Bible Bites, Week 1: Jesus is Born!

Our primary resource for reading will be the Day by Day Begin to Read Bible. I'm going to reference this book, but will also include the corresponding Scripture passages. (Note on book: I love the way it breaks Bible stories down into short, easy to digest chunks, but still includes stories and passages that other kids' Bibles skip over. Great home library investment, in my opinion!)

My lessons will be very light on crafts because, well, Mr. Moose isn't too big on arts and crafts. He likes them at certain times and places, but using them in devotions just feels like extra busy work to me. I'll save crafts for our alphabet/number time.

Day One: Mary Gets a Special Gift

• Wrap up a gift and present it to Mr. Moose. Talk about how exciting it is to get a new gift. Tell him we'll open it after we read our Bible story about how God gave Mary a special gift.
• Read "God's Son," pg 251-252 (Luke 1:26-38)
• Discuss how God gave Mary the special gift of being Jesus' mommy! Let Mr. Moose unwrap his present and rejoice in the blessings of good gifts.
• Memory Verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16a)

Day Two: Jesus is Born

• Give Mr. Moose a suitcase. Let him pack some things to take on a "trip" around the house. 
• Pull the suitcase from "Nazareth" to "Bethlehem." When we arrive at the reading spot, a cave made of 2 chairs and a sheet, read "A Trip to Bethlehem" pp 254-255 (Luke 2:1-7).
• Discuss how God gave not just Mary a gift - He gave ALL of us a gift when Jesus was born! He gave us this precious gift because He loves us.
• Memory Verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16a)

Day Three: The Angels Sing!

• Sit together in a darkened bedroom with stuffed animals around us. Tell Mr. Moose the story of the shepherds taking care of their sheep in the fields, when suddenly the angels appeared and began praising God for His wonderful gift of Jesus! Shine flashlights and talk about how the angels shone.
• Listen to a bit of the Hallelujah Chorus and talk about the angels singing beautiful songs. They were excited because God was giving everyone in the world such a wonderful present - the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!
• Get up and run to another room. Talk about how the shepherds ran to find Jesus after they heard the good news. They were very happy!
• Memory Verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16a)