A Moment with the Messiah: Day 4

No matter how you choose to celebrate Christ this season, let the Messiah–not the mayhem–reign in your heart. May you be richly blessed in Him!

Read: Luke 1:46—55 

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Reflect: Out of the overflow of Mary’s heart, she praised God. She recalled her unworthiness (verse 48) and His might (verse 49). She speaks of God’s mercy (verse 50) and the deeds He has performed to orchestrate that exact moment (verse 51). Declare His praise today, for He is mindful of you and extends His sweet mercy to you. He has fed you, helped you, and will forever be with you.

Respond: Mighty One, You are beyond comprehension and full of beauty and grace. Thank You for Your extension of love to me and Your priceless gift of salvation. While I am a wretched person, You saw it fit to pursue me. Help me “to live a life worthy of the Lord and please [You] in every way” (Colossians 1:10).

Tot Time: With the children, spend some time making a list of all the things you’re thankful for that God has given. Call out God’s characteristics (i.e., loving, kind, patient, etc.) and write them down.

A Moment with the Messiah: Day 3

No matter how you choose to celebrate Christ this season, let the Messiah–not the mayhem–reign in your heart. May you be richly blessed in Him!

Read: Luke 1:42—45

42 In a loud voice she [Elizabeth] exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” 

Reflect: The word blessed means “happy.” The Bible is filled with encouraging and inspiring promises to you, and when you choose to believe them, happiness leaps forth. This doesn’t refer to the “happiness” we’re accustomed to hearing about that (supposedly) comes through possessions, money, and fancy cars. No, this is a deep-seated peace and grounding, a joy that only Christ can offer through knowing Him as Savior and Lord (the Supreme One). If you haven’t made the choice to wholeheartedly follow Christ, delay it no longer! You don’t need to repeat an eloquent prayer or wait until Sunday morning–simply confess to God that you believe in His Son, the gift of salvation He offers, and what His Word declares. Then, go forward with joy, knowing you are blessed. 

Respond: Father, You are the Supreme One, and I want to live my life for You. I believe You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to die the death I should’ve experienced. Thank You for Your gift of grace. I did not earn this eternal gift, and I am not worthy to receive it; but, You give out of pure love, and I’m overwhelmingly grateful. I choose to follow You from this day forward. 

Tot Time: Revisit what the word blessed means and have the kiddos talk or write out what makes them happy. Then, encourage them to share the gift of happiness with others this next week.

 

A Moment with the Messiah: Day 2

No matter how you choose to celebrate Christ this season, let the Messiah–not the mayhem–reign in your heart. May you be richly blessed in Him!

Read: Luke 1:26—33

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Reflect: First off, you are highly favored. Favor wasn’t just for the mother of Jesus. God saw fit to seek you out and use you for His purpose, just like Mary. This was the work of the Holy Spirit in you. The Son of the Most High is not only your Savior; He sits on His throne and has granted you citizenship in His eternal kingdom. Oh, how glorious! 

Respond: Savior of the world, thank You for preparing my heart and sending Your Spirit to speak to my brokenness. You were sent to this earth for me, and I want to not only honor You as my King, but also remember that You are Most High and Most Holy. I stand in awe of You. 

Tot Time: Talk about the child’s name and how it was given to him or her. Then, teach the child how Jesus’ name means “God saves” and how God named His Son, just like the child was named. Names are a special gift and are given in love–just like God gave Jesus to the earth as an act of love.