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Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional
This year, don't let Christmas sneak up on you again.The wonder and awe of the Christmas season can easily get overshadowed by lights, tinsel, bows, and paper—not to mention last-minute trips to the mall and visits to the in-laws. In all the hustle and bustle, we often lose sight of what’s most important. This book of daily readings for the month of December by best-selling author Paul David Tripp will help you slow down, prepare your heart, and focus on what matters adoring our Savior, Jesus.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
809 people are currently reading
2218 people want to read
About the author
Paul David Tripp
128 books1,434 followersPaul was born in Toledo, Ohio to Bob and Fae Tripp on November 12, 1950. Paul spent all of his growing years in Toledo until his college years when his parents moved to Southern California.
At Columbia Bible College from 1968-1972, (now Columbia International University) Paul majored in Bible and Christian Education. Although he had planned to be there for only two years and then to study journalism, Paul more and more felt like there was so much of the theology of Scripture that he did not understand, so he decided to go to seminary. Paul met Luella Jackson at College and they married in 1971. In 1971, Paul took his first pastoral position and has had a heart for the local church ever since. After college, Paul completed his Master of Divinity degree at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary (now known as Philadelphia Theological Seminary) in Philadelphia (1972-1975). It was during these days that Paul’s commitment to ministry solidified. After seminary, Paul was involved in planting a church in Scranton, Pennsylvania (1977-1987) where he also founded a Christian School. During the years in Scranton, Paul became involved in music, traveling with a band and writing worship songs. In Scranton, Paul became interested in biblical counseling and decided to enroll in the D.Min program in Biblical Counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Paul then became a faculty member of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) and a lecturer in biblical counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Paul has also served as Visiting Professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
In 2009, Paul joined the faculty of Redeemer Seminary (daughter school of Westminster) in Dallas, Texas as Professor of Pastoral Life and Care.[1]
Beginning in June, 2006, Paul became the President of Paul Tripp Ministries, a non-profit organization, whose mission statement is "Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life." In addition to his current role as President of Paul Tripp Ministries, on January 1, 2007, Paul also became part of the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA where he preached every Sunday evening and lead the Ministry to Center City through March, 2011 when he resigned due to the expanding time commitments needed at Paul Tripp Ministries.
Paul, Luella, and their four children moved to Philadelphia in 1987 and have lived there ever since. Paul is a prolific author and has written twelve books on Christian living which are sold internationally. Luella manages a large commercial art gallery in the city and Paul is very dedicated to painting as an avocation.[2] Paul’s driving passion is to help people understand how the gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ really does speak with practical hope into all the things they will face in this broken world. Paul is a pastor with a pastor’s heart, a gifted speaker, his journey taking him all over the world, an author of numerous books on practical Christian living, and a man who is hopelessly in love with Luella.
At Columbia Bible College from 1968-1972, (now Columbia International University) Paul majored in Bible and Christian Education. Although he had planned to be there for only two years and then to study journalism, Paul more and more felt like there was so much of the theology of Scripture that he did not understand, so he decided to go to seminary. Paul met Luella Jackson at College and they married in 1971. In 1971, Paul took his first pastoral position and has had a heart for the local church ever since. After college, Paul completed his Master of Divinity degree at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary (now known as Philadelphia Theological Seminary) in Philadelphia (1972-1975). It was during these days that Paul’s commitment to ministry solidified. After seminary, Paul was involved in planting a church in Scranton, Pennsylvania (1977-1987) where he also founded a Christian School. During the years in Scranton, Paul became involved in music, traveling with a band and writing worship songs. In Scranton, Paul became interested in biblical counseling and decided to enroll in the D.Min program in Biblical Counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Paul then became a faculty member of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) and a lecturer in biblical counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Paul has also served as Visiting Professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
In 2009, Paul joined the faculty of Redeemer Seminary (daughter school of Westminster) in Dallas, Texas as Professor of Pastoral Life and Care.[1]
Beginning in June, 2006, Paul became the President of Paul Tripp Ministries, a non-profit organization, whose mission statement is "Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life." In addition to his current role as President of Paul Tripp Ministries, on January 1, 2007, Paul also became part of the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA where he preached every Sunday evening and lead the Ministry to Center City through March, 2011 when he resigned due to the expanding time commitments needed at Paul Tripp Ministries.
