Day 1: In Christ, peace and contentment are learned.
Being in Christ brings a peace that guards heart and mind even amid chaos; Paul wrote these words from a prison cell and modeled how contentment can be learned no matter the circumstance. Gratitude redirects attention from what’s missing to who gives the good gifts, and contentment protects the heart from envy and entitlement. Practicing this shifts the holiday focus from getting to receiving God’s gifts with thankfulness. [05:56]
Philippians 4:4-7, 11-13 (ESV) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Reflection: When holiday expectations or comparisons make you anxious or discontent, what one concrete practice will you adopt this week to reorient your heart to Christ’s peace and learned contentment? Name the practice and when you will do it.
Day 2: Thankfulness in every situation is God's will.
Gratitude is a deliberate posture that recognizes God as the giver behind every good thing, even the small or awkward gifts. Scripture calls believers to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances—not because everything is good, but because God remains good and near. Allowing gratitude to grow cultivates contentment and shields the heart from entitlement. [12:09]
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Reflection: Think of a gift or holiday moment that tempted you to complain—who was behind it? How can you intentionally thank God for the giver this week, and what will you say or do to express that gratitude?
Day 3: Jesus gives a peace beyond circumstances and fear.
Peace is not the absence of noise but the presence of Jesus; His peace is not like the world’s and does not depend on controlled circumstances. The choice to “put on noise-canceling headphones” and turn toward Jesus—through prayer, Scripture, or a quiet moment—lets His peace rule within. When the holiday frenzy starts to crowd in, practicing that turn to Jesus protects the heart from being unsettled. [28:20]
John 14:27 (ESV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Reflection: When holiday noise rises, what specific signal or habit will you use to “put on noise-canceling headphones” and turn to Jesus (for example, a five-minute breath prayer, reading one verse, or stepping outside)? Commit to when and where you will do it this week.
Day 4: God draws near to the brokenhearted.
The holidays can amplify loss and loneliness, and it’s okay to feel sad; God is not distant but draws near to those who are crushed in spirit. There is no need to rush grief or hide it—God meets people in the middle of their pain, just as He entered into a dark world at the first Christmas. Allowing sorrow to be known and bringing it to God opens space for His presence to bring comfort. [35:24]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV) The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Reflection: Name one loss that the holidays make louder for you. What is one small, concrete step you will take this week to grieve while inviting God near (for example, calling a friend, lighting a candle, or attending a memorial service)?
Day 5: Jesus is the promised hope, Counselor and Peace.
All the things the heart needs—counsel, strength, belonging, and peace—are given in the person of Jesus, the promised Messiah whose names announce His work in our need. Remembering these names during the holidays keeps Christ at the center and helps avoid losing the plot to busyness, expectation, or distraction. Focusing on Jesus draws His presence near so believers not only survive the season but thrive in hope. [41:43]
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Reflection: In a busy or stressful holiday moment this week, which one of Jesus’ names (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) will you intentionally speak or pray aloud, and how will that act reorient your heart toward hope?
Sermon Summary
Coming out of Thanksgiving and into Advent, we leaned into a simple holiday survival guide: focus on Jesus so we can not only survive but actually thrive. We named the real tensions—expectations that don’t match reality, “gift face,” the relative who presses our last nerve, and the grind of calendars, traffic, and noise. From Philippians 4, we saw that peace isn’t a Hallmark mood but a grace that flows from being in Christ—words penned from a prison, not from a postcard. Gratitude becomes our first move: give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. When we shift our eyes from the gift to the Giver (James 1:17), gratitude grows into contentment. And contentment is learned; it’s not getting what I want, but realizing what I already have. Paul’s “I can do all things through Christ” is about the strength to be content in plenty and in want, not about athletic heroics.
We also practiced honoring people. Romans 12:10 ties love and honor together: to love someone is to treat them as weighty, worth listening to, worth patience. Honor lets us disagree without disrespect, and it refuses to let the loudest person set the temperature of the room. It’s a countercultural way to carry Jesus into family rooms and dining tables.
Then we chased peace. Jesus says, “My peace I give to you.” That peace is different—it doesn’t wait for circumstances to settle. Peace isn’t the absence of noise; it’s the presence of Jesus. Like flipping on noise-canceling headphones, we choose to tune our attention to him amid the hum of demands and the rumble within our own hearts. Finally, we made space for grief. The holidays amplify absence; God meets us right there. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). Isaiah promised a child who would be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. In other words, Jesus is enough for gratitude, honor, peace, and hope. When we focus on Jesus, we get Jesus.
