A Listening Season: Sermons for Advent and Christmas by L. Ted Smith

Six minutes a day. That’s what you’re asked to give during these next 43 days – the 27 days of the Advent season, and the 16 days of the Christmas season. Each 24-hour day has 240 “six minute” packages. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, you’re asked to give one of those to the Lord.

Each 24-hour day has 1,440 minutes. You’re asked to give six of those 1,440 minutes to prayer for the next 43 days. You can give more than six minutes if you wish. But the main thing is to pray every day.

People love to hear the familiar Christmas stories during the season of Advent. No matter how creative one might be with different approaches to Christmas preaching, for most it just doesnt seem the same without angels and shepherds and magi, without Mary and Joseph (and even wicked king Herod), and certainly without the child born in the manger! This leaves the preacher with four chapters of the scriptures, Matthew 12 and Luke 12, as the primary resources for the season. Preaching from these chapters for three years, much less thirty years, is a challenge. We are either left with preaching the same sermons, sometimes under different titles, or we need to think about Christmas preaching more creatively. The Birth of Jesus the Messiah combines thematic commentary on the birth stories of Matthew and Luke with preaching and teaching ideas. Biblical themes flowing through each birth narrative, set forth by the Gospel writers themselves, inspire fresh sermon series ideas for the Advent season. Over thirty sermon series ideas include In the Shadow of Herod, Advent at Risk: Women in Jesus Genealogy, Covenants for Christmas, Lukes Symphony, Angels in Advent: Dont Be Afraid. Engage with The Birth of Jesus the Messiah as a fresh starting point and annual resource for planning your Advent and Christmas preaching.