All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. 15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “ Abba, Father. ” 16 The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. 17 But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him.
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In this four-week Advent study, author Richard B. Wilke focuses on people in the story of Christ’s birth. There are those we associate with the joy and celebration of Christmas—the wise men, the shepherds, and Joseph. Yet the author reminds us not to forget that the evil King Herod is also part of the Christmas story, and how it is because there is evil in our world that we so desperately needed—and need—a Savior. Each lesson includes a key scripture, brief reflection, questions to discuss, a suggested Christmas carol, and a prayer. Table of Contents: First Week of Advent Let’s Keep Herod in Christmas (Matthew 2:1, 7-8, 16-18) Second Week of Advent Let’s Keep the Wise Men in Christmas (Matthew 2:1-12) Third Week of Advent Let’s Keep Joseph in Christmas (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-15, 19-23) Fourth Week of Advent Let’s Keep the Shepherds in Christmas (Luke 2:8-20)