I "heard" about the Jesse Tree as an Advent celebration back in September and really liked the idea of looking at the earthly lineage of Jesus Christ as a way of preparing our hearts for Christmas -- keeping our focus where it belongs: on Jesus and not on all the trappings and busyness of the season. As I learned more about it, I realized that this would be a great topic for an Advent season unit study. We could learn Biblical history and geography and also learn more about some of the wonderful things that the Lord has created that would be mentioned in the stories. As the Bible is really a library in itself, opportunities to look at various aspects of language arts would be easy to find. There is so much wonderful music available to go along with a study of this sort, and we could use various art techniques and materials to make our ornaments (leaves). My head was almost spinning with the possibilities! As our children are still pretty young, I'm trying to keep things pretty simple for our children this year (we will not be doing all of the activities/ideas listed), but I hope to develop this unit more fully and include ideas to use with older children as well.
I started out by reviewing the information in two books: Jesse Tree Devotions by Marilyn Breckenridge and The Jesse Tree by Ramond and Georgene Anderson. I know there are several other books on this topic, but these were the ones that I happened to receive in time to begin. As I've gone through the material in these two books, I've made decisions about which symbols to use (not all the information is consistent) and have added additional appropriate scripture references as they come to mind. This is a work in progress and is being developed as we go, so if something seems sketchy, please check back at a later date to see whether the idea has been further developed. Because it is developed from a devotional, selections are included for each day of the week throughout the Advent season.On Mondays we will usually be doing sort of double duty so that we cover the Sunday selections as well. We may do the Bible reading on Sundays, but the activities will be saved for Mondays. Throughout the whole month we'll be having Claire look up the scripture passages in her Bible. It was so neat to see how the timing of this fit so well with what she is learning in AWANA. She is learning the books of the Bible (New Testament right now) and it was a wonderful tie in to help her learn Bible Skills, which also incorporates Language Arts & Math (How to use a Table of Contents and Chapter & Verse Markings and headings as well as Page numbers -- sequencing).
I hope this encourages your heart during this wonderful season when we prepare to celebrate the Birth of our Lord Jesus!
First Sunday: The Jesse Tree -- Christ Jesus is the
new Shoot (King) out of the Root (line) of Jesse (David)
Scriptures: Isaiah 11:1-5, 1st Samuel 16:1-13, Romans 15:12
Science: Went outside to see where new growth had come out of
some of the stumps where trees were cut down.
Social Studies: Remembered the family tree that we made a couple
of weeks ago to go with They Were Strong and Good.
Language Arts: Talked about what a "shoot" is &
read verse of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" that deals with
the rod of Jesse
Art: Each child has his own poster. On each we drew a freeform
tree -- growing from an old stump. We did this with black marker.
The "ornaments" or "leaves" that the kids
make will all be things that can be glued on to this poster. For
the family as a whole, Jerry has taken a branch that I found and
mounted it into a flat section of a large log. (Click here to
see photos of our Jesse Trees)
I'm hoping/planning to do some nicer 3-D ornaments that we can
use in future years as well.
Ornament/Leaf: We picked up a small twig from the yard for each
child to glue onto the base of the tree to represent the Shoot
from the root of Jesse.
First Monday: Creation and man's special place in it.
-- Creation - with man (created in God's image) to rule over it
Scriptures: Genesis 1:1 & Genesis 1:26-31
Social Studies/Science: Talked about why man is special (made
in God's image, given dominion over the earth, given responsibility
to care for the earth). We reviewed why we recycle things and
try not to waste water (to preserve natural resources).
Music: We sang "God Said That's Good", a creation song
we learned last spring when we did a unit on the 7 days of creation.
We also talked about how a couple of the songs we heard on one
of the kids' CDs correlated with our study (one was about creation,
the other talked about a Savior being born in David's town).
Ornament/Leaf: For this one we just used some clip-art from Print
Shop. I superimposed a silhouette of a couple (to represent Adam
& Eve) on a clip of the earth with clouds & stars in the
atmosphere. As we glue these on we will review silhouettes as
an art technique (review from Cranberry Thanksgiving &
an activity at our church homeschool group's "Colonial Day").
