Additional information
by Kathryn Morales (Author), Chad Bird (Foreword by), Kyle G. Jones (Author)
The day after Halloween, everything around us--ads, store displays, music, and the like--put us on notice: Christmas is coming. With the announcement of Christmas's imminent arrival comes work, work, and more work. We mutter under our breath for lazily storing the Christmas lights in a tangle; we wring our hands over finding good gifts and planning the perfect Christmas meal; every major checklist item includes dozens of decisions and subtasks, each with their own obstacles and pressures to complete. The biggest checklist item: completing all your work with Christmas cheer.
In this pressuring cooker of Christmas preparations, The Sinner/Saint Devotional: Advent and Christmas walks you through these church seasons, shifting your focus from work and checklists and putting it on the work Jesus did and does for you.
Each devotion includes an opening Scripture passage, a devotional thought, a closing prayer, and a suggested Scripture reading for further reflection. They present you with the Gospel of Advent and Christmas: how Christ has come for us and will come for us again. You will be reminded repeatedly that these seasons are not mere past events to remember, but comfort for today. Comfort from the God who keeps his promises and sent his Son for the forgiveness of our sins.
Author Biography
Kathryn (Strauch) Morales holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wisconsin Lutheran College. She is the co-author of The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional, and a contributor for 1517.
Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He holds master's degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. Chad has authored several books, speaks regularly at conferences and congregations, and cohosts the popular podcast, "40 Minutes in the Old Testament." Chad and his wife Stacy make their home in Texas, where they have been blessed with four children and three grandchildren.
