watching the sky cont . devotions
Topic : Advent Scripture : Acts 1:9 words to treasure
questions
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven , with power and great glory .
— Matthew 24:30
1 . What kinds of things does your family do during Advent to get ready for Christmas ? Which of those things do you think is the most fun ? Which is the most meaningful to you in terms of reminding you what the Christmas season is all about ?
2 . What do you think it was like for God ’ s people before the very first Christmas , when they were waiting for the Messiah to come ? What do you think they were doing during that time ? What were they thinking about ? How were they feeling ? In what ways was that time similar to the present time , when God ’ s people are waiting for Jesus to come back ?
3 . What kinds of things do you think Christians should be doing as we wait for Jesus ’ return ? Should we be sitting outside all day , staring at the clouds and watching for him ? Or does he have more important things for us to do ? What did he say just before he left ?
For a clue , either have children look up Acts 1:8 , which says , “ You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria , and to the ends of the earth ,” and Matthew 28:19 – 20 , which says , “ Go and make disciples of all nations , baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit , and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you ,” or read these passages to them . Besides fulfilling the Great Commission , Christians are to live holy lives until Christ returns and minister to people in need .
4 . Nobody knows exactly when Jesus will return , so what should you do about any sinful habits you may have right now ?
Answer : Confess them and repent of them . Ask God for help in this .
5 . Do you think we should only think about important events like Jesus ’ birth , death , and resurrection on holidays such as Christmas , Good Friday , and Easter ? How can we remind ourselves , all year long , about these great events and what they mean for our lives ?
One answer is : read about them regularly in your Bible , any time of year — and when you do , think about what they mean to you .
Consider spending some time playing a game or doing an exercise to help children memorize the “ Words to Treasure ” Scripture verse .
Copyright © 2011 by Zondervan
Material taken from the NIV Adventure Bible Book of Devotions