SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
Glenda's friends watched eagerly as she opened the gifts they had brought to her birthday party. There was much excitement and exclaiming over each one. "Here!" said Moira. "There's just one more for you to open."
With a smile, Glenda took the package. "It's a pretty one. Who is it from?" she asked. "There's no card."
"Maybe it's on the inside," suggested Margie.
Glenda quickly removed the wrapping. "No, there's no card inside, either. In fact, there isn't anything in this package!" she said in surprise. "It's just an empty box." She looked around the room. "You all gave me a present, so who wrapped this?" she asked suspiciously. Then Glenda noticed her dad standing in the doorway with a peculiar expression on his face. "Dad!" she exclaimed. "Did you do this?"
Dad grinned. "Guilty," he admitted, "but I did it for a good reason. I wanted you all to think about what Christmas must seem like to Jesus. It's His birthday, right?" The girls nodded. "It's His birthday," continued Dad, "and there are a lot of decorations around-things like trees, stars, and tinsel. Like the wrappings of a present, they look pretty and may seem to hold some promise, but they're often like an empty box. How often do we actually give anything special to Jesus at Christmas?"
"The wise men gave Him presents, didn't they?" remembered Glenda. "But . . . what can we give Him? We don't have gold and frankincense and myrrh."
Dad smiled. "Let's think about it," he said. "What do you think Jesus might like?"
"My Sunday school teacher says God loves a cheerful giver," suggested Amy.
Dad nodded. "What else?"
"He likes us to do our work cheerfully, too," said Moira. "And He likes us to do our best."
"He wants us to obey Him," added Glenda.
"Good," said Dad. "Those are all things we should remember every day, but as we celebrate Jesus birth this year, let's all try to do something special-beyond what we usually do-and do it for Jesus."
MEMORY VERSE:
Matthew 2:1
"They presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." (KJV) (NIV)
(KJV)
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you include Jesus when you celebrate Christmas? Think of something special you can do for Him. Perhaps you can give an extra offering or do a kind deed-something special that you don't normally do-as a present to Him.
THE KEY: Remember Jesus on His day
www.CBHMinistries.org
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
Glenda's friends watched eagerly as she opened the gifts they had brought to her birthday party. There was much excitement and exclaiming over each one. "Here!" said Moira. "There's just one more for you to open."
With a smile, Glenda took the package. "It's a pretty one. Who is it from?" she asked. "There's no card."
"Maybe it's on the inside," suggested Margie.
Glenda quickly removed the wrapping. "No, there's no card inside, either. In fact, there isn't anything in this package!" she said in surprise. "It's just an empty box." She looked around the room. "You all gave me a present, so who wrapped this?" she asked suspiciously. Then Glenda noticed her dad standing in the doorway with a peculiar expression on his face. "Dad!" she exclaimed. "Did you do this?"
Dad grinned. "Guilty," he admitted, "but I did it for a good reason. I wanted you all to think about what Christmas must seem like to Jesus. It's His birthday, right?" The girls nodded. "It's His birthday," continued Dad, "and there are a lot of decorations around-things like trees, stars, and tinsel. Like the wrappings of a present, they look pretty and may seem to hold some promise, but they're often like an empty box. How often do we actually give anything special to Jesus at Christmas?"
"The wise men gave Him presents, didn't they?" remembered Glenda. "But . . . what can we give Him? We don't have gold and frankincense and myrrh."
Dad smiled. "Let's think about it," he said. "What do you think Jesus might like?"
"My Sunday school teacher says God loves a cheerful giver," suggested Amy.
Dad nodded. "What else?"
"He likes us to do our work cheerfully, too," said Moira. "And He likes us to do our best."
"He wants us to obey Him," added Glenda.
"Good," said Dad. "Those are all things we should remember every day, but as we celebrate Jesus birth this year, let's all try to do something special-beyond what we usually do-and do it for Jesus."
MEMORY VERSE:
Matthew 2:1
"They presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." (KJV) (NIV)
(KJV)
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you include Jesus when you celebrate Christmas? Think of something special you can do for Him. Perhaps you can give an extra offering or do a kind deed-something special that you don't normally do-as a present to Him.
THE KEY: Remember Jesus on His day
www.CBHMinistries.org
