hope peace joy love AWS
2014
hope peace joy love
E
ach year we enter into a specific season that is cradled in a spirit of continuing long standing traditions that usher us into a heart of giving and sacrifice. For most of us, this season also raises our level of awareness to look out for the needs that surround us as we long for opportunities to expose our loved ones to the love that we ourselves have received through the birth and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. Christmas traditions are incredibly unifying for a family and it’s usually a great starting point in bringing everyone together. However, the starting line really should be beginning with a posture of worship and responding to the sacrifice our Father (and ultimately, His son) made on our behalf so that out of that response, the Holy Spirit can begin to do work in the life of each of us and our families. As you flip though this booklet, you’ll find that it contains opportunities for just that. The hope is that each of you would set time aside in the weeks leading up to Christmas to discover the rewards that come with corporate, family worship in the midst of a season full of opportunities to distract us from the very reason we celebrate.
Looking back to “early bible times” we see that God supplied every single need for his people as they wandered in a deserted, lifeless land for 40 years. Even through their entitlement, God provided. Even through their disobedience, God provided. Even when their eyes were away from Him, He provided. Not because He had to but because of His love for them, He desired to do so. At the end of those years, He followed through on the gift of the Promised Land that He said He would provide. Right before He released them to enter He gave them a decree that foreshadowed the distractions they would face.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:4-14
This next generation will grow up in a culture with more distractions than any generation that has come before. Ask yourself how you will set up your family to sift through those distractions to get to the heart and mind of Christ. How will this season be set apart as a starting line of worship so that through the coming year, your family continues that posture of worship long after the “official celebration of Jesus” comes to a close? What will compel your children to look beyond December 25th to ask themselves: How will I be celebrating Jesus on December 26th?
GOD IS h o p e Isaiah 9: 6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Long before His arrival, prophets foretold His coming. They spent years anticipating His arrival as was promised in the garden at the start of creation and the fall of man. In Isaiah, we see not only that His arrival is eminent but also the names He will bear. Long before the arrival of our own children, we spend time thinking about the perfect name to give them. So much so, that many of us have long and short lists to choose from. We may even consult others on their preference of what to call our children before they are born. Here, we see that Jesus’ very nature gives him a long list of names to wear. Not because someone named Him so but because He is so. This week, you’ll be living in this passage each time you gather together as a family. Read it together aloud and etch these names on your mind and heart. Allow this passage to be a catapult of anticipation in week 1 of Advent and take your family back to a time when God’s people were waiting for The Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace. Then, flash forward to present day and enter into the celebration of knowing that He in fact did come and will come again.
DAY 1 Read Isaiah 9: 6-7
Create Candle Just as God’s people waited in hope and anticipation for the promised Savior spoken about in the prophecies, so we celebrate in this season, knowing that God did fulfill His promise by sending His Son, Jesus. Gather the supplies below and set some time aside to create a candle. When you burn them in these next few weeks, pause to remember the Hope that they represent. Supplies: white candle in a glass container, glitter glue pens in Christmas colors, stickers (optional), acrylic paints, and paintbrush (optional). How To: Gather your supplies and let your kids decorate the candle using the glitter glue pens. For younger kids, we suggest using stickers, and for older kids, painting on the candles might add more of a challenge.
Family Share According to the passage, what can we know about the promised Redeemer? What do you think it was like for God’s people to wait for their Redeemer? What kind of hopes do you think they had? What do you hope for?
Blessing
Open your Bible and read John 1:9-13 with your family. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Bless: (Child’s Name), you are a child of God because of Jesus who we are celebrating this Christmas. The true light of the world came to Earth for you to make you, (Child’s Name) a true son/daughter of God. That is what you are!
DAY 2 Read Isaiah 9:6-7
Recipe Christmas Pizza This is a fun activity that the whole family can participate in as you begin the advent journey! Recipe: Sixteen dinner rolls (at room temperature) ½ c. pizza or Alfredo sauce pepperonis red, green, yellow peppers olives ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 1 ½ c. grated mozzarella cheese Follow dinner roll instructions for oven temperature. When the oven is ready, stretch the dough into a triangle shape on a baking sheet; use a pizza cutter if necessary to create a tree shape (use the scraps for the tree trunk). Spread pizza sauce on the dough and apply cheese and toppings. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Family Share As we read over the passage, what names of Jesus stand out to you? Are there any names of Jesus that you would like to better understand?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 25:5 with your family. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Bless: (Child’s Name), may you be guided and taught today by God who loves you. May you learn to place all your hope in Him today for He is trustworthy.