1st Tuesday: Sin Enters the World -- Man is Fallen:
Sin has entered the world
Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-24 & I Corinthians 15:21-22
Social Studies/Language Arts: Discuss the following questions,
looking not only at effects of sin on our relationship with God,
but how it affects our relationships with other people.:
What is sin? (Rebellion against God)
What does sin do to us? (Separates us from God)
What is God's remedy for sin? (Jesus' death on the cross in our
place).
What do we need to do when we sin?
1. Agree with God that what we did was wrong.
2. Ask forgiveness
3. Ask for help to not sin again.
4. Try to right the offense (apologize, repay, make up for the
offense in some way)
Math/Reasoning: Mazes featuring events in Eden (From Heavenly
Helpers series by Grace Publications.)
Music: Selection from Handel's Messiah that has I Cor. 15:21-22
as the text (piece #41 according to our recording)
Ornament/Leaf: We will make a fruit (non-specific) from art-foam
& wrap a chenille "snake" around it and glue it
in place on the posters.
First Wednesday: Redemption of a Remnant - Noah's Family
-- God preserved Noah & his family when they obeyed Him. The
proper response to salvation is worship.
Scriptures: Genesis 6:11-22; Genesis 8:15 - 9:2; Genesis 9:8-17
Social Studies/Language Arts: Discuss the following:
Did Noah & his family obey God?
What would have happened to them if they had not obeyed? Protection
results from obedience.
What did Noah do when they left the ark? (offered a sacrifice
in worship). We should be thankful to the Lord for our salvation.
Applied Math: How many decks (levels) on the ark? (3). What is
a pair? (A set of two - usually a matched set); applied this concept
to the animal cookies they had for dessert. Counting by two, using
the 100 chart as a tool; review of odd & even numbers (even
can be divided into two equal parts).
Math/Reasoning: Mazes featuring events from the story of Noah
(From Heavenly Helpers series by Grace Publications.
Science:
Why a male and female of each animal? (So that they could have
animal babies.)
How many colors in the rainbow? (7) {Could look at the rainbow
in more depth.}
Ideas for Music: Noah's Boat; Arky, Arky; Trust & Obey
Ornament/Leaf: Used a stencil to make an ark & a rainbow &
colored with markers. Talked a little bit about primary/secondary
colors & why we color the rainbow in the order we do.
First Thursday: The Call of Abram/Abraham -- Abraham
believed God & obeyed His call, even when the destination
was unclear.
Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-7; Genesis 13:14-18; Hebrews 11:1-16
Social Studies/Language Arts:
What does it mean that Abraham believed God or that he had faith
in God (Knowledge that creates conviction: belief strong
enough to cause action on the belief.)
Do we sometimes have to obey even when we don't understand?
Geography: Look at map of Abram's travels (Ur of the Chaldees,
Haran, Shechem, Bethel, Egypt); compare to modern map (Iraq, Syria,
Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt)
Music Ideas: That's What Faith Must Be; Father Abraham
Ornament/Leaf: Make tent out of cloth (with open flap), put cut
out camel in front (used some wavy cardboard packing material)
First Friday: Isaac - God will provide a Lamb -- God's
provision is perfect: first a son, then a substitutionary sacrifice.
Scriptures: Genesis 21:1-7; Genesis 22: 1-14; John 1:29
Social Studies: Names:
Isaac means laughter - why are people given certain names?
Why do names change today? (significant life events: marriage,
adoption)
Biblical characters w/name changes: Abraham & Sarah; Jacob
(preview tomorrow); Simon Peter; Paul
Language Arts:
Foreshadowing: God provided a Ram to die in Isaac's place - He
later gave His Only Son to die in the place of all who have sinned.
