Attention Pastors:
This Book is For You!
Four Sermons for the Four Sundays of Advent
Are you ready to move beyond “creative hooks and catchy ideas” in your pulpit and anchor your holiday sermons firmly in the Word?
Join respected Pentecostal leader Dr. A. D. Beacham, Jr., as he offers pastors and church leaders an insightful resource: Advent to Epiphany: From Text to Sermon.
- Deep Biblical Exposition
- Sermon Guidelines for the Sundays of Advent
- Ancient Roots, Modern Application
- A Healthier Pulpit and Pew
- Four Companion Videos
Review Dr. Beacham’s video and sermon notes for each Advent Sunday.
First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2025
Sermon notes: The First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11
In this chapter, we will explore a cluster of Old and New Testament texts related to the mission of John the Baptist. Likely, you will not use all of these in preparing for the First Sunday of Advent; however, they will give you a framework for future messages for your congregation.
In this book, I will discuss passages from Isaiah for each of the four Sundays of Advent. Because of that, it is important that we begin with a general overview of Isaiah in its historical and literary context. The comments in this section will be important as you reflect on the specific texts for Advent.
Second Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2025
Sermon notes: The Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:1-17
Do we trust the Lord, or do we trust in ourselves? Do leaders believe that God is real and trust His Word, or do leaders lean solely on financial reports, political alliances, and organizational policies? More importantly, how do we speak God’s Word to ungodly leaders, especially when they reject God’s clear direction?
Those questions are part of the focus of Isaiah 7. Many Christians know the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Announced in 734 B.C., the prophecy was fulfilled seven hundred and thirty years later with the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18, 23; Luke 1:27-31). But the prophecy also spoke directly to a wicked ruler, Judah’s King Ahaz, with the challenge that God is with us, and we can depend on Him.
Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2025
Sermon notes: The Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 9:1-7
We live in a time when conspiracies and fake news have equal footing with truth and certainty. Alas, it is not a new phenomenon. The historical context of Isaiah 9, which continues from Isaiah 7 and 8, gives a divine perspective on the intellectual and moral confusion of Isaiah’s time and our own.
Historical Context
The Assyrian crisis that dominates much of Isaiah 1-39 began in 745 B.C. as the new empire expanded from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers westward towards the Mediterranean Sea and southward towards Egypt. News of conquest, threats of war, and political uncertainty marked the beginnings of Isaiah’s ministry in 740 B.C.
Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025
Sermon notes: The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 11:1-16
This Sunday concludes the four Sundays of Advent. The next Sunday is either Christmas Sunday or Christmas Day (every several years, they are the same). When I pastored, one of my favorite services of the year was the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. All the Advent candles had been lit, and the large white candle, the Christ candle was lit in that service. Because it was Christmas Eve and families were very busy, it normally began at about 6 p.m. and concluded at about 7 p.m. After the service, excited children and adults lingered, wishing one another “Merry Christmas.”
I was always aware that for my congregants, this service had all the emotions of life. For newlyweds and new parents, it was a joyful and exciting Christmas. For those who had lost loved ones, it was a Christmas of sadness.
Dr. Doug Beacham has done it again. His captivating pen has produced a gift for any pastor seeking to lead their flock through the first holy days that dot the Christian calendar.
Bishop Doug Beacham offers pastors a valuable resource for better understanding the importance of the church calendar as a tool of Christian discipleship.
So much of Christianity is anemic because of shallow preaching built around creative hooks and catchy ideas but not firmly grounded in the Word. Bishop Beacham has offered us help in correcting this issue. If we will listen to him, our preaching will be richer; and when our preaching is richer, the pew will be healthier. Beacham’s reasoned defense of preaching in the liturgical cycle offers a powerful strategy for disrupting the cadence of our world with the rhythms of God’s grace.
Author
Dr. A.D. Beacham, Jr.
Dr. A. D. (Doug) Beacham, Jr. is the general superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. He previously served as a professor and chair of the board of trustees at Emmanuel College and as a chaplain in the U.S. Army reserves. Beacham serves on the board of Christian Churches together. He is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals, Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America, Pentecostal World Fellowship, and the Second Billion Soul Campaign. He holds an Associate of Arts from Emmanuel College; a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia; and a Master of Divinity, a Master of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry from Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Other Books
Light for the Journey: A Fresh Focus on Doctrine
This booklet is an excellent presentation of the Doctrines of the Holiness Pentecostal Church, a denomination founded before the Assemblies of God and which differs in its view of Sanctification. Highly recommended for those people studying the history of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement.
Rediscovering the Role of Apostles and Prophets
Rediscovering the Role of Apostles and Prophets examines how a historic Pentecostal church has viewed apostles and prophets. Discussing apostles and prophets within the biblical context of the five-fold ministry, this book breaks new ground in the current dialogue between contemporary apostolic movements and historic Pentecostal churches.
Azusa East: The Life and Times of G. B. Cashwell
Azusa East: The life and times of GB Cashwell chronicles the life of Pentecostal pioneer GB Cashwell from his life-changing trip to the Los Angeles Azusa Street Experience to his return home where his work was foundational to the Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Christmas Before and After
With “Christmas Before and After,” you can meet the yearly challenge to remain focused on what’s really important as Board and Beacham guide you with scripture passages, Biblical and church history, and personal application.
Recently, I taught a series on the ministry gifts of the spirit during which I benefited greatly from reading this book. It is a MUST-READ!
– Wiley Hughes
Dr. Beacham provides a scholarly work by pulling from original sources and interviews from which he extracts carefully measured exposition and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions.
– K. Lucas
Mr. Beacham thanks for your hard work and due diligence in presenting the Godly works of Cashwell.