Advent Week One: Lighting the Candle of Hope

We entered Advent by slowing our pace and lighting the first candle together—the candle of hope. With the kids up front, we remembered that centuries of longing in Israel culminated in a promised Child: “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” That’s the shape of Christian hope—not wishful thinking, but trust that God keeps His promises in Jesus. We named the honest gap between what we want and what actually satisfies, and reminded our children (and ourselves) that even the “perfect present” grows old, but the hope of Christ does not.

Carlos shared beautifully about hope, and we carried that thread into communion. We read Jesus’ words, including the line we often skip: He will not drink of the vine again “until” He drinks it new with us in the Father’s kingdom. Advent is that word “until.” We live between the comings—looking back with gratitude to Bethlehem and looking forward with ache and anticipation to His return. Communion, then, is both remembrance and rehearsal; we remember His sacrifice and we practice our hope by bringing our present burdens to the table where He promises to meet us.

We also re-centered our December practices around Jesus through our Christmas Gift for Jesus offering—a simple way to resist the current of consumerism by budgeting generosity first. This year a portion will fund wells for communities of leprosy-affected families in Sri Lanka. Finally, we celebrated the grace of God among us with baptisms after the service, because the One who came still comes—saving, forming, and sending His people.

As you move through Advent, let this rhythm shape you: light a candle, name your longing, come to the table, and practice hope. Christ has come. Christ is present. Christ will come again.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Hope rests on God’s kept promises Hope is not vague optimism; it is tethered to a Person who does what He says. Jesus’ very name guarantees God’s intention to save, not merely soothe. Because His track record is perfect, I can entrust my imperfect present to Him. Trust grows where promises are remembered. [21:24]
• 2. Advent forms us for faithful waiting Waiting is not wasted time; it is discipleship in slow motion. Advent trains our souls to live in the “until”—active, alert, and honest about the world’s pain, yet anchored in God’s future. This kind of waiting refuses denial and despair, holding both ache and assurance together. [55:19]
• 3. Communion remembers and anticipates Jesus At the table we look back to the cross and forward to the kingdom feast. Jesus Himself located communion in the future He will share with us, so every cup is a small rehearsal dinner. That double vision steadies us: the same love that bled for us will one day host us. [53:44]
• 4. Bring real burdens to the table Communion is not for the untroubled; it is grace for the heavy-hearted. Bring the situation you cannot fix and ask for the strength you cannot manufacture. Taking the bread and cup becomes your embodied prayer: “Meet me here, Lord.” [58:03]
• 5. Put Jesus back on your list Generosity reorders our desires and loosens consumerism’s grip. Planning to give first is a spiritual practice that keeps Christmas about Christ’s mission, not our accumulation. It’s less about the amount and more about the allegiance of the heart. [69:07]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:33] - Kids gather to light candles
• [19:39] - Lighting the Hope candle
• [21:24] - Jesus named as our hope
• [24:28] - Longing for gifts vs true hope
• [25:16] - Children lead us in prayer
• [31:17] - Advent carols and slower rhythm
• [32:32] - Passing the mic to Carlos
• [52:56] - Communion: reading Matthew 26
• [53:44] - Not drinking until the Kingdom
• [54:52] - Advent: waiting between comings
• [58:03] - Bringing our burdens to Jesus
• [59:26] - Communion instructions and stations
• [67:29] - Christmas Gift for Jesus explained
• [75:06] - Baptisms invitation and celebration

Bible Reading

Matthew 26:26–29 — 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Observation Questions

1. In verses 26–28, what words and actions link the bread and cup to “body,” “blood,” and “covenant”? How do those links shape what the meal is remembering? [53:44]
2. Verse 29 uses the phrase “I will not drink again…until.” What concrete hope does that “until” point toward in the passage? [54:25]
3. Where in the passage (or in the sermon’s explanation) do you see the meal both looking back and looking forward? What specific phrase or image shows that double focus? [56:15]
4. According to the pastor’s instructions, who is invited to participate at the table and who is asked to sit and reflect? What reasons were given for that distinction? [59:26]

Interpretation Questions

1. What does Jesus’ promise “I will not drink…until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” teach about the nature of Christian hope — is it passive waiting, active anticipation, or both? Explain. [54:25]
2. How does the language of “blood of the covenant” (v. 28) shape the group’s understanding of why communion is offered to believers rather than as a generic blessing? Consider covenant language and belonging. [53:44]
3. The sermon described Advent as living “between the comings.” How should living between Christ’s first and final comings shape a believer’s emotional honesty about pain and their daily decisions? Give concrete examples of what that looks like. [55:19]
4. The pastor called communion a “rehearsal” as well as a remembrance. What does that interpretive lens change about how one prepares mentally and spiritually before taking the bread and cup? [56:15]

Application Questions

1. Bring a specific burden to the table this week: name one situation you will bring to communion (a fear, a relationship, a loss). When will you come to the table and what will you ask God for in that moment? [58:03]
2. Advent is meant to slow us. Choose one daily rhythm for this week (lighting a candle, a 5-minute prayer at a set time, reading day 1 of the Advent devotional) and say when exactly you will do it. Who will hold you accountable? [31:17]
3. The pastor encouraged putting Jesus on your Christmas list by budgeting generosity first. Decide a specific amount or percentage you will give as a “Gift for Jesus” this year and name the recipient (for example: wells for leprosy-affected families). When will you set that money aside? [01:07:29]
4. Identify one purchase you will decline this Christmas and the exact dollar amount you will redirect to generosity instead. How will you practically make that change (delete an item from cart, set spending limit, put saved amount in an envelope)? [01:07:29]
5. Who is one person you will invite to an Advent or Christmas service this month? Name the person, the service you will invite them to, and the day you will invite them. [01:15:06]
6. Communion is described as for those who trust in Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus, what one habitual practice will you start or renew so you approach the table with clearer faith (daily confession, scripture reading each morning, a short preparatory prayer before communion)? Be specific about frequency and timing. [59:26]
7. The sermon named longing as part of hope. Write down one long-term ache (something that won’t be fixed this week) and one immediate need (something you want God’s strength for today). How will you carry both into a posture of hope rather than denial? [55:19]