The Christmas Cross
Family Devotional
Safari Kids
SUMMIT VIEW CHURCH
SUMMIT VIEW CHURCH
WE EXIST TO BRING GLO RY TO GOD AND HELP PEOPLE BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS
Dear Parents:
You are invited to celebrate the birth of Jesus with us in a fun way. This devotional has been
designed to be a once a week devotional for the next four weeks. Whether done in the morning,
dinner time, or bed time, we encourage you to schedule what fits best for your family and enjoy
the celebration. At the end of your devotional, you will have created a Christmas Cross for your
refrigerator or other magnetic surface.
May your experience create those treasured memories.
Merry Christmas and God be with you!
Blessings,
Julienne Valois
Community Pastor/Children
Summit View Church
Supplies for the activities:
1. A flashlight
2. Candles, glow sticks or flameless candles (7 needed)
3. A candle you can give as a gift with a small card to attach
4. Your magnetic cross
Note: If your kids prefer to have their own magnet, we are happy to share more as supplies lasts.
Mailing Address 7701 NE 182nd Ave. Vancouver, WA 98682
Phone 360.260.8300 Fax 360.944.1161 Web www.summitview.net Email [email protected]
The Christmas Star Week 1 -­‐ Light Supplies: Candles, a flashlight for reading and a candle with the card for a gift Turn out the lights and ask your children: What would make it easier for us to see? (Answer: A light) What are some different kinds of light God has given us? • Candlelight/fire • Sunlight • Starlight • Truth (talk about how the Bible is like a light) Using your flashlight, show the children the first piece of the magnet Ask: What do you notice the most? (Answer: A star shining above Bethlehem. God used the light of a star as a sign to tell everyone that Jesus was born!) During Christmas we put lights on our tree, our homes and sometimes light candles in church too. All to celebrate the One True Light of the World born to us at Christmas – Jesus. Note: Light a candle or turn on a light each time you read a verse about light. Jesus is the Light of the World Read: John 8:12 Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." We celebrate the light that came into the world when Jesus was born at Christmas. He is light and when we accept Him as our Savior and follow Him, the darkness of our sin is taken away. When we know Jesus' love, we live in the light of His forgiveness, joy and peace. (Light a candle) Gods light shines around the angel Read: Luke 2:9 " An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.. . ." The glory of the Lord is bright and it shone for the shepherds as the angels told of the coming king, Jesus. (Light a candle) We are to walk as children of the Light Read: Ephesians 5:8 " For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." We can be children of light by doing kind things for others, saying thoughtful words and sharing about Jesus love, especially at Christmas when we celebrate His birth. (Light a candle) God's Word is a Light to Our Path Read: Psalm 119: 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. God's word is here to guide us in life and help us follow the path of Jesus, who’s the light of the world. (Light a candle) God's light grants us fellowship and takes away our sins Read: 1 John 1: 5-­‐7 . . . But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (Light a candle) God's light and love is constant Read: James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Light a candle) Activity: Give the gift of a candle to a friend or neighbor with a card saying: "May this light remind you of God's love for you that shines through the darkness." Prayer: Dear God, thank you for light -­‐ for candlelight, for starlight, and most of all for the light of your love. Thank you for sending Jesus into this dark world to take away our sins and to shine love into our hearts. Shine in love through us into our dark world this Christmas and always. Amen. Place the star and angel magnet piece on your refrigerator or other magnetic surface. Idea: Light candles at Christmas dinner to celebrate that the light of the world has been born! The Manger Week 2 -­‐ Humble Beginnings Read: Luke 2:7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Jesus was royalty! He was a king and our Savior! He was, however, a very different kind of king. He was born in a humble place in a very quiet way. Not in a mansion or a palace, but in a smelly stable where cows, donkeys and sheep lived. His royal crib was not made of gold and decorated with precious stones. Jesus lay in a manger, a trough that held food for the animals in the stable. He had no heaps of fine linens; He slept on a bed of prickly straw or maybe hay. King Jesus did not have blankets made of warm, soft silks. Instead, Mary wrapped Him in strips of ordinary cloth to swaddle Him. Jesus is God's Son and God sent Jesus to be the Savior of the world. At Christmas time we get to reflect on God's special love for each of us and the gift He gave to in sending His Son to save us. We may exchange gifts to celebrate God's gift, but most of all, Christmas is about King Jesus. Without His coming we would not have the grace, forgiveness and eternal life that we have if we believe in Him. Activity: Find someone you know that has a humble situation and figure out how you can bless them in remembrance of the humble beginnings of Jesus, our King. Ideas: Serve at a homeless outreach, give a food box, give to someone you know personally who you could bless or donate to a place that helps those that are struggling – i.e. Open House Ministries, etc. Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for sending your Son to be the Savior of the world. Thank you for the humble way He was born, reminding us that He is a different kind of King. Remind us to treasure your special love for us this Christmas and always. Place the manger magnet piece on your refrigerator or other magnetic surface. The Shepherds Week 3 -­‐ Good News Ask: What is your least favorite or the dirtiest, chore that you have to do around your house? Many years ago, when Jesus was born, one of the worst jobs was being a shepherd. It was lonely and boring most of the time; you just sat there and watched the sheep eat and sleep. It was dirty, because you often had to sleep outside on the ground all night with the sheep. And it was dangerous. Every once in a while, wolves or bears would attack the sheep and the shepherds would have to protect them. However, it would’ve been wonderful to be a shepherd the night Jesus was born. Read: Luke 2:8-­‐10 shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. The shepherds were tough, but they had never seen anything as bright and beautiful as an angel. It was kind of scary and the angel's had to tell them not to fear. Read: Luke 2:10-­‐12 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” The angels told the shepherds that the good news was meant for all people, including the poor and uneducated and even for sinners. (Those who disobey God.) It was for each of us. It doesn't matter what kind of job you have. You don't have to be the smartest in the class. It doesn't matter what kind of clothes you wear. God sent His Son for us. The greatest gift ever. This is why we celebrate Christmas. Read: Luke 2: 13-­‐15 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
And so the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see all that the angels had told them. Activity: As a family talk about: 1. What kind of a job would you be willing to do if you knew you would get to see an angel? Or even a big group of angels singing! 2. Who do you know that might never believe that God loves them? 3. How can you share God's love with them? Prayer: God, we want to praise you just like the angels did. Glory to God in the highest! Thank you for sending an angel to tell the shepherds. Thank you that you want all people to now and believe in you. help us share the good news with others. Amen. Place the shepherd magnet piece on your refrigerator or other magnetic surface. The Wise Men Week 4 -­‐ The Clues are found Read: Matthew 2:1-­‐2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” The wise men came to see Jesus because they had seen the signs that the Jewish King had arrived. Find three clues in the Old Testament that point to the arrival of the King. Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, Numbers 24:17 1. _______________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________ Ask: Why did the wise men come? (Answer: To worship Jesus.) As a family, come up with three ways you can worship Jesus during this Christmas season. 1. _______________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________ Place the wise men magnet piece on your refrigerator or other magnetic surface to complete your Christmas Cross. The Christmas Cross The Cross will remind you of Jesus’ love. Jesus came to die on the cross so that we could be forgiven. Forgiven for all the times we fail to read and obey God's Word. For all those times that our hearts are filled with wrong attitudes, wrong thoughts and wrong actions. Our hearts can be filled with joy at Christmas time because of the first and best gift of Christmas -­‐ Jesus. Prayer: Father, thank you so much for sending Jesus. Fill us with joy so that we worship you with our hearts, words and actions. We praise you and we love you. Amen.