{Day Ten}

Make Some Noise

We may not be angels or magi…but we can worship Jesus like they did! What is worship? (to show respect and love for God especially by praying, having religious services, etc…)

Ethan the Ezrahite praised God through song in Psalm 89:1-2. You can worship God as a family by singing your favorite Christmas song. God LOVES it when we make joyful noise for Him!

A maskil (imparted wisdom; a person versed in Hebrew) Ethan the Ezrahite.

“Lord, I will sing about your great love forever. For all time to come, I will tell how faithful you are. I will tell everyone that your love stands firm forever. I will tell them that you are always faithful, even in heaven itself.” Psalm 89:1-2

Try it acapella (that means just your voice). Or for an extra challenge, try this: while you’re singing, make your own musical instrument out of items in your house. Flick a straw with your finger, tap your feet on the floor–ANYTHING! Watch this video for inspiration.

https://vimeo.com/77168212

{Day Nine}

Christmas Gifts

In Isaiah 60:6, God reminded his family that hundreds of years after the Rescuer arrived, MANY people would come to know and praise him. As a family, SHOUT praises to Jesus! When we praise Jesus, it’s like we’re giving gifts to him.

“Herds of young camels will cover your land.

They will come from Midian and Ephah. They will also come from Sheba. They’ll carry gold and incense. And people will shout praises to me.” Isaiah 60:6

Today, create your own praise song for Jesus. You could even try improvising. (That means making up the words as you go along.)

{Day Eight}

A Christmas Prophecy

Read Luke 1:67-80 together.

Zechariah’s Song

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.” Luke 1:67-80

John the Baptist grew up to praise the Lord and show others how to follow Jesus. But did you know that John’s father (Zechariah) prophesied about his son before he was born? He heard from God…and shared what God told him!

Check out the short story here:

https://youtu.be/7NMHOLPWeTM

Prophecy is a big word, but in I Corinthians 14:3, the Bible tells us it just means strengthening, encouraging and comforting. We can prophesy by sharing a Bible verse with a family member or reminding a worried friend that God is always with him or her.

Example Verse:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Try it out:

Share one truth about God with the whole family. Then ask: Does anybody feel stronger? More hopeful? Comforted? Talk about it together.

This is why memorizing Bible Verses is so very important. It helps us to not sin against God AND encourage others!

{Day Seven}

Share the Joy

Luke 1:14-17 says that John the Baptist would be a JOY and DELIGHT to his parents and many others! You can be a joy to others too.

Luke 1:14-17

“He will be a joy and delight to you. His birth will make many people very glad. He will be important in the Lord’s eyes…..”He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born. He will bring many of Israel’s people back to the Lord their God. And he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will teach parents how to love their children. He will also teach people who don’t obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.” Luke 1:14-17

Today, try to make somebody smile. Maybe you help one of your family members with a chore, give your friend a hug, or pray for a neighbor. It’s easy to bring joy to someone else’s day!

Then tell your family how you made someone smile or bring joy to their hearts.

{Day Six}

Jingle Bell Rock

Find some jingle bells—or grab two spoons to tap together. Each family member gets a turn to play a “jingle” to the tune of his or her favorite Christmas carol…while the rest of you see if you can guess the song. Whoever can play it well enough for the rest of the group to figure out, wins!

One way we can praise God is by singing to Him. Once you’ve “rocked out,” read Luke 2:8-14.

Angels Appear to the Shepherds

“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said, “May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!” Luke 2:8-10

How would you have praised God if you saw the angels the night Jesus was born?

I know if I saw the angels the night Jesus was born praise of God- I’d have wanted to jump right in because the moment of Jesus broth proved God’s love for us. He is praise-worthy!!!

Check out this song!!!

https://youtu.be/-Up9SLxgXYI

{Day Five}

Imagine Jesus’ Birth

Jesus wasn’t born in a hospital like many babies today. It could have been a stable, cave or even outside. What we DO know is that He was born around animals. To imagine what it might have been like, build a fort somewhere in your house. Invite your stuffed animals and pets to come inside.

In your fort, surrounded by animals, read Luke 2:1-20 together. Talk about why God sent baby Jesus to be born in a manger: an open box in which food for farm animals is placed (Oh, and remind your family that the place Jesus was born wasn’t nearly as cool as your fort.)

Jesus Is Born

“In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world. It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be listed.

So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David. He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby.

While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born. She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. There was no room for them in the inn.

Angels Appear to the Shepherds

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said, “May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!”

The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger. After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over and over.

The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told.” Luke 2:1-20

Party on in the fort by listening to the Storyteller’s Christmas Rap!! Don’t skip this one!!!

https://youtu.be/-Up9SLxgXYI

{Day Four}

Giving To Those In Need

In Luke 1:50-55, Mary shares really GOOD things about God.

“God shows his mercy to those who have respect for him, from parent to child down through the years. He has done mighty things with his arm. He has scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones. But he has lifted up people who are not important.

He has filled those who are hungry with good things.But he has sent those who are rich away empty. He has helped the people of Israel, who serve him. He has always remembered to be kind to Abraham and his children down through the years. He has done it just as he said to our people of long ago.” Isaiah 1:50-55

Just ONE of those things is that God provides food to fill up people who are hungry…and sometimes He uses us to help provide a special gift that someone else needs! Like buying a toy for a child in need.

Purchase a child’s toy to support MRO’s 2020 “Mission Christmas”event on December 8. Here are the details.

You can simply drop off your gift, stop by grab some dessert, hot chocolate or hot apple cider. Id you’d like to hang out for a while and wrap your present, we’d love to have you.

Maybe your family will be supporting someone through another opportunity- that so great too. Do something this Christmas to give back. You will be the one who is blessed!!

We’d love so see how God is leading your heart this year. Take a photo and share it so we can see how YOU chose to give back this Christmas.

Instagram @mrocommunitycenter

{Day Three}

Waiting for a Sign

Sometimes, God’s people worried that God would forget to send the king, like in Isaiah 7:10-14. Yet God said there would be clear signs when the king arrived, so that nobody would miss it!

“The Lord spoke to Ahaz through me again. He said, “I am the Lord your God. Ask me to give you a miraculous sign. It can be anything in the deepest grave or in the highest heaven.”

But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t put the Lord to the test.” Then I said, “Listen, you members of the royal family of Ahaz! Isn’t it enough for you to test the patience of men? Are you also going to test the patience of my God? The Lord himself will give you a miraculous sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:10-14

Today, you can make your own sign to show that Christmas is all about Jesus’ birth. Even though this isn’t the same kind of sign as the ones God sent, it’s a reminder that God sent his family a king. Use whatever you have around the house to make a sign of your own announcing Jesus is here. Then hang it up somewhere (don’t forget to share with us a photo of your sign) for everyone to see.

melanieself@go2mro.com to signup for daily emails!

Check out the whole story here. Prepare your heart for the Christmas message all throughout this month.

https://youtu.be/67HqiVGt6xI