Vocabulary: substitute, behold
Science: video on Bible animals (focus on sheep/ram - from today
- and camel - from yesterday)
Music Ideas: They Called Him Laughter; God Will Provide a Lamb;
Watch the Lamb
Ornament/Leaf: For today's symbol, we used clip-art again. Using
Print Shop, I made small single-folded cards with a ram on the
outside (for the ram that died in Isaac's place) and a lamb &
cross on the inside (to represent Jesus, the Lamb of God). We
glued the back of the card onto the tree posters. The ram is visible
at first glance, but the card can be opened to see the Lamb. This
tied in with the foreshadowing idea -- the Ram being a reminder
of The Lamb.
Note: When we reviewed this story at the end of the week, Jerry did a wonderful job of bringing this story alive and personalizing it for our children. He put himself in Abraham's place and Justin in Isaac's place in the story - and they talked about how Jerry would feel if God asked him to put Justin on our woodpile and set it on fire - and how Abraham and Isaac must have felt, but how Abraham also believed that God would make everything right and so was prepared to obey.
First Saturday: Jacob: God's Presence with and protection
of those He calls - He makes Himself known. Proper response to
God's Presence is worship.
Scriptures: Genesis 28:5 Genesis 28:10-22
Social Studies
Who are some other people God spoke to in dreams? (Pharaoh, Joseph
-OT & NT, the Magi)
How does God usually speak to us today? (Through the Bible or
other believers, sometimes within our hearts or minds - must ALWAYS
agree with scripture or is not of God.)
How do we know God is with us? (Look up Matthew 28:16-20)
Renewal of the promise given to Abraham
How did Jacob respond? (Awe & worship)
Science/Social Studies/Bible: Jerry used a slab of rock (left-over
from what was put on our house) and had the kids lay their heads
down on it. They decided it wouldn't be very comfortable to sleep
on. Then he talked about what Jacob did with the rock when he
woke from his dream. Jerry pointed out why Jacob would have set
it up on end (to make it stand out as a marker or memorial - the
way the kids have marked a couple of small mostly hidden stumps
in our yard).
Language Arts: Meaning of Bethel (House of God)
Music Ideas: Jacob's Ladder; Jacob's Dream; Asleep on Holy Ground
Ornament/Leaf: Jacob's Ladder made out of craft sticks and toothpicks
Second Sunday: The Children of Israel --God has chosen
a People for Himself. He works in and through the people He chooses.
He makes leaders/heroes/examples of ordinary people.
Scriptures: Genesis 32:28; Genesis 35:9-15; 35:22b-26; Genesis
49:10; Numbers 24:17
Social Studies:
Why was Jacob's name changed? (God was changing him)
What was Jacob's response to God working in His life? (worship)
How many sons did Jacob have? (12)
Why were these sons important? (Became the 12 tribes of Israel).
Emphasize that Messiah was to come from the line of Judah.
What is a hero?
Who are some leaders/heroes today?
Language Arts/Math: List the sons according to mother & compare
lists. Claire had a really great time with this activity. We wrote
several "math sentences" (equations) that went along
with the lists. She then came up with the idea to draw a balance
(carry-over from our math lesson earlier in the day). We put Leah's
sons on one side of the balance and all the other sons on the
other side. I had just listed the mother's names, not those of
the sons, and she pointed out that the list of 3 mothers would
be heavier than the list of 1 mother. It was really neat to see
this carry-over.
Music Ideas: Asleep on Holy Ground; A star shall rise from Jacob's
house
Ornament/Leaf: Star of David made from chenille stems: I broke
each stem in half, then made a triangle from each piece, intertwining
the triangles to make a "Star of David."
Second Monday: Joseph - God uses for good even what
man intends for evil
Scriptures: Genesis 37:1-36; Genesis 45:4-13; Genesis 50:15-21;
Romans 8:28
Social Studies:
Review briefly what happened to Joseph while He was in Egypt (slavery,
jail, integrity & leadership, interpretation of dreams, placed
over whole land of Egypt, reunion with family) - we looked at
Joseph's story when we studied The Rag Coat.
Can you think of something in our lives that seemed to be bad,
but then turned out to be good? (Delay in moving into our house
last year - put us closer to medical care.)
