The Carols of Christmas Volume 2: Daily Advent Devotions on Classic Christmas Carols (28-Day Devotional for Christmas and Advent)

by Alan Vermilye

The most beloved Christmas carols arranged in 28 daily devotions for the Advent season.

The Carols of Christmas Volume 2 is a collection of devotionals based on beloved carols that will inspire readers to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. In this 28-day devotional journey, you will experience a fresh take on familiar melodies with personal reflections to guide you.

The carols include "Silent Night", "Joy to the World", "O Come All Ye Faithful", and "The First Noel". You’ll also discover intriguing stories and thought-provoking details like who wrote the carol; what was going on in their life that perhaps inspired the hymn; and how has God used this hymn throughout time.

The book is divided into four weeks of daily devotions, perfect for celebrating Advent or Christmas. Each week you begin by reading the history of the carol, followed by six daily devotions that reflect on a verse from the hymn along with a Scripture reflection. Traditionally, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, but the devotions are undated, allowing you to start any time.

The Carols of Christmas Volume 2

28 Daily DevotionsInspiring stories behind each carolLyrics for each carol, including the original versionsBrief scriptural reflectionsLarge print format available for readers of all agesAudio book available for those on the goWhether you choose Volume 1 or Volume 2, The Carols of Christmas devotional series is perfect for personal reflection or family worship during the busy holiday season. It also makes for the perfect Christmas gift to friends, family, co-workers, and those who are homebound.

This Christmas, you can continue to enjoy the nostalgic songs that warm our hearts each year along with a better understanding of the carols and how they reflect our Savior’s birth.

Genres: Religion

113 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2023

About the author

Alan Vermilye, an Amazon Best-Selling author, has written numerous books, including modern-day revisions of The Pilgrim's Progress Series, the C.S. Lewis Study Series, The Carols of Christmas Devotional Series, and most recently a story version of Paradise Lost.

Alan's extensive career in the Christian publishing industry spans nearly 25 years, during which he has collaborated with hundreds of top-selling authors and Christian musicians, providing his expertise in book and Bible study project creation, publishing, and marketing.

When asked to teach a Sunday School class almost 30 years ago, he started writing his own study guides because he couldn't find many that suited his teaching style. He found his passion in immersing himself in God's Word and creating teaching aids and discussion questions to help others embrace the same love for studying and following the teachings of Scripture.

Over a decade ago, he assisted his close friend, Dr. Steve Urban, in publishing a study on the C.S. Lewis classic, Mere Christianity. That project's success made him aware of the significant demand for study materials for Lewis's works. This led Alan to create a study guide for The Screwtape Letters, and subsequently for other books by Lewis, which have become the most popular study guides on his works.

After being challenged by his wife to write a study guide for The Pilgrim's Progress, he discovered that there were no readable translations that he truly comprehended. Therefore, he dedicated the following year and a half to revising the original translation into contemporary English. It has now become the top-selling book on The Pilgrim's Progress on Amazon.

Alan has also written a series of devotionals, including The Carols of Christmas (Vol. 1, 2, & 3), The Proverbs Devotional Challenge, and a devotional on The Practice of the Presence of God. In addition, he’s written study guides for the Charles Dicken’s classic, A Christmas Carol, and his favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life.

Learn more about all of his Bible studies and download free answer guides, books, and videos at the Brown Chair Books website.

Reviews

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first volume of The Carols of Christmas so much last year that I knew I wanted to read the second installment this Advent season. While it wasn’t quite as impactful as the first in the series, purely because of the stories of the songs in that particular devotional, this second volume was still a worthy Advent read. Each book in the series is comprised of four weeks, or 28 days, of devotions. Each week starts with a detailed history behind that week’s carol, including the most common iteration of the verses of the song. These first days of each week where we were given the history behind that week’s carol were the longest but by far my favorites. The six days following each were more of a straightforward devotional inspired by the lyrics of said carol, and these were fairly brief but always varied and interesting and thought-provoking. The four songs highlighted in this volume are: “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “The First Noel.” While I didn’t find the history behind these carols as fascinating as that of “O Holy Night” or “I Heard the Bells,” which were included in volume 1, I love knowing the story behind the songs. I'm sure I'll be picking up the final installment in the series next December!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each week of readings focuses on a different Christmas hymn: Silent Night, Joy to the World, O Come All Ye Faithful, and The First Noel. The weeks start with a history of the song, followed by six days highlighting specific verses in light of Scripture. Like with the first entry in this series, I took a single day to read each week of content to get a cohesive view of each carol.

I adored Volume One of this devotional, so I dove into this one immediately after finishing it. While still fantatsic, I didn't feel it was as strong from a Biblical standpoint. It seemed much more history heavy, which I did still enjoy. Many of the daily readings seemed to add the Scriptural content as an almost afterthought. Regardless of the slight shift in tone, I hope to see Volume Three in this series next year!

[NancyInWI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as Volume 1 but still a great Advent daily devotional

[Louisa aka the bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about some of our Favourite Christmas Carols!

This in Volume 2 of a 3 volume series and it is a joy to read during Advent. It gives the history of some of our Favourite Carols and also helps to place them in the Bible with the verses that are in the carols. Just a fantastic read and written with warmth, humour and a wonderful reverence for Our Lord and His word. Would highly recommend!

[Renée Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love learning about the history of hymns, specifically Christmas carols. Learning the history of each hymn in this volume felt like reading a story, not history, although the facts were well-researched. I liked seeing the original versions of the hymns as well. I read Volume One last Christmas, and I eagerly came back for Volume Two this Christmas. I hope to continue through the rest of the series in the following years. Each day is a short read, but it focuses on a line or two from the song with applications to our lives. Very practical, inspirational, and fitting for Advent.

[Heidi Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd Carols of Christmas I have read, it again did not disappoint.
I appreciate the selection, research and interesting topics, stories the author adds to various verses from these familiar Christmas hymns.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great daily devotion for the Christmas season. It tells the history of 4 different Christmas carols and has a short daily devotion for the advent of Christmas.

[Scott Cangemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid follow up to the first volume. I appreciate the format and length of each section. One aspect I would like added is incorporating the advent candle/theme for each week.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

A great devotional based on 4 different Christmas Carols. You can read it as a daily devotion or straight through. I highly recommend this wonderful book.