Family Fuel Pack December 2016 JOY What’s Inside?! Everything you need to help take what your son or daughter are learning on Sunday & Wednesday and make it real at home! Our hope is that these tools will help you connue the conversaon related to our monthly virtue, weekly boom line, and memory verses. The Pieces: Parent Cue: This piece is for you. It has the Virtue with the definion, the memory verse, the bible story of the week, and the boom line for each week. Plus it has quesons for you to ask your kids during meal mes and quesons for you , like how does the virtue relate to your life. If you have a preschooler we’ve included a special Small Talk Card. God Time Cards: These pieces are for your kids. Each week there will be a new devoonal card for your kids If you have a Kindergartner - 3rd grade this will be an acvity that they will likely need assistance with. Extra Memory Verses: We value storing up the Word of God in our heart . We want to provide you and your kids with extra verses to memorize each month that are related to our virtue and topics.
Transcript
Family Fuel Pack December 2016
JOY
What’s Inside?! Everything you need to help take what your son or daughter are learning on Sunday & Wednesday and make it real at home! Our hope is that these tools will help you continue the conversation related to our monthly virtue, weekly bottom line, and memory verses.
The Pieces: Parent Cue: This piece is for you.
It has the Virtue with the definition, the memory verse, the bible story of the week, and the bottom line for each week. Plus it has questions for you to ask your kids during meal times and questions for you , like how does the virtue relate to your life.
If you have a preschooler we’ve included a special Small Talk Card.
God Time Cards: These pieces are for your kids.
Each week there will be a new devotional card for your kids If you have a Kindergartner - 3rd grade this will be an activity that they will likely need assistance with.
Extra Memory Verses: We value storing up the Word of God in our
heart . We want to provide you and your kids with extra verses to memorize each month that are related to our virtue and topics.
Merry Christmas! It’s time to celebrate the birth of our Savior! This is such an exciting time of year, especially for families with little ones. There is nothing more fun than watching a preschooler’s face light up as he helps decorate the Christmas
tree or rides by a house decorated with Christmas lights. Family and tradition help to make the Christmas season extra special.
Have you started Christmas traditions with your little one? Sure, there are the traditions that you did when you were little, but what traditions are you creating with your children? You could read a different Christmas story every night. Or, choose a different Christmas movie to watch each Friday of December. Maybe you want to be sure to bake Christmas cookies for the neighbors every year. Many choose to read the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve. There are a multitude of ideas, but only you can pick the ones that are best for your family.
Whatever you choose to do together, know that you are creating memories that will live in your child’s heart forever. Family and Jesus, now that’s what Christmas is all about.
The community at TheParentCue.org was created to help parents do family better. With blog discussions, podcasts, advice, and inspiration, Parent Cue prompts us to intentionally connect with our families regularly. Since none of us need more to do in our day, Parent Cue helps us capture the time we’re already spending together.
There’s an app for that:
Parent Cue App – centered around a monthly topic, this app sends weekly CUEs that remind us to connect with our kids whether at home or on the go. You can even watch Bible story videos during drive time using the app.
The Fisher-Price® Little People® Nativity Playset is so much fun for preschoolers, especially this time
of year. Sit with your child, make the voices, and move the people and animals, all as you tell the true story of Christmas. In no time, your child will be using the toy set to retell the story all by himself! (And no need to put it away after Christmas. This story can be told all year long!)
MORNING TIMEThis month let your child wake up to, “Good morning! We’re one day closer to Jesus’ birthday!” On
Christmas Day, let your child wake up to, “Good morning! It’s Jesus’ birthday! Happy birthday, Jesus!” (Oh, and a little bouncing on the bed together as you say “Happy birthday, Jesus!” is totally appropriate here.)
CAR TIME’Tis the season to . . . celebrate Jesus! You won’t have to look far, as you drive around town, to see signs
of this special season. Look for things that remind you of the true story of Christmas and point them out to your child. See a star? angel? animals? baby Jesus? wise men? Hey, even decorations like twinkling lights can remind you of the special star, and candy canes make fantastic birthday party decorations! The important thing is to remember Jesus is God’s Son and that is what Christmas is all about.