Paul, Luella, and their four children moved to Philadelphia in 1987 and have lived there ever since. Paul is a prolific author and has written twelve books on Christian living which are sold internationally. Luella manages a large commercial art gallery in the city and Paul is very dedicated to painting as an avocation.[2] Paul’s driving passion is to help people understand how the gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ really does speak with practical hope into all the things they will face in this broken world. Paul is a pastor with a pastor’s heart, a gifted speaker, his journey taking him all over the world, an author of numerous books on practical Christian living, and a man who is hopelessly in love with Luella.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews
January 7, 2019
I'm waffling between 3 and 4 stars, so maybe 3.5? I liked that the content was heavily Gospel focused, reminding the reader of our need for Jesus and how his birth, life, death, and resurrection have given us everything even though we deserve nothing. However, I disliked that each day's reading did not build on previous days. It seemed like Tripp was revisiting the same ideas with a forced new theme that he stuffed the old ideas into. I'm okay with repeating ideas and building on them or expounding, but it seemed like there was only enough material for maybe a 2 week devotional stretched into whole month. Tripp also writes with way too many adjectives and adverbs. Another annoyance was the constant use of "that baby in the manger" (his name is Jesus!) and starting many chapters with a seemingly unrelated anecdote and then "you're probably wondering what (insert unrelated anecdotal topic here) has to do with the Christmas story! Well, ... ." Please. As if that isn't an overused structural device by pastors everywhere. Minor writing quibbles aside, there were many days that reading this devotional blessed me and helped me to adore that baby in the manger even more than I already do.
December 27, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I really appreciate Paul Tripp’s writing style - very direct, easy to follow, yet poignant & cuts to the heart. He has a very unique way of expressing deep truths without complicating his words in the process.
December 31, 2017
This is a great book for the Christmas season as each of 31 devotionals is only four pages long, so even on the very busy days it is short enough but rich enough to give some focus to your day. This book will be added to my Christmas reading list for future years
December 26, 2017
A wonderful devotional for families to use in the Advent season. Each daily entry has a special application word to discuss with children as well as a scripture reading to complement the theme for the day.
December 22, 2024
2020: The content of this devotional cuts to the bone, but not without offering hope. The reader is encouraged to repent and become a new man in Christ or to renew one’s faith in the God who gifted His Son to all who will receive him. Salvation and renewal is pregnant with mercy and grace. This is one of the best devotionals I have ever read. A must read - yearly - if not more!
2021: Just as good as last year
2024: Glad to have revisited this Advent devotional
2021: Just as good as last year
2024: Glad to have revisited this Advent devotional
December 31, 2020
A lovely little Advent devotional that I enjoyed reading early in the December mornings by Christmas tree light sipping a cup of coffee. Good insights into the greatest rescue story of all!
December 31, 2025
One of my favorite devotional books :)
January 10, 2024
Paul Tripp has a way of getting down to profound basics, and I am here for it. When we celebrate Christmas, what exactly are we celebrating? Tripp takes us on a 31-day journey of remembering the real, no really, the REAL meaning of celebrating the birth of Jesus, God the Son.
Highly recommended!!
Highly recommended!!
December 31, 2020
What I liked most about this devo was Tripp’s focus on the problem of sin and how the Christmas story is the answer to that problem. He isn’t overly sweet, but writes with awe and wonder at all that Christ gained for us in his coming.
December 27, 2019
A wonderful book to read during Advent !! I highly recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about the meaning of the Advent season !!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
December 30, 2022
Honestly was disappointed. Read this a few years ago and it's not as rich or "filling" as I remembered.
December 31, 2017
I’m typically a huge fan of PDT, and I have especially enjoyed his other devotional “Whiter Than Snow” and “New Morning Mercies.” The content of this book is solid and gospel-centered, with a primary focus on our sin and Christ as the only solution.
Unfortunately the sentence structure and wording makes it difficult to read aloud at times, and each devotional is at least 4-5 pages long, which just feels realllly long for a family devotional. I appreciate the topic suggestion at the end of each devotional to discuss with your children, but the content itself feels impossible to go through as a whole family, and even tough if you’re an adult who is just listening instead of the one reading.
