CHAPTER 1

Session 1

The Wonder of a Star

Planning for the Session

Session Goals

Participants will be encouraged to:

• Discover ways to be awakened to the wonder of Christmas.

• Think about ways in which we pursue more in our lives, and what is behind that desire.

• Consider how the birth of Jesus fulfills our hopes.

• Ask the Lord how we should follow and be aware of the meaning of this season.

Materials Needed

• The Wonder of Christmas book (one for every participant)

• Bibles (extras for participants)

• The Wonder of Christmas DVD, DVD player

• Markerboard or chart paper, markers

• Advent wreath, candles, matches

Optional:

• Writing paper or journals, pens or pencils for journaling (provide or have participants bring their own)

• Recordings of Christmas carols or hymns

• Inexpensive or homemade star ornaments (one for each participant)

Preparation

• Read and reflect on Chapter 1, "The Wonder of a Star."

• Read through the session outline and select the material you plan to cover.

• Read and reflect on the following scriptures:

* Genesis 1

* Isaiah 43:1

* Ecclesiastes 3:11

* Psalm 42:7-8

* Isaiah 55:2

* Matthew 4:18-22

* Matthew 14:22-33

• Prepare the room and gather the necessary materials. Cue the video for Session 1. Be sure to set out an Advent wreath to light during the closing. (Don't forget matches!) You may want to play some soft Christmas music during this time. If you choose, you may have participants journal during this time.

• Optional: Make or purchase inexpensive star ornaments (one for each participant) to hand out during the closing.

Getting Started (10 minutes)

Opening Activity

Welcome participants as they arrive. Open your time together by discussing the following questions:

• Can you recall a time when you eagerly hoped and waited for a specific Christmas gift? Describe the gift and if you received it. (If time permits, you could have each member anonymously write down what the gift was on a slip of paper; then draw them out one by one and try to guess who wanted each gift.)

• Advent is a time of waiting and reflection. What do you hope to experience this Advent?

Opening Prayer

Lord, as we begin this study, we thank you for the opportunity to slow down and spend these weeks contemplating the joy and wonder of the greatest gift we've ever been given — Jesus Christ. As we reflect on the Christmas story and the questions it raises, speak to us and make us aware of the grand story you are telling and how we fit into it. Thank you for your abundant love and mercy. Now bless our time together as we seek you this season. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Content Review and Application (40 minutes)

Note: This section allows approximately 10–12 minutes for a video segment and 25–28 minutes for discussion. More content has been provided than you will have time to cover. Select in advance those questions you would like to discuss, putting a check mark beside each one.

Video

Play Session 1 (running time 11:24).

Discuss:

• When have you experienced a longing for "something more"? In what ways has this longing led you to seek after God?

• What are some of the "signs" in your life that have pointed you to God?

• Why does it require real courage to go to Jesus?

Study and Discussion (25–28 minutes)

The Gift of Wonder

Read aloud or summarize:

Do you know someone who seems to notice things that others don't — who pays attention to the subtle details and finds beauty and meaning in the unexpected? Maybe it's you!

Rob Renfroe writes, "As we explore the wonder of Christmas together in the coming weeks, you are invited to see the world — and what God has done — through the gift of wonder; to believe there is more to this world than the eye beholds; to look for the beauty in what God has done and allow yourself to be amazed by a story you've heard a hundred times; to come to this season with a spirit of curiosity, trusting that if you will slow down and open your heart, Creation's Artist will astonish you with gifts that are waiting for you" (pp. 16-17).

Discuss:

• Each of us enters the Christmas season with expectations about what this year's celebration will be like. How do past Christmases shape or influence how you feel about Christmas this year?

• What does wonder mean to you? Who or what causes you to wonder — to be amazed, curious, or inspired?

• Take turns reading aloud Genesis 1, the story of creation. How does meditating on this story affect your view of God and inspire wonder in your heart?

The Search for More

Read aloud or summarize:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." ...

They went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11)

The story of the wise men is familiar to anyone who has ever heard the biblical Christmas story. The magi had "successful" lives in terms of what the world values. They didn't need more money or accolades. So why did they put aside everything to go and follow a star? What compelled them to travel hundreds of miles through barren terrain and unknown dangers to find a promised king? What did they hope to gain? What did they long to find?

