Countdown to Christmas with Zach - An Advent Podcast for Kids

• Advent Day 12: A Special Baby

  Thank you for joining Keys for Kids Radio's Countdown to Christmas Advent Activity! Read the story below, answer the questions on the discussion guide, and send us a voice message with your answers! Send In Your Answers A Special Baby As Mateo and his friend Tory rode the bus home from school, they talked about their Christmas plans. “Grandpa and Grandma are coming for a whole week this year,” said Tory, “and on Christmas Eve we’re all going to see a movie about Santa Claus! Wanna come with us? I’m sure Mom will say it’s okay.” “I can’t,” said Mateo. “Our family always goes to church on Christmas Eve. We have a candlelight service where we read the Christmas story and sing Christmas carols.” “Christmas carols? Like ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’?” Mateo shook his head. “No, songs about the real meaning of Christmas, like ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘Silent Night.’” “Oh.” Tory frowned. “The Christmas story is about somebody named Mary, isn’t it? And a guy named Joseph? And about some special baby? What was so special about Him?” Mateo could hardly believe Tory didn’t know the answer to that. “It’s about when Jesus was born. He’s the Son of God,” he explained. “Well, then how could He be born as a baby on earth?” Tory asked. “If He was God’s Son, why did He come to earth anyway?” “Because we needed Him to save us from our sin—our brokenness—so we could have eternal life,” said Mateo, and he did his best to help Tory understand who Jesus is and why He came. When Mateo told his mom about their conversation, she had a suggestion. “It’s possible other friends of yours don’t know the real meaning of Christmas. Would you like to have a Christmas party so you can share it with them? You could play games and have prizes, and I’ll help with singing carols and tell the Christmas story before we have some snacks and hot cocoa.” “That would be fun!” said Mateo. Mateo invited several friends to come. He didn’t know if any of them would believe in Jesus because of the party, but he wanted to give them the chance to hear about the special baby who was born to save the world—the real reason for Christmas. Linda M. Weddle How about you? Do your friends know who Jesus is and why He came to earth? How can you share the real meaning of Christmas with them? Maybe you can have a party where you sing carols and have someone tell the story of Jesus’ birth, or invite them to a Christmas program at your church. You could even simply talk with them about what Jesus has done for you. Share the message of Jesus at Christmas—and all year long. Key Verse "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21 NKJV Key Thought Share Christ at Christmas. Further Reading Matthew 1:18-23

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• Advent Day 11: The Story of Santa

  Thank you for joining Keys for Kids Radio's Countdown to Christmas Advent Activity! Read the story below, answer the questions on the discussion guide, and send us a voice message with your answers! Send In Your Answers The Story of Santa “Ho, ho, ho! And a merry Christmas to you!” bellowed a tall Santa at the entrance to Mia’s favorite toy store. Mia and her dad were doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. They needed a few more things for the shoeboxes they were filling for kids who lived in orphanages in poor countries.  “Dad, why do I see so many Santas around at Christmas instead of manger scenes?” Mia wondered aloud. “Everywhere I look I see Santa! See, there’s a gigantic stuffed Santa right over there!” “I agree, there’s a lot more of Santa than Jesus in most stores at Christmas,” said Dad. “I think the tradition of Santa has overshadowed the truth of Jesus’ birth. However, not many people know the story of the real Saint Nicholas where our tradition of Santa began. Do you want to hear it?” “Of course!” said Mia. “According to history scholars, Saint Nicholas was born a long time ago around 280 A.D., which means 280 years after Jesus’ birth,” Dad explained. “His parents were very wealthy and left him a large inheritance when they died. Nicholas was a Christian, so he decided to share his wealth by giving gifts and money to the poor and sick in his town. He later became a Christian bishop in the church and eventually became Saint Nicholas.” “So, did he wear a red suit and have a white beard?” asked Mia. “No one really knows what Saint Nicholas looked like. All we know is he had a reputation of giving to those in need,” Dad said.  “Just like we’re filling those shoeboxes for the needy kids!” Mia exclaimed.  “Exactly!” said Dad. “People often associate Santa with getting a lot of presents. Instead, I think we should think of Saint Nicholas and giving to others. And remember, the reason Saint Nicholas gave to others was to show Jesus’ love to them. As a Christian, he knew the greatest gift we could ever receive was Jesus, who became human in order to save us from sin. That’s really what Christmas is all about—celebrating the gift of Jesus!” So how about you? Do you focus on giving to others at Christmas? Sometimes it’s easy to make Christmas all about getting presents for ourselves rather than thinking of how we can give to others. Money and presents aren’t the only ways to give. Share a kind word, do something extra around the house, or let someone go ahead of you in line. When you give, you point to the greatest gift of all—Jesus. Key Verse “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV Key Thought Give generously to others. Further Reading 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 11-15