DAY 3 Read Isaiah 9:6-7
Outreach Supplies: red paper, markers We want to invite others into receiving the hope we have in Christ! As a family, take some time to be quiet and think of people that you know who need to hear the message of hope. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring specific families or people to mind to invite to the Christmas Eve service. Using a piece of red paper, make a heart to write down the list of names. In the next couple of weeks you will use this list for other outreach activities.
Family Share Have you ever hoped for a gift and received it? How can we celebrate knowing that Jesus did come and will come again? How can we share the hope of Jesus with others?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Hebrews 10:23 with your family. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Bless: (Child’s Name), remember that God is worth putting our hope in because He is faithful. We bless you with knowing that you can trust God with the biggest hopes and dreams. God always keeps His promises. You can count on Him.
GOD IS p e a c e
Luke 1:26-38 Matthew 1:18-24 These passages begin the story of how the Son of God entered our world. They tell of how it was perfectly orchestrated and unlike anything we would have imagined. A young girl is chosen to carry the Savior of the world and a young man is chosen to be his earthly father – and an example of the love of our heavenly Father. As parents, we all will play many roles in the lives of our own children: coach, tutor, chef, chauffer, counselor, and many more. However, none is more important than the role you will play as a spiritual nurturer in the life of your child. In week 1, The Prince of Peace was foretold. This week, as your family lives in these passages, remember that the promise of peace is coming. Help your kids to remember that in a world of chaos and confusion, peace cuts through in the form of a Savior. In the most difficult of circumstances peace can be found.
DAY 1 Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24
Create Christmas Cards You are going here and there, busily shopping, wrapping, planning, and hosting parties…all in anticipation for Christmas, the day that we celebrate the arrival of the promised Savior. But where is the peace in all this chaos? Prince of Peace is one of the names of Jesus. How can we ourselves experience the peace that He came to bring, while also reminding others to pause and remember that God is Peace? In our culture, Christmas cards are part of our tradition. You may have already sent your cute family card out to friends and family, but this week consider leading your family to think of one or two people in your lives that could really be encouraged and reminded that God is Peace in a world of chaos. Grab whatever supplies you chose to create these cards. But as you sit to create, consider making this time a time of thinking and praying for those who were brought to mind. Supplies: white or light colored cardstock in a small size, small buttons in Christmas colors, glue, black marker, scissors, envelope (optional). How To: Glue the buttons at varying heights along the length of the cardstock. Using the black pen, draw strings coming down from the top of the card to the top of each button.
Use your marker to write “Peace” at the bottom somewhere. Use the back of the card to write any message you want to, or have your younger kids draw a picture
Family Share How do you think Mary felt when the angel told her she would be giving birth to the promised Redeemer, Jesus? How did God give her peace? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 4:8 with your family. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Bless: I bless you, (Child’s Name), with knowing that God will keep you safe always. You can rely on Him to protect you anytime and anywhere you go – at school, in your neighborhood, when you’re playing and when you’re asleep. God will keep you safe because He cares for you.
DAY 2 Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24
Recipe Ice Cream Cone Christmas Tree Desserts (from HomeFront Magazine’s December 2013 issue). Celebrate the God of Peace with this whimsical dessert creation!
Recipe:
12 sugar cones 12 Tbsp. prepared cookie dough 12 Tbsp. chocolate chips 8 oz. white frosting 8 oz. green frosting (add green food color to white frosting) 12 long lollipop sticks Aluminum foil 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Place a tablespoon of dough in the bottom of each cone. The dough should rise and fill the cone about ¾ full. Set the cones aside. 3. Tear off a piece of foil at least three inches wide for each cone. Squeeze each piece of foil into a tight “doughnut” shape, creating a hole in the middle for the tip of the cone. Place each foil doughnut at the bottom of a pan and insert a cone (pointy-side down). Squeeze the foil tightly around the cones so they stand up straight. For baking the cones, a baking pan with depth is needed. 4. Bake the cones in the center of the oven for about 18 minutes or until the cookie dough is done. Keep a close eye on the cones to make sure the tops don’t burn. 5. Remove the cookie cones from the oven, but leave them in the baking pan. While they’re still hot, add chocolate chips on top of the baked cookie dough, filling the cone all the way to the top.
6. Insert a lollipop stick into the center of each cone and poke it through the chocolate chips and the cookie. Let the cookie cones cool completely in the baking pan. 7. Place the candy toppings in individual bowls. Hold each cookie cone upside down by the stick, and use the back of a spoon to spread frosting on the cone. Make sure it’s thick enough for the candy toppings to stick. Then immediately add the toppings to the frosting.
Family Share How would you describe peace? Have you ever had peace in a difficult situation? Why do you think God gives us peace? What does it mean to have peace?
