Advent
What is Advent and why do we celebrate it? Advent comes from the ancient
language, Latin. Ad means to and vent means come. So Advent means “To
Come.” So who is coming? Jesus is coming. Advent is the four Sundays before
Christmas. Advent is like Lent. We take time during Advent to think and pray
about our relationship with Jesus and others. We look forward to His birth on
earth and His second coming in the future. So be happy Jesus has come and will
come again. This is Good News!
We make Advent Wreaths to celebrate Advent. Put 4 candles in a circle. Then
put a candle in the middle of the circle. The 4 candles in a circle are for the 4
Sundays before Christmas. The candle in the middle is for Christmas Day. Make
an Advent Wreath by yourself or with other people.
Each candle in the circle has a special meaning. The first candle is for “Hope.” It
represents the prophets who “hoped” for the coming Messiah. The second
candle is for “Faith.” It represents the “faith” the Jewish people had that the
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The third candle is for “Joy.” It represents
the shepherds’ “joy” when they found Jesus, the newborn king. The fourth candle
is for “Peace.” It represents the angels who were messengers of God’s peace
toward mankind. The candle in the middle is for Jesus. He is the reason for our
faith, hope, joy and peace.
Old Testament – Isaiah 64:1-9
We certainly have heard a lot from our friend, Isaiah, these past months. Isaiah’s
book is popular during Advent because Isaiah predicted Jesus’ birth and His
second coming many centuries before Jesus even lived on earth. Isaiah tells us
about the glorious power of the Lord. Then Isaiah reminds us that our sins
separate us from God and Isaiah asks God to forgive us. Listen and watch as
Isaiah’s words are read in the below video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoikQA5eJXU
Old Testament – Psalm 80:1-7
This song was written by Asaph. Asaph was one of the Temple musician leaders
during King David’s life. Asaph played the cymbals. The Israelites are going
through hard times. Asaph asks God to restore the Israelites. Listen as Psalm 80
is sung below.
New Testament – 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Our friend, Paul, is writing to the people who lived in Corinth. Paul tells them and
us that all believe in Jesus Christ are rich because of the grace Jesus has given us.
Paul reminds all who believe in Jesus are made strong by His grace. His strength
lets us share the gospel with others. Paul also tells us those who believe in Christ
will have every spiritual gift and strength they need to share the gospel until Jesus
Christ returns again. So we never need to be afraid to share the gospel with
anyone because Jesus gives the gifts and strength we need to do this well.
New Testament – Mark 13:14-27
Mark was not one of the original 12 Apostles. Mark founded the Church in
Alexandria. This church still exists today. He is believed to be one of the 70
disciples, a larger group of Jesus’ followers. Here Jesus is telling us what will
happen when He comes again. Jesus tells us no one knows when He will return.
This is very important to remember. So if you hear someone say they know when
Jesus will return a second time, don’t listen to them. They don’t know. Jesus tells
us His second return will be a total surprise. He reminds us to be ready for His
second coming. How will you get ready for Jesus’ second coming? Listen to the
Dollar Tree Sermon below.
Younger Children Lesson-
Advent
Advent is the time when we get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth. There are four
Sundays before Christmas. We make Advent Wreaths to celebrate Advent. Put 4
candles in a circle. Then put a candle in the middle of the circle. The 4 candles in
a circle are for the 4 Sundays before Christmas. The candle in the middle is for
Christmas Day. Make an Advent Wreath by yourself or with other people.
Each candle in the circle has a special meaning. The first candle is for “Hope.”
The second candle is for “Faith.” The third candle is for “Joy.” The fourth candle
is for “Peace.” The candle in the middle is for Jesus. He is the reason for our
faith, hope, joy and peace.
Isaiah 64:8
One of God’s friend, Isaiah, said God was a “potter” and we are His “clay.” Watch
the fun video below to see what this means.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElBEcitAZ6g
Mark 13:14-37
Jesus tells us to be ready when He comes again. Think about the things you do to
get ready for Christmas. What can you do to get ready for Jesus? There are 25
days to get ready.
Color a star a day as we wait for Christmas on the coloring page:
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