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• Advent Day 10: Living Christmas

  Thank you for joining Keys for Kids Radio's Countdown to Christmas Advent Activity! Read the story below, answer the questions on the discussion guide, and send us a voice message with your answers! Send In Your Answers Living Christmas “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Seth,” Jaden told his big brother. They were playing one of their favorite video games while waiting for Mom’s homemade pizza to finish cooking. “You could start by actually playing!” Seth paused a moment, then said, “No, really, what’s up?” “Well, you know Brenden, that really awkward new kid in my grade I was telling you about?” asked Jaden. “Yeah, it reminds me of how I felt when we first moved here and I was just starting middle school. That was not fun!” “I know, that’s why I’ve been trying to help him out and sit with him at lunch, but now I almost wish I hadn’t. His birthday is coming up, and his mom told him he’s only allowed to invite one person over for his party to stay overnight at his house. Guess who that lucky person is?” Jaden said sarcastically. “Me!” “That’s not so bad,” Seth said. Jaden looked back at him with a very unconvinced frown. “It just happens to be on Friday–the Friday we have our last kid’s club at church before Christmas break, the Friday when everyone gets to take a big prize home instead of just hoping they win the prize drawing! If I ride the bus home with Brenden, I’ll miss kid’s club! I asked him if he could come, but his mom doesn’t know anything about it, so he’s not allowed to. I’d have to miss it, and miss my chance to get a prize!” When Mom called the boys to dinner, she told them she had overheard them talking about Jaden’s problem. “It reminded me of what we read in the Bible this morning about Jesus giving up the glory of heaven to come into this world as a baby to save us,” Mom said. “Remember how we talked about looking for ways to show that same kind of love to others this Christmas?” “Yeah.” Jaden sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell Brenden I’m in. Maybe I can tell his mom more about kid’s club and she’ll let him come with me. Then neither one of us will miss out on the fun–and Brenden can learn more about Jesus!” –Alicia Albert How about you? Have you heard the Christmas story many times, but never let it really sink in? Think about what Jesus gave up by coming into this world to save us. He left heaven to become a helpless baby so He could one day die for our sins on the cross. When you think about what He gave up for you, you may find it’s a little easier to give something up so that you can help change another person’s life in an awesome way! Key Verse "I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another." John 13:34 CSB Key Thought Live the Christian message Further Reading Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 1:21-23; Philippians 2:5-8

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• Advent Day 9: Training Time