Blessing Open the Bible and read John 14:27. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Bless: (Child’s Name), before Jesus left
Earth He said He would leave you peace so that you would not have to be scared or afraid of troubles that come your way. You do not have to be scared (Child’s Name) because Jesus has given you a special gift that only He can give – His peace. He will never leave you or forsake you.
DAY 3 Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24
Outreach Take your list of people that you wrote on your heart and walk through your neighborhood as a family. Use this time to pray over the names you wrote down, asking the Lord to prepare their hearts to receive your invitation to church. Pray also that they would come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. He is the only one who can bring peace in their hearts in both good and difficult times.
Family Share Are there areas in your life where you would like to ask God to bring peace? How can we extend peace to others?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Colossians 3:15 with your family. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Bless: (Child’s Name), may peace rule and overwhelm your heart all of your days. May you give thanks to God and bring others around you into His Story.
GOD IS j o y
Luke 1:39-45 Luke 2: 1-7 Christmas is almost here. By now, kids are starting to count the days until the morning they open presents. There is a visible excitement and joy that can be measured by what is coming. Joy can be incredibly contagious and sometimes even uncontrollable. We see this type of joy even as Mary carried Jesus in her womb when she visited her cousin Elizabeth who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb. As an infant not yet born, John leapt for joy simply by being near Jesus (also not yet born). What an incredible moment for two children who had not yet officially entered the world! That is the kind of joy we want for our children. That they would leap for joy in anticipation of the coming Savior (coming again!). Just as you desire joy for your children, God desires it for you as well and all of His children. Spend this week talking as a family about the various ways you experience joy. Where does it come from? Why is it contagious? And most importantly, who is the source of it?
DAY 1 Read Luke 1:39-45, Luke 2: 1-7
Create Creating a Memory of Joy: Picture Frames I think we’d all agree that the best part of the gifts that we give on Christmas is the joy on the faces of those that we love as they open the gifts that we have thoughtfully picked out for them. How much more does God take pleasure when He sees us experience His joy? As an expression of the Joy that God is, get ready to capture a memory. You’ll be decorating frames, but first you’ll need a snazzy picture to put in it. Usually for a family picture, the outfits have been picked out well in advance and everyone is looking camera ready. For this photo, send each family member to choose whatever they LOVE to wear! You just might have a princess or Spider-Man in your family photo! After you have taken your photo, take some time to make your frame. Supplies: plain photo frame, Christmas foam stickers, miscellaneous craft supplies (optional). How To: Take a plain photo frame and use some foam stickers to decorate it. When you have time, print your family photo and add it to your frame. Display it somewhere prominent so that you can remember that God is Joy!
Family Share What did the baby Elizabeth was carrying do when she came near to Mary? Why do you think the baby ( John the Baptist) jumped for joy? Share about a time when you have “jumped for joy.”
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 28:7 with your family. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. Bless: (Child’s Name), let your heart leap for joy this season. Jesus is born! God sent him for you. Sing songs and jump for joy to God because He loves you so much!
DAY 2 Read Luke 1:39-45, Luke 2: 1-7
Recipe Funfetti Cookies Talk about all of the ways God fills you with joy as you make these fun cookies. Recipe: 1 funfetti cake mix 1 egg 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water Just under 1/4 cup flour 1. Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 °F. Then, put all your ingredients into a bowl and mix them up with a fork. 2. Roll up your funfetti dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet. 3. Cook them for 8-10 minutes if you like soft cookies 4. Let them cool a little, then place them on cooling racks.
Family Share What is joy? Why do you think it is that when someone is joyful it brings joy to those around them? Who is the source of joy?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Romans 15:13 with your family. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Bless: (Child’s Name), God takes such joy in you. As you learn to trust Him more and more each day I pray His joy fills your heart so that it overflows with joy and hope. Let your overflowing joy bring other people to the goodness of God.
DAY 3 Read Luke 1:39-45, Luke 2: 1-7
Outreach For this activity, consider giving away the Funfetti cookies you made on day 2, or the JOY cookies from this month’s HomeFront Magazine! Now it’s time to spread the Joy you have to others around you! Think of a sweet treat that you can wrap up nice and neat. Take these along with your Christmas Eve invites and have your family deliver them to those people you have been praying for. Watch how contagious the gift of Joy can be as you personally invite these people to join you on Christmas Eve.
Family Share How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus will come again? How can we share God’s joy with others?
Blessing
Open the Bible and read Psalm 16:11 with your family. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Bless: (Child’s Name), be filled to the brim with joy today in the presence of our God. He has great plans for you, wisdom, and eternal gifts. Walk with confidence knowing that God is joyous when you spend time with Him.
