The Parent Weekly for January 2nd (God’s son brings peace)
What we learned today
Big Idea: God's son brings peace
Birth of Jesus. Luke 2v1–20. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Where we're headed next time
Big Idea: God honors faith
Simeon and Anna. Luke 2v21–40. Simeon and Anna waited a long time for Jesus to arrive on earth.
Did you know?
Share these facts to get the conversation started:
Old Simeon and Anna were part of a community of people who followed God’s laws and waited faithfully for the promised Redeemer.
God honored their faith by blessing Simeon and Anna with the gift of meeting His precious Son.
In obedience to Jewish law, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to have their Son circumcised. This ceremony was performed on the eighth day of a boy’s life.
When Simeon saw Jesus in the temple, God revealed to him the fact that Jesus would be the One who would save God’s people from their sins.
Connect as a family
This week, watch for opportunities to begin conversations with your kids about what faith looks like. Point out situations that require faith; try to use things you take for granted as examples, such as sitting in a chair (having faith it will support you) or flipping a light switch (having faith that the light turns on). Lead the discussion into spiritual faith. Read Luke 2v21–40. Ask your children about where Simeon and Anna placed their faith. Ask them what that faith may have looked like to God’s people at that time. Talk about how your faith in Jesus might look to your friends and neighbors.
After reading the Scripture passage, discuss these questions together:
How did God honor Simeon and Anna’s faith?
How did Simeon respond when he saw Jesus?
In what areas do you struggle to have faith in God?
These questions can easily extend into the rest of the week. Look for opportunities to bring conversations about how God honors faith into your everyday life as a family.
Blessing
Blessings are often used in the Bible. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide.
A blessing to pray over your child:(Child’s name), may your understanding of God’s great love for you grow every day.
