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WHAT IS ADVENT? The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means coming or an appearing or coming into place. WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS OBSERVE ADVENT? The hustle and bustle of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be overwhelming. There are a million and one things on the to do list coupled with the pressure to create lasting memories all the while being merry. The holiday season can be tough. As Christians we observe Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Sometimes, though, life gets in the way of keeping our focus on Jesus. By intentionally keeping our eyes on Jesus and staying in the Word during our busiest season, we reap the blessing of knowing God keeps His promises. Advent a season of preparation for Christmas. As Christians, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. During Advent, we are reminded of how much we ourselves need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior s second coming. We keep in mind both advents of Christ, the first in Bethlehem and the second yet to come. HOW TO USE THIS WORKBOOK Familiarize yourself with the S.A.L.T. Method Print out the workbook pages (You have 2 different options to choose from. Maybe print off one of each and see which works best for you.) Decide when you will complete your study. (Will you get up 30 minutes earlier? Will you study after everyone goes to bed? Will you work on it during your lunch hour? The key is to find a time that works for YOU.) Join our Facebook group to hear what others are learning as well as have some accountability. (God wants us in community.) Give yourself grace. If you miss a day or two, don t quit. Pick up where you left off and keep going.
WHY WE SHOULD READ THE BIBLE It s God s Word to us (2 Tim 3:16) It s Error Free (2 Tim 16-17) To Know God s Character To Renew Our Minds Helps us to be Fruitful God speaks through His Word Jesus tells us to know/read Scripture (Matt 4:4) Scriptures give us hope (Rom 15:4, John 14:23-24) It Changes us (Hebrews 4:12, John 8:31-32) To Defend the Faith Ward off Satan Grow in our Faith Brings us closer to God WHEN THE BIBLE IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND Have you attempted Bible reading before and thought, what in the world is this saying? You re not alone! The Bible was written in a different time, place, culture, and worldview. The authors were writing to their contemporaries. When it was written, it was written in language that was easily understood by the people speaking and reading it. Consider if you took a trip to Asia. All the materials are written in a foreign language. Even when the words are translated, they may be hard to understand because the sentence structure is different, and there may not be an exact word to match an English word. The same is true when the Bible was translated. If you ve attempted reading the Bible before using the King James version or even the New International Version (NIV), I STRONGLY recommend changing the version
to the New Living Translation (NLT). Where it differs is that it is written in clear, English contemporary language. The New Living Translation is described as an authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today s English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. While it is considered more of a thought-by-thought translation versus a word-for-word translation, it is more readable, yet adheres to the ancient texts. We filter the Bible through the lens of our own experiences, what others have taught us, and tradition. We re not meant to understand everything. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand (see) them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Don t expect to understand what you re reading instantly. PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE S.A.L.T. METHOD You are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Matthew 5:13 We don t want to look like the world. We want to be set apart. The best way to keep our salty flavor is to know God. When we re regularly in His Word, we position ourselves to hear Him and enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. HOW TO USE THE S.A.L.T. METHOD 1. Set aside at least 15 minutes to complete the day s reading. 2. Give yourself grace. Some days you ll have more time to spend than others. That s okay. 3. Prayer is an integral part of the method. 4. Be sure to end with your praises.
THE S.A.L.T. METHOD S- Supplication Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. Luke 24:45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Merriam Webster s defines supplication as to ask for earnestly and humbly. Begin your Bible study with earnest and humble prayer. Consider praying for these things: Pray for Wisdom: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 Pray for Discernment: Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. Luke 24:45 Pray for God to open your eyes and heart: Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. Psalm 119:18 A- Absorb Psalm 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. Read the verse. Re-read the verse. Write the verse out. Say the verse out loud. L- Learn The unfolding of your Words give light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 Read the verses before and the verses below the Scripture you re studying.
This is pivotal to understand the verse you re focusing on. This puts the verse in context. Read the verse in several translations. What questions do you have? What doesn t make sense? You can research your answers using the following resources: gotquestions.org blueletterbible.org biblegateway.com Utilize the cross references in your Bible. If your Bible doesn t include these, you can do a quick google search of the verse with cross references. (Ex. Rev 1:8 cross references.) Write out what you ve learned. Be specific and thorough. T- Thanksgiving Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Spend time thanking God for who He is. He alone is worthy of praise. Think of this time as a time of worship and simply sitting in His presence. Y- You James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. How does what you ve learned apply to your life? Is there anything you need to repent of? Write those down. SUMMARY Sum Up What You ve Learned in 10 Words or Less.
PRAYER REQUESTS Write down any prayer requests. These can be for yourself, your family, your friends, your nation, people or situations people have asked you to pray for. Pray for those now. PRAISES Psalm 103:2, NLT Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. End your time with the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. Let s be honest. Prayer requests are typically heavy. Let s not start or end our day with extra weight. Let s start or end our day focusing on the goodness of God and thanking Him for the things He has done for us.
Advent DATE: S.A.L.T. S A Prayer Requests: L Praises: T Y Sum up what you learned in 10 words or less:
DATE: Advent SUPPLICATION: pray earnestly and humbly ABSORB: write out the verse THANKSGIVING: Thank God LEARN: research or questions YOU: What does this verse look like in your life?
Thoughts and Doodles: Sum up what you learned in 10 words or less Prayer Requests: Praises: