Mighty God

“For to us a child is born,16 to us a son is given,17 and the government18 will be on his shoulders.19 And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,b20 Mighty God,21 Everlasting22 Father,23 Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Isn’t it remarkable that the Mighty God we serve chose to come to live among mankind as a human? He chose to humble Himself and become like us to live with us.  Not only that, He chose to come as a baby. 

In the midst of the hustle and bustle that is the Christmas season, we sometimes forget this fact, and even more than that, we don’t take time to explore the why of His decision.  Think about the love and compassion that it takes to “walk in the shoes” of another. Think about the depth of your dedication to understanding when you choose to explore and experience how another lives or feels.  Multiply that exponentially and you have a glimpse of what Jesus did for us. 

As Gabriel told Mary when he informed her she had been chosen to carry and raise God’s Son, “nothing is impossible with God.”  This Advent season, remember that God Himself has walked in your shoes. He knows every heartache and joy you experience.  Because of that and even more because He is mighty, we can trust Him with everything.  We can trust Him with the impossible. 

This Week’s Announcements:
1. How To…Christmas- Our next “How To” session is Wednesday, December 9th.  Be sure to sign up for dinner and register your children for childcare.  Registration is REQUIRED to guarantee a spot for your children.  Visit our website www.stonebridgemarietta.org and click on event registration. 
2. Christmas Services and Times:
a. Christmas Eve- We will have one service on December 24th at 5pm. We will meet in the new performing arts building at Marietta High School.  This is a family service so parents and kids of all ages will worship together.
b. Christmas Day- We will celebrate the birth of our King on Christmas at 11am in our sanctuary.  This is also a family service so parents and kids of all ages will worship together.  *It’s okay for kids to come in their PJ’s if they are just not ready to get dressed yet!

What God is Teaching Us:
For 4k-5th Grade: Click the link below to see this week’s Advent lessons.
This link is no longer available

As ARMED meets Advent, we will continue to learn a new memory verse each week.  This week’s verse:
 “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

FAMILY TIME:
If your family would like a guide to reading through Scripture during the Advent Season, we would love to share some great resources with you.  Each week on the blog, I will list some suggested readings for the days between one blog and the next.  *Also- I’ve included some links to other resources if you want a more in depth way of leading your family through the season.  Enjoy this special time of year!

PATHFINDER ADVENT SCRIPTURE READINGS: (DEC. 7-13)
Dec. 7th- Luke 1:18-25
Dec. 8th- Luke 1:26-38
Dec. 9th- Matthew 1:18-21
Dec.10th- Matthew 1:22-25
Dec. 11th- Luke 1:39-45
Dec.12th- Luke 1:46-56
Dec.13th-Micah 5:2-5

Other resources for Advent:
Focus on the Family has LOTS of great Advent reading plans: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/holidays/making-meaningful-christmas-memories/celebrate-advent
This is one of my favorite ideas- learning the names of God through Advent!  This one is also hands-on because you can make an ornament each day with the names.
http://kojo-designs.com/2011/12/advent-ornaments/
And…lastly, if you love the Jesus Storybook Bible like I do, then you’ll love this resource. This is a free printable guide to using this special Bible during Advent.
http://www.faithgateway.com/jesus-storybook-bible-advent-calendar-printable/