December 1st, 2025
by Rob Brattin
by Rob Brattin
What Is Advent
Finding Hope in the Season of Waiting
As December arrives and Christmas lights begin to twinkle in neighborhoods across the world, many Christians enter a sacred season of preparation called Advent. This four-week period before Christmas invites us into something far deeper than holiday shopping and party planning—it calls us to wait, to reflect, and to hope.
The Three Comings of Christ
Advent centers on three distinct "comings" of Jesus that deserve our attention and anticipation. First, we remember Christ's arrival as a baby in Bethlehem—that miraculous moment when the eternal God took on human flesh. Second, we look forward with expectation to His promised return, when He will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords to complete His work of restoring all creation. Third, and perhaps most personally, we prepare our hearts for Jesus to come to us each day during this season—to meet us in our present circumstances, our struggles, our waiting.
This third aspect transforms Advent from a mere historical commemoration into a living, breathing invitation. Today is the day of salvation. Right now, God wants to be Father to the fatherless. Right now, He wants to occupy our brokenness. Right now, He invites us to experience His presence in the midst of our darkest places.
Advent week One: Hope
Hope is both something we possess and something we choose. Webster's dictionary defines hope as both a verb and a noun—it's a desire that lives within us, but it's also an action we take when we cherish something with anticipation. This dual nature reveals an important truth: while hope may be innate to the human heart, we must actively cultivate it through our daily choices.
The Psalms overflow with declarations about hope. David, who brought hope to all of Israel when he faced Goliath, understood this deeply. In Psalm 147:11, we read that "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love." David didn't just experience hope as a passive feeling—he actively chose it, even commanding his own soul: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God" (Psalm 42:11).
When David stood before Goliath, a spirit of fear had fallen upon God's people. This wasn't merely physical intimidation—it was a spiritual oppression that paralyzed Israel's army. Yet David chose to find hope in God's promises rather than focus on the giant before him. He was terrified, but he held up hope as his shield.
Life Habits That Cultivate Hope
What are we doing with our daily lives to prioritize hope? In our modern world, we easily find ourselves placing hope in foolish things—social media validation, political outcomes, material possessions, or personal achievements. These false hopes distract us from the true source of eternal hope.
The discipline of Advent offers us practical ways to build hope-filled habits. Lighting candles on an Advent wreath each Sunday, reading daily devotionals, opening Advent calendar doors with scripture verses—these simple practices keep hope visible before us. They interrupt our frantic holiday preparations and remind us: we are waiting for Someone, not just something.
Writing down scriptures about hope cements them in our hearts in ways that casual reading cannot. When we take time to search God's Word for promises, to write them in our journals, to speak them over ourselves, we're making concrete choices to prioritize hope over despair.
The Reality of Hopelessness
Proverbs 13:12 tells us that "hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life." We all know the ache of waiting—for healing that hasn't come, for prayers that seem unanswered, for circumstances that remain broken despite our best efforts. This is the tension of the "now and not yet," the liminal space where we live between Christ's first coming and His return.
During the Great Depression, a photograph captured a desperate mother with a sign reading "Four children for sale, inquire within." How does someone reach such hopelessness? By forgetting that Christ is reigning now, by losing sight of His current mission in the earth, by allowing darkness to eclipse the light.
Hopelessness comes from two primary sources: being far from God and being deceived. The further we drift from intimate relationship with our Father, the more we spiral into our own mental rabbit holes. And when we place our hope in things that will perish—wealth, reputation, earthly success—we build on sand rather than rock.
Our Identity as Hope-Bearers
First Corinthians 15 reminds us that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. But the glorious truth is that Christ HAS been raised from the dead! He is the firstfruits, and because He lives, we too shall live. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
This reality changes everything about how we face each day. When we wake up, when we face danger or difficulty, when darkness surrounds us, we can declare: "Devil, I'm getting up today and Jesus Christ is coming with me."
