What is Advent? Advent is a season of waiting, anticipating and looking forward to the coming of Jesus. Advent begins four Sundays prior to Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning coming. Christians remember that God kept His promise by sending a Savior to redeem a lost and broken world. Christians also look forward to Jesus second coming when He will finally and completely defeat evil and make all things right. We hope that this guide will help you focus your eyes on Jesus, remember God s faithfulness and create in you an anticipation and longing for His return. How to use this guide Every week includes daily Scripture readings from both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament (OT), we hear whispers of Jesus and in the New Testament (NT) those whispers come to life in Jesus. As you read ask these questions: How is the whisper of the OT Scripture fulfilled in the NT scripture(s)? What significance do these scriptures have for my life? How am I challenged to pray, give thanks and live today? Pray and ask God for the strength to do it
Family Activity Every week also includes a family activity. Set aside a time to gather as a family every week to read Scripture, pray and participate in an activity. Be creative and make it your own! Lighting of an Advent candle at the beginning of every family activity is also a great idea. Make sure you have a version of the Bible that everyone can understand (NIV, NLT, MSG). Share the fun! Use #nbccavent to share your experiences! Or email your stories to office@nbccoly.org Our prayer is that this guide will help you to focus your heart on Jesus during this season. We pray that God would reveal more of Himself to you as you dive into His Word and gather together as a family.
Week One: Whispers in the Pentateuch Nov. 27 - Day One (Introduction) New Testament Luke 24:1-27 How does this passage encourage you to read/understand the OT? Pray for the Lord to speak to during this advent season. Nov. 28 - Day Two Old Testament - Genesis 3:8-15 New Testament - Galatians 4:4, Matthew 1:20 Nov. 29 - Day Three Old Testament - Genesis 12:1-3 New Testament - Galatians 3:11-16 Nov. 30 - Day Four Old Testament - Genesis 15:1-6 New Testament - Galatians 3:6-7 Dec. 1 - Day Five Old Testament - Genesis 49:8-10 New Testament - Luke 3:23-38, Revelation 5:5 Dec. 2 - Day Six Old Testament - Deuteronomy 18:15-19 New Testament - Acts 3:19-22, John 6:14 Dec. 3 - Day Seven Old Testament - Exodus 12:1-14 New Testament - John 1:29 Reflect on the readings from the week and thank God for how He has challenged and encouraged you. Share with someone what you have learned.
Family Activity Fix an extra special dessert together. Before you eat it... Talk about the definition of advent (the arrival of a notable person, thing or event) Ask: When have you ever waited for something/someone you wanted? Read from Genesis 12:1-3 and Galatians 3:14. Say: In Genesis, God promised to bless the entire world through Abraham and his family. Ask: Does anyone know what bless means? (an act of kindness) For hundreds of years God s people waited for the coming of this promise to come true. Some doubted and got impatient but others waited with patience and eagerness. Finally, God fulfilled His promise by sending someone very special. Ask: Do you guys know who this special person was? (Jesus) God has been kind to us by sending us Jesus to die for our sins, and the Holy Spirit to live within us. This is a reason to celebrate! Take turns sharing with each other the many ways God has been kind to you. Then, celebrate by eating the dessert together!
Week Two: Whispers in the Prophets Dec. 4 - Day One Old Testament - Isaiah 7:14 New Testament - Matthew 1:22-23 Dec. 5 - Day Two Old Testament - Isaiah 9:2-7 New Testament - Matthew 4:12-16, 23 Dec. 6 - Day Three Old Testament - Micah 5:2-5a New Testament - Luke 2:1-14 Dec. 7 - Day Four Old Testament - Isaiah 40:3-5 New Testament - John 1:19-23 Dec. 8 - Day Five Old Testament - Isaiah 11:1-10 New Testament - Matthew 3:16-17 Dec. 9 - Day Six Old Testament - Zechariah 9:9 New Testament - Mathew 21:1-5 Dec. 10 - Day Seven Old Testament - Jeremiah 33:14-16 New Testament - Philippians 1:9-11 Reflect on the readings from the week and thank God for how He has challenged and encouraged you. Share with someone what you have learned.
