Share exercises that prepare hearts and homes for Christ to come at Christmas and on the Last Day.

Transcription

1 LESSON ONE Leader's Guide 57-SS-01 Exercises That Prepare for Christ First Sunday in Advent - Series B Based on: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; and Luke 21:25-36 Bible Story: The Angel Prepares Joseph for Jesus Birth - Matthew 1:18-25 FIRST and MOST IMPORTANTLY: The Objective of this Lesson is to: What You Will Need For This Lesson: There are many options that make this lesson adaptable to any SS and every leader. Read the lesson and copy and paste what you would like to use into a new document. Print this document as your guide. Share exercises that prepare hearts and homes for Christ to come at Christmas and on the Last Day. FG Helper s Guide: - Reproduce one or two copies of this Guide for each family group. This is not a Teacher s Guide. It is designed to help family groups teach each other. Include a copy of the craft instructions for this Lesson in this Guide. Participant s Guide: - Reproduce one copy of the Participant s Guide for every participant except infants. Activities To Keep Everyone Busy as They Learn: - Check out the UIM SS Series Introduction for additional activity ideas from the internet. - See suggestions for keeping all ages involved, especially preschoolers and any distracted, uninvolved, or disruptive members, given in the Supplemental Leader Instructions. - Always have colors and/or markers and paper to draw and color with on hand. Interactive Bible Story: - ESV Bibles family groups can share easily and three large pieces of poster board on which to print one of the following three sets of words for the large group leader: True God - True Man - Our Savior. See lesson for further instructions. Teachable Craft: - See materials listed for the Craft in this Lesson. Reproduce copies of the craft instructions for FG Helpers. NOTE: Please look ahead at all of the materials needed for each Craft in each Lesson. A few items in some of the last Crafts or Lessons will need to be collected by you and/or your congregation or if you desire, ordered from the internet or picked up locally as directed for each item. Take Home Activity: - One copy of the Take Home Activity for every family represented.

2 WELCOME Greet everyone warmly and by name. See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for additional instructions on welcoming generations, caring for each other, breaking groups up into mixed-aged family, preschool, or adult groups, adapting UIM SS to every Sunday School, and more. NOTE: (2 minutes) If you need help preparing any activity for this lesson, be sure to ask members of your congregation or UIM SS to help you ahead of time. It s a great way to get more generations involved in UIM SS! OPENING SONG Help Us To Exercise Sung to the tune of Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes LSB 349 / TLH 66/ LW 29 Tune: Public Domain See Supplemental Leader Instructions found in a separate file on your CD to help you lead this song for preschoolers and/or to use it as an introduction to this lesson. 1. Help us to exercise so Christ Can come and enter in; Let s read God s Word and do the things That prepare us for Him. 2. Come let s prepare for Christ to come Into our hearts and homes, Prepare our souls for His birth on earth And when on the Last Day He comes. (10 minutes) OPENING ACTIVITY or ICE BREAKER Life and Soul Exercises For Every Section of this Lesson: follow one of the two directives below. 1. If you are leading one family group of 10 or less members, follow all of the instructions given for FG helpers IN SMALL FAMILY GROUPS and for the large group leader IN A LARGE GROUP. 2. If you have two or more family groups, follow all instructions IN A LARGE GROUP, but make sure each group has a family group helper and verbally give all helpers the instructions printed under the section entitled IN SMALL FAMILY GROUPS. Also, point them to their Family Group Helper s Guide so they can read these instructions for their own clarity and help you by making them clear to their groups. IN SMALL FAMILY GROUPS: Instruct helpers to follow the instructions printed below in their Helper s Guides: For Preschoolers: Remind younger to listen and ask them to repeat answers they hear to keep them involved.! Ask everyone to think of exercises that keep our bodies, minds, and souls healthy like walking, reading, and praying, etc. until the large group leader tells everyone to stop. Option: Do some physical exercises like jumping in place if time and space allow.! Finally, help your group listen to the large group leader to learn more about this activity and lesson.

