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Born a Child and Yet a King: the Gospel in the Carols
We know the songs of Christmas like we know the rooms of our house or the placement of our Christmas tree. One or two probably stand out for us as the epitome of how Christmas is supposed to sound. It’s not officially Christmas until we hear them.
As those familiar songs fill your home again this season, listen closely. They are telling a story, the story of Jesus—who He is and why He came.
Rediscover your favorite Christmas hymns this Advent season with Born a Child and Yet a King, a new Advent devotional from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. Spend thirty-one days tracing the gospel through your favorite carols and discover anew the awe of this season.
Each day’s reading will help guide your prayers, thoughts, and priorities so you may enjoy a deeper intimacy with Jesus Christ in the days leading up to and immediately following Christmas.
As those familiar songs fill your home again this season, listen closely. They are telling a story, the story of Jesus—who He is and why He came.
Rediscover your favorite Christmas hymns this Advent season with Born a Child and Yet a King, a new Advent devotional from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. Spend thirty-one days tracing the gospel through your favorite carols and discover anew the awe of this season.
Each day’s reading will help guide your prayers, thoughts, and priorities so you may enjoy a deeper intimacy with Jesus Christ in the days leading up to and immediately following Christmas.
147 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
32 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
75books245followersNancy DeMoss Wolgemuth also known as Nancy Leigh DeMoss is the host and teacher for Revive Our Hearts and Seeking Him, two nationally-syndicated programs heard each weekday on over 1,000 radio stations. She is a mentor and spiritual mother to thousands of women and a leader of the True Woman movement.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 28, 2023
“But the God who came is a God that overcomes. The babe who cried is a Lion that roars.�
I loved this Advent devotional. It’s broken down into 7 carols, spanning from the beginning of December to the end. Each day leading up to Christmas is filled with anticipation - “o come, o come, Emmanuel.� Wolgemuth sets the stage so well for Christmas day; I found myself eagerly anticipating it. At the same time, this devotional dives deep. You’ll be thinking about Christ’s work in your life, sharing your story and hope with others, and just what it means to have Jesus here, with us.
But the real treat for me was surprising. I LOVED the post-Christmas days. They were beautifully written and so encouraging for the new year ahead.
Thank you so much @moodypublishers for this beautiful book. All opinions are my own ❤️
I loved this Advent devotional. It’s broken down into 7 carols, spanning from the beginning of December to the end. Each day leading up to Christmas is filled with anticipation - “o come, o come, Emmanuel.� Wolgemuth sets the stage so well for Christmas day; I found myself eagerly anticipating it. At the same time, this devotional dives deep. You’ll be thinking about Christ’s work in your life, sharing your story and hope with others, and just what it means to have Jesus here, with us.
But the real treat for me was surprising. I LOVED the post-Christmas days. They were beautifully written and so encouraging for the new year ahead.
Thank you so much @moodypublishers for this beautiful book. All opinions are my own ❤️
January 1, 2024
One of the best Christmas devotionals ever. My husband and I loved reading through this together.
December 31, 2023
I adored this devotional! Wolgemuth is a Bible teacher I highly recommend, and this book is rich in Scripture as I've come to expect from her work. The blending of Christmas carols, really hymns in this case, with their Biblical origins was beautifully done.
December 31, 2020
Such a lovely, compelling and challenging meditation on Advent through Christmas carols. In typical Nancy style, she presents amazing truth through lots of scripture and uses each meditation to ask hard questions. Each day includes a prayer, three scripture passages to look up and a question to consider through the day. I will return to this for future Christmas seasons.
February 22, 2021
We really enjoyed this advent reading. Such an insightful look into the history of some of the carols. Many of them have verses that we have never heard which have deep theological value, and there was even one carol we weren't familiar with at all. Very much enjoyed this book!
December 31, 2021
This was an excellent advent devotional. I will definitely read this again!
December 31, 2020
Nancy is one of my favorite writers/teachers...her wisdom is so in depth, and she's so insightful. This was such a special advent study focusing on the carols, the lyrics and background, but most importantly the beautiful gospel message and rich theology within them. I'll keep it on my shelf all year!