BATH TIMEMove the nativity set to the bathtub. Tell your child to give each piece a bath and line them up on the edge
of the tub. Talk about what each piece did in the Christmas story as your child lines them up. The donkey gave Mary a ride. Joseph took care of Mary and baby Jesus. The shepherds ran to see the special baby. Jesus is God’s Son! Tell your child to count the pieces as she knocks them back into the water, and then start all over again!
CUDDLE TIME
Cuddle up with your child and pray. “Dear God, thank You for another great day with [child’s name]. [He/
she] is so special, and I love [him/her] so much! Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be our friend forever. Jesus is the best gift we could ever get this Christmas! We love You, God. We love Your Son, Jesus. In His name we pray, amen.”
(put both hands up and then bring them in tochest like catching a football)
(right arm up with jazz hand)
(left arm up with jazz hand
(open your hands like a book)
MEMORY VERSE “Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful!”
Philippians 4:4, NIrV
For more ideas, visit Studio252.tv
Ask a kid: What is number one on your Christmas wish list? If you don’t receive that gift, how will you feel? How will you react?
Ask a parent: What was the worst or mostawkward Christmas present you ever received?Did you find a way to be joyful anyway?
MEAL TIME
Read Luke 2:1-20 as a family. Discuss how the birth of Jesus would bring “great joy for all the people.” How did Jesus’ birth bring glory to God? Peace to those on earth? Pray together and ask God to remind you of the joy and peace the promise of Jesus brings to all of us, even when things aren’t going our way.
BED TIME
Practice starting your day with joy this month by thinking of 31 reasons you can be happy. Have each person in the family brainstorm their own 31 reasons, write them out on separate, small scraps of paper, and put them in a container. Each morning, on your way out the door, have everyone grab a piece of joy from their container and carry it with them the whole day to remind them to be happy even when things don’t go their way.
MORNING TIME
Whether you’re traveling over the holidays or just commuting, don’t miss our special holiday podcast for families. Our audio drama will invite the entire family to imagine the Christmas story together. Find it on Studio252.tv or the Parent Cue app!
DRIVE TIME
Isn’t it crazy that sometimes the season of peace and joy is the least peaceful and joyful for all the grown ups? This month, set the tone of joy in your home by playing joyful music, lighting mood-lifting candles, taking an extra minute to pray quietly, and take deep breaths throughout the day, or whatever helps you remember the joy of the season. Participating in this month’s MorningTime with your kids is also a great way to model joy for your family. Take it a step further by discussing, as a family, how the pieces of joy from your container helped to change your attitude throughout the day. Because we all know, when the grown ups aren’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!
PARENT TIME
Zechariah and ElizabethLuke 1:5-25; 57-79
BOTTOM LINE:I can have joy becauseanything is possible with God.
2WEEK
God Promises a SaviorIsaiah 9:6-7
BOTTOM LINE:I can have joy becauseGod keeps His promises.
1WEEK
Jesus is BornLuke 2:1-7
BOTTOM LINE:I can have joy becauseGod sent His son.
3WEEK
Shepherds and AngelsLuke 2:8-20
BOTTOM LINE:I can have joy becauseGod’s story is for everyone.
4WEEK
252 Basics Group and Family Experiences December 2016 Extra Memory Verses
“Put a Bow On It” – Joy December 2016
Isaiah 9:6, NIrV “A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be calledWonderful Adviser and Mighty God, He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.”
Ephesians 3:20, NIrV “God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us.”
Habakkuk 3:18, NIrV “But I will still be glad because of what the Lord has done. God my Savior fills me with joy.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16, NIrV “Always be joyful.”
READ ISAIAH 9:6Use today’s verse to unscramble the words below:
Who did Isaiah promise would be born? __________________ S U J E SHe would be called . . .
