Big Idea: God deserves all the praise and hoorays at Christmas!

Bible Passage: Luke 1:39-56

Read: Luke 1:39-56 in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk: In this passage, Mary sings a song of praise to God. She praises Him for being faithful, mighty and for His kindness to her. Read verses 47- 48 together:

"I praise the Lord with all my heart. I am very happy because God is my Savior. I am not important, but he has shown his care for me, his lowly servant. From now until the end of time, people will remember how much God blessed me."

1. Mary says, "I am not important, but He has shown His care for me." 

2. Then she says, "From now until the end of time, people will remember how much God has blessed me." 

Mary didn't think she was important, or talented, or the best at being good. She knew that none of these things were the reason God chose her to be the mummy of Jesus. She calls herself God's 'lowly servant.' She says she is not important, but God is, and that He cares for her. 

Then she says that when people remember her and the important job she had, that they shouldn't talk about how good she is, but that we should remember that God has blessed her. She gives all the honour, glory and credit for the wonderfulness of her story to God. She gives God all the praise and hoorays, instead of talking about herself.

Listen: God calls, chooses and loves us, too. But not because we are great, or talented, or important, or the best at being good. God chooses to call us His children simply because He wants to. He calls Himself our loving Father (even when we are sinful and run away from Him!). God even says He has prepared special jobs for us to do for Him with our lives, too. (Eph 2:10). 

When you are grown up and older, what do you want people to remember about you? What will you be known for? Is it something important, something you are good at, or something that you have done? Why or why not? When we talk about Mary, we remember how blessed she was. What are some of God's blessings to you? 

Do

This week, around the dinner or meal table (or even on Christmas Day!), have each family member say 1) what they hope to be known or remembered for, and 2) a blessing that God has given them to remember.

Have a Merry Christmas! 

May your family be blessed 🙂

Big Idea: Nothing is impossible with God.

Bible Passage: Luke 1:26-38

Read: Luke 1:26-38 in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk: In this passage, the angel comes to Mary, a young woman who God had chosen to be the mother of Jesus. He tells her not to be afraid, that God has chosen her and loves (or 'highly favours') her, and that He has a very special job for her to do. Mary wonders how it will all happen and asks 'How can this be?'. The angel responds by telling her it will be a work of the Holy Spirit, and Mary believes him. She says, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be as you have said." We know that what the angel said really did come true, as we celebrate at Christmas that Jesus, the Son of God, really did come into the world. As the angel said, "Nothing is impossible with God."

We can know these things are true for Mary, and for us too.

• God has chosen and called each of His children who love Him. (Romans 8:28-29).
• God has special works and jobs for each of us to do, too (Ephesians 2:10)
• We know that it is God's Holy Spirit who is with us, and works through us to do these special, amazing works. (Romans 8:15-17 & 26, Hebrews 13:5-6)
• Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we know that truly, nothing is impossible with God. So we can have courage, and not be afraid, no matter what God asks us to do. We can have faith to say like Mary,

"I am the Lord's servant, may it be as you have said."

Listen: 

What kinds of special jobs do you like to do? What do you think God might ask you to do in your life? Have you ever felt afraid or unsure of doing things Jesus has asked us to do? If you could do any impossible things with Jesus, what would you do? What impossible things would you ask God to do in the world today?

Do

As a family, write down a list of all the 'impossible things' you would do with Jesus if you could. They can be simple, or as deep as you like. (Pray for healing for a family member or friend, that friends or family who are far from God would know and love Him, that many living with great need would have what they need this Christmas, that COVID 19 would go away etc). Then, cut your list up and place the 'impossible things' one by one in a Christmas stocking and hang it up. Each day this week, pull out one 'impossible thing' and pray for it as a family, believing together that 'all things are possible with God.' Remind children that one day, we will see the answers to these prayers fulfilled, just as Mary saw God's promise to her fulfilled. To give your children hope as they pray, read Revelation 21:5-7 together.

Have a great week!

Big Idea: Jesus is the Name above all Names, our great Rescuer.

