Beyond Belief
What if you had been there the night Jesus was born? Liz and friends find themselves in Bethlehem reliving the incredible Christmas story.
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Don't miss Christmas.
1. In Luke 2:11, angels announce to the shepherds when the Messiah will come: “Today in the town of David…” What is happening in your town today? How often do you stop to see what is going on in other people’s lives? Could you be missing God at work?
2. In Luke 14:15-24, Jesus tells the story of a man who prepared a great party for his friends, but when the time came for the party to start, the guests all gave excuses about why they were too busy to come! So, the host decided to invite the poor and unwanted people of the city to his party. Because they were willing and available, they enjoyed the great feast! You can listen to the parable here. As you listen to today’s program, think about whom God invited to the first Christmas celebration in Bethlehem.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”
Quiz
A: Their church Christmas play.
A: They found themselves on the road to Bethlehem.
Reflect
Are you busy? You might have school, sports, music, technology, church, friends, homework, chores, family, etc....phew! The holidays can add even more activities to the mix: family and school celebrations, shopping, crafts, concerts, baking, wrapping, decorating and more! This time of the year can be exhausting!
All of these activities and things are good, but they can distract you from what is most important. In this episode, everyone warned Liz several times to not let his preparations for the play cause him to miss Christmas. Just like the man’s friends who were too busy to attend his great banquet (Luke 14:15-24), Liz almost missed the meaning of Christmas. Don’t make the same mistake—take time to surround yourself with the Christmas story and get caught up in the wonder of it all.
Want to dig deeper and to learn about the importance of making time for Jesus even when things get busy? Check out Luke 10:38-42, Isaiah 1:18 and 1 Chronicles 16:11.
Challenge
How can you make sure you don’t miss the great banquet or pass by the stable this Christmas? Think about what you could take out of your busy schedule this season to make room for worship. Maybe you have traditions that seem important, but really keep you from celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
Can you get by with less baking, fewer parties, less travel, fewer gifts, less decorating, or fewer Christmas special TV marathons? Maybe you can include more worship songs, more Bible reading, more time spent volunteering to help others, or more time at church.
Talk with your family about priorities this Christmas. Choose one change you can make to help your family celebrate more fully with the angels that “...a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