Unfortunately the sentence structure and wording makes it difficult to read aloud at times, and each devotional is at least 4-5 pages long, which just feels realllly long for a family devotional. I appreciate the topic suggestion at the end of each devotional to discuss with your children, but the content itself feels impossible to go through as a whole family, and even tough if you’re an adult who is just listening instead of the one reading.
December 26, 2024
Lovely lovely devotional. I’m not quite finished with this advent devotional, but giving it a five star rating. It’s so full of truth and I highly recommend it. It’s actually 31 days, perfect for the month of December.
I loved this quote from day 26: “We were made to live under God’s rule. To recognize and submit to God’s sovereignty isn’t a loss of freedom; it is the only pathway to true human freedom.”
If you’re looking for a book to read during December, read this!
I loved this quote from day 26: “We were made to live under God’s rule. To recognize and submit to God’s sovereignty isn’t a loss of freedom; it is the only pathway to true human freedom.”
If you’re looking for a book to read during December, read this!
December 24, 2021
Tripp calls on the reader to step off the throne of their life & allow Jesus to take up that throne. The baby who was born in the manger was also the sovereign Lord of the universe. What an amazing story!
“He came to serve, to suffer, and to die so that his kingdom would reign in the hearts of people. He came to seek and to save. He came to suffer and forgive. He came to rescue and restore. He came to call, draw, and love those who without his grace would continue to live for themselves. He came, and because he did, there is hope that sinners can be redeemed and the world can be renewed.” pg 50
“He came to serve, to suffer, and to die so that his kingdom would reign in the hearts of people. He came to seek and to save. He came to suffer and forgive. He came to rescue and restore. He came to call, draw, and love those who without his grace would continue to live for themselves. He came, and because he did, there is hope that sinners can be redeemed and the world can be renewed.” pg 50
December 29, 2025
This is a decent devotional, but nothing like Sinclair Ferguson’s Dawn of Redeeming Grace which is pretty near perfect ✝️❤️
December 26, 2025
Wonderful author and well written.
Each day/chapter done so well to dipict how deity, God himself, came down as a man to save humanity. Jesus and savior of the world.
Each day/chapter done so well to dipict how deity, God himself, came down as a man to save humanity. Jesus and savior of the world.
January 1, 2026
a lovely advent devotional for the season. it got repetitive at times which is why 4/5 but sometimes the day’s meditation was exactly what i needed to hear so i really liked it! thanks PDT! also sooooo much romans!!!
December 27, 2020
3.5 stars
Good Advent devotional. I thought the sections with questions for children was oddly out of place. Not sure why that was even there as you would not read this aloud to a family of young children. Otherwise, enjoyed these reminders of the greatness of God.
Good Advent devotional. I thought the sections with questions for children was oddly out of place. Not sure why that was even there as you would not read this aloud to a family of young children. Otherwise, enjoyed these reminders of the greatness of God.
December 31, 2020
4.5⭐
Gospel centered Advent devotional, lots of scripture and a passage to read at the end. He also had a way to make it work for a devotional for families and questions to ask your children.
Gospel centered Advent devotional, lots of scripture and a passage to read at the end. He also had a way to make it work for a devotional for families and questions to ask your children.
December 31, 2019
31 day “advent”
Enjoyed the daily advent aspect to the book, good thoughts for the Christmas season. I got to Christmas in this a couple of years ago and found that it kept going... it irritated me a bit that it went beyond the advent season so I kept not reading the last few days of pages! Finally picked it up and finished this year as I couldn’t stand having it on my “currently reading” list any more!
Enjoyed the daily advent aspect to the book, good thoughts for the Christmas season. I got to Christmas in this a couple of years ago and found that it kept going... it irritated me a bit that it went beyond the advent season so I kept not reading the last few days of pages! Finally picked it up and finished this year as I couldn’t stand having it on my “currently reading” list any more!
December 27, 2017
I found my family's 2017 Advent devotional. Short, clear readings from an author with a heart to guide his reader into a greater appreciation of the Gospel and affection for the Lord who makes and keeps grand promises. I look forward to sitting with my family and enjoying this early Christmas gift.