Language Arts: Simple Word Search & Secret code worksheets
related to story of Joseph. (From Heavenly Helpers series by Grace
Publications.)
Math/Reasoning: Mazes, dot-to-dots, number tracing worksheets
related to story of Joseph. (From Heavenly Helpers series by Grace
Publications.)
Music Ideas:
Ornament/Leaf: Joseph's Coat of Many Colors: I made a coat shape
out of cardboard and supplied several small fabric scraps which
the children glued onto the coat shape in whatever way they pleased.
Second Tuesday: Moses: God tells His people what He
wants them to do. All the law is summed up in loving God &
loving our neighbor. (Purpose of the Law: to show us our need
for Christ)
Scriptures: Exodus 20:1-17; (Deuteronomy. 18:15-19); Matthew 22:36-40;
(Matthew 5:17-48); (Galatians 3:24; Romans 7)
Language Arts (Social Studies): List the Ten Commandments and
discuss how each is fulfilled in Loving God or Loving our Neighbor.
(maybe do a matching activity).
Social Studies: Locate Mount Sinai
Bible: With older students this could be the lead-in for a more
in-depth look at the Law and its purpose (to show us our need
for Christ) (Scriptures listed in parentheses pertain to this.)
Math/Reasoning: Worksheets related to Moses and or Ten commandments
(From Heavenly Helpers series by Grace Publications.)
Music Ideas: A Face that Shone
Ornament/Leaf: Stone Tablets representing the Ten Commandments.
I found a picture of the ten commandments written on stone tables
in an catalogue for a Christian bookstore.
Second Wednesday: Ruth: God calls & saves people
of all nations. Sometimes He uses people we would not expect Him
to use.
Scriptures: Ruth 1-4; Revelation 5:1-14 (esp. 9); (Isaiah 55:9);
(Proverbs 22:1)
Social Studies:
Geography: Locate Moab (in current Jordan)
Relationships:
God made all people. Who do we know that is of a different race
than we are?
Is any race better than any other? (no)
Do some people think one race is better than another? (yes)
Will there be people of all races in heaven? (yes)
Why did Boaz treat Ruth so well? (She had a good reputation)
Is a good name/reputation important? (Proverbs 22:1)
Family Relationships: How was Ruth related to Jesse & David?
Does God always do things the way we think He should? (Isaiah
55:9)
Math/Reasoning: worksheets (From Heavenly Helpers series by Grace
Publications.) Science/Language Arts:What types of grain are mentioned
in the story? Do you know any other kinds of grain?
What was done on the "threshing floor?" (Vocabulary
- thresh)
Music Ideas: Wither Thou Goest
Ornament/Leaf: Sheaf of Grain -- We made these from chenille stems
Second Thursday: Samuel: God chooses and calls people to
serve Him. Sometimes the people are young when He calls.
Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-21; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Timothy 4:12
Bible/Social Studies:
Who are some people that God called when they were young? (Samuel,
David, Daniel, Mary, Timothy)
What did it mean when Samuel anointed David? (That he would become
King)
Would Samuel have picked David if God had not told him to? (No,
he would have picked one of the older brothers.
Do people sometimes think young people can't do things? (Yes)
(See if kids get the tie-in with Dave & the Giant Pickle)
Does God see people the same way man does? (No)
Math/Reasoning: worksheets (From Heavenly Helpers series by
Grace Publications.)
Music Ideas: Samuel; Little Guys Can Do Big Things Too
*Could further explore the idea of "anointing."
Ornament/Leaf: Horn of Oil: cut out of a horn
Second Friday: David: God desires that we be "after
His own heart" - that we want the things that He wants, that
we be conformed to His image.
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 13:13-14; (2 Samuel 5:1-5); Acts 13:20-24;
(Psalm 51); (Romans 12:1-2)
Bible/Language Arts/Social Studies:
What does it mean to be "after God's own heart"? (Wanting
what God wants - being more concerned about His glory than about
ourselves - being transformed into His image.)
