Pastor and author Mel Lawrenz is interrupting his weekly How to Live the Bible series to focus our attention on the wonder of the Incarnation for the Advent season.

Dear friend reading “How to Live the Bible”…

In a couple of weeks we’ll be sending, from December 1 through December 25, the free daily devotional called Christmas Joy. Many people do these 25 readings every year as a rhythm of reflecting on the wonder, the power, and the joy of the coming of Jesus the Christ. Each brief daily reading takes a word from the biblical text associated with the coming of Christ.

Peace. Joy. Angels. Manger. Shepherds. Jesus. Bethlehem. Magi. Christ.

These are part of the very familiar vocabulary of Christmas—words you’ve read or heard many times over the years. Perhaps you’ve heard them so many times that they no longer have much impact on you.

But wouldn’t it be wonderful to recapture the power and depth of those words, and of the story they tell? This Christmas, explore each of the important words and concepts of the Christmas story with Christmas Joy. Each day’s brief email focuses on one of the themes of Christmas, with an eye toward rediscovering the message of peace and joy that lies at the heart of this very familiar story.

Encourage your family, friends, and followers to sign up to receive Christmas Joy. If you’re a pastor or an organizational leader, invite your members to follow along. The 25 days of Christmas Joy will help you join together in thoughtful celebration.
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Get Christmas Joy–A Devotional by Mel Lawrenz to read in December
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[If you believe this series is helpful, this is the perfect time to forward this to a friend, a group, or a congregation, and tell them they too may sign up for the weekly emails here]

Mel Lawrenz (@MelLawrenz) trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large. He has a PhD in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel is the author of 18 books, including How to Understand the Bible—A Simple Guide and Spiritual Influence: the Hidden Power Behind Leadership (Zondervan, 2012). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.