ARC provided
ARC provided
December 31, 2024
Ok so I'm going to be using this as a notes page for the first 25 days as I read this and once I finish the book I will write a review!
Notes:
Day 1:
God had planned Jesus' birth from the very beginning, before he had even made Earth. God loved us so much that he gave the ultimate gift of sending his flesh down to save us. This was basically the basics of the Gospel.
Day 2:
Willingness-
Unwillingness is often the biggest factor into sin. Whether it's being unwilling to wait, unwilling to see, unwilling to inconvenience ourselves by talking and ending time with God. We are unwilling to say no to our thoughts and desires, or unwilling to forgive or be honest and open.
Jesus was always willing. He was willing to be doubted, willing to be made fun of, willing to be beaten and broken. If he wasn't willing we would live in a world of sin and would never be free. "Willing Jesus is the only hope for unwilling sinners!" - page 21
Day 3:
God always promised to send down a son to save us from our sin. And he fulfilled that promise for us. God is working on your life constantly, he didn't let his son die for us just to forget about us. He is watching over us every day and guiding us in our decisions. God is not done with you yet until you are home and his promise is fulfilled for your life.
Day 4:
Glory, glory, glory. All Christmas songs that have to do with the birth of Jesus can be described with many words but one they all share is "glory." When Jesus was born, God fulfilled his promise and all the angels sang "glory, hallelujah."
Day 5:
"... sin is a matter of the heart."
"Sin leaves us hopeless."
Because we sin we are separated from God. God understood that we were so messed up only he could save us. So he came down in human form, Jesus and died for us. He sent his son to die for us because we are his creations and he wanted to have a relationship with us and save us from sin. Without him sin would leave us hopeless.
Day 6:
You may have had a bad substitute before in class. Normally substitutes were a free period because they usually didn't now the subject. Jesus on the other hand was the perfect substitute. He, the son of God, died for us and now we can live our lives hand in hand with God.
Day 7:
"Here in one single word, the name Jesus, is the shocking turn in the redemptive story."
Try to sum up the Christmas story in one word? You might think it's impossible or you might say grace but the only answer is not a word, but a name, Jesus. There is no grace without Jesus.
Day 8:
"Sin has broken the most important relationship in all of life, the relationship between people and their creator."
Day 9:
Sometimes we say things people do aren't the "Christian thing" to do or that they are breaking God's law. But honestly most of the time they are breaking our own laws. Think about if someone stole something from you. How would you react? "They shouldn't steal that's not God's way" or "I can't believe someone stole my..."
Day 10:
Jesus is our only hope.
1) Jesus is the only way to God
2) Jesus is the truth from God
3) Jesus is life
Day 11:
Sin causes a lot of our little actions in life, such as getting frustrated in traffic, this is part of our own kingdom. Jesus invited us into his kingdom, he died not to make our kingdom go round, but to let us into his greater kingdom.
Day 12:
The Christmas story was good and bad news. Kind of long so read this book to find out😁
Day 13:
"But Jesus' life was a march too. The destination of that march was written into the plot of God's redemptive story.
Day 14:
Often times we go by our plan without thinking of the bigger plan, and often times it seems innocent.
Day 15:
God's prophecy of Jesus took the world off of our shoulders and onto Jesus'. He took all our burdens and got rid of them on the cross for us.
Day 16:
Though the Christmas season is very joyous, Jesus' life wasn't. His suffering didn't start on the cross, it started when he was born on Christmas Day.
Day 17:
Often when we are surrounded by presents on Christmas Day we forget about the reason for the season. We become selfish.
Day 18:
The Christmas Story is a destination story.
Day 19:
"If you look and listen carefully, this season will remind you where true hope is to be found."
Day 20:
Our bad actions need to be blamed on sin, not on other things. We often forget that other people don't cause our actions, it's the sin in our hearts.
Day 21:
"Here's what is important to understand: there are only two ways of living. You are either confessing that you were created by God to be dependent on his wisdom, power and grace, or you are believing that you have within yourself everything you need to live well on your own."
Day 22:
The Christmas study is God's guarantee that he can and will give us everything we will ever need. The birth of his son was that guarantee.
Day 23:
The songs we sing matter.
