Advent means "arrival." The season compels you to look for the One who arrived on this earth some two thousand years ago. Advent is preparation for Christ's arrival—an acknowledgment that he came to this earth, that he stills comes into your world today, and that one day he will come again to this earth. It's what Christmastime is supposed to be all about: "God with us" (Matthew 1:23).

Yet Christmastime more often feels like a marathon. You dash from one event, errand, or party to another. You set up the Christmas tree, fill the stockings, and wait for the arrival of your Amazon purchases. You have been culturally formed to prepare more for the arrival of Santa than the coming of Christ! In the busyness, you often lose focus of what the season is actually about: reflecting on the glory of Jesus.

In Waiting for Jesus, a four-session Bible study, bestselling author and pastor Rich Villodas invites you to slow down and refocus on the coming of Jesus into your world. He reveals how advent marks the start of a new year, reminding you that fresh starts are not products of your willpower, or realities that surface when a new calendar year begins, but rather expressions of God's grace in Christ. The good news of advent is that you serve a God who is faithful in fulfilling his promises . . . a God who is faithful in his arrival.

Designed for use with the Waiting for Jesus Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video, sold separately.