At one time or another, all of us sense that we are made for more. We ask questions and go on journeys to find the answers. Often we feel that something is missing — that we need something more in order for our lives to be right. But not all of us recognize what this need for more truly is. In fact, many people who yearn for more end up focusing on simply getting more of the same — more wealth, more success, more recognition, more possessions, more pleasure — more of everything that has already left them unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

Discuss:

• What do you think the magi were looking for when they set out to find Jesus?

• In what ways do people in our society tend to spend time and resources searching for more?

• Read the following verses aloud. How do they speak to this deep yearning of our hearts for something more?

Deep calls to deep / in the roar of your waterfalls; / all your waves and breakers / have swept over me. / By day the Lord directs his love, / at night his song is with me — / a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:7-8)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

"I have called you by name. You are Mine!" (Isaiah 43:1 NLV)

"Why spend money on what is not bread, / and your labor on what does not satisfy? / Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, / and you will delight in the richest of fare." (Isaiah 55:2)

• The longing within us is a yearning for something more than this world can provide; we long for our Savior. As Saint Augustine wrote, "Thou hast made us for thyself, and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee." How have you found this to be true in your own life?

Stars and Signs and Prophets

Read aloud or summarize:

The wise men saw the star for what it was — a sign from God. They had been paying attention, and when the sign came, they followed. But long before the star appeared in the sky above the town of Bethlehem, God was sending signs to his people to tell them of Jesus' birth. Since the beginning, when he created Adam and Eve, God had been speaking to his people, reminding them of who they were and whose they were. Even when things were bleak and the future seemed very dim, God spoke to his people again and again, reminding them of the Savior to come. Let's read about some of these Old Testament prophecies and how they were fulfilled in the New Testament.

Activity:

Ask one member of your group to play the part of prophet and read aloud the Old Testament prophecies below. After the prophet reads each prophecy, have another group member answer that prophecy by reading aloud the New Testament fulfillment:

Old Testament ProphecyNew Testament Fulfillment
Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18-23
Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1
Isaiah 9:1-2 Matthew 4:12-16
Isaiah 61:1-2 Luke 4:16-19
Isaiah 53:5-12 Romans 5:6-8

Discuss:

• How were these prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament? What might the fulfillment of these prophecies have meant to people in ancient Israel? How can these prophecies affect our modern-day thinking about Jesus?

The Call to Follow

Read aloud or summarize:

The wise men had the courage to follow the star. Mary and Joseph had the courage to accept the Lord's plan for them, even though it turned their lives upside down. But many who heard about Jesus' birth, such as Herod and others in Jerusalem, chose to stay home and continue their everyday lives as if nothing had changed.

Why didn't they go too? They were familiar with the prophecy; they knew this was no small event. Could it have been that they were afraid of what they would find? After all, if the Messiah had truly come into the world as had been prophesied, things were about to change; perhaps those in power knew Jesus' birth meant that they would have to change too.

An encounter with Jesus demands a response from us — will we accept his call, or will we stay home?

Discuss:

• Read aloud Matthew 4:18-22 about Jesus calling his first disciples to come and walk with him. Imagine the scene as Jesus calls out to these men. Notice the Bible says they respond immediately. Why do you think they go so quickly without hesitating?

• Read aloud the story about Jesus and Peter, found in Matthew 14:22-33. Peter follows Jesus' call wholeheartedly at first but then gets distracted and hesitates. What is Jesus' response?

• Have you ever sensed Jesus calling you? How did you respond?

Closing (10 minutes)

Lighting the Advent Wreath

Present the Advent wreath and prepare to light the first candle. You might dim the lights or play some soft background music during this time, possibly some traditional Christmas hymns such as "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus."

Read aloud or summarize:

In many of our churches and homes, we mark the four weeks before Christmas using an Advent wreath — a circular wreath of evergreen leaves that symbolizes the eternity of God. The wreath typically features four candles representing Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy. We light one candle each week of Advent as we await Jesus' coming. We place the fifth candle, the Christ candle, in the middle of the wreath and light it on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus' birth.

This week, the first week of Advent, we light the candle of Hope and reflect on the wonder of the star placed high above Bethlehem, sent as a sign from God to announce the fulfillment of our deepest hopes and dreams — the birth of Immanuel, God with us.

• Spend about five minutes in silence together, prompting the group to pray that God would open our eyes this season to the gift of wonder. Encourage them to ask the Lord for specific ways they can limit distractions so that they are able to focus on him this Advent. If you choose, invite participants to journal during this time.