Bible Passage: Isaiah 9:6-7

Parent Prep: A name is an important part of a person's identity. Parents go to great trouble to try and name their child something that will be meaningful, well-liked and suitable for their child. Sometimes, names are chosen in hope for what a child will be known for in this life. In Isaiah 9 we read of the 'Names of Jesus'. He is called many things in Scripture, and all give us insight into the identity of our Saviour.  In this passage, written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, we are given insight into who our Saviour would be, and what He would be known for: Wonderful, Counselor (ruler), Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. We know now, looking at Jesus, that our God is all these things for us. It is beautiful to take time during this Christmas season to look at the names Jesus is given, and to reflect on and celebrate the meaning of these names – these things that He is for us. 

Read: Isaiah 9:6

Talk: In this passage, our Rescuer is described using many names. Read them out together again. He is known by these names, because these are the things He will be known for, and that we worship Him for.

1. The Rescuer will come as a baby. Our great powerful God and Creator decided to come to earth as a tiny, helpless baby! 

2. He is truly wonderful. It is a wonder, how a God of forever becomes a human.

3. He is our great Counselor. That word means 'ruler' or king. The boss. We worship Jesus because He has all wisdom and knowledge and is the boss. The Bible calls Him our 'King of Kings, Lord of Lords.'

4. Mighty God. He is the one who beat sin and death forever! The only one who could save us. 

5. Everlasting Father: or the 'father of forever'. He is one with the Father. The one who wrote the story and created the children He saved. Jesus was fully man, and fully God!

6. Our 'Prince of Peace'. He is the one who brought us peace with God. Sin breaks our relationship with God, but Jesus restores or 'makes it right' again so we can have peace with God and know His calm, still, confidence in all things.

Listen: 

What are some other names of Jesus that you know from Scripture or from songs we sing? What are some of the things Jesus has done for you? If you had to make a list of names to describe what you were known for, what would people call you?

Do

Tell your children the story of how their names were chosen, who they may be named after, or why you chose the name you have for them. Remind them of their name's significance, and what you hope they will be known for. Then, together, look up on a search engine the name of 'Jesus', or read this definition of His name's meaning below:

The name Jesus comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua/Y'shua, which is based on the Hebrew meaning, "to deliver; to rescue." The name Joshua is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my salvation". The name Joshua shares origins with the name Jesus, which comes from the Aramaic name, 'Yeshu'a'. 

Jesus' name literally means, 'Our Rescuer.' Praise God together that He made a way for us to be rescued from sin and death. Remind children that this is why we celebrate Christmas. Our great Rescuer came to save us. Jesus, the Name above all Names.

Have a great week!

Big Idea: Jesus speaks to us by His Holy Spirit and we can learn to recognise His voice.

Bible Passage: Luke 1:8-19, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 2:8-15, John 10:27

Parent Prep: This week is the first week in our Christmas series, and we are talking about how God speaks to us. It can be difficult for children to understand how to 'hear' God, as they think mainly in literal terms. So to say God 'speaks' and that we can 'hear' him can confuse kids sometimes. They may think if we cannot hear Him audibly, that He is not speaking to them, and then wonder why or why not. We can help children understand how we listen to God's Holy Spirit by reading His word together, and getting to know what Jesus says through becoming familiar with His teachings.

Read: Luke 1:8-19, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 2:8-15, John 10:27

Talk

In the Christmas story, we read of God sending many special messengers, or angels to His people. The angels spoke God's messages and gave people instructions to follow. But God doesn't send us an angel every time we need to follow His instructions. It was a very special time in history, and the angels had very important instructions. Now, Jesus says He speaks to us and gives us instructions to follow by His Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit's job is to 'remind us of everything Jesus has said' (John 14:26), and to reveal to us what is true (John 16:13). That means the Holy Spirit will remind us of what Jesus has said in the Word of God and help us know which way to follow Him. 

Jesus also says that He is like a shepherd, and that those that follow Him are like His sheep. He says that just like sheep follow a shepherd because they recognise their shepherd's voice, we also learn to recognise the Holy Spirit's instructions and follow Jesus. 

