Author: ohnpcoach

December 24, 2020

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.                      Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

Notes for adults and older children: 

And finally, it’s time for Jesus to be born! Sometimes the nine months of waiting for a child to be born can seem to take so long! The people in the Old Testament times had to wait a very long time to see the fulfillment of God’s promises since the early days of humanity. But now at last those who recognized Jesus as the Messiah were able to see God’s promises come true. 

For some people it takes a long time to experience Jesus coming into their lives personally. They know about him, but they are hesitant to believe and trust in him. When they do take that step of faith to receive the gift of new life in him, they become proof of God’s promises to be not only “God with us” but also “God in us.” 

And now we are waiting for the second coming of Christ to earth. Seeing the faithfulness of God in the past brings reassurance that God does keep his promises and that Jesus will return.  Christmas is a time to celebrate every way that Jesus comes into our world and into our lives. 

Notes for young children:

Sometimes it’s very hard to wait for something we’re looking forward to. We have to wait for birthdays; we have to wait to be old enough and big enough to do the things we want; and we have to wait for Christmas to open our gifts and watch others open what we are giving them. Mary also had to wait what may have seemed a long time for baby Jesus to be born. When the time came for his birth, Mary and Joseph were visiting Bethlehem, far away from their home in Nazareth. They weren’t in a comfortable place when Jesus was born, but probably Mary was so happy to hold baby Jesus in her arms that she didn’t mind having to use a manger for a baby bed. 

Sometimes when we have to wait, it makes us even happier when we get what we waited for. Waiting also gives us time to get ready for what will happen. Even though it may be hard to wait, there can be good reasons to wait. Sometimes God asks us to wait. We can be sure that he has good reasons for the waiting time. 

Prayer

Dear Lord, help us trust you and to be patient when we have to wait for what we want. Help us to look forward to Jesus returning to earth. And in the meantime, please help us to love you and other people more and more. Thank you for sending Jesus to teach us about you and to forgive our sins. Thank you for Christmas, when we can celebrate Jesus’ birthday! 

Advent activities:

Sometimes we say that a certain thing was “worth the wait.” Share with your family at least one thing (person, occasion, object) that was worth the wait. Did the waiting make the results better in any way? What did you learn while you were waiting?

December 23, 2020

Everyone was expecting the Messiah [Christ] to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3:15-16 (NLT)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  John 1:29 (NLT)

Notes for adults and older children: 

John challenged the people of his generation to not only repent of their sins, but to be compassionate to those around them. He told them to share their possessions with the poor and not to cheat others, saying that by caring for others and promoting justice they would prove that they had repented of their sins and turned to God. We may separate our personal religious feelings and beliefs from the rest of our daily lives, but John clearly states that our actions toward other people reveal what we believe internally. 

Notes for young children: 

John the Baptist told people to get ready for Jesus, the Savior that God had promised. One of the most important ways they could be ready was to care for other people the way Jesus did. John told them to treat people kindly, not to cheat them or bully them, and not to think they were more important than other people. These are important ways for us to live, too. We don’t treat people nicely in order to make God think we are great, but because it’s the way Jesus treated people and we want to be like him.

Think of a person who has not been treated nicely.  For example, someone who was bullied at school. What could you do that would show how Jesus would treat them?

Prayer:

Father, please help us to see the people around us who need our help, whether it’s by giving them what they need or by making them feel better by the nice things we say to them.

Advent activity:

Christmas is a time of giving. What can you give that will help someone who needs help?  Gifts of time can be as important as monetary gifts. Today look for someone who is not on your Christmas list to bless with a special gift. 

December 22, 2020

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!…Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”  Isaiah 40:3, 5 (NLT)

Notes for adults and older children: 

The prophecy in this passage was fulfilled when John the Baptist preached in the wilderness preparing the local population for the ministry of Jesus. John gave them the first steps to take so that they would be ready to hear Jesus. Before their hearts would be opened to hear the truth, they needed to recognize how needy and far from God they were. John called them to admit and turn from their sins and commit themselves to God, and God would forgive them .  

