These days, you can get advent calendars for almost anything. But here at Decibel, we wanted to countdown to the very special celebration of Christmas with a series of meaningful reminders.

Two millennia ago, God sent His Son as a baby to the earth we call home, and as clickbait titles go: You won’t believe what happens next.

If you haven’t been following our advent calendar on Facebook or Instagram, here are the first 12 days of Christmas. Enjoy!

Day 1

Day 2

Check out our Christmas playlist here.

Day 3

You’d probably expect Jesus’ earthly family line to be filled with reputable, well-loved people. But did you know that among them was a weak-eyed woman who was unloved by her husband? She’s none other than Leah, who bore son after son for her husband Jacob in hopes of winning his affection, but to no avail. Even though she spent her marriage desperately striving for her husband’s affection, Jacob’s heart was only ever for Rachel. ? However, a turning point came when she gave birth to her fourth son Judah, when she stopped chasing after her husband’s love and said instead, “Now I will praise the Lord.” (Gen 29:35). And the Lord never forgot that. In fact, Judah was mentioned in Jesus’ royal lineage (check out Matt 1:3). If you feel unloved or sidelined today, don’t believe the lie that you’ve been forgotten. The Lord ALWAYS has His eyes on you, and He chooses you like He chose Leah to be a part of His story (and history). He has a part for you in His kingdom, today and every day. ? #decibeladventcal17

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Day 4

Meet Ruth: a woman born of the Moabite race, a race despised by the Jews then. If you’ve read her story, you’ll see that when Ruth’s Jewish husband died, she chose to return with her mother-in-law to Israel and believe in Naomi’s God (Ruth 1:16). God saw how Ruth chose to trust in Him—and opened the door for her to remarry eligible Boaz.⠀ ⠀ Ruth’s status as a Moabitess should have disqualified her from inheriting the promises God made to his people, the Israelites, but she was eventually mentioned by name as part of Jesus’ genealogy, sealed into the Bible (Matt 1:5), for all of us to read many generations from the day she chose to follow Naomi home. ⠀ ⠀ Today, if you feel crippled by your race, family background or financial situation, you can read more about how the Lord beautifully rewrote her story in Ruth 1–4. Will you trust in the Lord like Ruth did, and let Him do the same for you? #decibeladventcal17

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Day 5

Would you think that a prostitute, a woman who committed incest with her father-in-law, or an adulteress could be related to Jesus? They’re Rahab, Tamar and Bathsheba, and despite their dark pasts (in Josh 2:1, 2Sam 11, and Gen 38) WERE in fact part of His earthly family line as seen in Matthew 1. Their scandalous inclusion isn’t because the Lord has gone soft on sin, but because He wants to assure you that He doesn’t reject you because of your past mistakes or failures.⠀ ⠀ Also, just as these women eventually became part of God’s glorious salvation plan for humanity, He wants you to know that He’s STILL got a bright future for you, no matter how your past looks like (check out Psalm 37:24). You can find hope in Him today. ? #decibeladventcal17

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Day 6

Day 7

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matt 1:23). If you’ve ever wondered what it means to have GOD with you, look no further than Joseph in the Bible, of whom was said, “THE LORD was WITH Joseph, and he was a successful man.” (Gen 39:2, caps ours).⠀ ⠀ So when God sent Jesus into the world, He wanted to give us all access to His crazy kind of success: It took Joseph from being a penniless, naked slave to the second most powerful man in all Egypt. If you, like Joseph, feel like you have absolutely nothing today, know that you’re already a success simply because Immanuel never leaves nor forsakes you. And He’ll be taking ya places! ? #decibeladventcal17

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Day 8

Day 9

Did you know that the manger which baby Jesus was born in was actually a feeding trough for animals? Although the sheep and oxen definitely didn’t eat Him, this is a beautiful picture of how Jesus came to be our bread of life (John 6:35).⠀ ⠀ If you’ve ever heard the expression “You are what you eat”, Jesus wants us to know that He isn’t just an example for us to imitate; He wants to be part of our very being! That happens as we feed on Him through reading His Word (2 Cor 3:18), enjoying His presence in worship, or taking the Holy Communion, and allow HIM to transform us into His likeness in the process.⠀ ⠀ Do take some time to feed on Jesus today, for He’s the bread which truly satisfies. ? #decibeladventcal17

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Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Ever wondered why Jesus came into our world as a baby? For an infinite being who holds time and space in His hands, isn’t it baffling that He would confine himself in human flesh, and live through 33 human years just to save us?⠀ ⠀ Truth is, if He came as an adult, He would’ve missed the human experience of growing up. Be it the first tears of pain, scars of betrayal, or sting of rejection, Jesus experienced it all. So His version of “I feel ya,” wouldn’t just be a sympathetic pat on the back, but an empathetic “I’ve been there, I truly know how you feel, and I’ve got you.”⠀ ⠀ There is nothing you’ll ever face that He can’t identify with (Heb 4:15 AMPC). So pour out your heart before Him, for He truly understands. ❤ #decibeladventcal17

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Check Out More:

Advent Calendar 2017 (Part 2)
Jesus Is The Reason (Christmas 2017 video)