3 IN A LARGE GROUP: Introduce the lesson. Say: Physical and mental exercises help to keep our bodies and minds healthy. Spiritual exercises like reading the Bible, memorizing God s Word, attending Church, being baptized, partaking of the Lord s Supper, praying, and any other exercises that strengthen our faith help to keep our souls healthy. So, doing the life and soul saving exercises this lesson and UIM SS Series teach us to do can help to keep our bodies and souls healthy. Then, as we pass on all that we learn we become involved in the ministry of Growing Holy, Healthy Generations, the theme of this UIM SS year. THE FIRST FEW WEEKS, A FEW TIMES DURING, AND AGAIN AT THE END OF EACH SERIES, SAY: Before we move on, let s take time to look at the UIM theme for this year, as well as the theme for this UIM SS Series and the Bible verse that goes with it that can be found in the Supplemental Leader Instructions (page 5) for this Series. OPTIONS: For preschoolers and members who are distracted, uninvolved, or disruptive. See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for more information about how to use these options. Ask these questions even over and over again to gain attention and teach by repetition: 1) What do physical and mental exercises help to keep healthy? Answer: Bodies and minds. 2) What kind of exercises help keep our souls and faith healthy? Answer: Spiritual exercises. Drawing and Coloring: Ask members to draw pictures of themselves doing their favorite physical, mental, or spiritual exercises. If you choose to use pictures members drew to teach the lesson: invite some members to share their pictures and use each picture to remind everyone that doing the life and soul saving exercises this lesson and UIM SS Series teach us to do can help to keep our bodies and souls healthy. Then, as we pass on all that we learn we become involved in the ministry of Growing Holy, Healthy Generations, the theme of this UIM SS year. IN EVERY LESSON! Remind everyone that while it is important to do spiritual exercises like reading God s Word, praying, attending Worship, and anything that helps to strengthen our faith, spiritual exercise does not save us eternally. We are saved by God s grace through faith and not through anything we do (Ephesians 2:8-9). ASK: How are we and all believers saved eternally? Teach everyone to repeat By grace through faith. See the Supplemental Leader Instructions to share how we receive God s grace through faith. (2 minutes) GOD S WORD FOR US TODAY See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for special instructions to help you teach this passage by repetition UIM style and specifically to Preschoolers. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Jeremiah 33:14 GOD S WORD APPLICATION ACTIVITY (3 minutes) Promises, Promises IN A SMALL FAMILY GROUP: Instruct helpers to follow the instructions printed below in their Helper s Guides: For Preschoolers: Remind younger to listen and ask them to repeat answers they hear to keep them involved.! Help your members think of promises they have made, promises that were made to them, or promises children make to their parents and parents make to their children like to clean their room, take children to the park, etc. until the large group leader tells everyone to stop.! Then help your group listen to the large group leader to learn more about this activity and lesson.

4 IN A LARGE GROUP:! Say: The promises people make are sometimes and even often broken. The promise God made, the promise Jeremiah was talking about in our God s Word For Us Today passage, was not broken. Cue everyone to say it: Behold, the days are coming,...! Add: God promised to send a Savior and that is exactly what He did one Holy Night in Bethlehem when He sent His Son to be born in a lowly manger. This lesson is about the exercises, spiritual and physical, that we can do to prepare for His birth at Christmas as we begin the season of Advent. It will also help us to prepare for the time He will come again on the Last Day to take us and all believers to live with Him in heaven forever. Invite everyone to join you in the following litany that shares exercises we can do to prepare for Christ to come this Christmas and again on the Last Day. (3 minutes) ACTIVE LITANY Lord, Please Help Us Exercise IN A LARGE GROUP: Divide the large group into four groups and assign each group one part to read in numerical order. For Preschoolers: Groups should help those who can t read by reading a few words at a time so these members can repeat them and help to read the part assigned to their group. After each part is read, the large group should respond with the refrain and do the actions. You may have the large group practice the refrain and actions one or two times before you begin. For Preschoolers: Remind those sitting near them to help them do the actions and repeat words to keep them involved. Refrain: Pair up, and as an exercise, clap your hands together then clap each other s in a 1-2 rhythm as you say the refrain. Lord, please help us exercise; Bring You more into our lives. Verse 1: Help us to read Your Word each day; Help us toworship You and pray. Refrain Verse 3: As we of Sacraments partake, Strengthen us all for Jesus sake. Refrain Verse 2: Help us request forgiveness through Baptismal pow r that comes from You. Refrain Verse 4: Help us, O Lord, to exercise Trust in You for all of our lives. Refrain CONCLUSION: Say: As we physically partake of God s Word and Sacraments and pray we are strengthened in our faith spiritually and, thereby, prepared for Christ to come into our hearts and homes, but not because we do them. They strengthen and prepare us because of what God has done through Christ. Because Jesus died and rose, the Holy Spirit can live in us and strengthen us in faith to exercise or do everything we need to do to prepare our hearts for Jesus to come each Christmas and on the Last Day. Our Bible Story takes us to a time when God sent an angel to prepare a man named Joseph for the birth of Jesus. (10 minutes) AN INTERACTIVE BIBLE STORY FOR EVERY GENERATION The Angel Prepares Joseph for Jesus Birth Based on: Matthew 1:18-25