Listen

Have you ever heard God speak to you in a voice you can hear with your ears? Have you ever had an angel visit you to tell you a special message?

Why does Jesus promise to speak to us if we can't hear Him when He talks? How do you think we listen to Jesus? Is it easy or hard to hear Him? Allow children to be honest with their responses and assure them that just because they cannot hear Him with their ears, that it doesn't mean He isn't speaking to them. 

Do

Jesus says we will recognise Him when He speaks to us. We can learn to recognise the words of Jesus to instruct us if we spend time getting to know Him more and more. Just like you recognise your grown-ups' voices because you know them so well and they are familiar to you, so we can also learn to recognise the voice of Jesus the more we know Him. 

Have everyone in your family close their eyes. Then have someone in your family anonymously call out a word. All the other people in the family must guess who spoke. It will be an easy game! Make a point of telling children that we learn to recognise the words and instructions of the Holy Spirit when we spend more and more time with Him.

What are some ways you can spend time with Jesus and learn about Him this week? 

Big Idea: Our God can do amazing extraordinary things with ordinary people who trust in Him.

Bible Passage: Ruth 1-4

Parent Prep: This week is our final week in our Family series, and we finish off by celebrating Foster Care Sunday together as a big church family. This week's lesson is about using the ordinary, every day things we can do to serve and love others. The story of Ruth teaches us that God will bless and use all those who place their trust in Him.

Read: Ruth 1-2:4; 4:13-22, or watch this hilarious version of the story here. 

Talk

The story of Ruth teaches us about God's faithfulness to those who put their trust in Him, even when things look hard and scary. Ruth had many reasons not to trust in the God of Israel, but she chooses to trust Him anyway, and He blesses and uses her in His story. 

1.  Ruth was a Moabite, a land of enemies of God.
2. Ruth was a widow. She had no safety or security without a husband to protect and provide for her. If she followed Naomi and trusted in God, she would have to beg for food, or find work wherever she could.
3. Lots of sad and bad things happened to Ruth. How could she trust God to take care of her? 

But Boaz says to her, "May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you take refuge." 

Read Psalm 91:1-4 together. God is faithful to protect and provide for and bless those who trust in Him. Just like Ruth, we can trust God. 

Even though Ruth was far from God, with lots of hard and scary things to face, she chose to trust God, and he blessed her and gave her a family. He used Ruth as part of His great big story and she became part of the family of Jesus!

Listen

Sometimes we feel like we aren't good enough for Jesus to love, or to care for, or to use in His story. But the story of Ruth tells us that God uses even people who are His enemies, or people who feel far away from Him all the time. All that we need to do to be a part of God's big story is to love and trust in Him. 

What are some things that hold you back or stop you from feeling like God loves you? 

What are some things that make you feel like God wouldn't use you for great things in His story?

What do you think makes someone 'great' to God? 

Do

The story of Ruth teaches us that God will welcome anyone who trusts in Him into His family, and that He can use them for great things in His big story. When Ruth gets to Judah, her new home, she offers to God the only thing she can: her willing hands to serve. She gets to work doing very ordinary work picking up grain in the fields. It is while she is working with her hands that she meets Boaz, who becomes her husband. 

Ask children What are some ordinary things that you can do with your hands? How can we use these ordinary things to serve others in Jesus' name? On a piece of paper, write or draw a list of ordinary things you can do with your hands. (Dance, wash dishes, wave, serve dinner, make art etc). Then, on the other side of the paper, write or draw ways you can use these things to serve God, and other people. 

On top of your paper, write "Our God can do amazing extraordinary things with ordinary people who trust in Him."

Have a great week, see you Sunday!

Big Idea: Our God wants us to honour Him as a family, and to hear from us, His children.

Bible Passage(s): 2 Chronicles 20:12-13, Ephesians 6:1-5

Parent Prep: This week in our family series we continue to look at what it is to honour God and seek Him first as a household. On Sunday we took some time as part of our worship service to worship and listen to God about what He is saying to our big church family about next steps towards possibly purchasing a building. This process of worshipping, praying and listening as households before the Lord is a powerful way to lead your home, too. We encourage your family to seek the Lord & listen for Him to speak together and pray together whenever you have a decision to make as a family.