December 31, 2020
Despite a nontraditional Christmas season, this advent devotional helped me stay rooted and focused on celebrating Jesus� birth and the true meaning of Christmas. I have never done a full 31 advent devotional and I learned so much through this little, sweet book. This book broke day several of our most popular carols that we’ve all grown up singing and referenced it back to scripture and the depth behind the lyrics. Learning the history and scriptural references behind the carols helped me worship the Lord with more understanding and appreciation of the Bible as we sang these songs in church and in our home. Here are my top three takeaways from this devotional and the advent season:
1. “Come� and “joy� are the most popular words in Christmas carols. Advent reflects our longing for Christ to come and the joy that is rooted in his coming.
2. The manager scene reflects Christ’s humility. He humbled himself to be born in a manger because there was no room at the inn. I am reflecting on how to “make room� and clear space in my heart for Jesus to make his home in me.
3. This book studied the responses of the Shepards and the wise men when they encountered Jesus. The Shepards went and told everyone about King Jesus when they experienced his birth, his coming and this is an example for us on how to response to our experience with Jesus. We should always be sharing about our encounters with the King and praising his name to others.
I recommend this to add to your book shelf until next Christmas season!!
1. “Come� and “joy� are the most popular words in Christmas carols. Advent reflects our longing for Christ to come and the joy that is rooted in his coming.
2. The manager scene reflects Christ’s humility. He humbled himself to be born in a manger because there was no room at the inn. I am reflecting on how to “make room� and clear space in my heart for Jesus to make his home in me.
3. This book studied the responses of the Shepards and the wise men when they encountered Jesus. The Shepards went and told everyone about King Jesus when they experienced his birth, his coming and this is an example for us on how to response to our experience with Jesus. We should always be sharing about our encounters with the King and praising his name to others.
I recommend this to add to your book shelf until next Christmas season!!
December 28, 2023
📚 Born A Child And Yet A King by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
“‘God rest ye merry� was an old English expression that basically meant, ‘May God make you, or keep you, joyful.� It was sort of a ‘God bless you’—may He bless you with joy. But why? What was the basis for this joy, this merriment? What gave those early singers the confidence to say to their friends and neighbors, ‘Let nothing you dismay.� It sprang from a simple word: remember. ‘Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day.� Yes, remember.� ✝️
Such a refreshing way to spend advent! I loved diving deeper into some of the classic Christmas hymns. Made it fun and special to sing them all month long! There were probably 5 different days that really stood out to me and touched my heart with encouragement and conviction this time going through the book! 🎵🎄
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Elevator Pitch: This 31-day advent devotional uses the classic hymnal Christmas carols as a guide to prepare your heart for the Christmas season.
Themes: Christian non-fiction, advent, the gospel in the carols, devotional, Christmas
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #whatimreading #bookreview #bookish #reading #readersofinstagram #bookishlove #bookishlife #booklove #booklover #bookworm #bookcommunity #christmas #godrestyemerrygentleman #advent #sweetsequels #kyleesreads
“‘God rest ye merry� was an old English expression that basically meant, ‘May God make you, or keep you, joyful.� It was sort of a ‘God bless you’—may He bless you with joy. But why? What was the basis for this joy, this merriment? What gave those early singers the confidence to say to their friends and neighbors, ‘Let nothing you dismay.� It sprang from a simple word: remember. ‘Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day.� Yes, remember.� ✝️
Such a refreshing way to spend advent! I loved diving deeper into some of the classic Christmas hymns. Made it fun and special to sing them all month long! There were probably 5 different days that really stood out to me and touched my heart with encouragement and conviction this time going through the book! 🎵🎄
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Elevator Pitch: This 31-day advent devotional uses the classic hymnal Christmas carols as a guide to prepare your heart for the Christmas season.
