JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM

Transcription

1 LESSON SNAPSHOT BOTTOM LINE: Jesus came for everyone. OBJECTIVE: Kids will learn that Jesus loves everyone. KEY PASSAGE: Luke 2:1-20, The Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus. MEMORY VERSE: But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) SUMMARY: The angels didn t tell the king. They didn t tell the rich and powerful. They told shepherds. The good news of Christmas isn t for a select few. It s for everyone! SIMPLE PRAYER: Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank you for loving all of us, no matter who we are or what we have done. In Jesus name, Amen : SHEPHERDS

2 MEMORY VERSE But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news. It will bring great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIRV) LARGE GROUP: Write each word of the verse on a poster board. Bring enough kids on stage so each kid can hold one of the words. Then have the kids unscramble the words and put them in order on stage so the audience can read it. SMALL GROUP: Play the telephone game with the memory verse. : SHEPHERDS

3 SKIT QUIET NIGHT ITEMS NEEDED: Shepherd costumes (as an alternate, you can dress the shepherds up like cowboys), an angel costume CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: 5M CHARACTERS: Bud, Tex, Junior: Shepherds Ralph: A talking sheep Gabriel: Angel The shepherds enter. BUD: It sure is quiet tonight. TEX: Yep. BUD: It s quiet nights that make a shepherd think he s going crazy. Your mind plays tricks on you. JUNIOR: It does? BUD: You bet it does. A man starts to see strange sights, and hear strange noises. JUNIOR: You mean like a mirage? BUD: No! Worse than a mirage. One time, we had this buddy named Lou. On a quiet night like this, he went mad, thinking he saw aliens from outer space land right over there on yon hill. : SHEPHERDS

4 SKIT JUNIOR: Whoa! BUD: Tricks! The mind plays tricks on ya. TEX: Yep. BUD: It sure is quiet tonight. Ralph enters. RALPH: Hey, what s all the racket? I m trying to sleep out here! JUNIOR: Ahhh! A talking sheep! RALPH: Ahhhh! Talking shepherds! BUD: What s all that racket? JUNIOR: Bud, there s a talking sheep! BUD: No there s not. JUNIOR: Look over there. Talk for me, sheep. RALPH: What am I, a trick pony? BUD: I don t hear nothing except baa baa baa. JUNIOR: The puppet s talking, Bud, listen to him! Tex, did you hear him? TEX: Yep. BUD: There are no talking sheep. The mind plays tricks, my boy. Tricks! RALPH: Silly shepherd, Trix are for kids. The shepherds all groan. RALPH: What s the matter? Don t you like baaaaaad jokes? : SHEPHERDS

5 SKIT Ralph exits. BUD: Now, where were we? Oh yeah. (pause) It sure is quiet tonight. TEX: Yep. JUNIOR: Bud, you said the mind plays tricks. BUD: Tricks, I say. Tricks. TEX: Yep. JUNIOR: So, if I said I saw an angel, would that count as another trick? As Bud talks, Gabriel enters. BUD: Oh yeah. Why once I knew this feller named Roy. Thought he saw an angel light over in yon pasture and promise him a million dollars. He quit shepherding and ended up a poor man. Poorer than any shepherd. Angels are nothing but illusions, right, Tex? TEX: Nope! BUD: No? What do you mean no? GABRIEL: Greetings! All the shepherds scream. JUNIOR: You sure this is a trick? BUD: I don t know, Junior! GABRIEL: Do not be afraid, but I bring you good news which will be for all people. Today, in the city of David, a savior is born. He is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Play part of a choral praise song: the Hallelujah Chorus, or the chorus from Angels We Have Heard on High as Gabriel exits. BUD: That was real, right? TEX: Yep. : SHEPHERDS

6 SKIT BUD: You saw the angel, right? TEX: Yep. JUNIOR: What do we do? BUD: What else? Let us go an see this thing the Lord has told us about. You coming? TEX: Yeah! But why tell us? We re just a bunch of shepherds. Lowly, poor shepherds. Lowly, poor, uneducated, bad smelling, bad table manners JUNIOR: Hey, hey, hey, speak for your self there, partner! TEX: What do we do now? BUD: I ll tell you what we do! We go see this thing that the good Lord decided to tell us about! TEX: Yee haw! Let s go! They all exit. : SHEPHERDS

