EPISODE 22 — Light Has Come
December 25 | Christmas Day
Christmas Day declares victory. In this final episode of A Thrill of Hope, we turn to John 1 and look at what it means that Jesus is the Light of the world — a light the darkness cannot overcome. This episode lifts our eyes beyond the manger to the enduring truth that darkness does not get the final word. Hope has arrived, and the Light is still shining.
Kids Scripture: John 1:4–5
EPISODE 21 — Emmanuel: God With Us
December 24 | Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is about presence, not performance. In this anchor episode, we focus on the name Emmanuel — God with us — and what it means that God did not remain distant, silent, or detached from our suffering. This episode is a quiet, reverent pause to remember that God has come near and stayed near, even when life feels heavy or uncertain.
Kids Scripture: Matthew 1:23
EPISODE 20 — The Manger: The Humble Arrival
December 23
The manger is not a sweet detail — it’s a theological statement. In this episode, we slow down and sit with the humility of Christ’s arrival and what it means that God chose vulnerability instead of power. Jesus did not come insulated from human need; He came close to it. This episode invites weary hearts, especially tired moms, to see how deeply God understands embodied, sacrificial love.
Kids Scripture: Luke 2:7
EPISODE 19 — Bethlehem: God in the Small Places
December 22
Bethlehem was small, overlooked, and unimpressive — and that was exactly where God chose to enter the world. In this episode, we look at the prophecy of Micah 5:2 and what it reveals about how God works through obscurity, faithfulness, and ordinary places. If your life feels quiet, unseen, or insignificant right now, this episode reminds you that God often does His greatest work where the world isn’t looking.
Kids Scripture: Micah 5:2
Megan and Heather chat about this weeks advent
Episode 5
Knowing About God vs. Knowing God
You can know Scripture, attend church, and still miss intimacy with God.
In this episode, we talk about the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him — and why biblical knowledge without relationship can quietly harden our hearts instead of transforming them. This is a gentle but necessary invitation to move beyond familiarity into real faith.
Herod: Darkness Cannot Stop the Light
The birth of Christ exposed the darkness of a fearful king. Today we enter the tense world of Herod, explore the true timeline of the wise men’s visit, and see how even human evil could not derail God’s unstoppable plan.
Kids’ devotional included at the end.
EPISODE 16 — The Wise Men: Gifts Fit for a King
A star rises, a journey begins, and seekers from far away come to bow before the Savior. Today we uncover what drew the wise men, what their gifts meant, and why God still guides sincere hearts toward Jesus.
Kids’ devotional included at the end.
Episode 15 — Simeon & Anna: When Waiting Turns Into Worship
What if God’s promises take longer than you expected — but they still come?
In this episode, we step into a quiet temple scene often overlooked in the Christmas story. Simeon and Anna had waited decades for God to move, and when Jesus finally arrived, they recognized Him instantly. Their story reminds us that God honors long obedience, sees faithful hearts, and meets us in the slow seasons of life and motherhood.
If you’re tired of waiting, this episode is for you.
EPISODE 14 — The Shepherds: God Comes to the Lowly
The first people to hear the news of Christ’s birth weren’t powerful, respected, or religious — they were exhausted shepherds in the dark. Today we look at why God chose them, what their fear reveals about our own, and how the message of “good news of great joy” was meant for the ones who felt the least worthy.
Kids’ devotional included at the end.
EPISODE 12 — Joseph: Quiet Obedience
Joseph never gets the spotlight, but heaven trusted him with the protection of the Messiah. His obedience is steady, quiet, costly, and deeply faithful. Today we look at what hidden obedience really means — the kind that matters in heaven even when no one else notices. Kids’ reading: Matthew 1:18-25
EPISODE 11 — Mary: The Surrender of a Faithful Girl
Mary’s yes changed history, but her story started in obscurity — a simple girl from a small town with a heart willing to trust God’s impossible plan. Today we walk through her surrender, her courage, and her worship, and what it teaches us about saying yes when God writes a story we didn’t expect. Kids’ reading: Luke 1:38.
EPISODE 10 — John the Baptist: Preparing the Way
Before Jesus stepped into His public ministry, God sent a voice crying out in the wilderness. John the Baptist shows us what it means to point away from ourselves and toward the Lamb of God. Today we look at humility, purpose, and preparing room for Christ in the middle of everyday life. Kids’ reading: Luke 3:4–6.
EPISODE 9 — Elizabeth: Joy in Impossible Places
God meets Elizabeth in a place most people would’ve called hopeless. But nothing is impossible with Him, and her story becomes a doorway of joy leading straight to the Messiah. Today we look at the God who works in silence, in old age, in waiting, and in the places we think He’s forgotten. Kids’ reading: Luke 1:25.
EPISODE 8 — Zechariah: When God Breaks the Silence
Four hundred years. No prophets. No fresh revelation. Just silence. And then God speaks — to an elderly priest who wasn’t expecting anything new. Today we look at the moment heaven broke through the quiet and reminded us that God is never late, never absent, and never done. Kids’ reading: Luke 1:13.
EPISODE 7 — The Prophets: The Long Wait
The story of Advent moves through centuries of longing, and today we sit with the voices God raised up to keep hope alive. Isaiah, Micah, and the prophets weren’t just predicting a birth — they were shouting to a weary world that a real King was coming. If you’ve ever waited on God longer than you wanted to, this one will speak straight to you. Kids’ reading: Isaiah 9:6.
EPISODE 6 — Moses & The Exodus: Salvation Foreshadowed
Mwgam and Heather dig into the Exodus story and how it points directly to the Christmas story — the Lamb, the blood, the deliverance, the God who rescues His people. This episode traces how Moses prepares the world for Christ. Includes a kid devotional about God’s protection and the true meaning of “the Lamb.”
EPISODE 5 — Judah: The Lion Is Coming
God chooses the most unlikely son to carry the royal lineage of Jesus. This episode unpacks Judah’s transformation, Jacob’s prophecy, and the Lion wrapped in swaddling cloths. The kid devotional helps your children see Jesus as the promised King long before Bethlehem.
EPISODE 4 — Jacob: The God Who Meets Us in the Struggle
Jacob’s life is messy, complicated, and painfully relatable — which is why his story is full of Advent hope. We walk through his dreams, his wrestling, and the moment God renames him Israel. A kid devotional closes the episode to help your family trace the promise together.
EPISODE 3 — Isaac: Grace Over Striving
Isaac’s birth shows us that God’s plan is built on grace, not human effort. We look at Isaac vs. Ishmael, law vs. promise, and how Advent reminds us that God comes down because we can’t climb up. Includes a longer Scripture moment for your kids to read alongside you.