Day 24:
"So tomorrow, when you celebrate Christmas Day, remember to celebrate the birth of the Great Warrior. He won the victory you and I could have never won."
Day 25:
“… Wisdom is a person, and his name is Jesus.”
Review: I love this devotional so, so much. I loved how each day is only 3 to 4 pages making it super fast to read. Even though each page is only 4 pages you get a ton of info and I know my notes don’t show that but that is simply from lack of time for notes not lack of information.
Notes:
Day 1:
God had planned Jesus' birth from the very beginning, before he had even made Earth. God loved us so much that he gave the ultimate gift of sending his flesh down to save us. This was basically the basics of the Gospel.
Day 2:
Willingness-
Unwillingness is often the biggest factor into sin. Whether it's being unwilling to wait, unwilling to see, unwilling to inconvenience ourselves by talking and ending time with God. We are unwilling to say no to our thoughts and desires, or unwilling to forgive or be honest and open.
Jesus was always willing. He was willing to be doubted, willing to be made fun of, willing to be beaten and broken. If he wasn't willing we would live in a world of sin and would never be free. "Willing Jesus is the only hope for unwilling sinners!" - page 21
Day 3:
God always promised to send down a son to save us from our sin. And he fulfilled that promise for us. God is working on your life constantly, he didn't let his son die for us just to forget about us. He is watching over us every day and guiding us in our decisions. God is not done with you yet until you are home and his promise is fulfilled for your life.
Day 4:
Glory, glory, glory. All Christmas songs that have to do with the birth of Jesus can be described with many words but one they all share is "glory." When Jesus was born, God fulfilled his promise and all the angels sang "glory, hallelujah."
Day 5:
"... sin is a matter of the heart."
"Sin leaves us hopeless."
Because we sin we are separated from God. God understood that we were so messed up only he could save us. So he came down in human form, Jesus and died for us. He sent his son to die for us because we are his creations and he wanted to have a relationship with us and save us from sin. Without him sin would leave us hopeless.
Day 6:
You may have had a bad substitute before in class. Normally substitutes were a free period because they usually didn't now the subject. Jesus on the other hand was the perfect substitute. He, the son of God, died for us and now we can live our lives hand in hand with God.
Day 7:
"Here in one single word, the name Jesus, is the shocking turn in the redemptive story."
Try to sum up the Christmas story in one word? You might think it's impossible or you might say grace but the only answer is not a word, but a name, Jesus. There is no grace without Jesus.
Day 8:
"Sin has broken the most important relationship in all of life, the relationship between people and their creator."
Day 9:
Sometimes we say things people do aren't the "Christian thing" to do or that they are breaking God's law. But honestly most of the time they are breaking our own laws. Think about if someone stole something from you. How would you react? "They shouldn't steal that's not God's way" or "I can't believe someone stole my..."
Day 10:
Jesus is our only hope.
1) Jesus is the only way to God
2) Jesus is the truth from God
3) Jesus is life
Day 11:
Sin causes a lot of our little actions in life, such as getting frustrated in traffic, this is part of our own kingdom. Jesus invited us into his kingdom, he died not to make our kingdom go round, but to let us into his greater kingdom.
Day 12:
The Christmas story was good and bad news. Kind of long so read this book to find out😁
Day 13:
"But Jesus' life was a march too. The destination of that march was written into the plot of God's redemptive story.
Day 14:
Often times we go by our plan without thinking of the bigger plan, and often times it seems innocent.
Day 15:
God's prophecy of Jesus took the world off of our shoulders and onto Jesus'. He took all our burdens and got rid of them on the cross for us.
Day 16:
Though the Christmas season is very joyous, Jesus' life wasn't. His suffering didn't start on the cross, it started when he was born on Christmas Day.
Day 17:
Often when we are surrounded by presents on Christmas Day we forget about the reason for the season. We become selfish.
Day 18:
The Christmas Story is a destination story.
Day 19:
"If you look and listen carefully, this season will remind you where true hope is to be found."
Day 20:
Our bad actions need to be blamed on sin, not on other things. We often forget that other people don't cause our actions, it's the sin in our hearts.
Day 21:
"Here's what is important to understand: there are only two ways of living. You are either confessing that you were created by God to be dependent on his wisdom, power and grace, or you are believing that you have within yourself everything you need to live well on your own."
