Third Sunday of Advent Overview-Sunday, December 14, 2025
The Short of It
This week centers on joy that grows in the middle of waiting and wondering. Advent joy is not the joy that arrives after everything is resolved. It is the joy rooted in the faithfulness of God who is already at work.
The Long of It
The Third Sunday of Advent invites us to discover joy in unexpected places. Isaiah paints a picture of deserts bursting into bloom, revealing that God can bring joy even in barren seasons. The psalm celebrates the God who lifts up the vulnerable. He keeps His promises. This reminds us that joy rests on God’s character, not our circumstances. James calls us to patient endurance, showing that joy deepens as we learn to trust God’s timing. In Matthew’s Gospel, we watch John the Baptist wrestle with doubt from prison. Jesus affirms his faithfulness. He reveals the surprising ways God’s kingdom is breaking in.
This week prepares us to hold a joy that is honest, resilient, and rooted in hope. It is a joy that does not deny reality but sees God moving within it.
Revised Common Lectionary – Third Sunday of Advent
Monday, December 15 – Isaiah 35:1–10
Tuesday, December 16 – Psalm 146:5–10
Wednesday, December 17 – James 5:7–10
Thursday, December 18 – Matthew 11:2–11
Friday, December 19 – Find the Thread of Grace
Thread of Grace: Joy is what God grows in us while we wait.
Weekly Practice
Practice: Notice the Joy Growing in Unexpected Places
At the end of each day this week, pause for two minutes. Name one place you saw God bring joy in the middle of something unfinished. It could be a conversation, a challenge, a moment of waiting, or an act of kindness. Write it down or pray it back to God as a reminder that joy grows even before everything is complete.
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