Materials Included
• 6 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 6 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• Handouts

Scriptures
1. Psalm 80:1-19
2. Psalm 122:1-9
3. Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
4. Psalm 146:1-10
5. Luke 2:1-20
6. Matthew 2:13-23

Brief Description
The Christian year begins with Advent. Centuries ago, church leaders developed a method of tracing the life of Jesus throughout the calendar year. They began with Advent, a season of preparation for God coming to the world. God has been in the world and coming to the world from the beginning. Advent is a season to acknowledge that and to anticipate and prepare for God to come again to us and to the world in which we live this year. The next sessions examines the theme "Advent call us."

Session One: Too often the Advent season creeps up on us. This session helps us "prepare to prepare." It considers our need to call on God's name and what it means in our lives to have God's presence. A Hebrew psalm, often used in worship, will guide this session.

Session Two: Describe Advent as a pilgrimage of preparation for the coming of Christ. Note that this session is drawn upon a psalm that describes the Hebrews' pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Because of out trust in God, for thousands of years people have been on pilgrimage through worship.

Session Three: This session is from Psalm 72. In Psalm 72, we find a description of the kind of king for which Israel longs. While we may not long for a king, we do long for justice and peace. The coming of Jesus superseded both out and the Israelites' expectations.

Session Four: 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us, "And now faith, hope and love abide, these three." We uphold this passage as a reminder of our Christian activity. In this season of anticipation, preparation, and expectancy, it's appropriate for us to reflect on hope and how it abides for us today.

Session Five: "Prepare him room." Christmas brings the familiar and yet unexpected birth of Christ. This session invites us to consider what we anticipate from the birth and how we will respond to its familiar yet new message.

Session Six: This session is about knowing God and Christ. When has God acted as a deliverer in your life? How has salvation shaped your understanding of who God is?

by Howard Roberts and Alica Kirkpatrick-Bremer

User License
The purchaser of this file has permission to print twenty copies of this Learners Study Guide. Neither the file nor the printed contents may be sold copied or transferred to another person or church. The purchaser may make a backup copy of the file.

The purchaser of this file has permission to print one copy of this Teaching Guide. Neither the file nor the printed contents may be sold, copied or transferred to another person or church. The purchaser may make a backup copy of the file.

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