Key Takeaways
1. Gratitude grows a resilient contentment. Gratitude shifts attention from outcomes to the Giver, loosening the grip of disappointment and comparison. Contentment is learned in both feast and famine as Christ strengthens us to live within our present limits without losing joy. This posture protects the heart from envy and entitlement and opens our eyes to what’s already been given. [14:29]
2. Honor people; love takes concrete shape. Honor is love with weight—treating others as image-bearers, not arguments to win. It means listening longer than feels natural, disagreeing without demeaning, and choosing dignity over dominance. In volatile rooms, honor lowers the temperature and leaves the aroma of Christ behind. [21:18]
3. Peace comes from Jesus’ presence. Jesus gives a peace the world can’t produce or take away. It’s not the fruit of control but of surrender—attending to him in the storm more than to the storm itself. Think “noise-canceling” for the soul: turn toward him and let his words be the loudest. [28:49]
4. Hope holds space for honest grief. Hope is not denial; it’s courage to tell the truth about loss while trusting the God who draws near. In the empty chair and the quiet house, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Advent hope anchors us to the One who entered our darkness to be our light. [35:24]
[33:27] - When the holidays hurt: grief and God’s nearness
[41:43] - Isaiah 9:6: Jesus is enough for every need
[42:41] - Focus on Jesus: gratitude, honor, peace, hope
[43:37] - Prayer and response: keeping Christ at the center
Bible Study Guide
Bible Reading
Philippians 4:11–13 — 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Observation Questions
What key words and contrasts does Paul use to describe the situations in which he learned contentment (look at verse 12)? How do those words shape your understanding of what “contentment” looks like? [15:05]
What difference does the passage between “give thanks in all circumstances” and “give thanks for all circumstances” make for how a person actually lives during hard times? [12:09]
What two actions are paired in Romans 12:10 as quoted in the talk, and how do those actions work together in a family setting? [21:18]
How does John 14:27 describe the origin and character of Jesus’ peace, and how does that description differ from the world’s offer of peace? [28:20]
Interpretation Questions
Paul wrote these words while imprisoned. What does learning contentment from inside hardship suggest about the practices, convictions, or training that likely produced his contentment? [05:56]
The claim that gratitude shifts attention from the gift to the Giver implies a change of focus. How would this shift alter someone’s emotional reaction to a disappointing gift or an unmet expectation? [13:56]
Honor is described as “love with weight.” How would showing honor (rather than winning an argument) change the tone and outcomes of a volatile family conversation? Be specific about what changes in behavior would follow. [21:18]
The metaphor of noise‑canceling headphones was used to describe choosing Jesus’ presence amid chaos. How does that image reframe common coping strategies (control, arguing, numbing) people use at the holidays? [28:49]
Application Questions
Identify one recurring holiday disappointment or expectation that steals your joy. What is one concrete step you will take this week to turn your attention from that outcome to the Giver (for example: list three good gifts from God each morning, send a quick note of thanks to someone, or pray a short “thank you” prayer before a meal)? When will you do it? [14:29]
Think of one family member or guest who typically raises the temperature in gatherings. Name two specific ways you will choose honor in your next encounter with them (e.g., listen without interrupting, ask a calming question, refuse to reply to bait). How will you remind yourself to do those things in the moment? [21:18]
Next time you feel overwhelmed by plans, traffic, or noise, practice a 1–2 minute “noise‑canceling” exercise: stop, breathe, read one line of Scripture or say “Jesus, be near,” then resume. When will you try this, and how will you report back whether it helped you access Jesus’ peace? [28:49]
If the holidays bring grief for you this year, choose one concrete way to honor that grief instead of rushing past it (for example: light a candle, visit a grave or a quiet spot, schedule a coffee with a friend, or set aside an hour to remember). Who will you ask to be with you or check in on you? [34:02]
Identify one practical act your household or group can do before Christmas to bring presence and hope to someone who will be lonely (deliver a meal, invite them to an event, help with errands). What will you commit to doing and by what date? [42:41]
Choose a verse from Philippians 4 (for example 4:11–13 or 4:13) to memorize this season. How will memorizing and recalling that verse change one specific decision or reaction you expect to face during the holidays? [15:54]
Sermon Clips
Yeah, I mean, so how do you do it? That's the question. How do you keep Jesus as the focus throughout the holidays? We have all the stress, all the drama, even all the noise. It just comes with these holidays. How can you do it? And is it even possible for us to experience, you know, joy or peace or love or any of those things that are supposed to be coming with this time of the year? Our answer to that question, yeah, it's a resounding yeah. We should be able to do it. And that's what we want to talk about today. How we can actually get through the holidays.
