The Feelings of Christmas!

With its splendor and wonder, busyness and chaos, Christmas can be an emotional season for most of us. In this series, kids will explore the emotions that come up this time of the year, and that were experienced during the very first Christmas.

Christmas Emotions Lessons Overview

MEMORY VERSE:

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news. It will bring great joy for all the people.’” – Luke 2:10 (NIRV)

LESSONS:

HOPE
Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3, The Coming Messiah
During a time of great despair, the prophets provided God’s words of hope – hope that God would send a Messiah to save the people. These prophecies were fulfilled years later, with the birth of Jesus. When we are in despair, we can cling to hope, knowing that Jesus loves us and will see us through whatever problems we face.
Objective: Kids will learn “We can put our hope in God, because He keeps His promises.”

ENVY
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12, The Visit of the Magi
When Herod heard that a king had been born, he was filled with envy and worried that he would lose his throne. He ended up missing the most important gift. When we focus on what gifts others have instead of thanking God for what He has given us, we are letting envy take over our hearts.
Objective: Kids will learn “Gratitude for all God has done is the best way to eliminate envy.”

JOY
Scripture: Luke 1:39-47, Mary Visits Elizabeth
The baby John leaped for joy inside Elizabeth’s belly at being in the presence of the unborn Jesus. John’s joy spread to Elizabeth, and then spread to Mary. Jesus brings joy when He enters our lives; a joy that we spread to everyone we encounter.
Objective: Kids will learn “God in our life brings joy to us and those around us.”

SADNESS
Scripture: Matthew 2:13-18, Joseph and Mary Flee, Revelation 21:4
Herod allowed his envy and anger to take over, which led to terrible loss for the people throughout Bethlehem. We may be feeling sadness this Christmas because of the death of a loved one, a divorce, a recent move, or something else. We can bring our sadness to Jesus, remembering that He is the Father’s ultimate gift of love.
Objective: Kids will learn “In this life we will experience sadness, but if our faith is in Jesus, He has promised to one day wipe every tear away.”

PEACE
Scripture: Luke 2:8-14, The Shepherds See Jesus, Philippians 4:4-7
When the angel came to the shepherds, they were afraid. But the angel gave the shepherds a message of peace. Even today, we can experience peace in the face of our fears, when we focus on the Prince of Peace, Jesus.
Objective: Kids will learn “If I put my faith in Jesus, I can have peace that passes understanding.”

Each Lesson Includes:

• Make It Stick! Parent Sheet: so you can let mom and dad know what kids are learning each week and look like a rockstar teacher who's thought of everything.
• Memory Verse: so that you can make sure kids are getting Scripture in their minds and hearts every single week and you can feel like each lesson was a success even when it seems like 90% of your lesson time is spent saying things like "calm down", "let's be quiet", "hands to yourself!"
• Skit or Puppet Show: so you have a way to easily connect the lesson with your hands-on and visual learners. No drama team? No problem! Just hand the script to the kids. They'll have a blast and think you're the coolest.
• Craft Activity: so you can give kids a physical reminder of the Bible lesson (and give yourself an activity to keep them busy until mom and dad come back!)
• Game: so kids don't leave and say church was BORING! Games are so important to help keep kids engaged. Our large group games always include a "What's The Point" section to help you connect the game to the lesson.
• Large Group Lesson: so you can present the Bible story in a clear and fun way, which means now you can enjoy Saturday nights instead of stressing over putting a lesson together!
• Small-Group Discussion: so you can find out who was paying attention and who was talking to their neighbor. Just kidding, this is a great way for you to build deeper relationships with your kiddos after each lesson, which means you're going to care about them so much you'll cry like a baby when they graduate and go to middle school :(
• More! Yes, there is even more than all of that so that you can easily put together the perfect lesson for your ministry each weekend, which means no more agonizing over how to adjust complicated lesson plans.

About This Curriculum:

Perfect for kids ages 6-12
4-weeks
Includes large group and small group resources