This is week two of Advent. You can access this year’s Advent devotion by clicking the link below.

I’m sure each of us grew up listening to and reading stories that began “Once upon a time.” Many classic stories begin this way. Regardless of how the story begins, the best stories not only offer enticing story lines and fantastic imagery, but they also offer truths that go beyond the words on a page. This is true of the Advent story. The Advent story is not just the story of the events and promises leading to the birth of Christ. The Advent story is the story of God’s ultimate perfect plan for creation. The Advent story is also our story if we choose to invite Christ to be the center of our existence.

Today, we hear the call again of John the Baptist to repent. John the Baptist’s call to repent isn’t just a call to confess sins. It is also a call to “bear fruit worthy of repentance.” In other words, we are not simply called to confess our sins and love for God but to also invite God to be the very center of existence, to lead every part of our lives. In short, to make the Advent story our story.