CHRISTMAS PROMISES

 

memory verse for this unit

“This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10, NIV*).

objectives of this unit

This unit will help your students:• Learn to trust God who always keeps his promises• Trust God with their future• Learn to tell others about the joy they feel about the birth of Jesus• Recognize that they need to know Jesus personally• Reinforce their learning about the birth of Christ and joyfully celebrate his birth.

the reason we teach this unit

Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the whole world. Some preadolescents may have lost the enthusiasm they felt for this celebration when they were younger, but they still look forward to it. They know the story of Christmas, but for many, it is only a story. The most exciting things are the gifts and the delicious food. The biblical stories of this unit will serve to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, helping them to recognize the importance of knowing personally the true reason for Christmas: Jesus. They will study the birth of Christ from a new perspective: learning that God planned that birth long before it happened. They will discover the joy that surrounded the birth of the Savior and the emotion that compelled the shepherds to tell everyone the news. Through these lessons, your students will learn that God keeps his promises. And, although it is sometimes difficult to wait for God’s answer, they will know that no matter how much time they must wait, they can trust God because he always remains faithful. It is our desire that during this Christmas season, you and your discipleship group will take time to meditate on the love of God, which manifested itself by sending Jesus to earth as a sacrifice for our sins. Talk with your students about the joy of knowing that we have a faithful God who has provided for us the path to eternal life.

* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™