2017
And the WORD BECAME FLESH and dwelt among us, and WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY, glory as of the only Son from the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. John 1:14
WHAT IS ADVENT? And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 There is so much to get excited about at Christmas! We get excited about the lights, the presents, the food, the Christmas trees, and the time with loved ones. At times, though, it is easy to forget the biggest reason of all to celebrate. Advent is intended to help us remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means coming. At Advent, we remember the night Jesus, our long-promised Savior, came into the world, and we look forward to another coming the day Jesus will come back to earth to make everything new again. Each Sunday night until Christmas, gather your family to light the advent candles and follow the included devotional. We pray that as you do, you will be reminded that God did not treat us as our sins deserve. He did not leave us without hope. Instead, He sent a Rescuer His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate the coming of Jesus and look forward to His return. ABOUT THE ADVENT WREATH AND CANDLES An Advent wreath typically includes three purple candles and one pink candle placed around the circle of the wreath, with one white candle placed in the center. Each Sunday night, you will light a candle that represents a part of the Christmas story along with the candles from the previous weeks. As Christmas Day draws closer, you will notice that the light is getting brighter and brighter, a symbol of the light of Jesus Christ breaking through the darkness. Advent wreaths and candles can be purchased at Amazon.com, Lifeway, The Scroll, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and many other retailers, typically for $10-$20. Or, you could purchase the candle set and have your family make a wreath together. You can find lots of ideas on Pinterest or Google.
THE HOPE CANDLE Sunday, December 3, 2017 Conversation Starter: Option 1: The Christmas season is always so fun. Families usually have traditions of doing something special and unique every year around Christmas time. What family tradition are you most looking forward to this Christmas? Option 2: Christmas is a sweet time to gather together with family and friends. Usually you see some people you haven t seen in a while. Who are some people you look forward to seeing again this Christmas? Instructions: Turn down the lights and light the first purple candle. Scripture: The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:16-17). Explanation: This first candle is called the Hope Candle. We call it the Hope Candle for two reasons. First, it reminds us that thousands of years ago, God had promised the people of Israel a Savior who would free them from their sin. The people of Israel looked forward to and hoped in this freedom. Their hopes all came true with the birth of God s son, Jesus. We light this candle to remember that God will always keep his promise and give his people hope. Second, it reminds us to hope in Jesus second coming. Jesus told us that he would come again to make all things right and bring the eternal kingdom of God. We light this candle to remember the hope we have in his return. Make it Stick: For younger kids, turn off all the lights except one lamp or flashlight. Shine it on a blank wall and reenact the story of Jesus birth by making shadows with your hands. Assign different characters to different family members. Use Luke 2:1-21 as your script. For older kids, play an epic game of flashlight tag. Be sure to include a jail. Find out all the details about how to play at www.wikihow. com/play-flashlight-tag. Afterward read the passage from Matthew again. Ask, What is stronger, light or dark? When the flashlight shined on you was there any way to hide from it? What does this tell us about how Jesus shines a light in the darkness? Pray: Lord, we thank you that you have given us the hope of Jesus. We admit that without Jesus we have no way of being saved. We thank you that you keep your promises and you do not leave us in the darkness. Teach us to place our hope fully in you and to spread the hope we have to those around us. Amen.
