If you’re short on prep time or just looking for some extra guidance, our weekly Leader Training is designed to help you lead your students through the week’s lesson.
This is the Leader Training for Session 4 of our Winter 2023 study. This week’s lesson covers the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-15 (suggested use date: December 25, 2022).
You can also download this week’s leader training in PDF format here.
Session 4: An Epic Birth Announcement
Key Text: Luke 2:1-15
Central Truth:
The Christmas story can feel so familiar to us that we can overlook its power and fail to experience its full impact. In this lesson, we’ll look at an angle of the all-powerful, all-knowing, awe-inspiring God of the universe that might surprise us: The Lord made Himself lowly so that He might rescue the lowly.
Key Question:
What are some things the angel of the Lord told the shepherds about this baby? Do you notice any unexpected or opposing ideas?
Investigating this part of the text will help students see the big opposites that are present in Jesus’s birth story: The Lord was born in a manger! It reminds us of one of the foundational truths from John 1: God became flesh. And He didn’t come in power and prestige. He showed up in a way that was startlingly humble
Keep in Mind:
— The primary challenge for studying the birth of Jesus is that it’s likely a story everyone has heard before. To keep the conversation fresh, continuously invite students to be on the lookout for things they have never heard or things they are seeing in a new light.
— On the other hand, an overemphasis on the story’s familiarity might make a student who didn’t grow up in church feel insecure or embarrassed. Hearing this story for the first time is actually incredible! (Think about how fun it is to watch someone you love watch a movie you love for the first time.) Take time to be excited with these students.
Application:
What is God’s glory? Where have you seen displays of His glory lately?
The Win:
FOR THE STUDENT: The shepherds weren’t looking for a display of God’s glory (it just sort of smacked them in the face!), but the experience sharpened their outlook. Similarly, students can be on the hunt for displays of God’s glory in their daily lives.
FOR THE LEADER: Invite students to step into the perspective of the shepherds after the angels visited. Challenge them to look for God and talk about God as the shepherds did.
Additional Helps:
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Listen to the weekly Lifeway Student Ministry Podcast for fresh perspectives on student ministry in today’s world. Hosted by Ben Trueblood, Director of Student Ministry at Lifeway, and produced by Nathan Howard, Project Coordinator for Lifeway Students.
Read our guide to creating a safer, more engaging environment for online Bible study.
Watch replays of our webinars for group leaders and teachers, hosted by Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s Director of Sunday School. These webinars are designed to help leaders build their confidence, strengthen their groups, and enhance their Bible studies.