The One True Gift

The Christmas season can often be characterized by a time of increase: a frenzied pace, material splurges, and even personal grumbling. What often gets drowned out is a quiet and refreshing contemplation of timeless truth. In this short but accessible series of Advent devotions, Tim Chester invites us to go from muttering to marveling this Christmas by considering the most compelling man who ever lived, Jesus Christ.

Rich in biblical truth and robust in its theology, The One True Gift is a treasure you’ll want to enjoy this Advent season (or any time, really). Tim does a magnificent work in lifting our eyes to the God-man, Jesus Christ, helping us apply his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and glorious return to our daily experience. Take this devotional slowly; there’s so much to see and savor in its pages!

Read and pray your way though this Advent book and your Christmas may be very different from previous ones. Or rather, you may be a very different person this Christmas, which is rather more important. Of course, it’s not all about you, it’s all about Jesus Christ, but if you are IN Christ, then actually it is all about you too. Tim Chester fills out the wonderful words of Paul in Philippians with delightfully written short reflections, full of fresh images and comparisons and in a style that is very easy to read, though less easy to live. You’ll feed on some very rich biblical theology, bite-size but deeply nourishing.

Use this brilliant book for the 24 days leading up to Christmas and the season might be very different! Life changing insight into the true person of Jesus will also be yours as you read.

'The One True Gift' is a series of 24 readings that work in the same way as an Advent calendar, except this is much more nutritious. With reflections on Philippians 2, Tim Chester takes us thoughtfully into bite sized verses to meditate in such a way that truth goes into us, when normally energy and goodwill drain from us. Christmas is for giving—but draw first from the wells of Philippians 2 with Tim, and you will have much more to give. A really nourishing resource that keeps the focus on Christ.

Tim Chester’s writing is clear, fresh and allows the light of God’s word to shine brightly. I am looking forward to using Tim’s book in Advent and I hope many will too. Advent focuses on true gifts which we neglect at our peril; there is accountability, there is a God who cares, there is a universe in which the kingdom of God has come and will come. Don’t let Advent be taken over by Christmas, use Tim’s book to discover more of the one true gift.

It’s impossible not to be profoundly moved as Tim Chester unwraps layer after layer of Paul’s most famous Christmas carol. Makes you wish it was already tomorrow to get on with the day’s reading. Simply wonderful. (And a great resource for planning carol services too!)