GOD IS l o v e
Luke 2: 8-20 Phil. 2:6-8 The passages above will end your advent experience by celebrating the birth of Jesus and at the same time, praising Him for the ultimate sacrifice He made on our behalf. Each year, we are inundated with all sorts of reasons to “celebrate the season” and the idea of “celebrating the Son” is often diluted. This week you have an incredible opportunity to reintroduce Christmas to your family and remind them of why this day exists. What must it have been like as a shepherd to be greeted with a heavenly host proclaiming the birth of God’s son? Everything that had been promised had now happened after 400 years of silence! As Christ followers, we celebrate that God chose to commune with us once again and walk amongst us like He did with Adam and Eve before the fall. God had come in the form of man to be with us and experience all that we experience. But more importantly, He came so that we would have eternal life through self-sacrifice. He willingly gave His life so that we might live. You have a few days left before Christmas day. What will this week look like for your family in the days leading up to it? How will you foster a heart of remembrance and a posture of worship in your home? How can you go beyond the gift giving to truly experience Hope, Joy, Peace, and sacrificial Love?
DAY 1 Read Luke 2: 8-20, Phil. 2:6-8
Create Family Ornament You are deeply and profoundly loved by the one who created you. And this week is the perfect week to soak in the truth of that. God is Love and He went to extraordinary lengths to show you. As we’re in our final days leading up to the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let’s make a symbol to hang and remind us yet again of the extreme and sacrificial love that God showed each of us. Even though you are part of the same family you still have been thoughtfully and individually made with your very own thumbprint that is unique to you, and each of you has been made in God’s image. Each family member gets to put their thumbprint on the wood ornament, you can even form the shapes of hearts with your prints to remind us of God’s Love. Supplies: small round wood ornament or wood slice, white craft paint, paintbrush, fine point permanent marker How To: Paint the thumb of each family member with a thin layer of white paint. Each family member gets to put their thumbprint on the wood piece; you can even form the shapes of hearts with your prints to remind us of God’s Love.
Family Share What do you think it was like as a shepherd to experience the angels praising God? What were the angels and shepherds celebrating? If you were there, how would you have celebrated?
Blessing
Open the Bible and read Romans 8:37-39 with your family. Know, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Bless: I pray that you, (Child’s Name), know that nothing can take you away from your God who loves you. God loves you enough to send His Son to Earth to show His love. Today, I pray that you feel the depth, width, length, and height of His love today.
DAY 2 Read Luke 2: 8-20, Phil. 2:6-8
Recipe Love Soup & Heart-shaped Grilled Cheese Sandwiches This week’s recipe comes from the October 2013 issue of HomeFront Magazine. This is an incredible resource for your family to use all year long and establish year round traditions long after Christmas has ended. As your family makes the Love Soup talk about the greatest love of all-that a man would lay down His life for a friend. Soup Recipe: 1lb. ground beef- cooked 1/3 c. beef bouillon granules ¼ c. dried onion flakes ½ c. dried split peas ¼ c. barley ½ c. dry red lentils ½ c. uncooked long grain white rice 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning 1 c. tri-colored spiral pasta or enough to fill jar
Directions: 1. Place all of the ingredients except the pasta and ground beef in a large soup pot. 2. Add 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 45 minutes
3. Add pasta and cooked ground beef and simmer for 15 minutes Sandwiches Recipe: Just make a regular Panini or grilled cheese and cut it out with a heartshaped cookie cutter! Get playful with bacon and avocado or spinach and feta—make your own creations!
Family Share Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did He choose to die for us? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus chose to die for us?
Blessing Open the Bible and read John 3:16 with your family. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Bless: (Child’s Name), God loves you so incredibly much that He sent His only son to Earth to live and die for you so that He could be in perfect relationship with you. Not only that, but God died for the whole world. May you live your life in light of this amazing love and share God’s love with the rest of the world.
DAY 3 Read Luke 2: 8-20, Phil. 2:6-8
Outreach As you remember and celebrate the Love that Christ has given to us, think about the ways we can share this Love with others. Come together as a family and talk about some ways you can bless the people around you. Some things you can do are sharing a meal with a friend in need, or spreading some Christmas cheer with some caroling through the neighborhood! Another way to get your whole family involved could be to all volunteer your time within your community at a shelter or a soup kitchen. Christ sacrificed himself for us. Now we have the opportunity to bless others and share Christ’s love in these next days leading to Christmas.