Our identity in Christ becomes our anchor of hope:
- We have been justified, completely forgiven, and made righteous
- We died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over our lives
- We are free forever from condemnation
- We have received the Spirit of God so we can know the things freely given to us
- We have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy
- We are redeemed, forgiven, recipients of lavish grace
These aren't just nice religious statements—they're the bedrock truths that allow us to stand firm when everything else shakes.
Modeling Hope for Others
Perhaps one of our greatest responsibilities is to model hope for those watching us—especially children. They need to see us choose hope in hard times, in difficult conversations, in seasons of uncertainty. They need to witness us speaking truth to our own souls, reminding ourselves who God says we are when circumstances scream otherwise.
Throughout history, believers have demonstrated this kind of radical hope. One man, imprisoned and tortured for his faith, made a deal with his guards: they could beat him, but he would preach to them. Every time his family visited, despite his suffering, he radiated joy and encouragement. "Christ is my hope," he would say. "I have been beaten today, but I have converted three guards to Christ." His family inherited hope because they saw him choose it daily.
Come, Lord Jesus
Advent echoes the ancient cry: "O come, O come, Emmanuel—God with us." This season invites us to wait with expectant hope, to prepare our hearts not just for a holiday but for a Person. The King of eternity came as a little baby, and He will come again in glory. But today—right now—He comes to us personally.
In all our waiting, in all our longing, in all our unanswered prayers and unfulfilled desires, we can choose to hold up hope. We can write it down, speak it aloud, light a candle to remember it. We can search the Scriptures and let them cement truth in our hearts.
Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is a Person, and His name is Jesus. He came to redeem us, He is reigning now, and He will return to complete what He started. Until that day, we wait—not in passive resignation, but in active, expectant, joy-filled hope.
Today is the day of salvation. Today, hope is available. Today, Christ invites you to come away from darkness and join yourself to Him. Will you answer the invitation?
(This blog was created from Rob Brattin's original sermon using pulpit.ai)
Finding Hope in the Season of Waiting
As December arrives and Christmas lights begin to twinkle in neighborhoods across the world, many Christians enter a sacred season of preparation called Advent. This four-week period before Christmas invites us into something far deeper than holiday shopping and party planning—it calls us to wait, to reflect, and to hope.
The Three Comings of Christ
Advent centers on three distinct "comings" of Jesus that deserve our attention and anticipation. First, we remember Christ's arrival as a baby in Bethlehem—that miraculous moment when the eternal God took on human flesh. Second, we look forward with expectation to His promised return, when He will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords to complete His work of restoring all creation. Third, and perhaps most personally, we prepare our hearts for Jesus to come to us each day during this season—to meet us in our present circumstances, our struggles, our waiting.
This third aspect transforms Advent from a mere historical commemoration into a living, breathing invitation. Today is the day of salvation. Right now, God wants to be Father to the fatherless. Right now, He wants to occupy our brokenness. Right now, He invites us to experience His presence in the midst of our darkest places.
Advent week One: Hope
Hope is both something we possess and something we choose. Webster's dictionary defines hope as both a verb and a noun—it's a desire that lives within us, but it's also an action we take when we cherish something with anticipation. This dual nature reveals an important truth: while hope may be innate to the human heart, we must actively cultivate it through our daily choices.
The Psalms overflow with declarations about hope. David, who brought hope to all of Israel when he faced Goliath, understood this deeply. In Psalm 147:11, we read that "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love." David didn't just experience hope as a passive feeling—he actively chose it, even commanding his own soul: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God" (Psalm 42:11).
When David stood before Goliath, a spirit of fear had fallen upon God's people. This wasn't merely physical intimidation—it was a spiritual oppression that paralyzed Israel's army. Yet David chose to find hope in God's promises rather than focus on the giant before him. He was terrified, but he held up hope as his shield.