Mighty ______________ Wonderful ________________ Father Who Lives ___________________ D G O D V I A R S E R F O V E R E
Prince who brings ________________ E P A C E
This week, we learned that we can have joy because God keeps His promises. No matter what—when things are going well and when nothing is working out the way you want—you are never forgotten by God. He remembers you and He keeps His promises. Thousands of years ago, God made a promise to send a Savior to rescue us. And years later, He kept that promise by sending Jesus! We celebrate this promise every year at Christmas time. God sent His one and only Son to be our Savior. What an awesome gift!
ASK God to help you find joy because He keeps His promises.
READ PHILIPPIANS 4:4It’s easy to be happy when everything is great—when life is good and things are going the way we want. But what about when things don’t go your way? No matter what happens, you can have joy because God sent the best gift ever: His one and only Son, Jesus! That’s what Christmas is all about.
Philippians 4:4 is a great verse to remember and say to yourself when things don’t go your way. With an adult’s permission, grab a stocking from the mantel or a sock from your drawer and ten index cards (or a piece of paper cut into 10 smaller pieces). Write one word of the verse on each card and stuff them in your stocking. Set a timer and see how quickly you can put them in the correct order. BUT there’s a BIG catch. You can only pull cards out of the stocking ONE at a time. Work until you have all the words in order. Then repeat to see if you can beat your time.
THANK God for sending His son Jesus so you can have JOY!
DAY 1
DAY 2
WEEK ONEK-5TH
READ PSALM 105:7-8Who is God? He is our creator, our heavenly Father and our place of safety. He loves us more than we can imagine. And He sent Jesus on that first Christmas to rescue us, to bring us closer to Him—because He loves us. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised to send His Son. And He kept that promise by sending Jesus for the whole world, for you and for me, for all time to come! He ALWAYS keeps His promises. He never makes excuses or “forgets” to follow through. Remember, you can have joy because God keeps His promises.
This verse is missing all its consonants! Look up the verse and fill in the blanks.
KNOWthat when God makes a promise, He WILL keep it! God would.
READ DEUTERONOMY 7:9Did you catch that? God will keep His covenant for all time. A covenant is a promise. And you know a promise simply means you will do what you say. It’s not that easy for us, is it? Like when you promised your little brother you’d play with him and then you didn’t. Or when you promised to clean your room, but you quickly found other things to do. We make promises ALL the time but we’re not always great at keeping them.
That’s not how God works. When God makes a promise, He ALWAYS keeps it. For all time. He is perfect. His love is perfect. He never makes mistakes. So when you read one of God’s promises in the Bible, you can know for sure He will keep it. That’s a big reason why you can always have joy!
Name a promise of God. If you can’t think of one, ask someone who knows and loves God to help you find some of God’s promises in the Bible. ______________________________________________________________
LISTEN to God’s promises and believe that He will keep them. Always.
DAY 3
DAY 4
WEEK ONEK-5TH
READ PSALM 43:4We’ve been talking about real joy this month. Sometimes finding joy means remembering what’s true. Even when things are hard, or when they don’t go your way, God is still the same. He is still a holy and loving God. He’s still the One who made you and sent His only Son for you.
Worship is a great way to remember who God is and how much He loves you. Play some worship music and pay attention to the words of the song. If you don’t have a way to play a worship song, sing one of the songs you’ve learned at church. Sing to God and thank Him for the joy you have because of all He’s done for you.
ASK God help you find real joy as you worship Him.
READ LUKE 1:76-77What did the angel tell Zechariah? (Read Luke 1:13 for help) _________________________________________
Just think about how joyful Zechariah and Elizabeth must have been when this special baby was born! What seemed completely impossible to them was possible with God! Anything is possible with God. And that’s a great reason to have joy.
Ask a parent to show you some of your baby pictures. What did they do to prepare for you coming into the family? Did anyone throw a party for them? Then ask them to tell you the story of the day you joined the family.
THANK God for the joy we can have because ANYTHING is possible with Him.