Family Share What do you want to say to God, knowing that He chose to send His son to pay the price of sin for us so that we could have a renewed relationship with Him? How do you want to celebrate His deep love for you? How can we share God’s love with others?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 107:1 with your family. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Bless: (Child’s Name), God’s love for you lasts forever. His love for you will never go away nor ever leave you. May you remember His love and respond with praise all the days of your life.
hope peace joy love
E
ach year we enter into a specific season that is cradled in a spirit of continuing long standing traditions that usher us into a heart of giving and sacrifice. For most of us, this season also raises our level of awareness to look out for the needs that surround us as we long for opportunities to expose our loved ones to the love that we ourselves have received through the birth and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. Christmas traditions are incredibly unifying for a family and it’s usually a great starting point in bringing everyone together. However, the starting line really should be beginning with a posture of worship and responding to the sacrifice our Father (and ultimately, His son) made on our behalf so that out of that response, the Holy Spirit can begin to do work in the life of each of us and our families. As you flip though this booklet, you’ll find that it contains opportunities for just that. The hope is that each of you would set time aside in the weeks leading up to Christmas to discover the rewards that come with corporate, family worship in the midst of a season full of opportunities to distract us from the very reason we celebrate.
Looking back to “early bible times” we see that God supplied every single need for his people as they wandered in a deserted, lifeless land for 40 years. Even through their entitlement, God provided. Even through their disobedience, God provided. Even when their eyes were away from Him, He provided. Not because He had to but because of His love for them, He desired to do so. At the end of those years, He followed through on the gift of the Promised Land that He said He would provide. Right before He released them to enter He gave them a decree that foreshadowed the distractions they would face.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:4-14
This next generation will grow up in a culture with more distractions than any generation that has come before. Ask yourself how you will set up your family to sift through those distractions to get to the heart and mind of Christ. How will this season be set apart as a starting line of worship so that through the coming year, your family continues that posture of worship long after the “official celebration of Jesus” comes to a close? What will compel your children to look beyond December 25th to ask themselves: How will I be celebrating Jesus on December 26th?
GOD IS h o p e Isaiah 9: 6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Long before His arrival, prophets foretold His coming. They spent years anticipating His arrival as was promised in the garden at the start of creation and the fall of man. In Isaiah, we see not only that His arrival is eminent but also the names He will bear. Long before the arrival of our own children, we spend time thinking about the perfect name to give them. So much so, that many of us have long and short lists to choose from. We may even consult others on their preference of what to call our children before they are born. Here, we see that Jesus’ very nature gives him a long list of names to wear. Not because someone named Him so but because He is so. This week, you’ll be living in this passage each time you gather together as a family. Read it together aloud and etch these names on your mind and heart. Allow this passage to be a catapult of anticipation in week 1 of Advent and take your family back to a time when God’s people were waiting for The Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace. Then, flash forward to present day and enter into the celebration of knowing that He in fact did come and will come again.
DAY 1 Read Isaiah 9: 6-7
Create Candle Just as God’s people waited in hope and anticipation for the promised Savior spoken about in the prophecies, so we celebrate in this season, knowing that God did fulfill His promise by sending His Son, Jesus. Gather the supplies below and set some time aside to create a candle. When you burn them in these next few weeks, pause to remember the Hope that they represent. Supplies: white candle in a glass container, glitter glue pens in Christmas colors, stickers (optional), acrylic paints, and paintbrush (optional). How To: Gather your supplies and let your kids decorate the candle using the glitter glue pens. For younger kids, we suggest using stickers, and for older kids, painting on the candles might add more of a challenge.
Family Share According to the passage, what can we know about the promised Redeemer? What do you think it was like for God’s people to wait for their Redeemer? What kind of hopes do you think they had? What do you hope for?
Blessing
Open your Bible and read John 1:9-13 with your family. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Bless: (Child’s Name), you are a child of God because of Jesus who we are celebrating this Christmas. The true light of the world came to Earth for you to make you, (Child’s Name) a true son/daughter of God. That is what you are!
DAY 2 Read Isaiah 9:6-7
Recipe Christmas Pizza This is a fun activity that the whole family can participate in as you begin the advent journey! Recipe: Sixteen dinner rolls (at room temperature) ½ c. pizza or Alfredo sauce pepperonis red, green, yellow peppers olives ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 1 ½ c. grated mozzarella cheese Follow dinner roll instructions for oven temperature. When the oven is ready, stretch the dough into a triangle shape on a baking sheet; use a pizza cutter if necessary to create a tree shape (use the scraps for the tree trunk). Spread pizza sauce on the dough and apply cheese and toppings. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Family Share As we read over the passage, what names of Jesus stand out to you? Are there any names of Jesus that you would like to better understand?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 25:5 with your family. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Bless: (Child’s Name), may you be guided and taught today by God who loves you. May you learn to place all your hope in Him today for He is trustworthy.
