Radiant Church

Meaning Of Advent
• Period of spiritual preparation and anticipation leading up to Christmas
• Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival” of Jesus Christ
• Four themed Sundays before December 25th (hope, peace, joy, and love)
• Celebrated by Christians worldwide since the Middle Ages by engaging in prayerful reflection, often observing traditions like lighting an Advent candle
• Adventwreath, made of evergreens, represents the eternal God and the everlasting life we can only find in Christ
• Angel’s Candle (purple): Symbolizes the message of God’s love that the angels announced at Christ’s birth.

Being a “doormat” signifies passively allowing others to take advantage of you and walk all over you without standing up for yourself, often motivated by low self-esteem, fear of conflict, or an inaccurate understanding of true submission.

The choice of “laying down your life” means actively sacrificing your own needs and desires to serve and help others, often with a sense of selflessness and love, as demonstrated by Jesus's ultimate sacrifice on the cross; essentially, one is about being taken advantage of, while the other is about choosing to serve others generously.

• Don’t conflate being abused/dominated with willfully surrendering
• If it’s true love, this gift can not be forced, coerced, or waisted

• This kind of love is neither weak, naive, nor demeaned; rather powerful, mature, and dignified

• If God is calling you to be misunderstood, attacked, or to miss out for the sake of love being on put on display, are you willing to do so
• Trust that God is your defender (Deuteronomy 32:4), which is why you don’t need to destroy others or demand justice for what’s owed

• It takes little resolve or sacrifice to love someone who’s blessing you
• God loves you too! This is why you aren't anti-Christian if you, for the sake of health and safety, choose to seek help, establish boundaries, and distance yourself from someone