Review the story of David & Goliath. How does this story show
that David was a man after God's own heart? (He was concerned
for God's glory)
How can we be people after God's own heart? (Psalm 51; Romans
12:1-2)
David was a shepherd. What is a shepherd? How is this like Jesus?
David was a king. What is a king? How is this like Jesus?
Math/Reasoning: worksheets (From Heavenly Helpers series by
Grace Publications.)
Music Ideas: Only a Boy Named David; Create in Me a Clean Heart,
O God
Ornament/Leaf: Shepherd's Staff, (Lyre,) & Crown: We used
a shepherd's staff (cut from brown cardboard) and a crown (cut
from yellow paper & decorated with drops of "glitter
glue" for jewels.
Second Saturday: Solomon: God desires that his people
be discerning, that they have wisdom that only He can give.
Scriptures: 1 Kings 3:3-15, 28; Philippians 1:9-11; Proverbs 9:10;
James 1:5
Bible/Language Arts/Social Studies:
What is wisdom? (The ability to make the right choices at the
right time - based upon a holy reverence for the Lord. It involves
understanding of right and wrong and their consequences. It is
the right application of knowledge. Correctly using the knowledge
of right and wrong.)
How do we get wisdom? (See Proverbs 9:10 and James 1:5)
What are proverbs?
*This could be an excellent place for an older student to do a
word study of wisdom. It can be a difficult concept to explain,
especially to young ones.
Music Ideas:
Ornament/Leaf: Balance: I used clip art to make a balance (triangle
for fulcrum & a wide line for the balance). On one side we
put an empty shape (we used a hexagon) to represent whatever it
was we were weighing/measuring (an activity, what someone says,
etc.) and on the other end we used a square with a question mark
inside. Above the balance were two squares of the same size; one
with the word "right" inside, the other with the word
"wrong" inside. This was to represent how we are to
"weigh" things to determine whether they are right or
wrong.
*Note: Deciding which of the OT prophets we would study was not
a particularly easy task. Some of the prophets we did not use
during this week have more Messianic prophecy (Zechariah for example)
but were more difficult to represent symbolically and I had fewer
resources to use regarding them that would work well with young
children. In future years as the children get older we will probably
look at different prophets.
Third Sunday: Prophecy: God spoke to His people through
the prophets to call them to be faithful to Him. Many of the prophets
spoke about the Messiah who would come.
Scriptures: Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 35:1-10; Isaiah 42:6-9; Isaiah
60:1-3; (John 8:12); (John 9:8)
Bible/Language Arts:
What is a prophet? (One who speaks for another or for a cause.
In the Bible, true prophets were those who spoke God's word to
His people.)
Can there be false prophets? (Yes)
How would the people know if a prophet was a true prophet or a
false prophet? (Did what they say agree with what scripture they
already had?)
Bible/Science:
How easy is it to walk in the dark?
What does a candle or flashlight do in a dark place?
Does a light help? Does a nightlight help at night?
Who is the Light of the world? (Jesus - according to John's gospel.
Matthew's gospel also speaks of believers as being light in the
world.)
*Note: When we talked about this, we remembered the candle-light
part of the Christmas cantata we'd just had at church. We also
turned out all the lights when we talked about this section for
our Advent wreath.
What is a desert like?
How was Jesus like a flower in the desert? (Beauty in the midst
of barren waste - purity in the midst of sin.)
Music ideas: Pieces #8, 9, & 10 from Handel's Messiah (from
Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 60:1-3, & Isaiah 9:2); Arise, Shine For
Thy Light is Come; Thy Word; (Claire also made the connection
to "Sparks for Jesus" from AWANA - being "sparks
to light the world" and "shine for Jesus.")
Ornament/Leaf: Candle & Flower: My plan is to make paper or
felt flowers and glue on a small birthday candle & a paper
or felt "flame."
Third Monday: Elijah: God wants us to stand against idolatry,
even if we feel like we are standing alone.