5 To Teach Adults Separately: See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for teaching Adult Bible Study. To Teach Preschoolers Separately: It is best for preschoolers to hear this story in the main UIM SS group, but you can read the story below to them and then focus on the words of the angel that help us to see Jesus is True God, True Man, and Our Savior by holding up the pieces of poster board with these words on them to draw the attention of preschoolers. Also explain how these words make Jesus God and worthy of all our exercises and preparations for Him to come. Conclude with the conclusion at the end of the Bible Story. Don t hesitate to ask preschoolers a few of the questions at the end of the story that review points you have taught from the story. If they do not know the answer, repeat the question and the answer and help them repeat the answer. See instructions below for presenting this story to preschoolers along with the main UIM SS. To Teach the main UIM SS Group: USE THESE BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL GENERATIONS: Remind generations that Bible Stories come from the Bible, which is God s Word. In each story, God, Himself, is speaking to us. God is the most wonderful story teller on earth, and He tells the greatest stories ever told. You Will Need: ESV Bibles family groups can share easily and three large pieces of poster board on which to print one of the following three sets of words for the large group leader: True God - True Man - Our Savior. IN SMALL FAMILY GROUPS: Instruct helpers to follow the instructions printed below in their Helper s Guides:! Assign all verses of Matthew 1:18-25 directly from the Bible, except for the angel s words in verses 20b-21. Assign words according to age and ability, but make sure every family group member has words to read. For Preschoolers: Help those who cannot read by reading their assigned words to them so they can repeat them after you.! Help each member read their assigned words and STOP members from reading when they reach verse 20b, the angel s words. Instruct everyone to listen closely as your read the angels words in verses 20b-21.! Then, help your members assigned to read the remainder of this Bible Story (verses 22-25) to do so.! Finally, ask members to tell you the end of the story in their own words, even read verse again to help them tell the end of the story until the large group leader tells everyone to stop. IN A LARGE GROUP:! Read and focus on the angel s words in Matthew 1:21: Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.! Ask the following questions. 1. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit? Answer: Jesus. This made Jesus True God. (Hold up the words True God.) 2. Who gave birth to a son? Answer: Mary. This means Jesus was human or True Man.(Hold up the words True Man.) 3. Who would Jesus save from their sins? Answer: People. This means Jesus is our Savior.(Hold up the words Our Savior.) Bible Story Conclusion: Say: The angel s words prepared Joseph for Jesus birth. They can also prepare us and inspire us to physically go and do the spiritual exercises we are learning about in this lesson, like reading God s Word, partaking of His Sacraments, and praying. As we do, our faith is strengthened and our souls are prepared for Christ s coming every Christmas and on the Last Day. The Bible Story in Matthew 1:18-25 is printed below FYI only. For Adult Bible Study, read or ask volunteers to read these verses directly from the Bible 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 22 All this took

