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THIS WEEK:
From the Sermon: Luke 2:15-20
Preacher: Pastor Rusten Harris
Scripture: Luke 2:15-20
MAIN POINTS: 1) The God Who Makes Himself Known , 2) The God Who Loves His Creation , and 3) The God Who Requires a Response
Merry Christmas! What a joy it is to celebrate the birth of our Savior together on Christmas morning! While God reveals himself in many ways throughout scripture and history, the birth of his Son, Jesus, is the ultimate revealing. Our God is a God of humility and love, of sacrifice and grace, of joy and righteousness. Ponder these things as you celebrate the greatest gift of all - Jesus!
Family Discussion Questions:
1. What’s something that surprised or confused you about this Bible passage?
2. In what ways does God make himself known to people?
3. What role has God honored his people with pertaining to the Christmas story?
4. What response(s) to the Christmas story is required of us?
5. In what ways can you glorify God in your normal, everyday life?
Parent Tip:
· Read the sermon summary together as a family. Build this into your normal routine, perhaps reading together around the table during a meal.
· There are five questions, each with a different theme. You can choose one night a week to go over all five, do a couple questions a few times a week, or discuss one question per day.
· Each question is meant to be a conversation starter. Model for your children how to answer these questions by sharing your own personal insights.
· Even if your conversations don’t go as planned, don’t be discouraged. ALL time spent talking about and reading God’s word is valuable!
· The more consistent you are in having these discussions, the more fruitful they will be. As this becomes part of your weekly rhythm, your kids will anticipate the questions and listen more attentively at church.
Other Scriptures:
- Hebrews 1:1-3
- Philippians 2:5b-8
- Genesis 1:31a
- 1 Corinthians 10:31
- Romans 8:20b-21
Parent Tip:
Use these additional scriptures as daily reading. These are also a great way to help your children learn to locate passages in the Bible.
Attribute of God:
VICTORIOUS: Jesus has conquered Satan, sin and death on the cross. While we still struggle in this world, a day will come when all things will be made new - far as the curse is found!
Parent Tip:
We focus on a new attribute of God each week to discuss as a family. Use this time to discuss who God is, answer questions the kids
might have, and talk about what that week’s attribute means to each person in your family.
Prayer Focus:
REPENTANCE: Spend some time this week repenting of the ways your heart has wandered from Christ, and give thanks for the hope we have in HIM!
Parent Tip:
Each week of the month has its own prayer theme: Church, Family, Community and Repentance. Use these themes to show your children how to pray. It can be helpful to add this to an already existing routine like at bedtime or when you’re in the car together.
THIS MONTH:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Though Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give the victory over the grave.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one in the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Parent Tip:
Each month we highlight a different song for you to sing together. Singing is an integral part of worship! Singing as a family helps teach the kids how to worship at church, and as they learn more songs, they will be able to participate more on Sunday mornings. You can practice your songs in the car, at the dinner table, when you wake up, or at bedtime! You can also check out our playlist on Spotify and sing along with your favorite worship songs.
Memory Verse:
Luke 2:10-11
“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”
Parent Tip:
This is the same memory verse that the whole church is learning and it rotates monthly. Practice reciting it as a family each day at least once. Dinner time is a great opportunity to practice together.
New City Catechism:
Questions 21: What sort of Redeemer is needed to bring us back to God?
Answer: One who is truly human and also truly God.
