The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist

Michael S. Horton

Rico’s writing and speaking are always the same: no fluff or hype—just the best story ever told. After an especially hope-dimming couple of years, this book will help you either discover or cherish your ultimate wishlist!

Tony Merida

A skilled writer, Rico helps us see how the birth of Jesus means that we can know hope, peace, purpose and confidence. That is far greater than any gift we can receive on Christmas Day morning.

“Neighborhood Outreach”

Each year we give out small gifts to about 40 homes in our neighborhood. We include a small book that we hope will be read and promote interest in the Gospel. We have a hard time finding something that isn't an Advent devotional, but something that will wet their curiosity. It's early, but when we found this, we knew we had what we needed for this coming year.

“Clear Gospel Presentation for Christmas”

Rico Tice is well known for his clear gospel presentation and this is an example of him writing something that is a great giveaway for Christmas. In a very similar structure as the new Hope Explored course, he takes us through three themes (Hope, Peace and Purpose) before he finishes with Confidence - who are you trusting in? At just over 50 pages, it’s a great option for giving to a friend this Christmas or even for giving out at the end of Carol Services to visitors. Definitely recommended this Christmas

“Easy read of the best news”

The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist by Rico Tice is a short (63 pages) book that is perfect for explaining Christmas and the Good News. Just 5 small chapters (What Would You Like for Christmas, Hope, Peace, Purpose, & Confidence), Tice has created a wonderful way to gift a Christian perspective on the holiday season.

“Hope, Peace, Purpose, and Confidence”

In The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist, Rico Tice asks: What if you could get what you’re really hoping for?


Hope, Peace, Purpose, and Confidence

In this accessible booklet, Tice uses Isaiah 9:6 to show that Jesus is the one who can truly give us hope, peace, purpose, and confidence. Tice references Bible verses throughout, ensuring that the reader encounters the Word of God.

This gospel presentation can be easily gifted this Christmas season. With warmth and winsomeness, this books makes a compelling case for Christianity and the hope that can only come from Jesus.


I received a media copy of The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist and this is my honest review.

“An ideal gift for someone who is searching”

This is just a short little book presenting the gospel, the greatest story ever told, in which Jesus is the bringer of hope, peace, purpose and confidence ... and there could be no better Christmas list to make our lives complete.
It is an ideal gift for someone who is searching, perhaps a stocking filler for a loved one or a giveaway at a church Christmas service.
It clearly shows Rico Tice's heart as an evangelist ... the intent being to simply communicate the good news that the birth of Jesus means, and bring the reader close to faith. To know a truer meaning of Christmas than the one we often hear of.
Rico uses various Bible stories to show us who Jesus is and why He can be relied on to bring us hope, the hope that is embodied by Christmas time.
It sets out the full extent of what Jesus achieved for us, through his life and death. It tells us why He came, lived and died and this is what we remember at Christmas time.
It is accessible and real, understanding the sort of life pressures that people deal with, the reasons why they may need to know the true depth of meaning of Christmas, and it highlights that faith in Christ is a way to see past it all.
It is well structured, linking the Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah to the New Testament fulfilment of them in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

“Very Brief and Meaningful”

This brief book addresses the core things that people desire showing how hope, peace, purpose, and confidence are central to our ideas of the good life even when we disagree about how to get there. Evangelist Rico Tice shares brief anecdotes and stories from the gospels to illustrate these different ideas, showing how Jesus provides all of those things and more. Unlike some Christmas books, Tice doesn't mainly focus on the Nativity story, but gives a sense of the scope of Jesus's life, earthly ministry, death, and resurrection.

"The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist" is a great book for people who are curious about the Christian faith and want a short, highly readable way to explore ideas related to Jesus. It can also encourage longtime Christians, exalting the hope of Christ even when life is difficult and never lives up to our best hopes. I appreciate how many recent Advent books face sadness directly, instead of trying to help the reader drum up festive and joyful feelings that may be out of sync with their circumstances.

This is a great book for adults and teenagers, and because it is so brief and inexpensive, churches can buy it in bulk to hand out at an event. I would definitely recommend it for that purpose, because it covers so many universal themes that anyone will be able to relate to it, regardless of their specific background and life circumstances. This book is so short that busy people can feasibly read it during the holidays, and it can serve an evangelistic purpose and encourage people who are already Christians.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.