DAY 3 Read Isaiah 9:6-7
Outreach Supplies: red paper, markers We want to invite others into receiving the hope we have in Christ! As a family, take some time to be quiet and think of people that you know who need to hear the message of hope. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring specific families or people to mind to invite to the Christmas Eve service. Using a piece of red paper, make a heart to write down the list of names. In the next couple of weeks you will use this list for other outreach activities.
Family Share Have you ever hoped for a gift and received it? How can we celebrate knowing that Jesus did come and will come again? How can we share the hope of Jesus with others?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Hebrews 10:23 with your family. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Bless: (Child’s Name), remember that God is worth putting our hope in because He is faithful. We bless you with knowing that you can trust God with the biggest hopes and dreams. God always keeps His promises. You can count on Him.
GOD IS p e a c e
Luke 1:26-38 Matthew 1:18-24 These passages begin the story of how the Son of God entered our world. They tell of how it was perfectly orchestrated and unlike anything we would have imagined. A young girl is chosen to carry the Savior of the world and a young man is chosen to be his earthly father – and an example of the love of our heavenly Father. As parents, we all will play many roles in the lives of our own children: coach, tutor, chef, chauffer, counselor, and many more. However, none is more important than the role you will play as a spiritual nurturer in the life of your child. In week 1, The Prince of Peace was foretold. This week, as your family lives in these passages, remember that the promise of peace is coming. Help your kids to remember that in a world of chaos and confusion, peace cuts through in the form of a Savior. In the most difficult of circumstances peace can be found.
DAY 1 Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24
Create Christmas Cards You are going here and there, busily shopping, wrapping, planning, and hosting parties…all in anticipation for Christmas, the day that we celebrate the arrival of the promised Savior. But where is the peace in all this chaos? Prince of Peace is one of the names of Jesus. How can we ourselves experience the peace that He came to bring, while also reminding others to pause and remember that God is Peace? In our culture, Christmas cards are part of our tradition. You may have already sent your cute family card out to friends and family, but this week consider leading your family to think of one or two people in your lives that could really be encouraged and reminded that God is Peace in a world of chaos. Grab whatever supplies you chose to create these cards. But as you sit to create, consider making this time a time of thinking and praying for those who were brought to mind. Supplies: white or light colored cardstock in a small size, small buttons in Christmas colors, glue, black marker, scissors, envelope (optional). How To: Glue the buttons at varying heights along the length of the cardstock. Using the black pen, draw strings coming down from the top of the card to the top of each button.
Use your marker to write “Peace” at the bottom somewhere. Use the back of the card to write any message you want to, or have your younger kids draw a picture
Family Share How do you think Mary felt when the angel told her she would be giving birth to the promised Redeemer, Jesus? How did God give her peace? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 4:8 with your family. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Bless: I bless you, (Child’s Name), with knowing that God will keep you safe always. You can rely on Him to protect you anytime and anywhere you go – at school, in your neighborhood, when you’re playing and when you’re asleep. God will keep you safe because He cares for you.
DAY 2 Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24
Recipe Ice Cream Cone Christmas Tree Desserts (from HomeFront Magazine’s December 2013 issue). Celebrate the God of Peace with this whimsical dessert creation!
Recipe:
12 sugar cones 12 Tbsp. prepared cookie dough 12 Tbsp. chocolate chips 8 oz. white frosting 8 oz. green frosting (add green food color to white frosting) 12 long lollipop sticks Aluminum foil 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Place a tablespoon of dough in the bottom of each cone. The dough should rise and fill the cone about ¾ full. Set the cones aside. 3. Tear off a piece of foil at least three inches wide for each cone. Squeeze each piece of foil into a tight “doughnut” shape, creating a hole in the middle for the tip of the cone. Place each foil doughnut at the bottom of a pan and insert a cone (pointy-side down). Squeeze the foil tightly around the cones so they stand up straight. For baking the cones, a baking pan with depth is needed. 4. Bake the cones in the center of the oven for about 18 minutes or until the cookie dough is done. Keep a close eye on the cones to make sure the tops don’t burn. 5. Remove the cookie cones from the oven, but leave them in the baking pan. While they’re still hot, add chocolate chips on top of the baked cookie dough, filling the cone all the way to the top.
6. Insert a lollipop stick into the center of each cone and poke it through the chocolate chips and the cookie. Let the cookie cones cool completely in the baking pan. 7. Place the candy toppings in individual bowls. Hold each cookie cone upside down by the stick, and use the back of a spoon to spread frosting on the cone. Make sure it’s thick enough for the candy toppings to stick. Then immediately add the toppings to the frosting.
Family Share How would you describe peace? Have you ever had peace in a difficult situation? Why do you think God gives us peace? What does it mean to have peace?
