6C NLT A Candy Cane Christmas www.truthopolis.com presented by TruthQuest® Ministries www.truthquest.net www.truthopolis.com presented by TruthQuest® Ministries www.truthquest.net Tips for Teachers... • Have Fun! Be silly! The more fun you make this lesson, the more effective it will be! • Connect With the Children! Make eye contact with the kids, address them by name, and befriend them. "A Reason to Celebrate" Involve shy and bold children alike so that everyone is actively involved. The Shepherds Spread the News of Jesus' Birth kids will respond better if they know that you care about them. Adapted from Luke 2:8-20 • Exaggerate Your Voice Inflections! Exaggerated voice inflections can make the lesson more interesting to a child. • Repeat Children's Answers to Your Questions! An object lesson with Scripture showing how Candy Canes can remind Repeat all children's answers to ensure that everyone can hear them. us of Christ's purity and sacrifice. • Be Prepared! Review this lesson, gather any needed supplies, and practice before you teach! Memory Verse: Luke 2:11 • Use Your Bible! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, Although Bible passages used in this lesson are printed in the lesson itself, keep the city of David. your Bible open and in front of you for reference and visual impact. Lesson Includes: • Pray! Two-page lesson Pray as you prepare for, open, and close this lesson! Needed for Lesson, but Not Included: A Bible for the teacher About the Team Competition Format... A pen or marker If your church is implementing the TEAM COMPETITION* format for Truthopolis Scoreboard Sheet* (see note below) (where boys compete with girls or "Alphas" compete with "Omegas"), then the A candy cane (traditional red & white "J" shape) for every child following symbols in this lesson are worth points: Watch for and ! When you come to a QUESTION or a BIBLE DRILL, announce it to your class, and then present the QUESTION or the BIBLE DRILL verse. The first child who thinks Photocopy the Take-Home Worksheet onto PINK paper and send a copy home he/she can answer the QUESTION (or, in the case of a BIBLE DRILL, the first child with every child so that he/she may continue to learn during the week. who finds the BIBLE DRILL verse in their Bible) should STAND UP to be called on by the teacher. To ensure fairness, DO NOT repeat the QUESTION or the BIBLE DRILL verse once a child stands up. This child should then answer the QUESTION or read the BIBLE DRILL verse out loud. If the answer or verse is correct, the child earns one point for his/her TEAM† Photocopy the Family Study Sheet onto a SEPARATE sheet of paper (not on the on the SCOREBOARD SHEET**. In the event of an incorrect response to a QUESTION back of the Worksheet) and send a copy home with every child to give to his/ or BIBLE DRILL, select a member of the OPPOSING TEAM to respond. If neither team her parents so that they may study along with their child. responds correctly, give the answer and move on without awarding any points. * If your church is NOT using a team competition, do all of the above EXCEPT for awarding points. †Team affiliations (boy/girl and alpha/omega) are indicated on the lower right corner of each child's name tag. Name tags can be printed from any Truthopolis series disc, along with registration and scorekeeping materials. TruthQuest®All | 2005 www.truthquest.net| Ministries. rightswww.truthopolis.com reserved. **Scoreboard Sheets with directions can be printed from any Truthopolis series disc. © *NOTE: See the "About the Team Competition Format" section on this page! NLT Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996 owned by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. New Living, NLT, and the New Living Translation logo are registered Copyright Notice trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers. A Candy Cane Christmas 6C NLT Directions: Today's Story: During the story, the whole class should perform special actions whenever they hear the KEYWords below. Explain and practice "A Reason to Celebrate" these keyword actions, and then read the Bible story.. Shepherds Spread the News of Jesus' Birth When you hear: Adapted from Luke 2:8-20 Do This: NEWS Point to heaven and say "Christ is born!" When you hear: Do This: Shepherds t looked like it was going to be another boring night. For "Baa" like sheep. Ia group of shepherds, every night was pretty much the same. Watch the sheep. Keep away wolves and lions. Don't let the sheep wander off. All night long, night after night, it "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men was the same thing. Being a shepherd wasn't exactly exciting on whom His favor rests!" It was the most beautiful song the work. And as far as most people were concerned, it wasn't very shepherds had ever heard. important work, either. After all, it didn't take a lot of smarts When the angels had finished delivering their wonderful to watch a flock of sheep all night long. But somebody had to NEWS, the shepherds raced into town. do it, so here they were. It wasn't long before the shepherds saw it for themselves. Zach looked over the flock and turned to his friend Jacob. There, in a humble stable, was a manger, and in that manger, "Well, it looks like they're all still here," Zach said, "none of the wrapped in cloth, just as the angels had told them, was the Baby. sheep are missing." Jacob turned to Zach. "I know you're bored," It was Baby Jesus, the Savior of all the world. Jacob replied," but just keep at it and someday, maybe God will The shepherds couldn't wait to tell EVERYONE they reward you." could find, and quite a few people heard the NEWS. The Savior Maybe, but of all people on earth, why should God or was here at last! And all who heard the NEWS were amazed–at anyone else care about a group of lowly shepherds.. "I don't least for a few minutes. But strangely, even after hearing the know," Zach answered, "I wonder if..." best NEWS of all time, most people just went on with their Suddenly, Zach was interrupted when a bright light lives. And while Mary treasured up all that had happened and shone all around the shepherds. They looked all around pondered it all in her heart, there wasn't a big line of people them in a panic, wondering what was happening, and that's waiting at the stable to worship the Lord Jesus. when they saw him. There, right before their eyes was Gabriel, Strange, people KNEW that Jesus had come, but beyond being the great archangel of God. It was an awesome sight, and the amazed, most people didn't pay much more attention to Christ, shepherds were terrified. But then, the angel spoke. even on that night; the night that was the very first Christmas. "Don't be afraid," he said to the shepherds, "For I bring (1 point): you good NEWS of great joy for ALL people!" Why don't some people think about Jesus at Christmas? For ALL people? Whatever this good NEWS was, this angel ANSWER: They don't believe in Him or don't care enough. wanted EVERYONE to know about it. Why else would he be talking to a lowly group of shepherds? But the angel continued. (1 point): "Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to Some people don't believe in Jesus. Should we be careful not to you. He is Christ the Lord!" talk about Jesus at Christmas so we won't hurt their feelings? ANSWER: No! Christmas is ALL about Jesus, and we should (1 point): talk about him nicely to others! Why was Jesus' birth good news of great joy for all people? n that first Christmas, Jesus was all the shepherds ANSWER: Because Jesus came to save us all from our sin! Ocould think about. The Savior had come at last, and he shepherds could hardly believe their ears. The good the shepherds who understood how wonderful that was TNEWS they had just heard was the greatest NEWS in praised God, because their lives had been changed forever. history. It was NEWS that the Jews had waited 700 years to hear. And now it was finally happening! The Messiah; the Savior who would save all of them, was HERE! And THEY had Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but for many people, been the first people to hear the NEWS! Jesus isn't a big deal at Christmas. Just as the people didn't put Christ at the center of their lives when Jesus was born, people (1 point): don't put Christ at the center of Christmas today. We need to Jesus is sometimes called the "Good Shepherd." Who were the change that. Remembering Jesus when we eat candy canes first people to hear about Jesus' birth? is one way we can remember that Jesus our Shepherd is holy ANSWER: Shepherds. and pure. The red stripes on our candy canes remind us of the he angel continued. "Look for a Baby wrapped in cloth and blood Jesus shed to save us. Don't let anyone take Christ out of Tlying in a manger." And suddenly, a huge choir of angels Christmas.