Week 2 devotionals were written by Darren Duerksen

Advent Week 2: PEACE Project-of-the-week ideas:
• Make a Christmas ornament with the word “peace.” Include one of this week’s scripture references or make your own picture of peace.
• Paint some small rocks in Christmas colors and write the word “peace” and a scripture reference. Then place them in your local park, playground, or other public gathering place for others to find.
• In a drive-thru line, pay for the order of the person behind you and leave a Christmas card that you have filled out with a message and Bible verse about peace for the cashier to hand to the person you paid for.
• Bake Christmas cookies and decorate them with the word “peace” and share them with your neighbors and friends.
- Darren Duerksen

December 8
Sunday – Peace is a Person
Bible Verse : “For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (NET)
I wonder, would my friends and family call me “Mr. Peace”? Would your friends and family call you that? If I’m honest, even though it would be nice I know I am not always very peaceful. I get worried. I get mad and say the wrong things. Maybe you do too. But Jesus is so different! People said he was more than just “Mr. Peace” - they said he is the “Prince of Peace.” Meaning, he would show everyone what it truly meant to live a life of peace with God and others. So, even though you and I may never get a plaque calling us Mr. or Ms. Peace, maybe in putting our faith in Jesus the Prince of Peace we’ll experience it more and more in our own lives!
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for coming to this earth to make a way for us to live in peace with God and others.
Small activity-of-the-day: Remember a time when you put your faith in Jesus, asking him to bring peace and forgiveness to your life. If you can’t remember a time, you can do it right now!
- Darren Duerksen

December 9
Monday – Jesus brings us peace
Bible Verse : “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 5:1 (NLT)
Can you make a face? Try it. Make a lot of different faces. Now, make a face with a peaceful smile. Can you picture someone looking at you with that same expression? Can you picture God looking at you with a peaceful smile on his face? Because he does! And Jesus came to help us see God’s face better. When we have faith in and follow Jesus we realize that God is not angry or frustrated with us. Instead, when he thinks of you (which is always!) he has a peaceful smile!
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that because of you we can feel at peace with God and see his love for us on his face!
Small activity-of-the-day: Draw a picture of a face with a peaceful smile and put it somewhere you can see it regularly. Remember that is God looking at you!
- Darren Duerksen

December 10
Tuesday – Jesus brings peace between people
Bible Verse : “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14 (NET)
The other week I messed up. I said some things that made a friend mad. I do that sometimes. And, for a little while, my friend and I did not have a lot of peace between us! But a great thing happened. We both love and follow Jesus, and we talked about what I said, and we worked things out. On the night Jesus was born the angels told shepherds that he came to bring peace between people. That’s something that Jesus does. He helps us be better friends to others, and he can give us strength to make things right and bring peace when one of us screws things up. It isn’t always easy, but we can always begin by praying and then seeing what God might want us to do.

Prayer: Jesus, help me live more peacefully with my friends and family. And, if I’m not getting along with someone right now, help me know if I can do something to help bring peace.
Small activity-of-the-day: Write down the name of a person you are not at peace with, or a situation that needs peace. Put it in your pocket for the day. When you feel
the piece of paper say a quick prayer for the person or situation.
- Darren Duerksen

December 11
Wednesday – Jesus gives peace when we’re worried
Bible Verse : “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NET)
We all have things that worry us. What gets you worried? Maybe what others are saying about you, or a decision you need to make? But at Christmas we remember that Jesus can bring peace to our worries. Remember the story of the time Jesus brought peace to a storm when he and the disciples were in a boat and about to drown? (Mark 4:35-41) That’s what Jesus can do for us in our own stormy situations. Let’s begin by pausing for a moment and simply praying and bringing the request to God.
Prayer: Jesus thank you that you came to bring peace to the storms in our lives. Help me remember you when I’m feeling anxious and worried.
Small activity-of-the-day: make a peace-plane! Write down a worry on a piece of paper and then make a paper airplane out of it. As you fly your plane picture God lifting
the worry from your heart and bringing peace!
- Darren Duerksen

December 12
Thursday – We can bring Jesus’ peace to others
Bible Verse : “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
What do you like someone to do for you when you’re feeling sad? Listen to you? Get you something to eat? Make you laugh? Jesus once told his followers that it’s good
when they bring peace into peoples’ lives and situations. When they do, they show that they are blessed – or close to God, and God’s own children! This Christmas, is there someone you know that can use some comfort and peace? Is there something you could do, even something small, that they would appreciate? (If nothing else, cookies are always nice!).
Prayer: Jesus, open my eyes to the people who are hurting and sad and help me find small ways to bring peace into their lives.
Small activity-of-the-day: Light a candle for peace! While you light it, think of one person or situation you know that can use Jesus’ peace this Christmas. If you don’t have
a candle, you can draw one!
- Darren Duerksen

December 13
Friday – Jesus gives true peace
Bible Verse : “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)
Ever do something that you thought would make you feel peaceful and good, but it really didn’t? I know I do. Sometimes spending a ton of time on my phone, or watching a show. It might feel good at the time, but I can end up feeling just as empty as when I started. So many things claim to bring us peace, but they don’t. That’s why at Christmas we are reminded of what Jesus said – he came to bring a peace like nothing else, and certainly not like the world (or our phones!) try to give. His is so much better!
Prayer: Jesus, help me turn to you for true peace rather than the normal things I turn to. Help me fill the time with good, creative things that bring peace to me and others.
Small activity-of-the-day: Sometime today when you walk from one place to another, or drive from one place to another, turn off your phone just for that time (even if it is just 5 minutes) and ask Jesus to be with you during that time. What or who do you notice? What does it feel like? Later on share with someone what it was like!

- Darren Duerksen
December 14
Saturday – Peace can grow in us
Bible Verse : “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
I really like fruit. And when I eat a piece, I forget that it just didn’t show up on my plate. It took weeks, and maybe months, to grow. Peace can be like that. It takes time to grow in us. Jesus didn’t expect his followers to have lots of peace right away. And he doesn’t expect us to either. But we want it to keep growing. We want it to last way beyond Christmas. So let’s keep watering it, asking Jesus to help us be more and more like him – the Prince of Peace!
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that you are patient with me. Help me grow to more regularly feel your peace in me and bring your peace to others.
Small activity-of-the-day: Eat a piece of fruit! (Or, if you don’t have some fruit, choose something else and pretend it’s a piece of fruit!) While you eat it imagine Jesus growing
peace in you, just like that fruit grew on a tree.
- Darren Duerksen

We pray these devotionals will help you, as the song says,  "prepare Him room". Merry Christmas Prodigal Church.