Gifts of Grace

Rico Tice

What a Saviour we have! Each day we unwrap another staggering truth about the Jesus who calls us to follow him.

Tim Chester

Each day throughout the Christian season this book will remind you of a different gift that God himself has given us through the first Christmas. Each chapter is a gift presented in a fresh and compelling way to nourish our hearts and calm our fears.

“Christ-centered Advent Devotional”

I really appreciate the format of this devotional that includes a focus on a particular gift each day. Gifts include hope, reconciliation, propitiation, victory, glorification, etc. Each day is a short read of around 5 pages or so. Wilson writing center on Christ and include refreshing humor. Each day’s title is from a Christmas carol and I like that the list of carols is included at the end of the book. It’s nice to listen to the carol before/after the day’s reading. All in all, I was very blessed by this book and look forward to reading it more in coming years. It’s the type of book devotional that can be read for years to come.

“Encouraging”

Jared helpfully and wonderfully makes you consider again all the richness of the blessings that God has given to Christians. From expiation and justification to hope and peace, he clearly and simply gives you good things to think on in the build up to Christmas reminding us that the coming of Jesus as our saviour was the greatest and first of many good gifts from God.

“A lovely devotional”

I really enjoyed reading Gifts of Grace.
Like an Advent Calendar, each day you receive a treat and then look forward to the next day.
As a child I wanted to eat the next chocolate of an advent calendar before the day has arrived.
I found myself wanting to do the same with this devotional.
There are devotions for 25 days, 1 for every day leading up to Christmas and Christmas day itself.
Each day Jared shares a gift of Biblical Truth inspired from a sentence of a Christmas Carol.
This devotion is theologically rich yet easy to receive as Jared shares many modern analogies to illustrate the point.
What I liked most about this devotion is that it encourages you to anticipate Christ's second coming as you consider his first.
A lovely read with the family leading up to Christmas.

“Encouraging Advent Devotional”

Gifts of Grace by Jared C. Wilson is an Advent devotional. Each day's title comes from the lyrics of a Christmas carol. Each devotion follows the format:
- Title (Carol lyric)
- Today's Gift (ex: victory, justification, freedom)
- Scripture
- Commentary

I'd personally love more scripture and less commentary but this is the nature of devotionals. Gifts of Grace would be a great gift for a newer believer to use for Advent.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for my review.

“An Encouraging, Christ Centered Devotional”

Gifts of Grace is the latest title by author, professor, and podcaster Jared C. Wilson. This book is an advent devotional that helps readers fix their eyes on Jesus as they countdown the days to Christmas. In the book’s introduction, Wilson explains that the book’s title is derived from the gifts that Christians presently possess in Christ.

In each day’s devotion, readers will be reminded of what these gifts are and be encouraged to enjoy Jesus as the ultimate gift. Each devotion begins with the name of the gift that the devotional content will focus on and a Bible verse that is relevant to that gift. I really enjoy Wilson’s writing style and have appreciated his writings on the For the Church blog so I knew I would enjoy this devotional too.

There are many great options for advent devotionals out there and while I’ve read a few, Gifts of Grace is one of my favorites and I’m pleased to give it my highest recommendation. If you are looking for a rich, Christ centered advent devotional, I highly encourage you to purchase a copy!

I received Gifts of Grace compliments of The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.

“Encouraging, Christ-Exalting Readings”

This Advent devotional features twenty-five readings that focus on God's grace and the wonderful gifts we receive from Him. Each daily reading begins with a line or a phrase from a classic Christmas hymn, the gift that reading focuses on, and a core Scripture passage related to it. Jared C. Wilson unpacks many different themes in this book, ranging from theological concepts like Christ's propitiation to internal experiences like contentment. The readings are typically around four pages long, with strong opening hooks and satisfying conclusions, and there is a source list at the end that shares which hymn each chapter title came from.

Unlike some Advent books, this one presumes that the reader is already a Christian. If someone is curious about faith or interested in how Christians view the Christmas story, this wouldn't be the ideal book for them to start with, but Christians who want a deeper theological look into Christmas will appreciate this book's depth and its focus on further unpacking concepts believers already agree with and care about. Because of the book's brevity, it is helpful that Wilson directed this to a single audience instead of trying to address people with widely varying levels of interest and understanding.

"Gifts of Grace" is a great book for individual devotional reading, and it would work well as a family read-aloud with older kids and teenagers. It will also be especially encouraging to Christians who are going through a hard time right now or generally struggle to feel festive at Christmastime. Wilson shares many examples of how our hopes for Christmas often fall short, emphasizing that the hope of Christmas lies in Christ and God's grace for us, not in our ability to feel the right feelings or experience the right experiences.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“A Real Gift”

As the name suggests, this advent devotional is about gifts! Each day, Wilson takes us to a passage about Christ and shows us why he's such a gift to us. He gives rest, victory, contentment, love, peace, and power. The devotionals themselves are a nice mix of short stories/anecdotes and solid exposition of the passage, leading us towards some application for the day. They're just about the right length and are varied enough each day that you won't get bored by the time you reach Christmas! I also love that each of the devotional titles come from lines of Christmas carols - a lovely touch!

“Refreshing and Wonderful”

How can we see what Christ gives to us this Christmas? In Gifts of Grace, Jared C. Wilson leads you to delight in God’s wonderful gifts of grace through 25 Advent devotions.

Refreshing
At just less than 150 pages, this book is a refreshing read. I appreciated the format of the book, where each chapter “unpacks” a gift of grace. From hope to glorification, from commissioning to joy -- there is something to cherish and relish in each day during Advent.

I was most moved in Chapter 8 and seeing God’s gift of the church. God gives us the church as a place to display his unity and ours of being in his family and household. Through the church, truth is displayed to each other and to the world. Do you believe your church is a gift?

Wonderful
I was most challenged in Chapter 13, to see how God gives the good gift of contentment. It’s easy to become envious in a world that rewards clout and competition. For the Christian, the secret to contentment is to see what we already have. In Christ, we have everything we need. I am encouraged to keep running the race.

Before the book ends on Christmas Day with Jesus, Wilson presents the gift of joy to us on Christmas Eve. After reading this book, I do have a deeper sense of joy. Not in circumstances or in accolades, but in Jesus. What a great giver of great joy! And what a wonderful gift he is himself.

I received a media copy of Gifts of Grace and this is my honest review.