7 OBJECT LESSON OR KIDS SERMON ITEMS NEEDED: Christmas movies - Rudolph, Charlie Brown, Frosty How many of these Christmas movies have you seen? Have any of you seen Rudolph? Who remembers Rudolph s elf friend, Hermie? Remember what he wanted to do for a living? And how about Frosty the Snowman? Do you remember what Frosty s first words were when they put that magic hat on his head? And who remembers Charlie Brown? Remember the passage that Linus recited from the Bible? It was today s scripture, wasn t it? You know there are a lot of movies and TV shows made every year just for Christmas, but not every one of them is for kids. Some are even rated R! But you know what? The Christmas shows that people love watching over and over, year after year, are the ones everyone in the family can enjoy. Rudolph and Charlie Brown have been around for fifty years, and they re still a must see every Christmas. That s the good news the angels delivered to the shepherds. Jesus has come, and he s come for everyone. He didn t come for kings and queens. He didn t come for the rich. He didn t come for the religious. Jesus came for every one who ever lived! This Christmas, as you enjoy those holiday classics, remember that Jesus came for you and for me. No matter who you are, no matter what you ve done, Jesus loves you, and he wants to be your Savior! : SHEPHERDS

8 LARGE GROUP GAME WRAP BATTLE ITEMS NEEDED: Two shirts Two unfolded gift boxes Two rolls of wrapping paper Two pairs of scissors Two rolls of tape Two stick-on bows INSTRUCTIONS: Two contestants will race to see who can wrap his gift the fastest. The shirt must be folded, placed in a box, and neatly wrapped with a bow on top. Poorly wrapped gifts can be disqualified. To add to the fun, play a popular Christmas tune during the game. VARIATION: You can make this a team competition for younger kids, and even have an adult to assist if needed. WHAT S THE POINT? Jesus is the gift God gave for everyone, no matter who you are. : SHEPHERDS

9 LARGE GROUP LESSON BOTTOM LINE: Jesus came for everyone. OBJECTIVE: Kids will learn that Jesus loves everyone. KEY PASSAGE: Luke 2:1-20 INTRO Don t you hate it when Mom and Dad get invited to a Christmas party and you re not invited? What s up with that, right? This is the Christmas season. This is the time for joy and family and celebration. It s the time for parties and Christmas treats and having fun. So why in the world are your parents going to friends houses and work parties without you? It s not cool when you get left out of holiday fun, especially by Mom and Dad. After all, they get to come to all of your Christmas parties. They get to hang out with the adults while you play with the kids. So why can t the kids get together at the adult parties? Especially since it s Christmas? How many of your Moms and Dads have Christmas movies that they won t let you see? That s crazy too, right? Christmas is about family. So why make movies that the whole family can t see? Let s face it, this doesn t just happen at Christmas. It happens all year. Dad goes out to the game with friends. Mom goes to dinner with her friends. Mom and Dad go to all kinds of cool concerts to see their favorite old bands, and where do you get to go? Straight to bed, with a babysitter to make sure you stay there! The harsh reality is that there are some things in this life that aren t for everyone. Some things are for adults. Some things are for kids. : SHEPHERDS

10 LARGE GROUP LESSON Even at Christmas, there are kid things and adult things, and when one s invited, the other gets left out. But when it comes to the message of Christmas, there s no us versus them. There is only we, because the message of Christmas is for everyone. God made it very clear on Christmas night that his son came not for a few people, but for everyone. Let s look and see how God announced the birth of Jesus to the world. READ LUKE 2:1-20 MAIN POINT There were so many people in the town of Bethlehem and the nation of Israel. God could have sent his angels to the palace of the king. He could have sent them into the home of the richest family in Bethlehem. He could have sent them into the crowded inn beside the stable where Jesus was born. That would have made the innkeeper feel a little silly, huh? God chose the humblest, poorest of men with whom to share the good news. He picked a bunch of shepherds working out in the fields. Dirty, poor shepherds! These guys had nothing, not a bed to lie in, not a single gift to bring. But God gave them the greatest gift they would ever imagine. They got to be the first to see baby Jesus. God sent a message to us that night as well. He let us know that no matter who we are, Jesus loves us. He has come not for the rich, not for the powerful, not even for the religious. He has come for us! DRIVE IT HOME This is probably the most important part of the Christmas message because there are many people who think God doesn t love them. Some people who have made bad choices think they are beyond God s love. They have been told they are sinners, that God hates sin, and they may believe that God is angry with them. God hates sin, but he does not hate the sinner. And no matter what you do in this life, there is nothing you could ever do to make God stop loving you. Nothing! Some of you will grow up in the church, strong in your faith and secure in knowing Jesus loves you. Some of you may stray from that faith as you get older. You might make some bad choices, fall in with the wrong crowd, and fall away from God. I pray that never happens to any of you, but if it does, I pray you never forget these words: God will always love you. God loved the shepherds who ran to see the baby Jesus. He loved the wise Magi, who traveled from the East. He loved the innkeeper who made his son sleep in the cold stable. He even loved King Herod, who tried to hunt down and kill the infant Jesus. : SHEPHERDS