Blessing Open the Bible and read John 14:27. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Bless: (Child’s Name), before Jesus left
Earth He said He would leave you peace so that you would not have to be scared or afraid of troubles that come your way. You do not have to be scared (Child’s Name) because Jesus has given you a special gift that only He can give – His peace. He will never leave you or forsake you.
DAY 3 Read Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24
Outreach Take your list of people that you wrote on your heart and walk through your neighborhood as a family. Use this time to pray over the names you wrote down, asking the Lord to prepare their hearts to receive your invitation to church. Pray also that they would come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. He is the only one who can bring peace in their hearts in both good and difficult times.
Family Share Are there areas in your life where you would like to ask God to bring peace? How can we extend peace to others?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Colossians 3:15 with your family. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Bless: (Child’s Name), may peace rule and overwhelm your heart all of your days. May you give thanks to God and bring others around you into His Story.
GOD IS j o y
Luke 1:39-45 Luke 2: 1-7 Christmas is almost here. By now, kids are starting to count the days until the morning they open presents. There is a visible excitement and joy that can be measured by what is coming. Joy can be incredibly contagious and sometimes even uncontrollable. We see this type of joy even as Mary carried Jesus in her womb when she visited her cousin Elizabeth who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb. As an infant not yet born, John leapt for joy simply by being near Jesus (also not yet born). What an incredible moment for two children who had not yet officially entered the world! That is the kind of joy we want for our children. That they would leap for joy in anticipation of the coming Savior (coming again!). Just as you desire joy for your children, God desires it for you as well and all of His children. Spend this week talking as a family about the various ways you experience joy. Where does it come from? Why is it contagious? And most importantly, who is the source of it?
DAY 1 Read Luke 1:39-45, Luke 2: 1-7
Create Creating a Memory of Joy: Picture Frames I think we’d all agree that the best part of the gifts that we give on Christmas is the joy on the faces of those that we love as they open the gifts that we have thoughtfully picked out for them. How much more does God take pleasure when He sees us experience His joy? As an expression of the Joy that God is, get ready to capture a memory. You’ll be decorating frames, but first you’ll need a snazzy picture to put in it. Usually for a family picture, the outfits have been picked out well in advance and everyone is looking camera ready. For this photo, send each family member to choose whatever they LOVE to wear! You just might have a princess or Spider-Man in your family photo! After you have taken your photo, take some time to make your frame. Supplies: plain photo frame, Christmas foam stickers, miscellaneous craft supplies (optional). How To: Take a plain photo frame and use some foam stickers to decorate it. When you have time, print your family photo and add it to your frame. Display it somewhere prominent so that you can remember that God is Joy!
Family Share What did the baby Elizabeth was carrying do when she came near to Mary? Why do you think the baby ( John the Baptist) jumped for joy? Share about a time when you have “jumped for joy.”
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 28:7 with your family. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. Bless: (Child’s Name), let your heart leap for joy this season. Jesus is born! God sent him for you. Sing songs and jump for joy to God because He loves you so much!
DAY 2 Read Luke 1:39-45, Luke 2: 1-7
Recipe Funfetti Cookies Talk about all of the ways God fills you with joy as you make these fun cookies. Recipe: 1 funfetti cake mix 1 egg 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water Just under 1/4 cup flour 1. Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 °F. Then, put all your ingredients into a bowl and mix them up with a fork. 2. Roll up your funfetti dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet. 3. Cook them for 8-10 minutes if you like soft cookies 4. Let them cool a little, then place them on cooling racks.
Family Share What is joy? Why do you think it is that when someone is joyful it brings joy to those around them? Who is the source of joy?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Romans 15:13 with your family. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Bless: (Child’s Name), God takes such joy in you. As you learn to trust Him more and more each day I pray His joy fills your heart so that it overflows with joy and hope. Let your overflowing joy bring other people to the goodness of God.
DAY 3 Read Luke 1:39-45, Luke 2: 1-7
Outreach For this activity, consider giving away the Funfetti cookies you made on day 2, or the JOY cookies from this month’s HomeFront Magazine! Now it’s time to spread the Joy you have to others around you! Think of a sweet treat that you can wrap up nice and neat. Take these along with your Christmas Eve invites and have your family deliver them to those people you have been praying for. Watch how contagious the gift of Joy can be as you personally invite these people to join you on Christmas Eve.
Family Share How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus will come again? How can we share God’s joy with others?
Blessing
Open the Bible and read Psalm 16:11 with your family. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Bless: (Child’s Name), be filled to the brim with joy today in the presence of our God. He has great plans for you, wisdom, and eternal gifts. Walk with confidence knowing that God is joyous when you spend time with Him.