Scriptures: I Kings 17:1 - 19:18 (Covers several stories about
Elijah); we will focus on I Kings 17:24; I Kings 18:21-24; &
I Kings 18:36-39
Bible/social studies (math): We will use story from The Word &
Song Bible and then look specifically at I Kings 17:24, I Kings
18:21-24, & I Kings 18:36-39 to emphasize how Elijah spoke
for God (was a prophet).
Was Ahab a good king or a bad king? (Bad)
Why? (He encouraged the people to worship idols - tie in with
10 commandments.
Are all of our leaders today good leaders? (No)
Were there more prophets for Baal or for God? (math -- comparison)
Who was right?
Is something right just because many people say so?
Is something right just because a leader says so?
Language arts: Sequencing: major events of story (stories)
Math/Reasoning: worksheets (From Heavenly Helpers series by
Grace Publications.)
Music ideas:
Ornament/Leaf: Altar of 12 stones: we will try to find small pebbles
to glue onto pattern for altar of 12 stones (could use buttons
in place of pebbles)
Third Tuesday: Isaiah: God used Isaiah to provide many
word pictures of what Jesus would be like.
Scriptures: Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 40:11;
Isaiah 53; Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 8:16-17; Luke 4:17-21; Acts
8:26-39; Romans 15:12
Bible/Language arts:
What does Immanuel (Emmanuel) mean? (God with us)
How was Jesus Emmanuel? (He was God and yet became man)
Vocabulary:
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty, Eternal/Everlasting, Prince, Peace
How do these Names apply to Jesus?
How does Isaiah 40:11 picture Jesus? (As a shepherd - review David,
look forward to shepherds in the nativity)
What NT passages match up with the passages from Isaiah? (probably
more for older student - maybe make a matching game for the younger
ones?)
· Is. 11:10 - Rm. 15:12
· Is. 53 - Mt. 8:16-17 & Acts 8:26-39
· Is. 61:1-3 - Luke 4:17-21
Music Ideas: Emmanuel; For Unto Us a Child is Born; Beauty for
Ashes
Ornament/Leaf: We will use a Collage of Names for Jesus from Isaiah:
Emmanuel; Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God; Eternal (Everlasting)
Father; Prince of Peace
Third Wednesday: Jeremiah: God desires His people to seek
His Face. He promises to establish a new covenant with them.
Scriptures: Jeremiah 23:5-6; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 29:11-13;
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 119:11
Bible/Social Studies/Language Arts:
What does Righteous mean?
Who was the Righteous Branch that Jeremiah spoke of?
How is Jesus, the Lord our Righteousness?
Does God have a plan for your life?
How can you find out what it is?
What is a covenant?
What was the new covenant that God said He would establish?
How can we have God's law in our minds and written on our hearts?
(Scripture memory)
Music Ideas: Sparks for Jesus, Thy Word, Robes of Righteousness
Ornament/Leaf: The Bible on a heart: We used a heart cut out of
art foam. Then used a small piece of colored paper (folded) to
represent the Bible. (On the outside I put a cross & "Holy
Bible"; on the inside I wrote out part of Jeremiah 31:33).
Third Thursday: Daniel: : God is sovereign, even when things
are frightening. Daniel obeyed God even when the consequences
were frightening and God protected Him
Scriptures: Daniel 6:1-28; Daniel 9:24-25; Romans 8:28-39
Science:
Lions - use information from the encyclopedia
Could also look at how Daniel and his friends ate only vegetables,
not wanting to eat foods that had not been prepared according
to the Mosaic dietary laws. Plants versus animals worksheet (classification).
Math/reasoning: Mazes & dot-to-dots featuring story of Daniel.
(From Heavenly Helpers series by Grace Publications.)
Bible/SS/Relationships: Daniel's good reputation. There was nothing
to offend in Daniel's behavior. A special law had to be made in
order to find fault with him. Are similar laws made today?
Jealousy: The other wise men acted out of jealousy. What was the
end result? (Their destruction.)
Bible/History/Prophecy: Daniel's prophecy regarding the time of
Messiah's appearing. {Find information on how this was fulfilled
at the time of the Triumphal Entry.}
We watched two Veggie Tale videos: Where's God when I'm Scared?