Life Habits That Cultivate Hope
What are we doing with our daily lives to prioritize hope? In our modern world, we easily find ourselves placing hope in foolish things—social media validation, political outcomes, material possessions, or personal achievements. These false hopes distract us from the true source of eternal hope.
The discipline of Advent offers us practical ways to build hope-filled habits. Lighting candles on an Advent wreath each Sunday, reading daily devotionals, opening Advent calendar doors with scripture verses—these simple practices keep hope visible before us. They interrupt our frantic holiday preparations and remind us: we are waiting for Someone, not just something.
Writing down scriptures about hope cements them in our hearts in ways that casual reading cannot. When we take time to search God's Word for promises, to write them in our journals, to speak them over ourselves, we're making concrete choices to prioritize hope over despair.
The Reality of Hopelessness
Proverbs 13:12 tells us that "hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life." We all know the ache of waiting—for healing that hasn't come, for prayers that seem unanswered, for circumstances that remain broken despite our best efforts. This is the tension of the "now and not yet," the liminal space where we live between Christ's first coming and His return.
During the Great Depression, a photograph captured a desperate mother with a sign reading "Four children for sale, inquire within." How does someone reach such hopelessness? By forgetting that Christ is reigning now, by losing sight of His current mission in the earth, by allowing darkness to eclipse the light.
Hopelessness comes from two primary sources: being far from God and being deceived. The further we drift from intimate relationship with our Father, the more we spiral into our own mental rabbit holes. And when we place our hope in things that will perish—wealth, reputation, earthly success—we build on sand rather than rock.
Our Identity as Hope-Bearers
First Corinthians 15 reminds us that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. But the glorious truth is that Christ HAS been raised from the dead! He is the firstfruits, and because He lives, we too shall live. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
This reality changes everything about how we face each day. When we wake up, when we face danger or difficulty, when darkness surrounds us, we can declare: "Devil, I'm getting up today and Jesus Christ is coming with me."
Our identity in Christ becomes our anchor of hope:
- We have been justified, completely forgiven, and made righteous
- We died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over our lives
- We are free forever from condemnation
- We have received the Spirit of God so we can know the things freely given to us
- We have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy
- We are redeemed, forgiven, recipients of lavish grace
These aren't just nice religious statements—they're the bedrock truths that allow us to stand firm when everything else shakes.
Modeling Hope for Others
Perhaps one of our greatest responsibilities is to model hope for those watching us—especially children. They need to see us choose hope in hard times, in difficult conversations, in seasons of uncertainty. They need to witness us speaking truth to our own souls, reminding ourselves who God says we are when circumstances scream otherwise.
Throughout history, believers have demonstrated this kind of radical hope. One man, imprisoned and tortured for his faith, made a deal with his guards: they could beat him, but he would preach to them. Every time his family visited, despite his suffering, he radiated joy and encouragement. "Christ is my hope," he would say. "I have been beaten today, but I have converted three guards to Christ." His family inherited hope because they saw him choose it daily.
Come, Lord Jesus
Advent echoes the ancient cry: "O come, O come, Emmanuel—God with us." This season invites us to wait with expectant hope, to prepare our hearts not just for a holiday but for a Person. The King of eternity came as a little baby, and He will come again in glory. But today—right now—He comes to us personally.
In all our waiting, in all our longing, in all our unanswered prayers and unfulfilled desires, we can choose to hold up hope. We can write it down, speak it aloud, light a candle to remember it. We can search the Scriptures and let them cement truth in our hearts.
Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is a Person, and His name is Jesus. He came to redeem us, He is reigning now, and He will return to complete what He started. Until that day, we wait—not in passive resignation, but in active, expectant, joy-filled hope.
Today is the day of salvation. Today, hope is available. Today, Christ invites you to come away from darkness and join yourself to Him. Will you answer the invitation?
(This blog was created from Rob Brattin's original sermon using pulpit.ai)
Recent
Archive
2025
August
December
Categories
no categories
Tags
no tags
No Comments