December 21, 2008

Christmas...

I want to teach my kids to learn the anticipation of Christ being born this year, not just of when to open presents. I have wanted to do something for Advent, but I haven't been able to get anything started.

Saturday night I had an idea of teaching my kids the covenants in the Old Testament. One or two for every day leading up to Christmas Day, starting Sunday. We will light a candle for each covenant promise.

Here they are in basic form (I plan to add more substance when I share with my kids):
  1. Adam & Eve ~ a male child
  2. Noah ~ a rainbow (promise to never destroy man with a flood so the promise could come)
  3. Abraham ~ a land & through Abraham's son
  4. Moses & David ~ a nation (it was to bring the promise by the tribe of Judah through the everlasting throne of David)
  5. New Covenant ~ no longer a people but a spiritual people (he would live in their hearts)
Sunday morning's sermon helped solidify how to picture the last covenant. The message was on how Christ is the Temple now (taken from John 2:12-22), and he is a spiritual Temple not a physical building.

I want to picture this as Jesus needing presents for his birthday; and like the new covenant is in our hearts and is a spiritual one so Jesus desires a spiritual present from us. To show that there are gifts we can give that are not given with our hands and they aren't wrapped in paper.

My prayer is that this will lead them to understand how it is to trust Christ as their Savior....
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2 comments:

  1. Rev. DaveDecember 21, 2008 at 2:57 PM

    Gwen,

    I haven't been good at using it lately, but I stumbled upon the idea of a Jesse Tree to use for Advent devotions this year. It has stuff for the kids to color/make, so it might be something to consider for a future year, too:

    http://www.rca.org/Page.aspx?pid=1628

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  2. Qbear5December 22, 2008 at 8:51 AM

    Thanks Dave.

    I looked at the Jesse Tree project when you posted it on your blog and have been using the pictures already. I just haven't been able to do all the lessons. That's why I shortened it to these last 5 days. :)

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