Preaching texts for Advent 2

"...little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them,
but Jesus said,
'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them;
for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.'
And he laid his hands on them and went on his way."

- Matthew 19:13-15 (NRSV)

"Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary
by the blood of Jesus,
by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain
(that is, through his flesh),
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water...
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible."

- Hebrews 10:19-22, 11:1-3 (NRSV)