GOD IS l o v e
Luke 2: 8-20 Phil. 2:6-8 The passages above will end your advent experience by celebrating the birth of Jesus and at the same time, praising Him for the ultimate sacrifice He made on our behalf. Each year, we are inundated with all sorts of reasons to “celebrate the season” and the idea of “celebrating the Son” is often diluted. This week you have an incredible opportunity to reintroduce Christmas to your family and remind them of why this day exists. What must it have been like as a shepherd to be greeted with a heavenly host proclaiming the birth of God’s son? Everything that had been promised had now happened after 400 years of silence! As Christ followers, we celebrate that God chose to commune with us once again and walk amongst us like He did with Adam and Eve before the fall. God had come in the form of man to be with us and experience all that we experience. But more importantly, He came so that we would have eternal life through self-sacrifice. He willingly gave His life so that we might live. You have a few days left before Christmas day. What will this week look like for your family in the days leading up to it? How will you foster a heart of remembrance and a posture of worship in your home? How can you go beyond the gift giving to truly experience Hope, Joy, Peace, and sacrificial Love?
DAY 1 Read Luke 2: 8-20, Phil. 2:6-8
Create Family Ornament You are deeply and profoundly loved by the one who created you. And this week is the perfect week to soak in the truth of that. God is Love and He went to extraordinary lengths to show you. As we’re in our final days leading up to the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth, let’s make a symbol to hang and remind us yet again of the extreme and sacrificial love that God showed each of us. Even though you are part of the same family you still have been thoughtfully and individually made with your very own thumbprint that is unique to you, and each of you has been made in God’s image. Each family member gets to put their thumbprint on the wood ornament, you can even form the shapes of hearts with your prints to remind us of God’s Love. Supplies: small round wood ornament or wood slice, white craft paint, paintbrush, fine point permanent marker How To: Paint the thumb of each family member with a thin layer of white paint. Each family member gets to put their thumbprint on the wood piece; you can even form the shapes of hearts with your prints to remind us of God’s Love.
Family Share What do you think it was like as a shepherd to experience the angels praising God? What were the angels and shepherds celebrating? If you were there, how would you have celebrated?
Blessing
Open the Bible and read Romans 8:37-39 with your family. Know, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Bless: I pray that you, (Child’s Name), know that nothing can take you away from your God who loves you. God loves you enough to send His Son to Earth to show His love. Today, I pray that you feel the depth, width, length, and height of His love today.
DAY 2 Read Luke 2: 8-20, Phil. 2:6-8
Recipe Love Soup & Heart-shaped Grilled Cheese Sandwiches This week’s recipe comes from the October 2013 issue of HomeFront Magazine. This is an incredible resource for your family to use all year long and establish year round traditions long after Christmas has ended. As your family makes the Love Soup talk about the greatest love of all-that a man would lay down His life for a friend. Soup Recipe: 1lb. ground beef- cooked 1/3 c. beef bouillon granules ¼ c. dried onion flakes ½ c. dried split peas ¼ c. barley ½ c. dry red lentils ½ c. uncooked long grain white rice 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning 1 c. tri-colored spiral pasta or enough to fill jar
Directions: 1. Place all of the ingredients except the pasta and ground beef in a large soup pot. 2. Add 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 45 minutes
3. Add pasta and cooked ground beef and simmer for 15 minutes Sandwiches Recipe: Just make a regular Panini or grilled cheese and cut it out with a heartshaped cookie cutter! Get playful with bacon and avocado or spinach and feta—make your own creations!
Family Share Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did He choose to die for us? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus chose to die for us?
Blessing Open the Bible and read John 3:16 with your family. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Bless: (Child’s Name), God loves you so incredibly much that He sent His only son to Earth to live and die for you so that He could be in perfect relationship with you. Not only that, but God died for the whole world. May you live your life in light of this amazing love and share God’s love with the rest of the world.
DAY 3 Read Luke 2: 8-20, Phil. 2:6-8
Outreach As you remember and celebrate the Love that Christ has given to us, think about the ways we can share this Love with others. Come together as a family and talk about some ways you can bless the people around you. Some things you can do are sharing a meal with a friend in need, or spreading some Christmas cheer with some caroling through the neighborhood! Another way to get your whole family involved could be to all volunteer your time within your community at a shelter or a soup kitchen. Christ sacrificed himself for us. Now we have the opportunity to bless others and share Christ’s love in these next days leading to Christmas.
Family Share What do you want to say to God, knowing that He chose to send His son to pay the price of sin for us so that we could have a renewed relationship with Him? How do you want to celebrate His deep love for you? How can we share God’s love with others?
Blessing Open the Bible and read Psalm 107:1 with your family. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Bless: (Child’s Name), God’s love for you lasts forever. His love for you will never go away nor ever leave you. May you remember His love and respond with praise all the days of your life.
