Top 5 Bible Studies for Advent
Advent is a season of waiting and preparation. Before the joy of Christmas morning arrives, the four weeks of Advent invite us to slow down, reflect, and remember that God keeps His promises. A Bible study for Advent is the perfect opportunity to stay rooted in Scripture during this busy season.
Unlike the rush of December, Advent creates space for expectation—for watching, waiting, and preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ. Whether you’re leading a small group, gathering with your women’s ministry, or doing a personal study, an Advent Bible Study can guide you closer to Jesus as you walk through the Christmas story, focused on hope, peace, joy, and love.
Here are some of the best Advent Bible studies to help you make the most of this meaningful season.
1. The Marvel and Miracle of Advent: Recapturing the Wonder of Jesus With Us by Christine Caine and Lisa Harper
Jesus’ arrival on earth changed the course of history forever. Not only for those who lived in the first century, but for those of us in the twenty-first century as well. The miracle and marvel of the Advent season demonstrates that we are precious to Him. He’s not a distant God. He is Emmanuel, God with us. That includes wherever you are, right now.
Throughout the Old Testament, we find descriptions, allusions, prophecies, and even foreshadowing of the long-anticipated Messiah. The Messiah is Jesus, whose purpose and promise was not limited by His humanity. In this Bible study, you will learn that it’s not your behavior that earns the kindness of a holy God; it’s the presence of Jesus coming to Earth to be with you, always.
Join Christine Caine and Lisa Harper this Christmas season for a four-session Advent Bible study like no other. Your hope and spirit will be revived as you recapture the wonder of Jesus’ obvious love for you. You’ll discover that Advent is not only a season of waiting and preparation, but also, it’s a season of action to share the hope of Jesus with everyone.
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2. Waiting Here for You: An Advent Bible Study on Hope and Expectation by Louie Giglio
A season overflowing with anticipation, Christmas comes the same time each year with great hope and promise of a baby born long ago. But this season meant for joy is often consumed by busyness, pressure, mixed emotions, and is gone as quickly as it came.
What is it all for?
In this four session Bible study for Advent, pastor Louie Giglio reminds us that it’s in the richness of Advent – a season of expectant waiting and preparation – that we find our answer. And it is throughout this waiting season that we prepare our hearts to greet December 25th with joy, peace, hope, and refreshed promise in our newborn King.
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3. Because of Bethlehem: Love is Born, Hope is Here by Max Lucado
In the Because of Bethlehem video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado guides you through the Advent season to its source at an unassuming stable in Bethlehem…
No one expected the Messiah to come the way he did. Yet the way he came was every bit as important as the coming itself. The manger is the message.
Because of Bethlehem, God knows what it’s like to be human. Because of Bethlehem, when we talk to him about tough times, he understands. He’s been there. He’s been here. Because of Bethlehem, we no longer have marks on our record…just grace.
For some, Christmas is a time of excitement, celebration, and family, while for others it is a time of loneliness, grief, and loss. No matter what this season holds for you, the promise of Christmas will bring you a lifetime of hope.
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4. The Case for Christmas: Evidence for the Identity of Jesus – Lee Strobel
In The Case for Christmas Bible Study (now with streaming video included!), led by New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel, participants will dig into the true Christmas story to sort out the fact from the fiction and the hype from the holiness. This Christmas Bible study will help them reflect on the gospel story of the birth of Jesus in a focused and group-oriented way that will change the way that they view the season.
During his faith journey, Lee Strobel investigated the real meaning behind all those nativity scenes he saw outside of churches. In this four-week study, Lee reveals what he discovered from consulting experts on the Bible, archaeology, and messianic prophecy as he sought to separate the truth from the tradition.
Regardless of whether the center of your Christmas decorations is the nativity set on your mantle or the presents under the tree, The Case for Christmas study invites you to look beyond the familiar traditions of the season, challenge you to examine the evidence for yourself, and consider why Christmas really matters and why it’s still so relevant today.
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5. Who Needs Christmas by Andy Stanley
Rediscover the improbable story of Christmas.
Four thousand years ago, God promised he would do something through the bloodline of Abraham. Two thousand years later, Jesus was born. And two thousand years after that, we’re still talking about it.
Why?
The story of Jesus’ birth was not what anyone expected: a baby . . . born in the armpit of the Mediterranean . . . to save us from sins that no one thought we needed saving from.
This Christmas season, join Andy Stanley as he unpacks why the improbability of the Christmas story is what makes it so believable. No one could have or would have made it up. Designed for use with the Who Needs Christmas / Why Easter Matters Video Study, sold separately. Streaming video also available.
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Find the Perfect Bible Study for Christmas & Advent
If you’re looking for even more options, check out the full list of Advent Bible studies perfect for women’s groups, mixed groups, families, and churches. These additional studies dive deeper into the miracle of Christ’s birth and can help you keep the season centered on Jesus. Explore more Advent Bible studies here.
These studies can also be used during the entire Christmas season, since the two seasons flow together in preparing our hearts for Jesus. If you’d like to see more Bible studies for Christmas, explore our top 4 studies for Christmas.
Last updated August 2025