Topic: Christmas Advent Service Example 6 Of 6

Advent Candle Lighting Ceremony:

FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
(Light first purple candle): This is for the shepherds who gave their gift of WONDER.

(Read): Luke 2:8-17

Speaker #1: Christmas is a wonderful time. Not just fun, but truly full of wonder. When we were children it almost seemed magical. Mysterious things were supposed to happen that night and we knew that lots of presents were coming our way.
Speaker #2 (or same as #1 if you want): At the very first Christmas there were probably no presents or cookies. Instead, a host of angels appeared to some shepherds. Being a shepherd was a simple job and did not have any prestige. But God loves simple people and he gave them a huge blessing ? they would be the first ones to see the baby Jesus.
Speaker #1: They ran down to where Jesus was and when they saw him they were filled with awe. It was just like the angels said. They were so excited went and told everyone they could. Jesus doesn't really need gifts at Christmas (he doesn't get them anyway, we do) but he loves to receive praise. We should thank him and praise him for his wonderful gift of salvation.

Prayer:

Our heavenly Father, we thank you for this special time of year. Bring us back to that sense of wonder that we had as children. Show us the true meaning of this season, that you visited the earth as a baby to bring us salvation. Your gift to us is the best Christmas gift we can receive. We thank you for this in Jesus' name. Amen.

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
(Light last week's purple candle): This is for the shepherds who gave their gift of WONDER.

(Light second purple candle): This is for the gift of Mary and Joseph, the gift of LOVING PREPARATION.

Read Luke 2:1 and 2:4-7

The whole idea behind celebrating Advent is to prepare our minds and hearts to really consider the wonder in the gift of God's son, Jesus. Preparing for the arrival of Jesus was done early on by the prophets of the Old Testament. They tried to tell people ahead of time about the coming of a Messiah. Then right before Jesus there was the prophet called John the Baptist, who taught about the arrival of Jesus and tried to prepare the people for Him.
We know it wasn't easy for Mary and Joseph to prepare for the actual birth date of Jesus. They were on the road far away from home and when they got to Bethlehem there was no place for them in any inn. They persisted, however, and made a birth home for Him in a manger among the cows and sheep. But their love for Him more than made up for the crude shelter He was born in. Mary's lullaby to Him shows her adoration in Luke 2 when she says,

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." How about you? Is there room in your heart for Jesus? Have you prepared a way for Him in your busy schedule?

Prayer:

Our heavenly Father, we have to admit that we spend a lot of time preparing for Christmas, but very little time preparing for Jesus. Help us to find ways to focus on Jesus in our family and in our own hearts. May we be your instruments to bring the love of Jesus to our world. In His name we pray, Amen.

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

Light candle #1 "This is for wonder, the gift of the Shepherds."
Light candle #2 "This is for loving preparation, the gift of Mary and Joseph."
Light candle #3 "This is for giving their best, the gift of the Wise Men."

Read Matthew 2:9-11.

We all know the song "We Three Kings of Orient Are." And we read in the Bible that there actually were men - we don't know how many - who came to see the Infant King. Tradition has come up with three wise men because there were three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. What strange baby gifts the wise men brought! Who would think of giving metal and spices to a baby? Because they recognized the baby as a king, however, they brought the very best they had in their possession.

Are you wise to who Jesus is? And do you give Him the best that you have? Your energy and ability, your time and your life?

Prayer:

Our heavenly Father, we have bought gifts for everyone but Jesus. We know that he needs nothing material because he owns the universe. The one thing we can give him is our heart. Help us to honor our Savior with our thoughts, words and deeds. May many more come to believe in him this season. In Jesus' name, Amen.

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT

Light candle #1 "This is for wonder, the gift of the Shepherds."
Light candle #2 "This is for loving preparation, the gift of Mary and Joseph."
Light candle #3 "This is for giving their best, the gift of the Wise Men."
Light candle #4 "This is for the light of the world, the gift of the Father."

Read John 1:14 and then 1:8-9.

One very common decoration at Christmas is light. There are lights in many windows, our trees are decked with colorful lights, many homes are festively lit from one end to the other, and here we light our advent candles. There is a reason for this - Jesus called himself the Light of the World. A light is used to be able to see something when it is dark. Through Jesus we are able to see God. God is revealed to us by the coming of Jesus to earth.

Light is a natural symbol for the One whose birth brought so many changes to the world. And we are challenged to carry on that light, not to hide it but to let it shine before men that they may see your good works. Does your light shine boldly as a witness for Christ?

Prayer:

Our heavenly Father, our world can seem very dark at times. We worry about what the future holds. We wonder if we can make any difference at all. It is not our task to light the whole world, but only to light our little corner. Help us to shine with the love of Jesus to everyone we meet. In Jesus' name, Amen.

CHRISTMAS EVE, December 24

Light candle #1 "This is for wonder, the gift of the Shepherds."
Light candle #2 "This is for loving preparation, the gift of Mary and Joseph."
Light candle #3 "This is for giving their best, the gift of the Wise Men."
Light candle #4 "This is for the light of the world, the gift of the Father."
Light the center candle "This is for joy, the gift of the Baby."

Read Luke 2:10-11

The gift of the Christ Child is Joy - for no other person has brought such deep and lasting happiness to the hearts of men. The birth of any baby is almost always a signal for rejoicing and especially so at Christmas when "Love came down to earth."

Even to those who don't acknowledge Christ, the Christmas season shows a change in attitude. There is an air of excitement and joy. People display actions of love more during this time than any other season of the year.
How much more should we who believe and understand the significance of this great gift. Rejoice in this day! Our joy should be without ceasing to show the world that He still lives among us today.

Prayer:

Our heavenly Father, you have given us a reason to be happy. You promise to remove our sins, heal our diseases, and bring us into your kingdom. Much of it we cannot yet see, but for what we have received, we give you deep thanks. The best gift of all is the salvation we have in Jesus. Help us to share this joy with others so they also might believe. In Jesus? name, Amen.
Please open up your hymnals to #179 as we sing the first stanza of "Joy to the World"

Data Source: First Baptist Church, Ledgewood, New Jersey

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