A Time to Rejoice & Remember: Advent, December 18th

   We invite you and your family to join us for advent this season, as we consider Christmas through the lens of Scripture. As we celebrate the birth of the Christchild, we will look as a different aspect of his coming each day. Each day also has a downloadable coloring picture for children to color as they listen, and then hang on the tree as a reminder! We also suggest a song to listen to, play, or sing along with. Most of these can be found in a hymnal to play at home, or on youtube.com - to sing along with! Children old enough to read might enjoy reading the Scripture as well. We hope this simple journey through Scripture helps you celebrate the Greatest Gift of all. 

Ornament: A Heart, with a favorite Scripture verse (To remind us God has written His law on our hearts)
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:3,31-34;Acts 16:31
Songs: For God So Loved the World, I Love to Tell the Story, Create In Me a Clean Heart, Silent Night

     Do you remember that God made a promise – or a covenant – with the people of Israel a long time ago? He gave them the Ten Commandments and as long as they obeyed them, God promised to provide for them. If they disobeyed the rules, God would have to punish them. Then they had to sacrifice an animal to pay for the sin.  Then it all started again.

     God’s laws – the Ten Commandments – showed the people when they had sinned, told them what they had done wrong…but the laws couldn’t change peoples’ hearts. God still loved the people. He saw that the law wasn’t going to change them. He decided to make a new promise to them. God would write His law on the hearts of the people – change their hearts.

     So God sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to save us from our sins. When we tell Jesus we are sorry for our sin, that we want to live for Him, He will forgive all the bad things we have done. The Bible tells us that when we ask His forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive us. God is so good – He even made a way for us to be close to Him! We should be very thankful that we live under this new promise – the new covenant – rather than the old Law – the old covenant!     
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 Questions:  

• What was wrong with the old covenant – the law?
• Have you asked Jesus to forgive you and come into your life?

 
Prayer: Dear God, please write Your law on our hearts! It is so exciting that Jesus’ love is stronger than any sin or wrong we could do. Praise You for making a way for us to be clean & holy by forgiveness through Jesus Christ! In His Name – amen.

Blessings as you celebrate Christmas,

Cara & Patti
Classic Christianity

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