Scripture
Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Hymn
Lyrics
1. With wond’ring awe the wisemen saw
The star in heaven springing,
And with delight, in peaceful night,
They heard the angels singing:
(Chorus)
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to his name!
2. By light of star they traveled far
To seek the lowly manger,
A humble bed wherein was laid
The wondrous little Stranger.
(Chorus)
3. And still is found, the world around,
The old and hallowed story,
And still is sung in ev’ry tongue
The angels’ song of glory:
(Chorus)
4. The heav’nly star its rays afar
On ev’ry land is throwing,
And shall not cease till holy peace
In all the earth is growing.
(Chorus)
Lesson
*Suitable for All Ages*
Begin by watching the following video. Before you play it, ask everyone to think about what we can learn today about the journey and attributes of the Wise Men:
Read aloud: We don’t know much about the Wise Men. Their story is only found in the book of Matthew in the Bible. We aren’t sure how long it took them to find Christ, but most traditions believe truly was a young child when they came, as depicted in this video. We can imagine it took months, even years, for the Wise Men to find Christ.
Today, we can be like the Wise Men and seek Christ. This isn’t something that happens quickly; rather, it is a journey we will be on for the rest of our lives.
Ask: What are some ways we can seek after Christ?
While seeking Christ can often be a daunting and difficult process, the promised blessings are great. In John 17, Christ offers up the great Intercessory Prayer. He says that life eternal is to know him and to know God. As we seek Christ, we not only learn about him, but we develop a relationship with him. Not only do we understand Christ as our Savior, but he becomes our closest friend and someone we can trust and turn to. In turn, we can become like him and gain eternal life.
At Christmas, we think a lot about Christ. When Christmas is over, we can forget to have the spirit of Christ with us for the rest of the year.
Ask: What are some things that keep us from seeking Christ? How can we overcome them?
Finish the lesson by sharing any personal experiences and bearing your testimony.
Featured Products
Treat
TreatNew Years Snack Mix or Soft Pretzel Bites
New Years Snack Mix
Ingredients:
-4 cups Rice Chex
-2 cups Pretzels
-2 cups Cheerios
-1 cups M & Ms
-1 bag White Chocolate Chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except White Chocolate Chips. Place white chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Melt for 1 min. 30 sec. at 70% power and stir til smooth. Pour chocolate over snack mix and stir. Pour on wax paper and let set until hard.
(Courtesy of Sports Mom Survival Guide)
Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups warm water
-2 tablespoons light brown sugar
-1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
-3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
-2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
-4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
-Vegetable oil
-3 quarts water
-1/2 cup baking soda
-1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
-Coarse sea salt
Directions:
Combine the 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.
(Courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)
Activity
Activity
Cell Phone Hide and Seek
This game is especially fun for large groups and in larger spaces. Pick one person to hide and have them save everyone’s cell phone number in theirs. Have them start a group message. Turn off the lights so it is as dark as possible. To play the game, have the person hiding send a text message to the group every few minutes with a clue as to where they are hiding. They can make it as hard or as easy as they want. Enjoy this updated version of hide and seek!