Read: 2 Chronicles 20:12-13 and Ephesians 6:1-5 in a children's Bible, or in this easy-to-read version here: 2 Chronicles; Ephesians 6.

Talk

Our God calls Himself our Father, and us, His children. He delights to give us what we need. He asks that we, as families, would come to Him as our loving Father for all that we need. In 2 Chronicles we read the story of the whole family of Judah coming together to listen to what God would say to His children. They pray,

"'Our God…we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.' All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord." 

We read in Ephesians, that honouring our parents (which means to respect and love them) comes with a promise – 'so that it may go well with you and tha you may enjoy long life on the earth.' It is the same with honouring God, our heavenly Father. We are promised that when we put Jesus first, make Him King over our lives, and honour Him (respect and love Him most), that He will bless us with by being with us and taking care of us all of our days, and even after we die! We can count on our God to never give up on us, and look after us. We can bring all our hard questions, and our tough times to God, and ask Him for His help. He promises He will help us.

Listen

What questions does our family have for God? Is there any big decisions we need to make? Is anyone facing anything scary or uncertain? 

Write these things down as a family. 

Do

As in 2 Chronicles, come together – all family members if possible. Place God's word, open at 2 Chronicles 20:12-13, in the center of your family. Together, pray "God, we don't know what to do. But our eyes are on you. Please help us with __________." Use the list you made together to ask God about these things. Then, stand (or sit) and listen. You might consider playing some worship music, or singing praise to God while you listen. You could place pieces of paper and coloured pens in front of each family member and ask them to write or draw words or pictures that come to mind while you pray. After a few minutes, or as long as you like, thank God for taking care of your family. If God has spoken clearly, talk about that with your family. If there hasn't been a clear word from God, keep coming back, expectantly like this as often as you can. Encourage each other to keep praying and seeking God – He promises to answer and bless HIs children, and He is always faithful. Celebrate answers to prayer together to remind each other of this.

Big Idea: We can rest and rely on God.

Bible Passage: Zechariah 4:6-7

Parent Prep: This week we take a short pause in our 'Family' series to dig into what it really looks like to depend on God and His Holy Spirit to help us when we aren't strong enough. This has been a big, tough year for many families, and so it is a refreshing reminder for us that God is all-powerful, and His promise to build the church & bless His children is not dependent on us, but on His own mighty arm. Our calling is an honour, a privilege and a work of faith to trust and rely on Him to do His work. As we look ahead to 2021 for our own church family, with big decisions to make about our future, we too can be assured that God will be faithful and that our calling as His children is to rest and rely on His faithfulness, and trust that we too will be able to look back and say, 'Beautiful, beautiful!' (verse 7).

Read: Zechariah 4:6-7 in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Zerubbabel was a powerful leader of God's people who led them back to the land God had given them. He took them from exile, back home to Israel, and he received a word from God that he was to lead the people to rebuild God's temple. It was a big job! And yet, these words that we have read are a promise from God that it would be His Holy Spirit that helped Zerubbabel, and that he would be able to do this great big job if he had faith and relied on God to help him, not his own strength. 

Ask

When you were little, did someone big ever carry you? Did you rest your head on their shoulder, and lean your whole weight on them? Faith is leaning your whole weight on God. Resting your head on his shoulder. Faith means resting – relying- not on who we are or what we can do, or how we feel, or what we know. Faith is resting in who God is and what He has done. And He has done EVERYTHING.*

We can trust God to take care of us, and keep His promises to bless us, His beloved children. 

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." – 1 John 4:16

Do

Give children an instruction to get from one point to another in your house. For older children, consider making it difficult by placing obstacles in their way. Then, repeat the exercise with a parent carrying them from one point to another. Ask children if it was easy or harder to be carried than to walk. Use this simple demonstration to explain how God's strength helps us. We can do things- even hard things- that God has asked us to do, because we know that it is God who helps us by giving us His strength. We can ask Him for help with whatever we need and rest and rely on Him in faith knowing He will always keep His promises to help us. Pray together about the things that are tough for your family, and ask God's Holy Spirit to give you the faith to rest on Him as you look ahead.

