Our Advent series continues today: four weeks of preparing our hearts and our minds for the coming of Jesus, as we look forward to celebrating the incarnation at Christmas.

This is the third week of Advent, and this conversation is all about joy.

I considered doing our Advent series solo, but the more I thought and prayed about it, I really felt that we all need to be pastored, to have a pastor's voice speaking into our lives and helping us navigate this sacred (and sometimes chaotic) season. There is no pastor I trust more than Dusty Smith.

Full disclosure: Dusty is my pastor. I have known him for two decades, and I can tell you with certainty that 1- he is a trustworthy person with the utmost integrity, and 2- our church is growing and thriving under his leadership. I'm so grateful to get to have him on the show for this series.

Pastor Dusty and his wife, Jennifer, planted Depot Church in North Carolina 12 years ago, where he is lead pastor. Dusty and Jennifer have four sons, ages 5-16.

Join Dusty and I as we talk about:

• the joy of the season
• holding both grief and joy at Christmas time
• helping our kids experience joy and focus on the reason we celebrate
• walking in step in the Spirit
• finding joy in waiting seasons

LINKS

Advent Week 1 with Pastor Dusty Smith: A Thrill of Hope

Advent Week 2 with Pastor Dusty Smith: The Peace We Need

Connect with Dusty via Depot Church

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