DAY 1
DAY 2
WEEK TWOK-5TH
READ EPHESIANS 3:19-20Did you read the part of the verse that says: God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine? That doesn’t mean if you ask God for a horse for your birthday, you’ll suddenly find a unicorn on your doorstep. God isn’t a big Santa Claus that brings presents or a genie that grants three outrageous wishes.
What it DOES mean is that when you choose to follow God, HIS plan will be bigger and better than anything you could have asked for or imagined on your own. And the joy that He gives is bigger and better than any unicorn, Christmas morning or granted wish.
Grab a piece of paper and draw a large heart in the center of the page. Write the words of the verse inside the heart and decorate it. Hang this verse in your room where you will see it everyday.
KNOW that joy comes in believing anything is possible with God.
READ MATTHEW 19:26Can you think of a situation right now that is hard for you? Maybe it’s something that makes you sad or unhappy? Write it down in the box to the right.
We all face hard stuff. Sometimes the hard stuff makes us think that God doesn’t want to help us. Or that He doesn’t care when we are sad. But this week we learned that we can have joy because ANYTHING is possible with God.
Take a look at what you wrote above. How can knowing God and trusting Him make this situation better? How can BELIEVING the truth that all things are possible with God help you face this situation? Remember, you can have joy because anything is possible with God.
LOOK for God doing amazing things and find joy—even in the hard stuff—because nothing is impossible for Him.
DAY 3
DAY 4
WEEK TWOK-5TH
READ HABAKKUK 3:18Joy is finding a way to be happy, even when things don’t go our way. Do you get your way all the time? Probably not. But joy is possible even when things don’t go your way and this verse tells us how. You can have joy because of what the Lord has done. He sent Jesus, His only Son, to save you from being separated from Him. He loves you. He made you for a purpose. And because of that, you can have joy, always, even when nothing is going your way.
Complete the statements below.
Even when it’s ________________, I will still be glad.
Even when I __________________, I will still be glad.
Even when he _________________, I will still be glad.
Even when she ________________, I will still be glad.
Even when life is _______________, I will still be glad.
ASK God to help you remember that you can still have joy because He sent His Son.
READ LUKE 2:6-7The story of Jesus’ birth is pretty crazy. First, Mary and Joseph hear from an angel that they’re going to have a baby. Then, they have to travel to Bethlehem to be counted. Once they finally arrive, they can’t find a place to stay because the city is so crowded. Finally, they find a barn to spend the night in. And right there, among those smelly animals, Jesus was born. Can you imagine? When you look at all those crazy details, you might not think Jesus’ birth was all that joyous.
But despite all the craziness, there will never be a more JOYful birth. God sent His only son, Jesus, to save the world. Jesus was called Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.” God made a way for you to know Him by sending His only Son.
Ask your mom or dad to help you find the lyrics to the hymn “Joy to the World.” Write them down. Sing the song together and talk about what the words mean.
THANK God for sending Jesus to bring us real joy.
DAY 1
DAY 2
WEEK THREEK-5TH
READ PSALM 126:3What are some great things God has done for you? Can you name a few?
Gather the people in your house together (maybe around the kitchen table) and pass out a piece of paper and a pen to each person. At the top of the page, ask everyone to write “What God Has Done for Me.” Set a timer for two minutes. Challenge everyone to write down as many things as they can before time is up. If you have a younger sibling that cannot read or write yet, he can draw pictures instead.
When time is up, pass each person’s paper to the left so that you are no longer holding your own list. Read aloud the things that have been written (or show the pictures).
Display your lists together for the next week in a place where everyone in your family will see them. When you start to feel frustrated, angry, or sad look at these lists. Remember all that God has done for you and the people in your family so that you can feel the JOY that God gives.
KNOW that God has done great things for you and be filled with JOY!
READ 1 PETER 1:8-9Do you know why Christmas is SO important? Before Jesus was born, our sin—the wrong things we do—separated us from God. We couldn’t have a relationship with Him because He is perfect and we’re not. So God sent Jesus to fix that problem. Jesus is a gift to us because He made it possible for our sin to be forgiven. He made a way for us to have a relationship with God forever.
