E Christmas: Celebrating Jesus, WE K 2 1 N D God’s greatest gift D - 3 R pe because We can have ho DAY 1 promises. God keeps His Read Isaiah 9:6 It’s the Christmas season! Only the most DAY 2 anticipated, most celebrated, most awesome month of the year! And while the presents Read Joshua 21:45 and lights and decorations are nice; you know what this holiday is really all about? When you hear the word “promise” what Christmas is about celebrating Jesus, God’s do you think about? A promise is to follow greatest gift. through with what you say you will or will not do. Long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God made a promise. You read it in today’s Finish the sentences below: verse. About seven hundred years before I promise I will not say _______________________ Jesus’ birth, Isaiah (a prophet who spoke to my parent. I promise I will put away my on behalf of God) told us that a child would _____________________ for a whole week. I promise be born, that He would be a mighty God, I will not leave my __________________ in the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. middle of my bedroom floor. What’s easier? To make a promise or to keep a promise? Now, thousands of years after God kept that _________________________ promise, we celebrate Jesus’ birth. It’s a huge reminder to us that no matter what happens, It’s so much easier to make a promise than to God is completely trustworthy. We can have actually follow through and keep that promise. hope because God keeps His promises. Lucky for us, God never messes this up. Think about the last promise you made. Did As today’s verse reminds us, God kept all you keep it? Why or why not? Spend some time the promises He made to His people, the thanking God for keeping His promises and ask Israelites. Even when the Israelites turned Him to help you be a promise keeper too. their back on God and tried over and over again to do their own thing. Still, God kept His promise and sent His Son, Jesus. That’s why we can have hope. Not just at Christmas but every single day. God can be trusted because God keeps His promises. DAY 3 DAY 4 Read Ezekiel 12:28 When was the last time someone made a Read Jeremiah 23:5 promise to you and that promise was broken? Today, create some salt dough ornaments to Can you think of an example? Sooner or later, hang on your Christmas tree to remind you of everyone breaks a promise because everyone, God’s promises: including you, is imperfect. Everyone, including you, makes mistakes. Salt Dough Recipe But there is good news. God is not like us. He Ingredients: is completely perfect. There is no wrong or bad 4 cups all-purpose flour or imperfect part of Him. He never messes up, 1 cup table salt 1 ½ cups warm water says something He doesn’t mean, or “forgets.” Cookie cutters When God makes a promise, you can trust that A toothpick it’s as good as done. Because God said He would Paint or paint markers for decoration Ribbon for hanging send His one and only Son and because He did, you can trust God, always. Preheat the oven to 300° Fahrenheit. Stir together the flour and salt. Slowly add the Below is a secret message! Cross out all the water, stirring constantly. Knead the dough letters in the alphabet in order starting with until soft, about five minutes. Place the the “A” at the beginning and ending with dough between two large pieces of parchment “Z”. Then write the remaining letters in the paper. Roll out until 1/8 inch thick. blanks below in order to reveal the key truth from today’s verse. Use the cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Use the toothpick to write the words “HOPE,” AEBVCEDREYFTGHHII “LOVE,” “JOY” and “PEACE” on four NJGKILSMANYOWPIQL separate ornaments. Poke a hole in the top RLSCTOUMVEWTXRYUZE. of every ornament for hanging. Transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Bake for “__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ one hour. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.” Once cooled, decorate the “HOPE” ornament Answer: Everything I say will come true. come will say I Everything Answer: and other blank ornaments with paint or paint markers. Thread ribbon through the top and hang on the tree. Save the “LOVE,” “JOY” and “PEACE” ornaments to decorate in the weeks to come. Download the free Parent Cue App AVAILABLE FOR IOS AND ANDROID DEVICES E Christmas: Celebrating Jesus, WE K 2 2 N D God’s greatest gift D - 3 R DAY 2 Read Luke 1:38 DAY 1 When the angel appeared to Mary, she probably had a lot of questions. Yet even Read Luke 1:30-31 with all her questions, she still said, “I serve the Lord. May it happen to me just as you said What would you do if suddenly an angel it would.” from heaven appeared to you with a special message from God? Would you run? Would Talk about faith. Mary trusted God. Why? you stand there frozen, unsure what to say? Because God made Mary. God loved Mary. And God’s plan for her was awesome. Just We know Mary was probably scared because like Mary, God has a plan for you. God made the angel told her not to be afraid. God had you. He loves you. And you can have joy a very special plan, just for her. She would because God has a plan you. have a baby. But not just any baby. Mary had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus, Fill in the blanks below and write down what our Savior. you hope to be doing/or what you hope your life will be like at that age. Then spend some God’s plan for Mary was a plan she never time thanking God for His plans for you. could have dreamed up on her own. What a reason to have joy! The same is true for you. Five years from now, I will be ______ years old. An angel probably won’t show up in your I hope that ____________________________________ bedroom but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have a specific plan and purpose 10 years from now, I will be ______ years old. I just for you. You can have joy because God hope that ____________________________________ has a plan for you. 15 years from now, I will be ______ years old. I One way you can be sure you don’t miss hope that ____________________________________ God’s plan is to start praying a simple prayer like this: “God, I believe You have a plan for me and I don’t want to miss it. Help me to follow You today. In Jesus’ name, amen.” DAY 3 DAY 4 Read Psalm 33:11 Read Psalm 32:8 From the very beginning, God had a plan. Have you ever played “Follow the Leader”? Or When God created the whole world, He knew “Simon Says”? What’s your favorite role? To that His creation would turn away from Him the be leader or the follower? and that sin would separate people from God. So, God sent His only Son, Jesus. Jesus The truth is, we could choose to be the boss or suffered and died to take the punishment the leader. But wouldn’t it be so much better for sin but death couldn’t stop Him! Jesus to follow someone who will always lead us in rose again to make a way so that anyone who the right direction? Wouldn’t it be wiser to believes in Him would never be separated follow someone who has the best plan and from God again. knows exactly how things will turn out? That’s a big plan. And there may be parts of When we choose to trust in God, when we that plan that seem confusing to you. But as take His advice, He will guide us and show you grow in faith, you’ll see that God’s plans us the way to go. And He will watch over us are good. God loves you with a perfect, never with love all along the way. We can trust God stopping, always constant love. He showed His always. love for you on that first Christmas when He sent Jesus. And that should fill you with joy! Decorate the front of your “JOY” ornament (from last week) with paint, run some ribbon All of the consonants from today’s verse are through the hole and hang it on the Christmas missing! Can you fill them in? tree. Point out the ornament to your family and tell them that you can have joy because “____ u ____ ____ ____ e ____ ____ a ____ ____ God has a plan for you. o ____ ____ ____ e ____ o ____ ____ ____ ____ a ____ ____ ____ i ____ ____ ____ o ____ e ____ e ____. ____ ____ a ____ ____ e ____ a ____ ____ ____ ____ o ____ o ____ i ____ ____ ____ a ____ ____ ____ o ____ a ____ ____ ____ i ____ e.” ____ ____ a ____ ____ ____ 33:11 ause You bec can have joy you. G for od has a plan Download the free Parent Cue App AVAILABLE FOR IOS AND ANDROID DEVICES E Christmas: Celebrating Jesus, WE K 2 3 N D God’s greatest gift D - 3 R DAY 2 DAY 1 Read Galatians 4:4 Have you ever read the book Goldilocks and Read Luke 2:6-7 the Three Bears? Goldilocks breaks into the Grab a piece of paper and pretend for a second bear’s house and tries their porridge, their that you are the king of a very large kingdom.