The theme of week three in the season of Advent is joy, but the glimmer and shine on everything around us can distract from the reality that many do not experience joy this time of year. Our Scripture reading this week speaks right into that reality. Join me as we explore the Biblical concept of Joy.
Sofa Sunday School-Manger Tales-Luke 2:8-20, The Shepherds
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
God wants everyone to come and meet Jesus.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that Jesus came for everyone.
KEY PASSAGE:
Luke 2:8-20, The Shepherds
MEMORY VERSE:
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Sam was minding his business with the other sheep in the field, when an angel appeared in the sky, telling the shepherds that Jesus Christ was born. Sam just had to come with them to meet the Savior for himself.
Object Lesson
ITEM NEEDED:
Birthday Party Invitation
Of all the cards kids receive, the most exciting has to be a card with money. But if you had to pick a second favorite, it would have to be a card like this. Does anyone know what this is?
This isn’t just an invitation for a birthday party. It’s an invitation for a good time. It’s an invitation to games and good food and cake and ice cream. It’s an invitation to fun!
Invitations make us feel special. Not everyone gets invited to every party, so it means a lot when a friend picks you to come along to Chuck E. Cheese or the bowling alley or wherever you may go.
But God sent an invitation to his Son’s birthday to everyone – to kings, queens, the rich and powerful, and to you. God sent an angel to announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds, letting the whole world know that all are welcome to come to Jesus.
Christmas is an invitation to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Let’s share that good news with others, and let’s commit ourselves to following Jesus.
Trivia Game
Craft Activity
Let the kids create sheep using construction paper, glue sticks, and cotton balls (for a sheep template, search online for “free sheep template.”). Punch a hole in the sheep’s back, and he can become a Christmas ornament!
An Advent Reading- Week 3 Joy
Advent Reading by Nicole & Tim, followed by that most popular Christmas Carol- Joy to the World based on psalm 98 & 96 written by Isaac Watts in 1719
A Partnership with the Boys & Girls Club and Sonoma Unified School District
Recognizing the difficulties that working families face in helping their children stay engaged while distance learning and at the same time faced with one parent having to quit their job in order to attend to their children’s needs, we have opened up two classrooms that will assist 28 children and their parents meet this challenge.
Sofa Sunday School-Manger Tales-The Birth of Jesus
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Jesus came as a baby so we would not fear him.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn what makes Jesus so special.
KEY PASSAGE:
Luke 2:1-7, The Birth of Jesus
MEMORY VERSE:
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
The stable is Clara’s home, invaded this night by all kinds of visitors. She can tell by looking into that manger that there is something special about this new arrival, Jesus.
Bible Sing Along
Bible Story
Bible Trivia
Craft Activity
Let the kids cut out a cow from brown construction paper (templates can be found by searching the internet for “free cow template”). Punch a hole in the cow’s back, and she can become a Christmas ornament!
Advent Devotional Week 2 Peace-Little Drummer Boy performed by Tim and Nicole
Let The Earth Receive Her King-Advent Week 1-Hope
The Church calendar begins with the season of Advent four weeks before Christmas. It is a time of anticipation and preparing for perfection.It is a time of expectancy and hope. It not only looks back to Jesus’ first coming, but also anxiously awaits his second to make all things new.
Advent Devotional Week One-Hope
An Advent Reading And Silent Night performed by Tim & Nicole
Sofa Sunday School-This is Advent-Manger Tales
LESSON SNAPSHOT
BOTTOM LINE:
God wants the world to know Jesus has come.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn how an angel told Mary and Joseph about the baby Jesus.
KEY PASSAGE:
Luke 1:26-38 & Matthew 1:18-24, Angel Visitations
MEMORY VERSE:
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Doug was with Mary and Joseph for the long trip from Galilee to Bethlehem. Along the way, he hears them tell the story of some very special angel visits proclaiming the birth of a Savior.
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
Christmas cards
Something is coming. You all have seen the signs. There are lights in the trees. There are decorations hanging from streetlights. The colors red and green are everywhere, and songs we only hear one time a year are playing on the radio.
You can see the change happening in every store you visit. There are trees with lights, red and green decorations, and three times as many toys as any other time of the year are on the shelf.
You can even see it in the greeting card store. Half the store is now taken up with cards created for one special day because more people send cards at Christmas than any other time of the year.
Cards like these will be hitting your mailbox soon. They serve as reminders that we have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who love us very much. But my hope is that they also remind us that we have a Savior who loved us enough to come to Earth and save us.
God sent an angel to share the good news that Jesus was coming that very first Christmas. This year, as we send and receive Christmas cards, let’s remind ourselves, and our family, why we celebrate the season. God has sent his son to be the Savior of the world.
CRAFT ACTIVITY
Let the kids cut out a donkey from brown construction paper (templates can be found online by searching for “free donkey template.”) Punch a hole in the donkey’s back and he can become a Christmas ornament!
GAME
Sermon on the Mount-part 7-Where is Your Treasure?
We really do stand between two worlds. The world as we presently know it, and the one that has yet to be fully realized. In this part of Jesus sermon he confronts our divided loyalties with the question about where our treasure is.