Day 22:
The Christmas study is God's guarantee that he can and will give us everything we will ever need. The birth of his son was that guarantee.
Day 23:
The songs we sing matter.
Day 24:
"So tomorrow, when you celebrate Christmas Day, remember to celebrate the birth of the Great Warrior. He won the victory you and I could have never won."
Day 25:
“… Wisdom is a person, and his name is Jesus.”
Review: I love this devotional so, so much. I loved how each day is only 3 to 4 pages making it super fast to read. Even though each page is only 4 pages you get a ton of info and I know my notes don’t show that but that is simply from lack of time for notes not lack of information.
December 31, 2019
Really enjoyed his Central Theme focus for parents and children. Will be incorporating it into our Advent Schooling next year.
December 31, 2021
A wonderful Christmas devotional. I’m sure I’ll return to it gladly year after year.
December 31, 2023
Excellent advent devotional!
December 28, 2025
Always a good way to end the year!! Paul Tripp explains the gospel so well and so simply, and I really appreciate that about him.
December 26, 2023
If you’ve read any of Paul Tripp’s books then you know what is in this one. Lots of gospel identity through the lens of Advent.
January 11, 2019
My only familiarity with Paul Tripp is his video series "Getting to the Heart of Parenting." That is a very good, and very helpful series. I didn't know what to expect with this Advent Devotional, but gave it a chance after receiving it as a gift at the beginning of the Advent season.
I've read other Advent books in years past with my family, and the one thing I can't shake off comfortably is how Advent devotionals actually put a greater distance between my family and the Scriptures during Christmas. We read our Bible together nearly every day, going from front to back--with the exception of Advent. So this gives me great pause in actually appreciating these kinds of books.
Now, that isn't to say that everyone is giving up reading Scripture when reading an Advent devotional, but in a family context, it is hard to actually do both. So I've found that we can really only do one well, and it is hard to try to do both, especially as Christmas gets close.
Tripp's "Come, Let Us Adore Him" is a mixed bag. Some of the readings are good, some are okay, and one or two are really bad. When I say bad, what I mean is that they almost suck the joy out of Christmas. Christmas is the beginning of God's great, good news. The angels brought "good news of great joy" yet at times, Tripp turns that news into bad news, and is quite intentional about that.
Tripp argues that the good news is only good when we first understand that it is bad news--namely bad news to the perishing, to those stuck in their sin. Now, this is all true, but I found it repellent to read to my kids in the midst of a season of great joy and merriment.
All Tripp's emphasis on our sin and sin nature becomes overbearing at times and seems almost grumpy and dour. We read our Bibles together all year long, we see our sins exposed in Scripture, we confess them in church weekly, we don't need a Grumpy Gus reminding us how rotten we are in the midst of our Advent celebrations.
My final criticism is the readings aren't all that family-friendly--meaning they are a bit long, repetitive, and meant for more mature audiences. So I cannot recommend this to others. If you're looking for a good Advent reading program, stick with something closer to the Bible. I've not found anything that surpasses this one:
https://partofthemain.wordpress.com/s...
I've read other Advent books in years past with my family, and the one thing I can't shake off comfortably is how Advent devotionals actually put a greater distance between my family and the Scriptures during Christmas. We read our Bible together nearly every day, going from front to back--with the exception of Advent. So this gives me great pause in actually appreciating these kinds of books.
Now, that isn't to say that everyone is giving up reading Scripture when reading an Advent devotional, but in a family context, it is hard to actually do both. So I've found that we can really only do one well, and it is hard to try to do both, especially as Christmas gets close.
Tripp's "Come, Let Us Adore Him" is a mixed bag. Some of the readings are good, some are okay, and one or two are really bad. When I say bad, what I mean is that they almost suck the joy out of Christmas. Christmas is the beginning of God's great, good news. The angels brought "good news of great joy" yet at times, Tripp turns that news into bad news, and is quite intentional about that.
Tripp argues that the good news is only good when we first understand that it is bad news--namely bad news to the perishing, to those stuck in their sin. Now, this is all true, but I found it repellent to read to my kids in the midst of a season of great joy and merriment.