Themes: Christian non-fiction, advent, the gospel in the carols, devotional, Christmas
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #whatimreading #bookreview #bookish #reading #readersofinstagram #bookishlove #bookishlife #booklove #booklover #bookworm #bookcommunity #christmas #godrestyemerrygentleman #advent #sweetsequels #kyleesreads
December 31, 2023
This is a beautiful devotion to read through at advent! I love her focus on the words of the Christmas carols and how they are rich in theology; and introducing us to some of the unknown verses of each carol. Nancy is a wonderful writer! She has a beautiful mastery of words and of putting thoughts and ideas together so that reading her work is both enjoyable and instructive. She has a love for the truth of God’s word that shines through in all she writes and challenges and encourages her reader at the same time. I was encouraged throughout this book!
From December 13 reading: God gives His undeserved favor “because He loves us…So today I say to you: it is right and good that you should feel loved because Jesus has come for you.�
From December 13 reading: God gives His undeserved favor “because He loves us…So today I say to you: it is right and good that you should feel loved because Jesus has come for you.�
December 31, 2024
I am so glad my friend Terri gifted me this little book in November. What a wonderful way to celebrate the advent season!
This devotional is based on six different Christmas carols and rich in Scripture. Each day's reading is short and sweet, so it was doable alongside my regular daily quiet time. I loved how it used the Christmas carols I cherish, but opened my eyes to the richness and truth in the poetry of these well-known hymns.
This book truly helped keep me focused on what the Christmas season is about... the first coming of Jesus Christ as a baby and His promised second coming as a King. I can't wait! Lord Jesus, come!
This devotional is based on six different Christmas carols and rich in Scripture. Each day's reading is short and sweet, so it was doable alongside my regular daily quiet time. I loved how it used the Christmas carols I cherish, but opened my eyes to the richness and truth in the poetry of these well-known hymns.
This book truly helped keep me focused on what the Christmas season is about... the first coming of Jesus Christ as a baby and His promised second coming as a King. I can't wait! Lord Jesus, come!
December 26, 2023
Reading this book turned out to be one of the best gifts I gave myself this Christmas. In this small, pretty book, a perfect Christmas gift, Mrs. Wolgemuth delves deep into 6 familiar Christmas carols, so familiar that we sing them without really understanding their content. The author presents them as carols with words like a treasure map that leads us to an even richer worship of Jesus. It's an advent devotional, and it's worth reading every single year.
January 7, 2025
Wonderful resource for staying focused upon the King of Kings at Christmas! Thank you, Nancy, for the research you did to find the history of many favorite carols. Enriched with Scripture, the focus remains on Christ, the empty manger, the empty cross, & the empty tomb! Hallelujah! He shall reign forever & ever!
December 31, 2020
An interesting and encouraging look into 6 different carols, examining what they reveal about WHO Jesus is and WHY Jesus came. These songs will be forever more important because I’ve actually spent time thinking about what they say. A worthwhile Advent devotional.
January 5, 2021
This is a lovely collection of devotional thoughts for the 31 days of December based on Christmas carols, some familiar and some not. It includes a daily prayer, additional scripture readings, and questions to ponder. Well worth spending time in to prepare for celebrating the birth of Christ.
December 27, 2021
This is a beautifully written advent devotional using well known and loved Christmas hymns as the base for telling the gospel story at Christmas. This book dives in deep to the story we know so will, a baby born to save us!
December 31, 2024
This was such a lovely Advent book. Nancy takes Christmas Carols and makes them so much more meaningful when you really take time to read the words. Seeing the Gospel being told in the Carols add a new layer of love for the Carols.
January 8, 2025
Great gospel centered devotional that focuses on lines from various Christmas carols and the scripture that supports them. Every time I heard those songs throughout the season I thought about the lyrics more fully because of reading these reflections.
P. 133: But whether you’re deliriously happy today with your Christmas surroundings or you’re working really hard to be happy, the same call to worship is exactly what you need. It starts and ends � actually, it never ends—with Jesus, to whom belongs all glory for all things, and in whom you can anchor your faith-based gratitude “in all circumstances� (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“Whatever you do,� the Bible reminds us, “do all to the glory of God� (1 Cor. 10:31), because your Father in heaven will lovingly supply “every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus� (Phil 4:19).
