{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Deeper Experiences with God","title":"The Gift of Waiting: Rediscovering Advent and Christmas with AJ Sherrill - Deeper Experiences with God - Episode 14","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2781,"description":"What does it mean to recover the heart of Advent in a noisy and hurried world? In this episode of 'Deeper Experiences with God,' host Dave welcomes Pastor AJ Sherrill, lead pastor of St. Peter's Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and author of several books including 'Rediscovering Christmas.' Together they unpack the significance of Advent as a season of longing, waiting, and awakening to God’s presence. AJ reflects on the ways hurry, distraction, and digital overload blunt our spiritual sensitivity—and offers practical ways to slow down, pay attention, and receive Christ’s coming in fresh ways. Through the sharing of personal stories and insights, AJ invites listeners to make Advent less about consuming and self-importance, and more about cultivating desire for God in practical life ways. Takeaways:Advent Reawakens Our Longing for God: AJ explains that Advent begins not with celebration but with longing—the honest acknowledgment that the world is not as it should be. We grow spiritually when we allow ourselves to feel this ache. Action: This week, name one longing you often avoid and offer it honestly to God.Break Free from Over-Familiarity with Christmas:  AJ warns that we often settle for a sentimental, surface-level version of Christmas. Over-familiarity lulls us into thinking we already know the story—when in reality, God may have something new to reveal. Resetting our expectations opens us to wonder again.Action: Ask God and sit with the question: “What fresh insight or hidden gem might You want to show me in this story?”Begin Your Day by Centering on God: AJ describes how a simple morning rhythm—silence, Scripture, prayer, or stillness—sets the tone for the entire day. Starting with God recalibrates your inner world, helping you respond rather than react as the day unfoldsAction: Choose one morning practice this week that helps you begin from a place of groundedness in God. If this is challenging, bring that to God, and maybe another trusted friend, in...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/YyMaiHySN2PMPYrMehBk1or4BcyIdai80SlJR6_TIhU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kMjhk/NTYzOWU0NjQ2ODAw/NzkzYjVmYTRlN2Y2/YTVmYi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}