(Story of Daniel) and Rack, Shack, & Benny (story of Shadrach,
Meshach, & Abednego and the fiery furnace)
Music Ideas: Dare to be a Daniel; God is in Control
Ornament/Leaf: Lion: We made lion faces using mixed media: cardboard
base, wiggle eyes, art-foam noses with mouths drawn in ink, manes
made of cotton with yellow paint daubed on.
Third Friday: Jonah: God cares for all people; He is more
interested in seeing sinners repent than He is in punishing them.
Scriptures: Jonah 1-4; Romans 2:4b; Matthew 12:39-41
Geography: Ninevah, Tarshish, Joppa
Bible/SS: Ninevah was not a city of Israel. God was still concerned
about its people. He desired their repentance, not their destruction.
Math/Reasoning: Mazes & dot-to-dots featuring Jonah.
Language Arts: Foreshadowing: How does Jonah's time in the belly
of the fish foreshadow Jesus (His time in the tomb - See Mt. 12:39-41)
Music Ideas: Should I Not Be Concerned; It's Your Kindness that
Leads us to Repentance
Ornament/Leaf: Jonah in the fish: Use watercolors or markers to
make a simple representation of this scene (Stick figure of Jonah
inside fish in the water).
Third Saturday: Angels:God sends messengers (angels) to
deliver news (usually good news) to His people.
Scriptures: Hebrews 1:1-14 (esp. 13-14); Hebrews 13:1-2
Bible:
What are angels? (Messengers - more specifically, supernatural
messengers - whose purposes are to deliver a message to humans,
carry out God's will, praise God, or guard God's throne. They
are created beings with the ability to choose right and wrong
- Satan is the primary example of a fallen angel.)
Mnemonic for remembering the purposes of angels: proclaim, protect,
praise, punish.
Angels are seen often in the Christmas story.
*Note: this would be an excellent place to begin a topical study
of angels - starting with a concordance and studying what the
bible has to say about angels. There are many misconceptions about
angels present in today's society.
Music Ideas: Angels We Have Heard on High; Angels from the Realms
of Glory
Ornament/Leaf: Angel (We used clip-art, although this would be
a pretty easy one to get creative with.)
Fourth Sunday: Zechariah & Elizabeth: God can do
anything. Nothing is impossible for God.
Scripture: Luke 1:5-25
Geography: Judea & Jerusalem
Diagram of the Temple: Holy Place w/altar of incense
Lineage: Zechariah & Elizabeth both w/lineage in the tribe
of Levi
What job did the angel Gabriel do? (Proclaim) (One might also
consider Zechariah's period of muteness a punishment for disbelief.)
Why did Zechariah not believe the angel? (Elizabeth was old and
had always been barren.)
Is anything too difficult for God?
How did Elizabeth respond: glorified God.
Music ideas:
Ornament/Leaf: Couple with a hand over man's mouth. (I found a
picture of this in a coloring book.)
Fourth Monday: Mary: God desires our willing cooperation.
Are we as willing as Mary to be used for God's glory?
Scripture: Luke 1:26-56 (especially 38 & 45-49)
Use selection from Mary's First Christmas.
Did Mary believe Gabriel? (Yes - she did ask "how" but
apparently not with the disbelieving attitude that Zechariah had
shown previously.)
What was Mary's response? ("I am the Lord's servant,"
Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said.")
What did Mary do next? (Went to visit Elizabeth)
How did Elizabeth greet her? (When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the
Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! "And
how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come
to me? "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached
my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she
who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been
spoken to her by the Lord.")
What was Mary's response to this greeting?
(To give God praise - commonly referred to as the Magnificat.)
Why would we use a lily to represent Mary? - White for purity.
Music ideas: Mary Did You Know?
Ornament/Leaf: Lily (We used clip-art, but felt would also be
a good option for this one.)
Fourth Tuesday: Joseph of Nazareth: God chose Joseph,
a just and righteous man, to be Jesus' adoptive father.