Have a great week, see you next Sunday!

*Quote taken from page 77, 'Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing' by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Big Idea: The way we love each other in our family points people to the love of Jesus. 

Parent Prep: This is our second week in our special series on family. This week we talk about 'submission' and 'love'. These are both virtues that Jesus modelled for us, perfectly. He submitted to the Father – knowing the Father's love would glorify Him and not put Him to shame. In the same way, in marriage, wives are encouraged to trust the love of their husband, that he would esteem her and see her flourish- as the church does because of Jesus. Husbands, in this passage, are encouraged to love their wives as Jesus loves the church – that means laying their lives down and 'giving himself up fo her.' We call this kind of reciprocal love and trust 'mutual submission.' We are told that this love we have for each other is what will point people to Jesus. It is supposed to be so self-sacrificing and beautiful, that people observe the love in our marriages, and want to know where it comes from. But it's not just for husbands and wives. It's for all believers in the family of God. The key to understanding these instructions is found in verses 1,2 and 21. "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." This verse precedes the specific instructions to husbands and wives, because it's not just an instruction for husbands and wives. It's for all those who love Jesus. We should love each other as Christ has loved us: freely giving ourselves up for the flourishing of others in our family. In this way, both in our household families (bayith), and our wider church family (michpacha) our love would be so selfless, that we would point others to Jesus, that they would call on His name and desire to join God's family, too.

Read Ephesians 5: 1& 2, 21-25 in a children's Bible, or in this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Re-read verse 1& 2 together. Make a list together of the ways that Jesus has loved your family. (Forgives us always, loves us no matter what we do, always for us, never abandon or turn away from us, delights in us, is always our friend. Laid His life down for us. He is slow to anger, always kind.). These are great things that Jesus has done for us! 

Listen 

Do you think these things are hard or easy to do for one another? Have children turn to their siblings, or other members of the family (grown ups included!) and say aloud, "I always," before you read the statements to eachother of what Jesus has done for you. It should read like this:

Child (to sibling or other family member): "I always forgive you. I am slow to anger, and always kind to you. I love you no matter what. I am always your friend." 

Are these statements true about your love for each other in your family? Why or why not? 

Loving each other in our family as Jesus has loved us is hard work! Why do you think Paul tells us to do this if it is so hard?

Read verse 2 again. It was a sacrifice for Jesus to love us and die for us. It wasn't easy for Him either. But just like Jesus, we can do these hard things because we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us. He promises to give us the strength to love each other this way, even when it is difficult. And just like Jesus, we know more joy when we love people the way He calls us too. 

Do

Write a family manifesto. Using the list you made of how Jesus loves your family, on a piece of paper, write the heading:

In this family, we love as Jesus has loved us. 

So we will always try to:

Then, write the list of ways your family wants to commit to loving each other. At the end of your manifesto, write the following (or similar) words form Philippians 4:13,

We can do these things with the help of Jesus. He is the one who gives us the strength we need.

Consider placing your poster in a frame, and hanging it in your home, or on the fridge where people can see it. Pray together that your love for one another would be a testimony to the goodness of God and be a light that shines for other families to see. 

Have a great week, see you Sunday!

Big Idea: Our Grandparents can share their stories, wisdom and encouragement to help us remember God's goodness.

Parent Prep: This week we start our special series on family. This week is a special week as we kick off the series by celebrating national Grandparent's Day. We celebrated the legacy of faith handed on by the older generations of our church and families. Our aim this week is to help build relationships with the older members of our families and faith community, to give opportunities for the wiser, older members of our families to share their wisdom, stories and encouragement with our young people.

Read Deuteronomy 6:1-5 together in a children's Bible, or read this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Moses and God's people were camping on the plains of Moab. They were about to cross the Jordan River and live in the land God had promised to give them. Moses gathers all the people to give them the very special instructions for how to live as God's family. He tells the people so that 'your children and their children after them may fear the Lord …and enjoy long life in the land." Moses is talking to everybody in the whole family here, but he is especially talking to parents and grandparents. He did this because he knew that when the parents and grandparents spoke, and told their stories, the people would listen.