[00:03:56]
(25 seconds)
#KeepJesusAsFocus
By focusing on Jesus, we can survive and even thrive in the holidays. So focusing on Jesus, we can actually thrive through all this. I don't know about you, but this sounds pretty good, right? That'd be awesome to be able to experience like peace. The kind of peace that actually guards your mind, guards your heart, even in the midst of these crazy holiday seasonal paces of like running around. What kind of peace are we talking about though? Is this like the, you know, the Hallmark movie kind of peace? What kind of peace? Well, our passage tells us it's a deep down kind of peace that comes from Jesus Christ himself.
[00:04:28]
(71 seconds)
#ThriveWithJesusPeace
By focusing on Jesus, we can survive and even thrive in the holidays. So focusing on Jesus, we can actually thrive through all this. I don't know about you, but this sounds pretty good, right? That'd be awesome to be able to experience like peace. The kind of peace that actually guards your mind, guards your heart, even in the midst of these crazy holiday seasonal paces of like running around. What kind of peace are we talking about though? Is this like the, you know, the Hallmark movie kind of peace? What kind of peace? Well, our passage tells us it's a deep down kind of peace that comes from Jesus Christ himself.
[00:04:28]
(71 seconds)
#DeepPeaceFromJesus
In fact, here's the interesting thing. We're going to be talking this week about what does it mean to be in Christ? Because there's a lot that comes with being in Christ. And one of them is peace, no matter what's going on around you. So we want to talk about what does that look like to be in Christ and to experience all those things like peace and many other things.
[00:05:39]
(15 seconds)
#InChristPeaceAlways
Now, if I were in a prison cell and I were writing a letter, I probably wouldn't be talking about peace and joy. I'd be talking about get me out of here. The food is horrible. And that's what I'd be writing about. But that's not what he does. He writes about how we can have, regardless of our circumstances, whether you're in a jail, doesn't matter. If you're in Christ, then you have a peace available to you that can get you through not just the chaos of the holidays, but the chaos of any day.
[00:06:16]
(24 seconds)
#PeaceInChristAlways
I mean, who doesn't love handing out some gifts and opening into gifts? But with that comes that moment. You know the moment I'm talking about, right? When you get a gift, and you open it up, and then you're like, oh, wow. Now, you know, like socks, right? And you're like, oh, you shouldn't have. Really, you shouldn't have. Like, who needs socks? Like, I already have enough socks to outfit an entire army. So what do you do? You put on amazing gift face. You know what I'm talking about, right? Hey, this is awesome, right? How in the world do you have gratitude when your expectations just don't really line up?
[00:07:58]
(31 seconds)
#GratitudeBeyondGifts
Notice it doesn't say give thanks for all circumstances. I'm not supposed to be like giving thanks for all the hard things, but definitely giving thanks from within those hard things, those very hard things that we have. Why? Well, because even when life is hard, God is still good. God has a will for us. And that will is for us to recognize him and his goodness no matter what we're going through.
[00:12:31]
(22 seconds)
#ThankfulAmidHardship
Friends, when we shift the focus off of what I got to who gave it to us, we can get away from, like, you know, getting all wrapped up and complaining about what we're getting. You start thinking about the ones who give it to us. And so gratitude reminds us, behind it all, for every breath, there's God giving it to us. For every moment, there's God granting us that moment. For every good thing, it comes down from a loving, wise, and generous God. And so another holidays tip we want to give you is write this one down. Allow gratitude to grow your contentment. There's a word right now you don't hear anymore. Contentment.
[00:14:10]
(33 seconds)
#GratitudeForTheGiver
When's the last time somebody said, hey, you just need to develop some contentment? We don't talk about contentment in our culture. In fact, everything we do is based on not being content. Contentment, it's a big deal. Contentment's not the result of getting what you want. Contentment really is, rather, it's realizing what you already have. That's where contentment comes from.
[00:14:43]
(21 seconds)
#FindContentmentToday
That verse is not about making a free throw. That verse is not about hitting a home run. That verse is about being content in no matter what situation. Jesus gives us the power to live beyond our expectations. So we can live thankful, and we can stop comparing our situation to somebody else's highlight reel. Because the reality is, other people's highlight reels, that's just their highlight reel.
