December 18, 2020
And the Lord will be King over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord — his name alone will be worshipped. Zechariah 14:9 (NLT)
Notes for adults and older children:
For many people this is the busiest time of the year. It’s easy to let our priorities get mixed up when there are so many things to be done. Even good activities can interfere with focusing on the best part of Christmas — a grateful celebration of God’s gift of his son. How can we make sure we don’t allow the superficial aspects of the holiday season to become more important than aspects that touch the heart and soul?
Notes for young children:
The weeks before Christmas can be very busy as we get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birthday with special foods, parties, and gifts for each other. It can be easy to forget that Christmas is about remembering Jesus’ birth, not just about getting presents and the fun activities we are doing. It is also a time for us to remember that Jesus will be coming back to earth again to become the King over all people and to live with us forever. We can take time out of our busy activities today to do what Jesus said was the most important thing in the world: loving God and loving other people. How can we love God today? What is one loving thing you can do for another person today?
Prayer:
Father, please help us to focus on the most important part of this Advent and Christmas season: gratefully thinking about Your love in sending Jesus to be our Savior so long ago, and looking forward to his return to be our King. Please help us to love you and to love our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers the way you do.
Advent activities:
For the entire family: Do one random act of kindness today in secret. Think of one thing you can do that will encourage another person. For example, sneak into their room and make their bed without letting them know. Or leave an encouraging note anonymously.
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