6 place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. As time allows, ask the following questions: See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for age specific instructions for asking these questions. 1. Whom was Mary betrothed to marry? Matthew 1:18. Answer: Joseph. Betrothed is not yet married. Today, we use the word engaged. Mary was with child or pregnant This would have been a disgrace in the eyes of any who did not know she was with child from the Holy Spirit. Discuss how being condemned for caring the Son of God could have made Mary s pregnancy very difficult for her. 2. Who, unwilling to put Mary to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly? Matthew 1:19. Answer: Joseph. God chose Joseph because He knew Joseph would not want to hurt Mary. But, when Joseph found out about Mary s condition, he did resolve to divorce her quietly. So, we see that Joseph needed to be prepared to be the earthly father of God s Son. Discuss how Mary s condition must have hurt Joseph. 3. Whom did God send to prepare Joseph for Jesus birth? Matthew 1:20. Answer: An angel. Joseph struggled with what to do. He no doubt prayed and asked God to help him. His troublesome thoughts could easily have affected his dreams. Yet, we know that the angel was not a subconscious effect of troublesome dreams, but a real angel of the Lord with real answers for Joseph. Discuss what words from the angel let us know Joseph was troubled and afraid and needed to be prepared. 4. Whom did the angel call the son of David? Matthew 1:20. Answer: Joseph. Prophets like Jeremiah foretold that the Savior would be born from the line or branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5). The New Testament Jews knew the title, "Son of David," as another title for the Messiah. Jesus mentioned that the scribes taught that "Christ is the Son of David" (Mark 12:35). When Jesus healed a man who was both blind and deaf by casting an unclean spirit out of him, the people questioned, "Is not this the son of David?" (Matthew 12:22-23). Discuss how the angel addressing Joseph as the son of David helped to tell Joseph that Jesus was the Messiah. 5. Whom did the angel tell Joseph not to fear taking as his wife? Matthew 1:20. Answer: Mary. Here we see that the angel was sent by God because God knew exactly what Joseph was afraid to do and that was take Mary as his wife. Discuss reasons why Joseph would have feared to take Mary, the mother of the Messiah, as his wife. 6. What did the angel tell Joseph to name the child born of Mary? Matthew 1:21. Answer: Jesus. The name Jesus means Savior. So when the angel said, He will save his people from their sins, it was a further explanation of what Jesus would do or from what Jesus would save people. For Joseph, it was further confirmation that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Discuss how or if names determine who people become 7. Who said a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son? Matthew 1:23. Answer: The angel. This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel and the prophecy in our God s Word For Us Today passage. Cue everyone to say it: Behold, the days are coming,... Discuss how knowing prophecies about Jesus coming were made and fulfilled helps you do exercises to prepare your heart and home for Christ to come. 8. What does the name Immanuel mean? Matthew 1:23. Answer: God with us. Discuss how knowing God is with you helps you through difficult times. 9. Who did what the angel of the Lord commanded him? Matthew 1:24. Answer: Joseph. He took Mary as his wife but he knew her not or had no sexual relations with her. Discuss why it is important for people to know that Joseph had no relations with Mary.

7 10. What did Joseph name the son Mary gave birth to? Matthew 1:25. Answer: Jesus. Discuss how Joseph s doing all that the angel told him then can help to prepare our hearts and homes for Christ today. BIBLE STORY Review/Application Prepare Hearts and Homes (3 minutes) IN SMALL FAMILY GROUPS: Instruct helpers to follow the instructions printed below in their Helper s Guides:! First, help your members think of and review all of the ways we can spiritually prepare our hearts for Christ today and every day.! Then, help your members think of how to prepare for Christ in their homes physically this Christmas like putting up decorations that proclaim Jesus is Born, sending out Christian Christmas Cards, giving gifts that point people to Christ, etc. until the large group leader tells everyone to stop.! Finally, help your group listen to the large group leader to learn more about this review/application. IN A LARGE GROUP: Say: All of the things we do that strengthen our faith are exercises that can help us to prepare for the celebration of Christ s birth every Christmas. These exercises also help prepare us for the time when He will come again to take us to live with Him forever in heaven. Still, our faith is never strengthened because we do spiritual exercises. It is strengthened because God kept His promise to send Christ, the promise Jeremiah spoke about in our God s Word For Us Today passage. Cue everyone to say it: Behold, the days are coming,... LESSON CONCLUSION: Say: As we physically do spiritual exercises that prepare for Christ to come every Christmas and on the Last Day, we become stronger in faith. We are inspired and strengthened and able to do more exercises and become even stronger in our faith and better able to be holy and healthy and prepared for Christ to come this Christmas and to grow holy, healthy generations every day until He comes again. (15 minutes) Refer to Craft Instructions at the end of this Lesson. TEACHABLE CRAFT HAND OUT TAKE HOME ACTIVITY! Make one copy for every family represented.! See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for information about how to use this Take Home Activity. (2 minutes) CLOSING PRAYER Pray in a large group. See the Supplemental Leader Instructions for additional help to lead this closing prayer. IN A LARGE GROUP: Repeat the Active Litany with or without the actions.