  Thank you for joining Keys for Kids Radio's Countdown to Christmas Advent Activity! Read the story below, answer the questions on the discussion guide, and send us a voice message with your answers! Send In Your Answers Training Time As Sarah wound Santa-shaped lights around the Christmas tree, her stepsister, Laura, came in carrying a wreath. “Oh,” said Laura. “Aren’t we using white lights?” Smiling, Sarah shook her head. “My family used these every Christmas, and I’d like to share them with you since it’s our first holiday together.” Laura touched the lights. “Well…my family doesn’t decorate with Santa stuff. We believe Jesus should be the focus of Christmas.” “He still is,” Sarah said, pointing to a manger scene nearby. “I just feel uncomfortable,” said Laura. “Maybe we could use white lights instead.” “Maybe,” said Sarah, taking down the Santa lights. “Um, I’ll be back.” Sarah walked to the garage, where her dad was organizing. She sat on a box and sighed. “Decorating with Laura is impossible. All I did was put up Santa lights, and she freaked out.” Dad glanced at Sarah. “Laura and her mom haven’t been Christians long. They might think it’s wrong to include Santa in their Christmas decorations.” “That’s silly! Santa’s just a fun tradition. Laura needs to get over it.” Dad looked around and then slapped his forehead. “I’m out of tape! Can you drive out and buy some?” Sarah laughed. “I can’t drive!” “There’s nothing to it. Hop in!” Dad opened the truck door, and Sarah climbed into the driver’s seat. Dad pointed down the steep driveway. “Careful on that ice. If you skid, you’ll end up in the ditch.” Sarah swallowed hard. “I don’t think I can do this. I haven’t been to driver’s ed!” Dad leaned on the frame of the truck window. “You’re a lot like Laura. You need training. If I urge you to drive before you’re ready, you might hurt yourself. Laura needs training too—Bible training. Along with freedom from sin, Jesus gives us freedom to enjoy many things, but Laura doesn’t fully understand that. If you push her to do something she believes is wrong, you’ll cause her to sin—and you’ll be sinning too. We need to be patient as she gains more experience and understanding as a Christian.” “I hadn’t thought of that!” said Sarah. “I’ll use white lights on the tree this year. I’ll go ask Laura to help me put them up!” How about you? Do you know someone who’s uncomfortable doing something that you think is harmless? Perhaps you disagree on how God feels about certain books, clothes, or TV shows. Base your choices on God’s Word, and enjoy the liberty Jesus gives you. But never push others to read, wear, or watch something when they believe it would be wrong. Be patient and trust God to help them understand the freedom they have in Jesus. Key Verse "Yes, we know that 'we all have knowledge' about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church." 1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV Key Thought Be patient as others learn. Further Reading 1 Corinthians 8:4-13

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• Advent Day 8: Be the Gift

  Thank you for joining Keys for Kids Radio's Countdown to Christmas Advent Activity! Read the story below, answer the questions on the discussion guide, and send us a voice message with your answers! Send In Your Answers Be the Gift Sarah looked longingly at the fluffy stuffed kitty on the shelf. It was just what she wanted for Christmas, right down to the glittery collar around its neck. Slowly, she placed it in the cart. Mom bent down to check the price. “Sarah, this one doesn’t fit our budget. We have to pick out something else for our little girl.” Every year, Sarah’s family participated in a program that sent shoeboxes with gifts to children around the world who would otherwise not receive any Christmas presents. More importantly, the kids were also told about Jesus and His love for them. “I know, Mom.” Sarah’s lip trembled a little. “This girl needs the kitty more than I do, so you can get it for her instead of me for Christmas.” Mom smiled. “Then we will get it for her. I can see Jesus shining out of your heart right now. You are being the gift by sacrificing what you really want so someone else can have something special.” Sarah nodded at Mom. “Just like Jesus is the gift to us! He didn’t have to come to earth as a baby in a manger. He didn’t have to give His life up and die on the cross for us…but He wanted us to have forgiveness for our sins and eternal life with God.” “Now, that is the ultimate gift!” Mom said with a smile. They continued walking down the aisles of the store. “Toothbrush, bar of soap, socks…” Mom checked items off her list. “Looks like our girl has everything she needs!” “And some things she might want too.” Sarah winked. Mom paused, looking thoughtful. “When we trust Jesus to be our Savior, He not only gives us eternal life; He also gives us everything we need for this life.” “Like toothpaste?” Sarah asked. Mom laughed. “Toothpaste too, but I was thinking of His spiritual blessings—like the ability to love others, say no to sin, and persevere in hard times. He gives us everything we need for a life of godliness.” Sarah grinned. “I’m so glad Jesus was the gift to us so we can follow His example and be a gift to others!” Mom nodded. “Me too, sweetie!” How about you? Have you received the gift God freely offers? The Bible tells us God loves us so much He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to save us. When we trust in Him, He gives us eternal life with Him forever. He also gives us a new life here on this earth with everything we need to live for Him. If you are God’s child, you have every spiritual blessing in Christ. How can you follow His example and be a gift to someone today? Key Verse You will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 2 Corinthians 9:11 NLT Key Thought Be a gift to others. Further Reading 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Ephesians 1:3-8; 2 Peter 1:3-8

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