[00:15:59]
(21 seconds)
#ContentBeyondCircumstance
So we can live thankful, and we can stop comparing our situation to somebody else's highlight reel. Because the reality is, other people's highlight reels, that's just their highlight reel. In fact, most of the time, it's not even real in the first place. So the reality is, gratitude, it does protect our hearts. Contentment protects our hearts from envy and entitlement. And it reminds us that God is a generous God. And he has already given so many amazing things to us through Jesus Christ. And so a thankful heart becomes a peaceful heart.
[00:16:11]
(27 seconds)
#CompareLessBeGrateful
So we can live thankful, and we can stop comparing our situation to somebody else's highlight reel. Because the reality is, other people's highlight reels, that's just their highlight reel. In fact, most of the time, it's not even real in the first place. So the reality is, gratitude, it does protect our hearts. Contentment protects our hearts from envy and entitlement. And it reminds us that God is a generous God. And he has already given so many amazing things to us through Jesus Christ. And so a thankful heart becomes a peaceful heart.
[00:16:11]
(27 seconds)
#ContentmentProtectsTheHeart
Because in the Christmas Carol, you get, you know, the ghosts of Christmas past, present, future. And basically what happens is they just lost the plot. The plot is people. People matter more than they say. So every time I see that movie, I'm like, man, don't lose the plot. No, it's good. Don't lose the plot. Jesus is at the center, and people really matter.
[00:18:20]
(15 seconds)
#PeopleMatterJesusCenter
Family and family gatherings, they can really test our patience. In fact, show of hands, how many of you have ever left a family gathering early because you just couldn't take it anymore? Raise your hand. How many of you have ever pulled up at a family gathering and sat in your car contemplating, I don't want to go in there. I don't want to go in there. I mean, that's what happens when we gather as a family. It comes with, unfortunately, other people. That's right. Other people can be difficult.
[00:20:48]
(21 seconds)
#NavigateFamilyTension
Family and family gatherings, they can really test our patience. In fact, show of hands, how many of you have ever left a family gathering early because you just couldn't take it anymore? Raise your hand. How many of you have ever pulled up at a family gathering and sat in your car contemplating, I don't want to go in there. I don't want to go in there. I mean, that's what happens when we gather as a family. It comes with, unfortunately, other people. That's right. Other people can be difficult.
[00:20:48]
(21 seconds)
#FamilyGatheringFeels
There's another word you don't hear in our culture anymore. Honor. Where'd the honor go? Why are we not on? Notice the connection between love and honor. To love a person is to honor a person. We are called to love people. How do we do it? By honoring them. Now, as followers of Jesus, that's what we are called to do, especially with people who aren't lovable. Especially in times with our families. So what does it mean to honor someone? What does it mean in our families to do that with a person who's hard to love? How do we even survive with such people?
[00:21:25]
(33 seconds)
#LoveByHonoringOthers
To love a person is to honor a person. We are called to love people. How do we do it? By honoring them. Now, as followers of Jesus, that's what we are called to do, especially with people who aren't lovable. Especially in times with our families. So what does it mean to honor someone? What does it mean in our families to do that with a person who's hard to love? How do we even survive with such people?
[00:21:34]
(25 seconds)
#HonorEvenTheUnlovable
Even when you do it all well, life can still be overwhelming during the season. There's always more to do. There's another event we got to go to. Another gift we got to go find. Another gift we got to wrap. Another thing just demands all over the place. Another expectation that we have to meet. So how can you have peace? How can you stay calm in the middle of all that chaos? And so that's what we want to do. We want to talk about a third way that we might survive during the holidays. And that's finding peace in the midst of the craziness of what has become the holiday season here in our culture.
[00:26:18]
(28 seconds)
#FindPeaceInTheChaos
Even when you do it all well, life can still be overwhelming during the season. There's always more to do. There's another event we got to go to. Another gift we got to go find. Another gift we got to wrap. Another thing just demands all over the place. Another expectation that we have to meet. So how can you have peace? How can you stay calm in the middle of all that chaos? And so that's what we want to do. We want to talk about a third way that we might survive during the holidays. And that's finding peace in the midst of the craziness of what has become the holiday season here in our culture.
[00:26:18]
(28 seconds)
#CalmInHolidayChaos
By show of hands, how many of you love Christmas, the song Silent Night? You love that song? Some of my favorite parts of Christmas, when we gather together, worship as a church, get to the end of the service, candlelight, silent night. The reality is, though, for many of us, the best song to describe our Christmas probably wouldn't be Silent Night.
[00:26:47]
(16 seconds)
#NotAlwaysSilentNight
