Main Lesson

CELEBRATION OF ADVENT (9 min)

That joy is what we’ll be focusing on today. So let’s continue our celebration of Advent. Do you remember what Advent is? (Have students answer until someone gets it.)

Right! Advent is how we celebrate the excitement or Anticipation of waiting for Jesus to come! And it’s not limited to Christmas when Jesus came as a baby. No, Advent reminds us to be joyful that Jesus will come again like He said He would. This time as King of the world! And there’s even the joy of Jesus coming to be the Light in our own life. Those are three things to be joyful about! So let’s start.

(Approach the Advent Wreath.) This is our Advent Wreath. What does it represent? (Take answers and prompt students to help them get it right.) It’s a circle, like God’s love—no beginning, no end. It’s green—alive—even during the coldest part of winter, like how Jesus gives us life no matter how hard things get. Purple candles are for royalty because Jesus is our King. Purple is also the sky’s color right before dawn, representing the world before Jesus’ light. And pink—the color of roses—is for joy.

The first candle we lit was the Prophets’ candle (purple), which represented our Hope from God’s promises that came through His prophets. (Light the first candle, if not lit.) Last week, we added the Bethlehem candle (purple), which represents our Faith in God, who always keeps His promises. God promised He would send His Son as a Light for the dark world, and that He would be born in the little town of Bethlehem. (Light the second candle, if not lit.)

Today, we light the Shepherds’ candle (pink), which represents Joy. This reminds us of who first got the amazing news of Jesus’ birth. Here’s the story...

(Paraphrase from Luke 2) The night Jesus was born, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel appeared, and the light of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified!

SUPERVERSE:

SuperVerse

(Graphic loops 1.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.)

PLAY VIDEO: Angels and Shepherds (50 sec)

Angels and Shepherds

Before we light the candle, let me explain something about shepherds: they were usually poor, and definitely not considered "important" people. Here’s why… Raise your hand if you have ever been camping? (Look for raised hands.) When you come home from camping, how do you feel? Fresh and clean? (Laughs) No...and these shepherds camped out every night. They were hardly ever fresh or clean. Let’s just say they were not getting invited to a lot of parties.

That’s why it is so amazing that God chose shepherds to tell first. He was saying, “This is for everyone, rich or poor.” And it showed that everyone is important to God. Ready to help me light the candle? (Choose a student volunteer and introduce them.)

This Shepherds’ candle represents Joy.

SUPERTRUTH:

We can have joy knowing that the gift of God is for everyone, rich or poor. (Help the student ‘light’ the candle, then direct them back to their seat and pray.)

ADVENT PRAYER 

(1 min)

Father in heaven, it’s so great to know that we are important to You. Sometimes we feel like the shepherds—like people don’t think much of us. Help us to see how much You think of us. Your words in the Bible say if we could count Your thoughts for us, they would outnumber the grains of sand on the beach. (Psalm 139:18) Lord, help us understand how much You love us. And let us share the joy of Your love with everyone this Christmas. In Jesus’ name, amen.

BIBLE STORY

Now let’s drop in on Chris, Joy, and Gizmo, who—thanks to Superbook—are seeing the Christmas story unfold.

PLAY VIDEO: Condensed Bible Story

Bible Story

OBJECT LESSON: Joy vs. Happiness 

(5 min)

Materials:

• Clear 8–12-ounce plastic cup with a slow leak—use a thumbtack to poke a hole in the bottom 
• Bus pan or similarly sized bin to catch the water from the leaking cup 
• Bottle of water
• Marbles or flat glass gems—enough to fill the cup 
• Small table or cart

(Have the materials pre-set on the cart or small table before you begin. It may be helpful to cover them with a cloth until they are needed to limit distraction. Also, be sure to try the object lesson beforehand to work out any rough spots.)

Because we’re talking about the Joy of Christmas this week, I think it’s important to know the difference between joy and happiness. Let’s start by taking a few seconds to answer this question with the person next to you: What is the difference between joy and happiness? (Let students discuss this for about 15–30 seconds, moving on when appropriate.)

That’s not an easy question, is it? Let me show you something to help you understand the difference between joy & happiness. (Prepare the materials for the object lesson.)

Let’s say that this is your life. (Hold up the empty cup over the bus pan.) And this water (take an open water bottle.) is happiness. For example, right now, that might mean Christmas decorations. (Pours water into the empty cup. It leaks out slowly into the bus pan.) Or family and friends visiting. (Pours more water.) And then on Christmas day, presents! (Pour more water.)

But what keeps happening? (The water keeps leaking out.) Happiness only lasts for so long, doesn’t it? But God wants us to have joy. (Start putting marbles in the cup.) We get that joy from trusting in Him—trusting that He loves us so much that He gives us everything we need, even His own Son Jesus. (Continue until marbles fill the cup.) Notice this: even when the happiness runs out, the joy stays. And what happens when you add some happiness to a life already filled with joy? (Pour water over the marbles and make it overflow.)

Jesus says, in John 15:11, He wants us to be overflowing with joy. How does that sound to you?

SIGNPOSTS VIDEO:

We can have lasting joy by trusting in God, and we can trust God because He keeps His promises. Watch this video and see what I mean.

PLAY VIDEO: Signpost (5 min)

Signposts

DISMISSAL (2 min)

What an amazing gift God gave us—Jesus! Everything in the Bible points to Him. And all of Christmas, whether we remember it or not, is about His coming to us. It shows that God loves us, that God keeps His promises, and that God wants us to have joy, no matter who we are.

We’ve only got one more candle to light before Christmas comes! I can hardly believe it—I can hardly stand it! And I hope it brings you joy, too. Remember: (SuperTruth) We can have joy knowing that the gift of God is for everyone, rich or poor.

(Dismiss here or jump into the "When I am Joyful" optional activity in the next section.)