The waiting is worth it, because you have HOPE of what's to come, a delicious, sweet treat.

God's people waited a long time for Jesus to come. We've waited a long time for Jesus to come back again. Advent is about waiting with HOPE, because God always keeps His promises. His Word is true and brings light to the darkness.

A Christmas Carol

From the Bible | Romans 13:11-12a NLT

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here.

You can also turn to Isaiah 2:5 and Matthew 24:44 to read more about our wait with HOPE.

Talk About

What is it hard for you to wait for? What gives you HOPE when you're waiting? What do you think it was like for God's people waiting for Jesus to come? How do you feel waiting for Him to return? What can we do while we wait to prepare for Jesus' coming?

Credits:

Created with images by Volodymyr Shevchuk - "gingerbread cookies in the oven" • irina - "Freshly baked cookies rising in a warm oven emitting steam and creating a cozy atmosphere in a kitchen during a sunny afternoon" • Sona - "Buns baking in an oven with a timer." • Inna Vlasova - "modern kitchen timer apple shaped on the background of the kitchen"