Preparation | Celebrating Advent Series - Day 22 | The I Am Podcast with Chris Gunn

Welcome back to The I Am Podcast! Three days until Christmas. Yesterday we talked about rest. Today, Chris Gunn invites us to look at another kind of slowing down. Not just physical rest, but spiritual readiness. Today, we're talking about Preparation. And the wild man in the wilderness who called people to it. John the Baptist. Before Jesus began His public ministry, there was a voice crying out in the desert. A strange figure dressed in camel's hair, eating locusts and wild honey. Not exactly the kind of guy you'd put on a Christmas card. But John had a message. And it cut straight to the heart. Matthew 3:2-3: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: 'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" Prepare the way. Make straight paths. Something is coming. Someone is coming. Get ready. John understood something we often miss in our rush toward Christmas morning. The coming of the King requires preparation. Not just decorated trees and wrapped gifts, but prepared hearts. Cleared paths. Space made ready for Someone to enter. In This Episode: Who John the Baptist was and why his message matters What it means to "prepare the way" and "make straight paths" The call to repentance, not as shame, but as turning toward hope Why Advent is a season of preparation, not just anticipation Clearing the clutter in our hearts to make room for Jesus How John's message to ancient Israel speaks to us today Practical ways to spiritually prepare before Christmas arrives "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him." Matthew 3:3 "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed." Isaiah 40:4-5 "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." Matthew 3:8 This Advent, hear John's voice echoing across the centuries. The King is coming. He's not looking for perfect decorations or flawless performances. He's looking for open hearts. Cleared paths. Room at the inn. Is there anything blocking the way? Anything that needs to be made straight? Three days remain. There's still time to prepare. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss any episodes in our Celebrating Advent series! New episodes dropping daily throughout Advent #Advent #Preparation #JohnTheBaptist #IAmPodcast #Christmas #Faith #ChristianPodcast #AdventDevotional #ChrisGunn #Matthew3 #PrepareTheWay #MakeStraightPaths #repentance