8 Take Home Activity IMPORTANT: This Take Home Activity is just as important as the lesson. Everything taught in UIM SS, but especially the Bible Story, needs to be talked about again at home so that lessons can take root and be of greater help and strength to the faith and lives of all generations. Please feel free to make copies and share it with others to help them in their faith and lives. In this difficult world, faith is a powerful gift to pass on to help and strengthen others now and for generations. 57-SS-01 LESSON ONE God Fulfilled His Promise Through Christ This week, if you have not already done so as part of your UIM congregational memory work program, inwardly digest the God s Word For Us Today passage for this Lesson. Read it every day. Read it to those who cannot read. Recite it to each other. Type or print it out, and place it in your purse, wallet, on your desk, kitchen table, refrigerator door, night stand, anywhere and everywhere you will see it and read it constantly. Discuss with family and friends how these words from God strengthen you in faith and help you in your everyday lives. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Jeremiah 33:14 Read and discuss the Bible Story for this lesson personally and with your family, especially the small children. With older family members, study the biblical account of this story in Matthew 1:18-25 and read the accompanying study verses: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1Thessalonians 3:9-13; and Luke 21: Discuss how these accompanying verses help to strengthen your faith to prepare your heart and home for Christ. Practice what this lesson teaches by doing the following: Physically attend Worship to be strengthen in faith through Word and Sacraments. Pray in a different place or at a different time every day this week. Ask God to help prepare your heart and home for Christ. Read: Matthew 1:18-25 in a study Bible or Bible Commentary. Inwardly digest or memorize Matthew 1:23 For physical exercise, clean one thing that requires physical work every day this week. As you clean, pray and confess your sins to strengthen and cleanse your heart.. As we physically do spiritual exercises that prepare for Christ to come every Christmas and on the Last Day, we become stronger in faith. We are inspired and strengthened and able to do more exercises and become even stronger in our faith and better able to be holy and healthy and prepared for Christ to come this Christmas and to grow holy, healthy generations every day until He comes again. Permission to reproduce this UIM Resource is given to the ordering congregation ONLY and is not transferable. Each time this UIM Resource is used, a donation is requested to continue UIM for congregations like yours in the future. To review a wealth of UIM Resources visit: Questions? info@familycrossfires.org Donations to continue this ministry or in appreciation for help a UIM Resource has given you may be sent to: Family Crossfires Ministries, Inc., N6753 Black Oak Circle, Shawano, WI

9 A Teachable Craft (15 minutes) OBJECTIVE: Prepare For Christ Bells Help generations ring their bells for exercise and as they do, remind everyone to prepare their hearts and homes for Christ to come. 57-SS-01 LESSON ONE Supplies: - Small paper plates - Paper hole punch - Yellow, red, and green crayons or markers - Red jingle bells - Green Christmas ribbon or green string or yarn - Holly Pattern - Scissors for those who can cut safely - Staplers Options: Paint plates yellow, cut out round pieces of cover stock or poster board, or use white plates. Instructions: Ahead of time: Cut out holly leaves for those who may have difficulty doing so. 1. Color paper plate front and back yellow. 2. Punch hole in the top of the plate. Tie green ribbon to two jingle bells. Then thread and tie the two ribbons or bells through the hole in the paper plate. See figure one 3. Fold both sides on the plate in, one over the other. See figure two. 4. Color two pieces of holly green and the berry red. Instruct those who can cut out holly leaves to cut our their own and help those who may need help doing so. 5. Staple two holly and berry leaves to the plate, all the way through layers to secure leaves and folded sides of plate in place. See figure three. CONCLUSION: Invite generations to ring their bells for exercise and as they do, remind everyone to prepare their hearts and homes for Christ to come. Then, remind generations one more time that As we physically do spiritual exercises that prepare for Christ to come every Christmas and on the Last Day, we become stronger in faith. We are inspired and strengthened and able to do more exercises and become even stronger in our faith and better able to be holy and healthy and prepared for Christ to come this Christmas and to grow holy, healthy generations every day until He comes again. Permission to reproduce this UIM Resource is given to the ordering congregation ONLY and is not transferable. Each time this UIM Resource is used, a donation is requested to continue UIM for congregations like yours in the future. To review a wealth of UIM Resources visit: Questions? info@familycrossfires.org Donations to continue this ministry or in appreciation for help a UIM Resource has given you may be sent to: Family Crossfires Ministries, Inc., N6753 Black Oak Circle, Shawano, WI

10 UIM SS Craft Holly and Berry Pattern: Reproduce two holly and berry leaves for each participant. Permission to reproduce this UIM Resource is given to the ordering congregation ONLY and is not transferable. Each time this UIM Resource is used, a donation is requested to continue UIM for congregations like yours in the future. To review a wealth of UIM Resources visit: Questions? info@familycrossfires.org Donations to continue this ministry or in appreciation for help a UIM Resource has given you may be sent to: Family Crossfires Ministries, Inc., N6753 Black Oak Circle, Shawano, WI