In fact, the rest of chapter 6 is all about how the parents and grandparents should tell the stories of God's goodness, and what He had done for them, so that none of the children ever, ever forget who rescued them and who loves them the most. That's their job: to tell stories of God's goodness so that we never, ever forget.

Listen 

This is our job, too. When Jesus is about to go back to heaven after He rises from the dead, he gives similar instructions to his followers. He says, "So as you go, make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time." Jesus gives us instructions to tell others the story of God's goodness, and what He has done for us, so that other people will never, ever forget who loves us the most. 

Ask children, Can you tell me a story, or about something that reminds you that God is good? Can you tell me the story of what God has done for you?

Do

If your kids have a story, write it down together. As a parent or grown-up in your family, tell children a story of your own, and include it in your collection of stories. Then, call or write a letter to an older person in our church family, or to your grandparents (if they follow Jesus) and ask them to write you a story, too. We encouraged the kids at our service this week to write a letter to an older person and ask them to write a story about a time when they were a child. If you haven't yet, we encourage your kids to choose an older person of our church family and ask them to tell you a story. Put this story with your collections and call it "Our Family's 'Book of Remembrance.'" Pull out your stories as often as you like to read to each other to remind each other of God's faithfulness to the many generations.

An example of a letter/card to give an older person:

"Dear __(name of older person)_____

Please tell me a story of when you were __(age of child)___.

Thank you for sharing your story with me, 

From, __(name of child)___. 

Big Idea: Our mission in life is to help others know who Jesus is by humbly walking with Him, fighting for justice, and showing kindness even when it is tough.

Parent Prep: This week is a special week where we take a break in our usual preaching series to focus on global missions. Talking about the global need for the gospel is a helpful way for our kids to see where they fit in God's big plan of salvation. It helps them lift their eyes beyond their small patch of the world. It helps put in perspective all that they have been blessed with, and what they can offer to help others. It helps inspire them to think big about their own lives, and imagine all the incredible ways God can use their faithfulness. It is far more exciting than what is often implicitly taught week-in, week-out to our kids who grow up in church about following Jesus. Much more than just being about 'being a good kid', knowing God has a mission for them brings their Christian faith to life and gives it purpose.
 

Read Micah 6:8 together. Then, watch this video as a family. 

Listen 

What do you think your 'mission' in life is? What do you think the most important part of following Jesus is? What do you think makes us 'good' to God?

Talk

Micah 6 is God saying to His people that He has done great things for them. Then He asks them to respond to His goodness. This is our mission in life: to respond to God's love and goodness.

And how do we do that? Is it by getting all the rules right? By being extra good kids? No. Micah tells us that our mission is:

• To walk humbly, with God as our loving King. Like holding hands and going on a walk with mum or dad and spending time with them. That's how our God wants to walk with us through life.
• To fight for fairness for others. Where we see injustice-  where there are poor, or hungry, or sad people, it is our mission to help them.
• To love mercy. Mercy is 'loving-kindness'. It's showing kindness to all people. That's really hard. Especially showing it to those who don't deserve it. But Jesus says this is how people will know who He is. When His people love like He did. And Jesus loved and died for us "when we were still sinners" – rejecting Him. We need Jesus help to keep loving people who are mean to us and reject us.

Do

Our mission is to walk hand in hand with Jesus, fighting for others and showing loving-kindness to others. It's a tough mission, but we have the help of the Holy Spirit who gives us courage and strength. Together, write down places you see 'injustice' in the world, and challenge your kids to think of ways they could fight it. Maybe it's writing a letter to a sponsor child to encourage them that they are not forgotten. Maybe it's how lonley your grandparents have been in this season. You could Facetime them to remind them they are not alone. Maybe it's the way other kids treat someone at school. How can you show loving-kindess and justice to them? This is our mission, and we are sent by Jesus to fight hard to show His love. Pray together that God would help you be brave this week and take a hold of this mission as a family.