11 LARGE GROUP LESSON Christmas is the time to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus came for all of us, for every one of you. Nothing you could ever do will change that. That s the message of Christmas. God loves you so much, he gave you his only Son! CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank you for loving all of us, no matter who we are or what we have done. In Jesus name, Amen : SHEPHERDS

12 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND) ICEBREAKER Did you buy anything really cool for someone this Christmas? What did you buy? MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY Luke 2:10-11 Play the telephone game with the memory verse. SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY Have the kids act out today s Bible story as you re-read it to them. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Read Luke 2:1-20 Where was Jesus born? Who announced the birth of Jesus? Who did the angels tell about Jesus? What did the shepherds do when they heard the news? Why did God tell the shepherds about Jesus? SIMPLE PRAYER Dear God, Thank you for loving us just as we are. Thank you for sending Jesus to be the Savior of all! In Jesus name, Amen : SHEPHERDS

13 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3-5TH) ICEBREAKER Did you buy anything really cool for someone this Christmas? What did you buy? MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY Luke 2:10-11 Play the telephone game with the memory verse. SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY Challenge the kids to act out today s story - as an opera! DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Read Luke 2:1-20 Where was Jesus born? Who did the angels tell about Jesus? Why did God tell the shepherds about Jesus? For whom did Jesus come and die? Is there anything you can do to make God stop loving you? SIMPLE PRAYER Dear God, Thank you for loving us just as we are. Thank you for sending Jesus to be the Savior of all! In Jesus name, Amen : SHEPHERDS

14 POWERPOINT REVIEW GAME 1. Fill in the blank: Joy to the A. Jews B. Shepherds C. World* 2. Jesus was born in a... A. Manger B. Stable* C. Inn 3. God announced the birth of Jesus to... A. Shepherds* B. King Herod C. The Magi 4. The shepherds received the news from... A. A prophet B. An angel* C. A talking sheep 5. The shepherds found baby Jesus when they ran to... A. Jerusalem B. The pasture C. Bethlehem* : SHEPHERDS

15 5 Simple Ways You Can Make This Lesson Stick With Your Kids THIS WEEK S LESSON: SHEPHERDS IN THE CAR: Ask your child what they learned about this week on the drive home: The angels didn t tell the king. They didn t tell the rich and powerful. They told shepherds. The good news of Christmas isn t for a select few. It s for everyone! Luke 2:1-20, The Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus. HANGING OUT: Make this week s lesson real: Do something to share God s love with someone less fortunate. Donate to a homeless shelter, donate toys for kids in need, or do something for someone in your community through the church or through a charity. AT DINNER: Here are some great discussion starters: - Why did God share the good news of Jesus with shepherds? - Whom did Jesus come to save? - Does Jesus really love everyone? AT BEDTIME: Quiz your child on this week s memory verse: But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) PARENT TIME: What you need to know: The good news of Christmas is that Jesus Christ came to die for everyone. No matter what you ve done, God loves and will forgive your sins. Take time to thank God for your own salvation this week, and pray that your children will always remember the depth of God s love. : SHEPHERDS

16 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) CUT ON DASHED LINE

17 CRAFT ACTIVITY Send everyone home with a shepherd s crook - aka, a candy cane - as a reminder that Jesus loves everyone, no matter who you are or what you ve done. : SHEPHERDS