Make This Christmas Special!

Christmas Lessons

Here is a Lesson Taken from the Christmas Lessons Teaching Unit...

Help Your Class Discover the Gift that Keeps Giving...

Memory Verse: Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Objective: To encourage children to make room for Jesus in their lives.

You will need: Several presents (two to receive the offering and one empty package);Bells on elastic straps; Sherlock Hymns: hat, trench coat, large folded Christmas sign, clip board and magnifying glass, Christmas decorations; Visuals for this lesson, cut out for the Overhead Project; Paper and scissors; Word strips from the lesson; Happenin' Christmas Carols or other Christmas music of your choice.

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Introduction (5 minutes)

     You will need two or three beautifully wrapped presents sitting on the stage as the children enter the classroom. Pick one up as you give the introduction.

     Explain that this time of the year everyone is looking for the perfect gift. Explain, that the perfect gift will never be found under any Christmas tree. Regardless of how much money you spend or how hard you search you'll never find the perfect gift under a
tree. Anything that will go under the tree can be stolen, lost or destroyed.  The perfect gift cannot be stolen. It cannot be lost and nothing can destroy it. Today, we are going to talk about God's Perfect Gift.  But first, let's start with prayer.  Pray together. Place the gift back on the stage to use for the next object lesson.

No Room?  No Room?

     Luke 2:1-7    Cut out the visuals (found in the Christmas Lessons you can order from this website) for the overhead projector from paper or an inexpensive vinyl place mat. Place the visuals on the overhead projector as you tell the story using the silhouettes like you would felt figures on a flannel board.

     "Mary, we must go to Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus has ordered everyone to go to their ancestral city and pay their taxes."

     "But Joseph, the baby will be born soon."

     "You'll be fine, Mary. God will take care of His son."

      When they arrived in Bethlehem, the city was swarming with people. Everyone from the tribe of Judah had to go to King David’s birthplace to be taxed. Joseph was one of King David’s grandchildren. Actually, he was one of King David’s great, great, great, great …I don’t know how many greats, but anyway Joseph was a direct descendant of King David.

     The Bible doesn’t tell us how Mary and Joseph felt as they knocked on door after door trying to find a place to stay. If you were Mary, tired from the hard uphill journey how would you have felt? (Give the class time to respond.) But there wasn’t anywhere for the young couple to stay.

     Finally, an innkeeper agreed to let them stay in his stable. There baby Jesus was born. Jesus could have been born in a palace, but there wasn’t room in the palace. Jesus could have been born in the inn, but there wasn’t room in the inn. What an opportunity the innkeeper missed. They had an opportunity to give Jesus, King of all Kings, a place to be born, but they didn’t have room.

     For many years we have lived in a small home. Yet, I love to decorate at Christmas time. Our living room was so cramped we couldn’t get a Christmas tree inside. So every year the routine was the same, take out the chair and bring in the tree. Something had to go, so we could get the tree in the house.

     Sometimes our lives are so crowded with fun things, with good things, that we crowd Jesus out. Oh, we think about Him at Christmas and when we go to church. Jesus wants more than that. Jesus wants to be part of your everyday life. He wants you to walk with Him and talk with Him. He wants your love and your time. Don’t be like the foolish innkeeper. Make room for Jesus in your life.

     Is there room in your heart for Jesus? Is there room in your life to fellowship with Jesus? Do you spend time talking with Him and reading His word? Honestly ask yourself, “Is there room for Jesus in my life?”

     Don’t wait until the end of the day to spend time with Jesus. Get up a little early. Pray or read your Bible even if you only have five minutes. Start your day off right. Make time for Jesus. Talk to Him while you are getting dressed. Read your Bible or memorize scriptures in the car on the way to school.

I'm a Gift

     Most of the time you give gifts because you like somebody, right? Oh I know sometimes we give a gift so we’ll get one back, but not God. God loved this world. When you love somebody, you want to give them things. He wanted to give the world a very special gift. It had to be the very best gift. A gift that couldn’t be stolen. One that couldn’t be lost or destroyed. A gift that would last forever. A gift that would change people from the inside out. A gift that would really make a difference in their lives. God wanted to send mankind “The Perfect Gift.”

     Most people think they’re going to find their “perfect gift” under the tree on Christmas morning. (Fold the paper in half and cut out a tree as shown in the lesson.) God sent His perfect Gift on the first Christmas morning, but it was not found under the tree. Mary lay God’s perfect gift in a manger, mankind nailed God’s perfect gift on a tree at Calvary. (Fold the tree in half and cut it as shown to form the cross.) God’s Perfect Gift, Jesus came into this world to purchase your salvation. He came to purchase your peace. Your healing. It’s all paid for; all you have to do is receive it.