All Tripp's emphasis on our sin and sin nature becomes overbearing at times and seems almost grumpy and dour. We read our Bibles together all year long, we see our sins exposed in Scripture, we confess them in church weekly, we don't need a Grumpy Gus reminding us how rotten we are in the midst of our Advent celebrations.
My final criticism is the readings aren't all that family-friendly--meaning they are a bit long, repetitive, and meant for more mature audiences. So I cannot recommend this to others. If you're looking for a good Advent reading program, stick with something closer to the Bible. I've not found anything that surpasses this one:
https://partofthemain.wordpress.com/s...
September 15, 2017
We have become to familiar with the Christmas story without being in wonder of the Christmas story. We are so easily distracted that we stand away from the true meaning of the Christmas story. The closer we stand, dive in, be in wonder, we will become gripped with the life-changing wonderful of knowing that God became a child so that we would be no longer be separate from God, but would be now and forever the children of God. Come, Let Us Adore Him this Christmas season and every day.
God's story does not change but how we perceive him and his story does for us. We can be excited for it one day and then the next day not think anything of it. Or we may feel this is not for us. My life is good the way it is. Or we may think that my life can't change. But there is hope in the Christmas story for all of us, no matter what we think or feel.
Tripp is a wonderful communicator of the Gospel. He can say the same thing but in a 100 different ways encouraging the reader to grasp all that God is. Come know me is the Christmas Story. That is the crux of the Christmas story. There is more much more than we can fathom. The purpose of the incarnation of Jesus is not just a fancy word but the meaning of that word is to drive us to humility for our need for a savior. It is accepting the very bad news of our state of sin and the reality of death that we can shout with the angels the Good News of Jesus.
The birth of Jesus gives us a true propose to life here and to the life to come. It gives us peace and security in the midst of chaos because we know the purpose of the story and how it will end. The Christmas story reveals the why and the answer. Highly recommend!
A Special Thank you to Crossway and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
God's story does not change but how we perceive him and his story does for us. We can be excited for it one day and then the next day not think anything of it. Or we may feel this is not for us. My life is good the way it is. Or we may think that my life can't change. But there is hope in the Christmas story for all of us, no matter what we think or feel.
Tripp is a wonderful communicator of the Gospel. He can say the same thing but in a 100 different ways encouraging the reader to grasp all that God is. Come know me is the Christmas Story. That is the crux of the Christmas story. There is more much more than we can fathom. The purpose of the incarnation of Jesus is not just a fancy word but the meaning of that word is to drive us to humility for our need for a savior. It is accepting the very bad news of our state of sin and the reality of death that we can shout with the angels the Good News of Jesus.
The birth of Jesus gives us a true propose to life here and to the life to come. It gives us peace and security in the midst of chaos because we know the purpose of the story and how it will end. The Christmas story reveals the why and the answer. Highly recommend!
A Special Thank you to Crossway and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
December 31, 2019
"Jesus was born to this world because what he came to do was desperately needed and could not be done any other way."
I was expecting the daily readings to go through Christmas Day but they continue on until the 31st.
I think my favorite day was the 22nd. "The incarnation of Jesus Christ is God's clear demonstration that he will always make good on all of his promises to us."
"The past grace of the birth of Jesus guarantees that we will receive the present grace that we daily need and the future grace that is our hope in this life and the one to come."
"What sense would it make for God to go to the extent of sending his Son to be born for our sake, and then abandon us along the way? Since God was willing to make such a huge investment in his grace, isn't it logical to believe he will continue to invest in his grace until that grace has finished its work?"
2018 - A book on the ECPA Bestsellers List
2019 - A book about theology
I was expecting the daily readings to go through Christmas Day but they continue on until the 31st.
I think my favorite day was the 22nd. "The incarnation of Jesus Christ is God's clear demonstration that he will always make good on all of his promises to us."
"The past grace of the birth of Jesus guarantees that we will receive the present grace that we daily need and the future grace that is our hope in this life and the one to come."
"What sense would it make for God to go to the extent of sending his Son to be born for our sake, and then abandon us along the way? Since God was willing to make such a huge investment in his grace, isn't it logical to believe he will continue to invest in his grace until that grace has finished its work?"
2018 - A book on the ECPA Bestsellers List
2019 - A book about theology
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