GOSPEL CONVERSATION OPPORTUNITY
Advent Week Three- The Gift of JOY
What makes you happy? What is something that always makes you smile, even when you are upset or angry? Did you know that as Christians, we don’t always have to be happy, but we can always be joyful? Sounds tricky, doesn’t it?
This week we will celebrate the gift of JOY as we move towards Christmas day. Joy is a choice we make each day- not a feeling that we feel. When bad things happen, we can know that God is with us, and He loves us. This week we celebrated the gift of God’s presence. Remember Matthew 1:23? The angel said the baby would be named Immanuel- which means God with us. As we celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas, we are also celebrating that God came to be with us when Jesus was born. We are never alone- God is always with us!
When bad things happen, it’s okay to be disappointed or sad. Those are real feelings that we feel because it is how God made us. We can also be JOYFUL because we know that no matter what happens to us, God is with us, and He never leaves us. You can find JOY this Christmas by remembering that Jesus is Immanuel- God with us.
Read Philippians 4:4-7. Paul gave us some great advice about how to rejoice in the Lord in all circumstances. Remember, Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was in prison. He understood how to find joy in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Click below for this months take home sheets!
December Memory Verse:
I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
December memory verse coloring sheet