Recommended Reading

Here is an article with some recommendations for Children's Bibles and books. We use several within the ministry here and I just read about several I want to purchase. The books recommended span all age-groups. Please check it out for ideas for you and your little ones!

More than lip-service

I was having a conversation with a mother who was concerned her son understood the true meaning of Christmas only enough to repeat it back to her, but not in a way where he truly believed it. She said he knew all the right answers but she could tell he was still more enticed by the presents and parties than the celebration of Christ's birth. What do we do when our children know the right answers but don't own them? How do we make the truths of Christmas more than just knowledge?
Truthfully, I'm not sure. But just like in evangelism, we must trust the Lord to cultivate belief. You can teach your children all the right answers, but it is God who changes their hearts to love.
I've written before about the importance of sharing your own story as a method of evangelism. Let me encourage you to take a similar approach when teaching your children about Christmas. Don't stop at explaining what the birth of Christ means to the world, tell what it means to you. When you talk about the difficulty surrounding Mary and Joseph's lot, explain how you would have felt were you in their place. When you describe the angels' song of celebration, relay how you would have felt were you in the field with the shepherds.
Give your child a glimpse into your own love for Christ as it relates to the Christmas story. Share what it is about this time of year that stirs your heart to worship and that excites your faith and increases your joy.
Catechizing your children is not a bad thing. But don't rely only on question-and-answer methods. Use Scripture and your own testimony to teach your child why Christmas reveals the Father's deep love for His children and His plan to redeem them from sin.

Follow-up: Advent Week 3

Story: Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem

Fundamental Truth: The Bible is God’s Perfect Word

Making it Real:
It seemed like everything was working against them! Mary and Joseph had to overcome a lot of obstacles in their young lives. They found themselves having a child before they were planning to, before they were even married. They knew people wouldn’t believe that this child was from God, so they had to deal with what everyone would say. They had to travel from home and have the baby in a town where they didn’t have a room to stay in! And that was just the beginning … What can we learn from this part of Mary and Joseph’s story?
Mary and Joseph show us how to trust God even when it’s hard. We can learn what it looks like to obey in times of pain, confusion and fear. Mary and Joseph could have done things that would make their lives easier, but they chose to obey instead, and because they chose obedience, they were a huge part of the great story of Redemption. And it’s probably a safe guess to assume they were both one hundred percent glad they chose to walk the hard rode of obedience instead of taking the easy way out.

Making it Stick:
Spend some time with your child looking at his or her baby pictures. Tell your child stories of how you got ready for their birth, what you did prepare, how you felt as you prepared. Talk about how you found out you were going to have baby and what you did to celebrate. Talk about how Mary and Joseph found out and how they felt. Talk about how different it must have looked for them to go get ready for the baby, what they did, what people said, etc.

Christmas Service Opportunity

If you are looking for an opportunity to serve with your children this Christmas, there is an opportunity to volunteer at the CCA (Christian Community Action) donation station at Stonebriar Mall. These are 3-hour time slots you can work with your children. Email me (amanda@insideprovidence.com) for contact information and available time slots.
It's a great chance to show your children how to serve this season and spend some sweet time together!

The Hard Truths of Christmas

As we attempt to teach our children the truths of Scripture, may we not neglect the hard truths. The Nativity story is full of pain, scandal and shock. Look at just a sample of some of the facts surround Christ’s birth:

• Mary was an unwed girl who became pregnant.
• Joseph would always carry the stigma of a man whose bride was pregnant before she was married.
• The parents of Jesus were lonely, poor and unknown in Bethlehem.
• King Herod planned to find and kill the child once he heard of His birth.
• Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to escape the plans of Herod.

Depending on your child’s age (the older they get, the more they can comprehend and be exposed to) be honest and forthright about the actual events surrounding the birth of our Forever King. Because, interwoven amidst the unmarried mother, the poor, outcast shepherds, the murdering king and the fleeing family, there is the beauty of a world redeemed. Amidst the story of shame and scandal, there is a greater one of grace, humility and mercy. Miracle after miracle overshadows the ugliness of the fallen world.
In the context of a story we might otherwise try to protect our children from hearing, they can see and understand how "God works all things for the good of those who love Him," (Rom 8:28) and in so learn to trust the Lord during hard times. After all, if Mary and Joseph could worship in the midst of all they were going through, so can we!

Follow-up: Advent Week 2

Story: Jesus is Coming! Angels proclaim the birth

Fundamental Truth: God is in Charge of Everything

Making it Real:
Angels exist to glorify God and carry out His commands. We exist to glorify God also. We give God glory by making Him famous. What are some ways we can make God famous this Christmas season?
We can make Him famous in our own lives by turning from our sins (repentance), offering prayers that praise God for His greatness, praying for those around us and recognizing God’s power over everything, being obedient to our parents and teachers and reading the Bible.
We can make Him famous to other people by telling them the great things He’s done in our life, telling them the truth of Christ’s death to save us from our sins, spending our time in service to others and speaking, singing and praying God’s greatness out loud.

Making it Stick:
Angels appeared to Mary and to Joseph to proclaim the birth of Christ. With your child, come up with ways to proclaim Christ’s birth to your family. You can come up with a song that tells the Good News, a skit or news broadcast, a poem or any other form of proclamation. Include what is happening (the birth of God’s Son), why (to redeem sinners) and what it achieves (restoration to our perfect God). Spend some time one evening proclaiming the news of Christ’s birth to those in your family and/or to neighbors and friends.

Carols & Hymns

One of the most unique aspects of the holiday season is the music. As children grow, they come to know and love the Christmas Carols and Hymns that surround the season and associate them with fond memories, special activities and meaningful traditions.
I encourage you to talk through some of your child's favorite Christmas Carols. They often convey very deep, very sweet theological truths that unless looked for or explored, may be missed by you and your children. So talk through the lyrics to Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, and other favorites. Even secular carols can communicate the excitement of the holidays and provide a transition to talk about the spiritual.
So take some time these next few weeks to talk about the words we are singing, and, like always, let me encourage you to sing with your child often and loudly, and in so doing convey a joyful worship to our King!

Follow-up: Advent Week 1

Story: Jesus is Coming! The birth of Christ foretold

Fundamental Truth: God is Good

Making it Real:
When sin entered the world, everything changed. God’s perfect world became imperfect. God’s very good creation, people, became lost in their own sin and separated from God. But God is good, and from the beginning gave us hope that sin would not win. For hundreds, even thousands of years God gave us clues about Jesus. Why didn’t God send Jesus immediately after sin came into the world?
The whole time that God waited to send Jesus, He was preparing His people to receive Him. God was making us ready for the promised Rescuer. God was showing us why it was necessary that Jesus bridge the gap to God. He was showing us how we can never be good enough to get to God alone. He was making us see that there is no other way, no other hope, but Jesus Christ.

Making it Stick:
Make up an easy recipe with your child. Have them choose a few ingredients for the recipe and blend or cook the ingredients together. After you’ve tasted what you made, have your child change 1 or 2 of the ingredients and cook again. Talk about how each ingredient is unique and adds to the taste. Talk about how if you change one thing, the result is different. Talk through how God gave us very specific prophesies that all resulted in Jesus and His saving work.

Advent Calendar

A few days ago we talked about the importance of Advent as a season of preparation and expectation. We have now put together this online calendar to help you initiate some traditions and customs into your family and to help guide you on ideas on how to instill the true spirit of Christmas into your children's minds and hearts.

Have a blessed holiday season!