Download Christmas in YOUR Home!

Christmas in YOUR Home!
Christmas is a great time to get the family together and really think through what is important. Below
are a couple activities/discussions you can do as a family. Don’t just pull these out and read them on
Christmas Day. Instead, take some time in advance and pray through them, ask the Lord what He
wants you to do. The intent is that you do only one of these studies, but do whatever the Lord leads
you to do. He may have something completely different for you. His plan is always best.
1. Christmas Stocking for Jesus
Preparation: Christmas Stocking – could be blank, but even better to put Jesus’s name on it.
Slips of paper and pens for people to write; 3x5 index cards also if possible
Print out some favorite Christmas Carols to sing (if you don’t know the words)
Print out some worship songs to sing also (suggestions to go with this study: Here I am
to Worship; I Surrender All, I Give You My Heart, etc)
Background music for the meditation time (preferably without words)
Read Matthew 11:28-30
Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT)
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you
rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Most of us are carrying heavy burdens or extra things. Jesus is calling us to lay them down.
Read Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip
off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with
endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion
who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Take some time individually to pray and answer the following questions:
What is slowing you down or holding you back? What is your greatest fear? Where is your area of
greatest struggle? Write it on the slip of paper, fold it and put it in the stocking to give to Jesus.
When we give things to Jesus, it is important we put something in its place in our hands and in our
hearts; otherwise, we will tend to pick back up the things that we have laid down. What promises of
God do you need to claim that directly speak to the things you have laid down?
Spend some time praying together and praying for one another.
2. What Jesus Wants for Christmas!
Preparation:
get a mirror (any practical size), put it in a box so that when a person opens the
box what they see is themselves. Wrap the box up as a Christmas gift and put
Jesus’s name on the “To:” spot. Put it in the Christmas gift pile and save it for
your devotional time.
Study:
Begin by asking why we give gifts to each other at Christmas.
Read John 3:16–17 (NLT)
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in
him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but
to save the world through him.
What did God give? How precious was this gift to God? How much did it cost God? Why did God give
it?
Bring out the Christmas gift for Jesus. Say, “This is what Jesus wants for Christmas…” Have someone
open it but not tell anyone what is inside. Have each person look inside and see themselves.
Ask: Why does Jesus want us? What does it mean to give our lives to Jesus? Is there an area in your life
you recognize you have been holding back from God? Why?
Spend some time praying together and praying for one another.
3. Jesus becoming like us; us becoming like Jesus
Luke 2:8–12 (NKJV)
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock
by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
What is a manger? (a feeding trough, from which animals ate and drank). Why do you think God had
Jesus born in a feeding trough instead of in a house or palace? As a baby, how dependent was Jesus on
others? How does that relate to you?
READ: Philippians 2:5–11 (NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not
consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore
God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under
the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
How did Jesus humble himself? How is God calling us to humble ourselves?
Read 1 Peter 5:5–7 (NLT)
5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress
yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the
humble.” 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you
up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
What is pride? How does pride get in the way with a relationship with God? How does pride get in the
way of our relationship with others?
Jesus was God of the universe; yet, he walked in humility. How did he do that? (Not just because He
was God, He did all these things as a man).
How do pride and fear keep us from humbling ourselves? What are we afraid of?
How should we humble ourselves? Is there someone in the family that you have been proud toward
and you need to humble yourself?
Take a moment to humble yourself with each other. Take responsibility for your trespasses; don’t point
out the sins of others, but own your part. Let God deal with their part.
4. Seeing Jesus
Read Luke 2:8–20 (NKJV)
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock
by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace,
goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the
shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass,
which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and
the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying
which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things
which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her
heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard
and seen, as it was told them.
Babies are cute. Everyone loves a baby. Why is this? How do you think people responded to seeing
Jesus as a baby for the first time?
If you knew that you were going to see the Resurrected Jesus come back to earth in the next hour, how
would you feel? Nervous? Excited? What would you do in the next hour to prepare to see Jesus?
This next verse also talks about seeing Jesus, but at a different time in His life. Read 1 John 3:1-3.
1 John 3:1–3 (NKJV)
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of
God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are
children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is
revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure.
What is the action of people that expecting to see Jesus according to John? Why should we do this? Is
there anything right now making you feel impure? How does Jesus see you?
1 John 1:8–9 (NKJV)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
According to this verse, are you clean? Why or why not? Do you feel clean? Why or why not? How do
we feel clean? (receive God’s Word by faith, not our feelings).
Take time to pray for one another and worship together.