Wk 49 Advent Starts

BIG THOUGHT:

To discover the Spiritual window behind the celebration of gifts and carols of God reaching down to mankind and bringing us our Savior, forgiveness, restoration of the World.

GEST:

To investigate God’s plan to restore mankind to His heart, in the midst of tinsel and lights.

BEST LINE:

CHRISTMAS A-Z: Finding God in the tinsel and lights.

Here’s a selection of Christmas-related words organized from A to Z, showcasing various aspects of the holiday season:

A - Angel, Advent, Advent Calendar

B - Bauble, Bells, Bethlehem

C - Candy Cane, Carol, Christmas Tree

D - Decorations, December, Donkey

E - Elf, Eggnog, Evergreen

F - Festive, Festival, Frosty, Fruitcake

G - Gifts, Gingerbread, Garland

H - Holly, Hope, Hymn

I - Icicle, Immanuel, Invitation

J - Joy, Jingle Bells, Jesus

K - Kringle, Kindness, Kwanzaa

L - Lights, Love, Laughter

M - Mistletoe, Merry, Miracle

N - Nativity, Noel, Nutcracker

O - Ornaments, Outreach, O Holy Night

P - Poinsettia, Peace, Presents

Q - Quiet, Quarters (as in holiday quarters)

R - Reindeer, Ribbon, Rudolph

S - Santa Claus, Sleigh, Stocking

T - Tinsel, Tradition, Tree

U - Unity, Unwrap, Usher

V - Vixen, Vigil, Vows

W - Wreath, Wonder, Warmth

X - Xmas, Xylophone (as in Christmas music)

Y - Yule, Yuletide, Yearning

Z - Zeal, Zest, Zany (as in festive fun)

CAROLS

O Come O Come Emanual

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

O Holy Night

O Little Town of Bethlehem (3rd verse)

CHRISTMAS A-Z: Finding God in the tinsel and lights.

WEEK 1: A, B, C, D, E, F

ANGEL

Zachariah

Luke 1:8–9 ESV

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

Mary

Luke 1:31–33 ESV

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Joseph

Matthew 1:19 ESV

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Shepherds

Luke 2:9 ESV

9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

Luke 2:13 ESV

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

Joseph

Matthew 2:13–15 ESV

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Why Does This Matter?

The angelic messages to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds all convey significant news. Not only did Gabriel predict the birth of John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for the Lord, but he also announced the coming of Christ.

The other angels, though unnamed, supported these messages. Joseph learned that the child Mary bore was the Son of God, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Likewise, the angel who appeared to the shepherds delivered a message that reminds us that Jesus identified with the lowly and common people. He is the promised Messiah, the Savior of all.

A to Z

A - Angel, Advent, Advent Calendar

B - Bauble, Bells, Bethlehem

C - Candy Cane, Carol, Christmas Tree

D - Decorations, December, Donkey

E - Elf, Eggnog, Evergreen

F - Festive, Festival, Frosty, Fruitcake

CAROLS — DECORATIONS — FESTIVALS

Decorations and Festivals MAKES SENSE in the light of the stories of Angels

Celebratory events have...

special decor

special music

special presentations that lead to

special memories

Let’s end today with one Carol of Christmastide

CAROLS

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Let’s Pray