Scriptures: Luke 2:4-5; Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:13-14
Use selection from Mary's First Christmas.
Geography: Nazareth
What is the father's role in the family? (head)
What do we know about Joseph? (He was a carpenter. He was from
Nazareth. He apparently did not believe Mary when she told him
about the origin of her pregnancy. He did not want to create
a scandal. Once spoken to by God, he obeyed.
How did God speak to Joseph? (Through an angel in a dream)
What was the angel's job in these two stories?
Proclamation - telling Joseph the truth.
Protection - first protected Mary's reputation, later protection
of Mary and Jesus in the escape to Egypt.
This could be an opportunity to talk about adoption.
Music Ideas: Joseph's Song
Ornament/Leaf: Carpenter's square and saw
Fourth Wednesday: John the Baptist: God sent John to
prepare the way for Jesus.
Scriptures: Luke 1:13-17 & 57-80; Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:14;
Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13; John 1:22-23; Luke 3:2-6; Isaiah
40:1-5
What did Gabriel tell Zechariah about John?
What did Zechariah prophesy about John?
What OT prophecy was fulfilled in John?
(Isaiah 40:1-5, Malachi 4:5-6)
How was John like Elijah?
Older students could look at later episodes in the life of John
the Baptist.
Music Ideas: Pieces #2 & 3 from Handel's Messiah
Ornament/Leaf: Shell or tunic or man in water or highway in desert
(I also found a coloring book picture for this one.)
Fourth Thursday: Shepherds: God chose shepherds to be
among the first to hear the news of Christ's birth.
Scriptures: Luke 2:8-18: Psalm 23
Use selection from Mary's First Christmas.
What do we know about shepherd and sheep? (Use selections from
Bible dictionary or other sources.)
Can you think of any reasons why God had the angels tell the shepherds
about Jesus birth?
How do you think the shepherds felt when the angels appeared?
What did the angels do in this part of the story? (Proclaimed
& praised)
How did the shepherds respond to the angels' news?
Music Ideas: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night
Ornament/Leaf: Staff & lamb
Fourth Friday: Bethlehem: God used a pagan king to accomplish
His purpose of having Messiah born in small, rather obscure town.
Scriptures: Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-6
What is a census?
Take a census of toys, dolls, stuffed animals. They must all
be sorted and in their right rooms/baskets (possibly with the
original owner if they have been passed around within the family).
This could be a simple tally census (introduce or practice with
tally markings -- MATH) or as lists (Language arts - categorizing
into lists). It might also serve to help re-organize toys. (I
know we need this!)
Bethlehem as a small town near the capital city of Jerusalem.
We live in a small town with two "lodging" places.
Our small town is near the capital city of our state. Imagine
what it would be like to have huge numbers of people come to our
small town. Where would they stay? Even with families opening
their homes to others, there still would probably not be enough
room for everyone.
Music Ideas: O Little Town of Bethlehem
Ornament/Leaf: Star of Bethlehem &/or town with Star above
Christmas Eve: The Manger: God chose a humble place
for Christ's birth.
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7
Where were you born?
What was that place like? Was it clean and warm and dry?
What is a manger? (A trough for feeding animals)
How does that compare to where you were born?
Why was Jesus born in a stable?
This is an opportunity to share with your children stories about
when they were born (or when you received them if adopted).
Possibly read Jacob's Gift.
Music Ideas: Away in a Manger
Ornament/Leaf: Manger
Christmas Day: Jesus Christ: God loves us so much that
Jesus came to earth - to be like us, yet sinless and to die in
our place.
Scriptures: John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:5-8; John 3:16
Why did Jesus come as a baby?
What did Jesus give up when He came to earth?
How did He come - as a Ruler or a servant?
How can we follow Christ's example?
Music Ideas: In the Beginning was the Word; Emmanuel; Carmen Christi;
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Ornament/Leaf: Chi-Rho
This study has been a tremendous blessing to our family this year and has really helped us to keep our focus on Christ. It will become part of our Christmas tradition.