Christmas Vacation - Week 4
Grab your sandals, sunblock, and swim gear because it’s time for a Christmas Vacation! We’ll be making sand angels and roasting chestnuts around an open bonfire on our tropical getaway. You’ve never experienced Christmas like this! In this five-week series, our families will focus on the birth of Jesus and the way God had been planning things from the very beginning. We’ll see how God sent Jesus for a reason, learn to trust God’s timing, and see how Jesus is why we celebrate because Jesus is God’s gift to the world.
BIG IDEA: Jesus is God’s gift to the world.
BIBLE: Luke 2:22–40; 2 Corinthians 9:6–15
MEMORY VERSE
Elementary: "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." John 1:9 (NIV)
Toddler Twist: "Jesus brings light to the world! John 1:9
WATCH:
Preschool- teaching video
Elementary- teaching video
SONG: Celebrate and Light of the World
DISCIPLE:
Parents, prepare two gifts, one that is wrapped extravagantly and another wrapped poorly in newspaper or a brown paper bag. Place a small piece of candy inside the fancy package and a more expensive gift (stack of money, gaming device, phone) inside the homely package.
ASK: Which of these presents looks more desirable?
The one with the fancier wrapping, right? Just like you should never judge a book by its cover, never judge a gift by its wrapping! As you might have guessed already, the more valuable gift is hiding behind the less-impressive packaging.
Jesus came to us in less-than-ideal packaging. He was born to a young woman who was nowhere near ready to be a mother but trusted God anyway. He was born in a room shared with animals and took his baby naps inside a manger. This baby wrapped in cloth was, and is, the greatest gift the world could ever know. Jesus is God’s gift to the world.
Pray: "God, we cannot ever thank you enough for the gift of Jesus. We pray that those around the world who have not heard the name of Jesus would hear his name, and how he is a gift for them too. Amen"