Family Activity Option 1 As a family, turn off all the lights in the house and gather in one area around a flash light. (building a fort is optional) While gathered around the light Option 2 As a family drive around and find some of the best Christmas light displays around your neighborhood. In front of an especially beautifully lit house Read: Isaiah 9:2 Ask: Have you every walked in the dark? What was it like? Read: Isaiah 9:6-7 Say: The prophet Isaiah said that Jesus was light bright shining light in the darkness. Ask; How does Jesus bring light into dark places? (forgiveness, love, etc.) Read: Matthew 5:14-16. Say: As Jesus followers, we are his light wherever we go! Ask: How can we shine brightly as a family? Pray: Thank God for sending Jesus to bring light to dark places. Ask God to help you shine brightly to friends, family, teachers, etc. Pray specifically for people in dark places. For some ideas Google: best Olympia light displays, fantasy light displays Washington,
Week Three: Whispers in the Poetry Dec. 11 - Day One Old Testament - Job 9:33 New Testament - 1 Timothy 2:5 Dec. 12 - Day Two Old Testament - Psalm 2:7-8 New Testament - Luke 1:32 Dec. 13 - Day Three Old Testament - Psalm 22:16-18 New Testament - Mark 15:24, 1 Peter 2:24 Dec. 14 - Day Four Old Testament - Psalm 89:1-4 New Testament - Hebrews 12:2 Dec. 15 - Day Five Old Testament - Psalm 118:22-24 New Testament - Ephesians 2:19-22 Dec. 16 - Day Six Old Testament - Psalm 110:4 New Testament - Hebrews 5:5-10 Dec. 17 - Day Seven Old Testament - Psalm 98 New Testament - Luke 2:10 Reflect on the readings from the week and thank God for how He has challenged and encouraged you. Share with someone what you have learned.
Family Activity Gather the family along with some paper along with some writing utensils (crayons, pencils, markers) Say: While God s people were waiting for Him to send the savior to bless the world they wrote songs! Writing and singing songs is a great way to pass the time. Ask: What is your favorite song? Say: This is a song that one of God s people wrote a long time ago Read: Psalm 98 Say: This song paints a picture of the whole world celebrating! Singing songs is one of the best ways to celebrate God s kindness to us. Spend some time writing songs about God s kindness and love. Examples: I love you more than gummy bears, and birthday presents, too, than marshmallows and M&M s and a very nice shampoo Jesus, you are the best, You died for my sins, You live in my chest, Jesus always wins Share your poem with each other. Celebrate by singing Joy to the World (or dancing if you can t sing) Google Joy to the World (lyrics on the next page) (Here are some good versions: Citizens and Saints, Hillsong, Pentatonix, Kid s Version, Unspoken)
Joy to the World Lyrics Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Week four: A Whisper in the Chaos Jesus comes to the world during a time of great chaos and turmoil both nationally and personally. Tensions are high, humanity is hurting and God responds to the cries of His people by sending Jesus in humility and vulnerability. As you read this week, notice the presence of chaos and peace surrounding the birth of Jesus. How is God bringing peace to your chaos? Dec. 18 - Day One Luke 1:1-24 Dec. 19 - Day Two Luke 1:26-45 Dec. 20 - Day Three Matthew 1:18-25 Dec. 21 - Day Four Luke 1:46-80 Dec. 22 - Day Five Luke 2 Dec. 23 - Day Six Matthew 2 Dec. 24 - Day Seven Philippians 2:6-8 Look back over your notes and prayers from the last month and thank God for sending Jesus in humility to rescue you from your chaos. Share with someone what God has done in your life during this season. Gather your family together
Family Activity Gather your family together Say: After hundreds of years of waiting, God finally sent the Savior that His people had been waiting so long for. The only problem was that God sent Him in a way that they weren t expecting! Ask: How do you think the arrival of Jesus was different than what God s people were expecting? (virgin birth, not a king, humble, carpenter, etc.) Read: Luke 1:26-34 Ask: What do you think Mary was thinking and feeling after her interaction with the angel? Read: Luke 2:4-21 (Have kids make sound-effects to bring the story to life) Say: God kept his promise to send a Savior. Eventually this baby Jesus would grow into a man and do amazing things. Ask: What are some of the awesome things Jesus did? (healed, taught, died for sins, rose from the grave, etc.) Pray: Thank God for keeping His promises and for sending Jesus and for all the amazing things that Jesus did. Say: In this story, God spoke to His people through angels. Angels are messengers from God and they remind us of God s power, His closeness, that He hears us and that He wants to talk with us. As a family construct angel ornaments to remind yourselves that God keeps his promises and speaks to His people. Ornament kits will be available Sunday, December 18 at Connection Central.