• Optional: If you made or purchased star ornaments for your group, give them out now as visual reminders of the star over Bethlehem and the wonder of the gift of Jesus. Encourage group members to place the stars on their trees or other places in their homes or workplaces during Advent.

Watching for Wonder Challenge

Encourage participants to be watching for unexpected gifts this week — evidences that there is more to this world than what the eye beholds; glimpses of God at work in the people, places, and circumstances of their daily lives. Invite them to journal about what they see or to share their thoughts with a family member or friend.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son — for sending him to be Immanuel, God with us. We praise you for all the ways you unexpectedly reveal yourself to us and ask that you open our eyes to see the wonder you have placed all around us during this season. Help us to be present and listen for your voice as we celebrate your coming.

* * *

Additional Material

Read the Christmas Story

Read aloud or summarize:

We have heard the Christmas story countless times — so often that we rarely read through the biblical story in its entirety. Take some time with your group now to do just that.

• Quiet the room and lead the group in prayer, asking the Lord to reveal something new to each person as you read aloud the story of Jesus' birth.

• Read aloud the following passages in this order (invite participants to take turns):

* Luke 1:1-56

* Matthew 1:18-25

* Luke 2:1-21

* Matthew 2:1-12

• Ask group members to share anything that God might have revealed to them as the story was read.

The Helper

Read aloud or summarize:

The Christmas story is full of unlikely elements — a star so bright it couldn't be ignored; a stable, the most unlikely place for the Son of God to be born; a group of farm laborers, the first to witness the newborn King.

Many things in life defy explanation or understanding. Thankfully, God doesn't leave us to figure out these mysteries on our own. As Jesus prepared his disciples for his death on the cross, he assured them that he would not leave them alone but would ask God the Father to send a helper, the Holy Spirit, to live within them and guide them along the way. This same Holy Spirit lives within each of us!

Discuss:

• Read aloud John 14:25-27. How do you imagine the disciples felt at hearing this news?

Read aloud or summarize:

God, in his infinite wisdom, did not leave us alone to rely on our own wisdom. Instead he sent the Holy Spirit to guide us. In God's great love for us, God declared: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you" (Jeremiah 29:13-14a). Even though life is full of mystery and wonder, God wants to be found by us — God wants to be in an intimate relationship with God's children.

Discuss:

• How does the Holy Spirit help us to find God? What evidence of this have you seen in your own life?

CHAPTER 2

Session 2

The Wonder of a Name

Planning for the Session

Session Goals

Participants will be encouraged to:

• Explore the importance and purpose of the most important name in the Christmas story: Jesus.

• Meditate on the name of Jesus and what it means to those who believe in him.

• Discover our new identities and names as followers of Christ.

Materials Needed

• The Wonder of Christmas book (one for every participant)

• Bibles (extras for participants)

• The Wonder of Christmas DVD, DVD player

• Markerboard or chart paper, markers

• Two index cards or slips of paper for each participant

• Copies of the scriptures on page 34 (one for each participant)

• Advent wreath, candles, matches

Optional:

• Writing paper or journals, pens or pencils for journaling (provide or have participants bring their own)

• Recordings of Christmas carols or hymns

Preparation

• Read and reflect on Chapter 2, "The Wonder of a Name."

• Read through the session outline and select the material you plan to cover.

• Read and reflect on the following Scriptures:

* John 1:14

* Acts 5:31

* Ephesians 1:22-23

* Matthew 1:21

* Numbers 14:7-9

* John 1:9-13

* Romans 8:1-2

* Isaiah 43:1

• Prepare the room and gather the necessary materials. Cue the video for Session 2. Be sure to set out an Advent wreath to light during the closing. (Don't forget matches!) You may want to play some soft Christmas music during this time. If you choose, you may have participants journal during this time.

Getting Started (10 minutes)

Opening Activity

Welcome participants as they arrive. Begin the session with a word association exercise. Ask participants to brainstorm a list of names they associate with the Christmas season. Write these on a markerboard or chart paper. Responses likely will range from names of characters in the biblical Christmas story to those of secular characters such as Scrooge or Santa Claus. As time permits, choose several of the names and ask what words or descriptions come to mind for each.

Read aloud or summarize:

There is no doubt that names hold meaning and importance. Today we will explore the importance and purpose of the most important name in the Christmas story: Jesus.