The Unopened Gifts

     Imagine with me it is July 22. The lights that hung so merrily at Christmas are all wrapped and boxed in the attic. The tree has been long gone. But sitting in the living room, where the magnificent tree once stood, sits a pile of gifts with your name on them. They are gifts of all sizes and shapes. They are things you wanted. Things you wrote on your Christmas list. Yet there they sit, untouched, unopened and unused for all these six months.

     Does it sound kind of dumb to you? No child would let presents sit in the living room unopened for six months. Then why don’t we open God’s Perfect Gift? I mean, why don’t we receive God’s gift. Why don’t we let Him come into our lives as our Savior and Lord? I think it is because our lives are so crowded with things that even as a Christian, we crowd Jesus right out of our life.

     Serving Jesus is more than a one-time experience. It is a relationship. He wants you to know Him as (Show the word strips.)

     WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. Is He wonderful to you? When you don’t know what to do, is He your counselor? Have you seen Him as your all mighty, all-powerful God? He wants you to trust Him and love Him as your Father. Do you need peace? He is the Prince of Peace. 

     In Luke 2:11, The Bible tells us “For unto you”. Who is that talking about? Was it referring to only those shepherds watching their sheep? That “you” includes you. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour.” He wants to be your Saviour. He wants to be your King. Is there room for Jesus in your life?

Use the song "Unwrap the Gift" from A Very Mary Christmas

Sherlock Hymns Searches for Christmas

     Three Sherlock skits are in the Christmas Lessons. He shows up all three weeks looking for clues to help people find Christmas. Play music as Sherlock enters and exits. Give him a British accent, detective coat and hat and let the fun begin!

     Well, hello boys and girls. And what might you be doing here? No, don’t tell me. I, the great detective, Sherlock Hymns (hums) will figure this out. you are here for some sort of meeting. Yes, that’s right! They don’t call me the great Sherlock Hymns (hums) for nothing you know. Ah yes, I almost forgot. I’m here to find something, but what was it? (Scratches head) Ah. I wrote it down, somewhere. (Begins to go through his pockets.) Ah, here it is. (Brings out a large folded sign and unfolds it.) Yes, of course, I’m looking for Christmas.  No, no. You mustn’t tell me where to find it. I, the Great Sherlock Hymns, (hums) will find Christmas!

     First I must find some clues! ( He pulls out his pad and begins to look at his notes. Sherlock pulls them off and throws them in the air one at a time.) A white Christmas. A blanket of fresh fallen snow. (Look at class.) Why do they call it a blanket? A blanket is warm, snow is cold. No, Christmas can’t be found under a snow blanket, ah blanket of snow. Whatever! Lights…that is it. Christmas is beautiful lights. No, not lights. Trees, yes Christmas trees. Christmas is beautiful Christmas trees with beautiful lights. No, Christmas must be more than a dead tree covered in expensive decorations. Shopping. That’s it! I’ll find Christmas at (name of a local store or shopping center. Excitedly continues.) Yes, that’s it! That’s it! Christmas is the hustle and bustle of shopping at the mall. Oh, all that pushing and shoving and fighting over gifts, that can’t be Christmas. No, I don’t think so. Christmas has to be more than that!

     Maybe there are some clues in this room. I the Great Sherlock Hymns (hums) will find Christmas. (Sherlock begins to look around the room. This should be humorous, as he dramatically tip toes from one place to another looking for clues.

     That is it. This must be it. A gift! Christmas is a gift. But not a gift wrapped in foil or pretty paper. No, this gift was wrapped in something else. And this gift wasn’t found under a tree. I know I’m right. The great Sherlock Hymns (hums) has found it. Christmas is a gift. I know it was wrapped in something, but what? And where was the gift placed? And who gave this gift? I must find the answer to these questions or I will never find Christmas! Oh, I must hurry. I really want to find Christmas before it gets here! Only (number of days until Christmas) more searching days ‘til Christmas. The Great Sherlock Hymns *hums) will find Christmas! (Sherlock exits.)

The above lesson with Overhead projector visual pattern, two more lessons and a Christmas party planner are available for $9.99. You can request the lessons be sent to you via email instead of paper copy.

Click Here to Order the Three Christmas Lessons