P. 133: But whether you’re deliriously happy today with your Christmas surroundings or you’re working really hard to be happy, the same call to worship is exactly what you need. It starts and ends � actually, it never ends—with Jesus, to whom belongs all glory for all things, and in whom you can anchor your faith-based gratitude “in all circumstances� (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“Whatever you do,� the Bible reminds us, “do all to the glory of God� (1 Cor. 10:31), because your Father in heaven will lovingly supply “every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus� (Phil 4:19).
December 31, 2020
Wonderful!!!
October 9, 2021
I received this devotionl as a gift from a friend. This is a great read any time of year even though it focuses on the Christmas season.
December 29, 2023
As always, rich and encouraging!
December 31, 2023
Loved this advent devotional! I’ve really come to appreciate the carols even more because they are so full of the gospel message! I enjoyed the way this devotional was written♥️
December 31, 2023
Great daily readings focused on both well known and new carols. Prompts for prayer and journaling questions also included!
December 31, 2023
Very nice devotional for Advent season. I liked delving into old Christmas hymns to learn more about the season.
January 3, 2024
I loved going through this advent book. Really makes you slow down and think about each line of the classic Christmas hymns we sing every year.
January 1, 2025
Excellent advent book-- highlighting carols and truly was inspirational!
October 30, 2023
In this devotional book, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth explores six classic Christmas carols, reflecting on what they teach us about Jesus, the gospel, and our lives as Christians. Because the carols she chose encompass so many themes about Christianity, she not only revisits the Nativity story, but also unpacks broader ideas and implications for what it means to follow Jesus. She devotes multiple readings to unpacking different stanzas from each Christmas hymn, and she includes both highly familiar favorites and a couple of carols that get less attention. The daily readings each also include a short prayer, brief Scripture selections with suggestions for further reading, and a reflection question with several lines of journaling space.
Born a Child and Yet a King is full of meaningful reflections, and even though I have read similar books before and often reflect deeply on the lyrics of Christmas hymns, the reflections in this book still inspired me. DeMoss Wolgemuth shares encouragement and application ideas throughout the book, and she also acknowledges challenges that many people face at Christmastime. This book isn't about drumming up a sense of Christmas spirit, but is about the totality of Christ's work for us and how it changes our lives. I appreciate how the author engaged with difficult themes and challenges alongside Christmas joys, and found this encouraging.
This is a great book, and it is also very pretty, with its hardbound cover and gold ribbon bookmark. Also, even though women are the primary intended audience, the content focuses on universal spiritual themes and isn't written in a gendered way. This book is full of deep reflections and practical encouragement for all believers, and I like how the author includes readings all the way through the end of December, instead of stopping with Christmas. Her reflections for the days after the holiday are wise and helpful, and I would recommend this book to Christians who want to delve into the meaning of Christmas hymns.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Born a Child and Yet a King is full of meaningful reflections, and even though I have read similar books before and often reflect deeply on the lyrics of Christmas hymns, the reflections in this book still inspired me. DeMoss Wolgemuth shares encouragement and application ideas throughout the book, and she also acknowledges challenges that many people face at Christmastime. This book isn't about drumming up a sense of Christmas spirit, but is about the totality of Christ's work for us and how it changes our lives. I appreciate how the author engaged with difficult themes and challenges alongside Christmas joys, and found this encouraging.
This is a great book, and it is also very pretty, with its hardbound cover and gold ribbon bookmark. Also, even though women are the primary intended audience, the content focuses on universal spiritual themes and isn't written in a gendered way. This book is full of deep reflections and practical encouragement for all believers, and I like how the author includes readings all the way through the end of December, instead of stopping with Christmas. Her reflections for the days after the holiday are wise and helpful, and I would recommend this book to Christians who want to delve into the meaning of Christmas hymns.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2024
I've read this advent devotional twice now and I love that it is full of truth that points to Jesus. It also gives hope for the future because God is in control and His plans will prevail. This little book is a great way to end one year and begin another.
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