Even if you cannot see Jesus right now face-to-face, you can still believe that His birth made a way for you to have a relationship with God. That’s what real joy is all about.
If you have a nativity set in your home, grab Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Read today’s verses, and then use the figurines to act out the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 1. If you don’t have a nativity set, grab a piece of paper and draw baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the stable.
LISTEN to these verses and know that you can have joy because God sent His son.
DAY 3
DAY 4
WEEK THREEK-5TH
READ LUKE 2:16-18When the shepherds heard the news, they took off toward town, excited to see this special baby that had been born. And when they found everything just as the angel had said, they were filled with joy! They couldn’t wait to tell everyone about His birth. It was the best news ever.
God wants you to share this good news with others, too! He wants everyone to have the same joy—the joy of knowing Jesus! If you have a nativity set in your home, grab the baby Jesus. Wrap it up in Christmas paper. Create a simple Christmas card with today’s verse written on the inside. On the outside write, “To: Everyone From: God”. Carefully sneak it under the tree when no one is looking.
It’s probably after Christmas by now, but someone should notice a gift that was somehow “missed.” Once it’s found, encourage someone to open it. Then talk about how God sent Jesus as a gift for all of us, so that everyone could have joy knowing they can be part of God’s story.
ASK God to help to help you spread the good news of Jesus birth so everyone can have joy, too!
READ LUKE 2:10When the angel appeared to those shepherds out in the field, they were terrified! Wouldn’t you have been scared, too? But the angel didn’t come to scare them. He had good news. Jesus was here! The promised Savior had arrived. Jesus came so that we could all be part of God’s story. You can have joy because God’s story is for everyone.
If you had been one of the shepherds, how might you have responded to an angel appearing out of nowhere?
THANK God for sending Jesus so that everyone can be part of His amazing story!
DAY 1
DAY 2
WEEK FOURK-5TH
READ JOHN 3:16This verse is what the Bible is all about. God loved you and so He did what people who love do: He gave. What did He give? His one and only Son, Jesus. Why? Because Jesus took the punishment for our sin or the wrong things we do. And when we believe in Him, we can have eternal life. That means we will have a relationship with God forever. When we choose to trust Jesus as our Savoir, our sin no longer keeps us from God. So Jesus’ birth, which we celebrate on Christmas, is a really big deal. It’s what makes real joy possible.
Grab a piece of paper and illustrate this verse, any way you’d like. You can draw a heart for love, baby Jesus in a manger for “Son,” etc. When finished, choose someone in your family or neighborhood to give your drawing to. Then tell them about how Jesus’ birth means that everyone can be part of God’s story.
KNOW that joy is possible because God gave us His only son, Jesus!
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16Is it possible to be joyful always? What if you stub your toe? Or lose your iPod? Or get into a fight with your little brother? Or break a rule and lose your allowance? Joy always? Really?!
Remember, joy is about finding a way to be happy even when things don’t go your way. Notice it doesn’t say “if” things don’t go your way, but “when” they do. That means that you will face stuff that’s not fun. Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and chocolate sprinkles. But when you trust in Jesus and choose to follow Him, it IS possible to find a way to have joy, even in the hard stuff. That’s why Christmas—the day Jesus was born—is such a big deal.
Grab ten sticky notes. Write, “Always be joyful” on each one and stick them in ten different places around your house. As you pass by each sticky note this week, it will remind you to look for joy, even when things don’t go your way.
ASK God to help you be joyful, always.
DAY 3
DAY 4
WEEK FOURK-5TH
Family Fuel Pack
December 2016 JOY
1) Parent Cue blog http://theparentcue.org/archive/
3) Playing for Keeps, Losing your Marbles book https://secure.orangestore.org/Playing-for-Keeps-Losing-Your-Marbles-Reggie-Joiner-Kristen-Ivy-Elizabeth-Hansen.html
