<<Download as a PDF>>
<<See previous weeks>>
THIS WEEK:
From the Sermon: Advent Joy: 1 Peter 1:8-9
NEXT WEEK'S SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:9-11
Preacher: Pastor Rusten Harris
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:8-9
MAIN POINTS: 1) Our Misery 2) Our Joy
Merry Christmas! Our third week in Advent brings us JOY! In a world full of sorrow and misery, our God sent his Son to be the man of sorrows so that we could be His joyful children. Praise God!
Family Discussion Questions:
1. What’s something that surprised or confused you about this Bible passage?
2. Have you ever believed the lie that God is working against your joy and pleasure? How can you combat this lie in your life?
3. In what situations are you tempted to look to yourself to cure your misery?
4. Why can we trust the joy that God promises?
5. In what ways can we pursue joy as Christians?
Parent Tip:
· Read the sermon summary together as a family. Build this into your regular routine, perhaps reading together around the table during a meal.
· There are five questions, each with a different theme. You can choose to go over all five on one night a week, do a couple of 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 on 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
- Luke 1:34; 2:10-11
- Psalm 16:11b
- Romans 3:12-16; 8:32, 38-39
- Colossians 2:23
- Isaiah 53:4-5
- Hebrews 12:2b
Parent Tip:
Use these additional scriptures as daily reading. This is also a great way to help your children learn to locate passages in the Bible.
Attribute of God:
JOY Joy is the opposite of sorrow. Because of sin, our world is filled with hopelessness and misery. But God sent Jesus to put all misery and sorrow to death and
give His people an everlasting Joy.
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 & Fasting Focus:
FAMILY Spend some time this week praying for the aroma in your home to be one of joy and thanksgiving.
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:
MONTHLY SONG:
Joy to the World
Joy to the world the Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the world the Savior reigns.
Let men their songs employ;
While field and floods, rocks, hill,s and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
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:
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
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 45: Is baptism with water the washing away of sin itself?
Answer: No, only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from sin.