The people dwelling in darkness have seen A GREAT LIGHT and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, ON THEM A LIGHT HAS DAWNED. Matthew 4:16
THE PREPARATION CANDLE Sunday, December 10, 2017 Conversation Starter: Have you ever read a story where a heroic knight has to go fight a big, mean dragon? Let s pretend you were the knight, and you knew that in three days you were going to have to fight the dragon. What would you do to prepare? What would you need to learn or bring with you? What would your plan be? Instructions: Turn down the lights and light the first and second purple candles. Scripture: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (Micah 5:2) Explanation: Today s passage in Luke tells us about when Mary and Joseph were preparing for their new baby who would be unlike any other baby who had ever been born. On top of that big responsibility, they had to prepare to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born. However, the Bible tells us Joseph and Mary weren t the ones who had planned this trip; God was. God had been planning all along that His Son, Jesus, would be born in Bethlehem just as He had promised long ago in the Old Testament. These verses remind us that Jesus birth in Bethlehem was not a coincidence or a last minute plan. Jesus is God s perfect provision in His perfect time. Just as a knight prepares to defeat the dragon, God had been preparing since the Garden of Eden to defeat sin and death. We light the Preparation Candle to remind us that long before Mary and Joseph made preparations give birth to their son in Bethlehem, God was preparing a way for us to have a relationship with Him. This candle also reminds us that we can prepare our hearts to receive Jesus. We prepare our hearts by focusing our attention on the Gospel during this Christmas season. We are sinners who are imperfect and cannot make our own way back to God, but Jesus death paid the penalty for everything we ve done wrong. And His resurrection means we can have new life in Him and a personal relationship with God every day. Make it stick: When someone has a birthday, we prepare a party! How can we prepare to celebrate Jesus birthday this year? Get out paper and markers and make some birthday cards. Put together a shopping list to bake Jesus a birthday cake. What else will you need to
celebrate? Candles? Streamers? Ice cream? Prepare a Birthday party for Jesus. You can even invite some friends over. Prayer: God, we know that nothing you do is by accident. We can trust you and your plan. We are amazed at all you ve done to reveal yourself to us and save us. Thank you for sending Jesus so that we can have a relationship with you. Help us this Christmas season to focus our hearts on you and trust you. Amen.... from you shall come forth for me one who is to be RULER IN ISRAEL, whose coming forth IS FROM OF OLD, from ANCIENT DAYS. Micah 5:2
THE JOY CANDLE Sunday, December 17, 2017 Conversation Starter: Joy! What a fantastic gift the Lord gave us. To be so delighted inside yourself to not help but to smile and laugh. As you sit around a table, share with each other a time that you felt so much joy, you couldn t help expressing it. Instructions: Light the first and second purple candles, and then light the pink candle. Scripture: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased! When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. (Luke 2:13-15) Explanation: Have you ever heard news that was so exciting and so good that you couldn t help but to act on it? Maybe you found out that you are going to have a new baby in your family. Or perhaps something you ve been hoping or praying for happened. When something like this happens, you want to talk about it with someone. You want to tell the world so they can share in the joy and excitement. you see the brightest thing you ve ever seen before! Tons of angels are there telling you that someone has come who will bring peace to this world. Can you imagine? I m sure they looked at each other wondering if this was all a dream. They must have been shaking with awe and excitement thinking, This. Is. Amazing. They had to act on this joy. They took off to Bethlehem to see what this was all about. Tonight, we light this pink candle to remember the joy that we have that our Savior, Jesus, was born. Make it stick: It s funny how giving away your time, money, and things can give you joy. You would think that loosing something wouldn t give you joy, but God wired us to experience joy when we serve for His sake. Think of something your family can do to serve that will bring you joy. Plan a time to do it, then do it! Afterward, discuss with each other if you experienced joy while serving. Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of joy, that you are a God that gives us good feelings. We ask that you would give us joy as we grow closer to you and have a better understanding of who you are. What if you were one of those shepherds? Hanging out with your sheep late at night, making sure that wolves don t attack them, making sure there is enough grass for them to eat... and then... the sky opens up, and
And suddenly there was with the angel a MULTITUDE OF THE HEAVENLY HOST praising God and saying, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, and on earth peace among those with whom HE IS PLEASED... Luke 2:13-15
THE LOVE CANDLE Sunday, December 24, 2017 Conversation Starter: What are some ways you show people that you love them? Think about the friends and family that you care about. What are some things you do to let them know they are important to you? Instructions: Turn down the lights and light the two purple candles and the pink candle from last week. Then, light the last purple candle. Scripture: And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! (Luke 2:10-14) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17) of years. Finally, He was here! This wasn t just good news; it was great news. It was the greatest news anyone had ever heard. Our sin had separated people from God, but now that Jesus was born, there could once again be peace between God and man. Tonight we light the candle of love because, as John 3:16-17 reminds us, Jesus is the ultimate display of God s love for us. Just like we do things to show people we love them, God showed His love by sending Jesus to us. He loves us so much that He sent us His most precious gift His own Son. He loves us so much that He did everything He could to save us from our sins and to make a relationship with Him possible. Make it stick: Act out the scene from Luke 2 where the angels appear to the shepherds. Everyone gets a part! Someone needs to be the angels, the shepherds, and even the sheep. Make sure the angels let the shepherds now that this is the best news that anyone has ever heard! Prayer: Lord, thank you for how much you love us. During this Christmas season teach us to reflect your love to other people. Explanation: When Jesus was born, God sent His angels to announce His birth to some shepherds. God needed important messengers because this was an important message! People had been waiting for God to send a savior for thousands