Notes for Young Children: 

Before Jesus started telling his good news on earth, God sent a man named John to get people ready to hear Jesus’ message. John told the people that they should admit that they did bad things and thought bad thoughts that were not pleasing to God. John said they needed to stop doing those things and instead turn to God and do what God says, and God would forgive them. This would help them understand what Jesus was going to tell them about how much God loved them and wanted them to be part of his loving family, even though they weren’t perfect people. John’s message was “get ready for Jesus.”

Can you think of a time when you knew you were about to do something that you shouldn’t, and you felt bad about it and decided not to do it? Or maybe you went ahead and did the bad thing, but then you felt bad about it and decided you would not do it again. That is just what John told people to do. 

Prayer: 

Father, please help us to get our hearts ready to celebrate Christmas by showing us what we have in our lives that is not pleasing to you. We want to stop anything in our lives that keeps us from loving you and other people. Please help us “get ready for Jesus” this Christmas.

Advent activities:

Getting ready for an event you’ve been waiting for can be an exciting time. Get ready for Christmas by making handmade gift wrap. Take plain paper and color, paint, or draw on it; then use it to wrap a special gift for someone in your family. 

December 21, 2020

The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The Virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).         Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

Notes for adults and older children: 

Incarnation! God comes to earth in a human body so that he can be “God with us.” The Lord Jesus shows us what the Father is like and teaches us how to love God and live with each other. We get used to talking about incarnation, but the concept probably never entirely sinks in to our minds in its fullness. How can we understand what it means to have Christ living within us? Little by little the truth reaches us: not only did the Christ-God walk on our planet, but he entered into the thoughts and emotions and lives of his followers, and still does today when we open our hearts to him.

Notes for young children:

Long before Jesus was born God told his people that one day a woman would have a baby and name him Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” When God gave his people this promise, they were having a lot of trouble from their enemies. The promise helped them to feel better because, even though they were having a bad time, they knew God cared for them enough to send this baby to show that God was with them. God’s promise came true when Jesus was born. The Bible tells us that Jesus was the “Immanuel” who was promised a long time ago. Since Jesus was God, when Jesus was born, God was here on earth with us in Jesus.

Prayer:

Father, thank you letting us know that Jesus was God with us. Thank you that he told us what you are like and that you love us. Thank you for being with us even though we cannot see you. Help us to believe what you have told us in the Bible about your love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Advent activities:

1. For adults and older children:

Aim to remind yourself at least 10 times in the next day that God is with you. Leave reminders (post-it notes, reminders on your phone, etc.) to help you remember. At the end of the day tell someone what difference this action made in your day.

2. For younger children:

Jesus had many names that were used to describe him, like Immanuel. Sometimes we give nicknames to our friends that describe them. What names would you give to your family members to describe something about them? For example, you could call Dad “Superman” because he does amazing things. Little sister could be “Happy” because she laughs so much.

December 20, 2020

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.                    Micah 5:2 (NLT)

Notes for adults and older children: 

Bethlehem is another reminder to us that God has a different set of values when he judges importance. While expensive gifts, lavish decorations, and gourmet foods can be fun at Christmas, most of us treasure memories of the intangible expressions of love and gratitude when we recall our favorite Christmas. Often God seems to pick the person, place, thing or activity that is least flashy to display his goodness to us. What small thing can you do today to express what you value most?

Notes for young children:

God often chooses little or unimportant things, and people who are little and not famous to do important things. He chose the little town of Bethlehem for the place where Jesus would be born. Jesus was the Son of God; he could have been born in a castle with rich, famous people giving him expensive toys, instead of being born in little Bethlehem. What else was little or simple about the birth of Jesus? [little baby; not in a fancy house or hospital; not in a fancy cradle; simple shepherds, not famous people, were his first visitors, etc.]

However little or unimportant we feel, God can use us to do great, important things as we love him and other people.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, that the greatest man who ever lived came in such a simple way. It reminds us that you value little and simple things and people. Please help us to treat all people as you do, with love, seeing them as important. And please help us to discover the important things you want us to do, especially in this Christmas season. 

