Every December, as our church family spreads out across Middle Tennessee, from Nashville to Dickson to Franklin and beyond – we enter a season thick with longing, hope, and holy anticipation. Advent is the annual invitation to slow down to remember what we’re actually waiting for: not sentiment, not nostalgia, but a Savior.
This year, instead of releasing a single Cross Point Advent guide, we want to point you toward a handful of rich, Jesus-centered resources that can help you and your family engage this season with intention. Whether you’re looking for a daily devotional, something for your kids, or music to set the tone in your home, these offerings can help you carve out space for worship in a busy month.
Below are some of our top recommendations, curated with our church context, rhythms, and families in mind.
Advent Devotionals
1. Practicing the Way: Advent Meditations
This is a beautifully crafted, Scripture-soaked guide built around slowing, silence, and intentional presence. If your soul feels rushed or crowded, this is a gentle way to re-center.
Link provided here.
2. The Jesse Tree – Chip and Sonya Dodd
If you’re a parent wanting to help your kids see the big story of the Bible leading to Jesus, Chip Dodd’s Jesse Tree is a meaningful, simple, and family-friendly option. Rooted in emotional and spiritual honesty, it walks through the stories that point toward the promised Savior.
Link provided here.
3. Cross Point Digital Offerings
Here are two of our previous Advent Devotionals: Behold from 2022 (week one, week two, week three, week four) and Unlocking the Secret of Christmas from 2024. These digital guides are tailored specifically for our community, simple, accessible, and designed to help you follow Jesus in real-life ways during Advent.
4. The Dawning of Indestructible Joy – John Piper
This classic 25-day devotional that lifts your eyes to the glory and wonder of Christ. Short readings, rich theology, and a steady reminder that joy is not fragile when it rests in Jesus.
5. Hidden Christmas – Tim Keller
Keller gently exposes the depth beneath the Christmas story we often overlook. Perfect for the person who wants something accessible but profound, great for skeptics, new believers, or anyone wanting to rediscover the surprising hope of Advent.
6. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus – Nancy Guthrie (Editor)
This curated collection features voices across the Christian tradition reflecting on the incarnation. Each reading is worshipful, thoughtful, and rooted in Scripture. It’s a strong option for small groups or people who appreciate a variety of voices.
7. The Advent of the Lamb of God – Russ Ramsey
Advent Music for the Season
8. Behold the Lamb of God – Andrew Peterson
A Nashville treasure. This album tells the story of Scripture from Genesis to Jesus’ birth, making it an annual staple for so many families in our region. It’s more than an album, it’s a liturgy of longing and fulfillment.
9. O for Joy – David Crowder Band
Bright, joyful, celebratory. This is a great soundtrack for decorating the tree, driving through lights, or creating a joyful atmosphere at home. It’s upbeat without losing its worshipful center.
Let Advent Shape You This Year
However you choose to engage Advent, the goal isn’t to complete a checklist or add pressure to an already full calendar. Advent is an invitation – to wait with hope, to repent with honesty, to worship with wonder, and to remember that Jesus entered a weary world to make all things new.
Our prayer is that these resources help you create a season shaped not by hurry, but by the slow, steady dawning of the Light of the world.
If you have kids, roommates, friends, or neighbors who might benefit from one of these offerings, consider inviting them in. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do during Advent is simply to make room – just as Christ made room for us.