For unto you is BORN THIS DAY in the city of David A SAVIOR who is CHRIST THE LORD. Luke 2:11
THE CHRIST CANDLE Monday, December 25, 2017 Conversation Starter: Christmas morning has finally arrived! Before you gather to open presents, take a moment to once again focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Have you ever been promised something that you had to wait for, and as time went on you found it harder and harder to believe that the promise would actually come true? Maybe it was the promise of a family trip, or a special gift from a relative, or maybe someone promised to come visit you. Christmas morning was probably like that for many of us, too. The longer you had to wait for that promise to come true, the harder it was to believe that it would actually happen, right? As time goes on, we begin to lose hope. Instructions: Light all of the previous candles, and then light the white candle. This candle is called the Christ candle and is meant to remind us of Jesus. Scripture: Can you imagine what it was like to have been promised a Savior but weeks went by, then months, then years, and then hundreds of years? It would have been easy to lose hope and begin to think that Jesus would never actually come. Let s read about a man who never lost hope, even though he had waited his whole life. And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Now Lord, You are releasing Your bondservant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel. And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed and a sword will pierce even your own soul to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:25-35) How does it describe Simeon (vs.25)? What was he promised (vs. 26)? How excited do you think the man was to finally see Jesus? Explanation: It is easy to lose hope when we have to wait for something for a long time. But the great news is that God the Father has never gone back on one single promise He has made. He promised that He would send Jesus to be the Savior of the world, and He fulfilled that promise. God has also promised to send His Son again to bring us to God. And although we continue to wait for that promise, we do not have to lose hope because God always keeps His promises. Make it stick: As you gather around to open presents, bring your Bible and read Psalm 98:1-3 together.
As we exchange these gifts of love, may we remember that the greatest gift the world has even been given is the gift of Jesus, who brought salvation to the world. Prayer: Let us pray to our Lord who has come and is coming again: Our heavenly Father, what an indescribable gift is your Son Jesus. Through him you have given us eternal life. Today, with hearts full of gratitude and joy, we celebrate and give you thanks. Accept our offering of praise, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. For my eyes have seen YOUR SALVATION, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION to the Gentiles, and THE GLORY OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL. Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
MAKE THIS ADVENT MEMORABLE One of the best things we can do as families is to create memorable moments! Here is a list of ideas to help make this Advent season memorable for your home. We also invite you and your home to sing and dance with us! We ve made a Spotify playlist of some of our staff s favorite Christmas songs, including everything from oldies to hymns. The following link will take you to the playlist: https://goo.gl/ns6wgf. Instead of buying a wreath for your Advent time, create one with your family. Create a Jesse Tree to help you walk your kids through the entire story of Christmas year after year. Volunteer to ring the Salvation Army Bell. Make cookies to deliver to a neighbor or friend. Choose local children from Angel Tree the same age as the children in your home. Let your kids be involved in buying the presents. Make a birthday cake for Jesus and have a Happy Birthday, Jesus party. Pick out an ornament as a family that will help you remember a significant event from this year. Make popcorn or another favorite snack, put everyone in their PJs, and drive around to look at Christmas lights. Read once a day from the Jesus Storybook Bible Advent reading plan. Attend one of Bethel s Christmas services. Pick a country and use the Internet to research how they celebrate Christmas. Pick a child to sponsor as a family through Parental Care Ministries or Compassion International. Go caroling around your neighborhood with your small group or some neighbors. Instead of giving a gift to the person who has everything, give a gift through Heifer International in their honor. Make ornaments with different names of Jesus and write the corresponding Scripture on the back. Keep your Christmas cards close by, and pray for a different family each night before dinner.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this Advent devotional. Thanks to Jordan Sherrod, Mike Hall, Mark Kuykendall and Clint & Melissa Wright for all their work writing and editing. And thank you to Darcie Lantz for designing the book and making it look wonderful. This is just one small way each of you uses your gifts to bless this body. Bethel wouldn t be the same without you. Finally, thank you to all of our parents for your commitment to pass our faith to the next generation. You are planting the seeds that God will cause to grow. It s our privilege to partner with you and we pray this resource has been a blessing. Merry Christmas!
bethelbible.com