Advent activities:

1. For adults and older children:

Read or sing O Little Town of Bethlehem.

2. For young children:

Make up motions to go with the first verse (or more) of O Little Town of Bethlehem. While the rest of the family sings the song slowly, show the motions.

For example:   “O” – hold thumbs and index fingers together to make and “O”

                        “Little” – hold thumb and index finger apart as if measuring an inch

                        “town” – hold hands above heads like a roof over your head

                        “Still” – stand with arms at sides and don’t move at all

                        “”lie” – lean your head to the side on your folded hands like a pillow

December 19, 2020

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  Isaiah 11:1-2 (NLT)  “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfill the good promise I made. . . I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line.”    Jeremiah 33:14-15

Notes for adults and older children: 

Multiple prophecies in the Old Testament pointed to a descendent of king David who would be the savior. The image of a tender branch growing from an old stump is reminiscent of life coming forth from the tomb and new birth transforming a sorrowful person filled with regret. Jesus’ coming brought a fresh perspective on God’s love and mercy. 

Notes for young children:

Many years before Jesus was born, God gave promises in the Bible about what Jesus would be like and what he would do. He was going to help people understand God and how to be right with God. One of the promises was that Jesus would be like a little shoot or branch that grew out of an old tree stump that looked dead. What God was saying was that even when things looked very bad and people were tired of waiting for Jesus to come, they still could trust God to make it happen. Today we are not waiting any longer for God’s promise to come true. When Jesus was born he was the answer to God’s promise. Now as we wait for Christmas to come this year we can appreciate the importance of trusting God while we wait. 

Prayer:

Father, even when our circumstances look bad, we know we can trust you to keep your promises. Please help us believe that you will always love us and that you will give us peace as we trust you. 

Advent activities:

For the whole family: Go outside and see if you can find a little branch or shoot that is growing where you wouldn’t expect it to grow (for example, where a tree has been cut down but a branch has started to grow out of it). If you can’t find such a branch, snip a blossom or berry that gives proof that growth goes on even in autumn or winter. Put the little shoot or sprig in water and place it where you can be reminded that God keeps his promises – there is a reason to  hope!

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.

December 17, 2020

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.                                             Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Notes for adults and older children: 

This passage has been a comfort and encouragement for countless believers over the years. We can rely on God’s continuing work in our lives, transforming us into people who more closely resemble Jesus Christ. Romans 12:1-2 shows that God does this for those who trust him with their lives, by changing the way they think. With this new perspective on life, we will desire the good and helpful actions that Jesus displayed. And these actions will not only please God but will give us a fulfilling life and help prepare us for Christ’s second coming. 

Notes for young children:

While we wait for Jesus to return, we can learn more about God and what is important in life. We can do the things that Jesus said are important, like praying, helping other people, and loving God and other people. God wants us to become more and more like Jesus and he will help us to grow like that if we ask him to. We want to do things that are good and not bad, not to make him love us (he already does love us), but because we want to love him back by pleasing him. It’s like waiting for your parents to come home when you’ve done something especially good. You can’t wait until they see or hear about what you have done because you know they will be pleased. 

What do you think you could do that would please Jesus?

Prayer: 

Father, we want to be ready to see Jesus, whether it is when we go to heaven or when he returns to earth. Thank you that we can know Jesus now in our hearts even though we can’t see him yet. Please make us more like Jesus in loving you and loving other people. Thank you for loving us and helping us do the things that please you.

Advent activities:

An adult hides small wrapped treats (piece of candy or snack or tiny gift), one for each member of the family, labelled with their name, in a limited area such as one or two rooms. All family members go to look for the treats at the same time, each looking for only one treat. If you find your own name, leave it where you find it and keep looking. You must find a treat with another person’s name on it and take it to them and present it as a gift [putting the other person first]. How does receiving a treat that someone gives you feel different from finding your gift by yourself?