Third Sunday of Advent - What Then Should We Do?

Bible Study “Third Sunday of Advent – What Then Should We Do?”

Share:  Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.

 

Advent extends an invitation. The invitation: don't just do something – stand, watch, prepare. Stand. Choose to believe that ours is a safe universe – a universe God chose to enter as an infant. Watch. Look for a coming that has already come and will come again. Prepare. Snatch moments from our busyness. Watching for wisps of awe and wonder to show up. Rediscover that God has chosen to dwell in us and we are invited to dwell in God.

What if – just what if – Jesus is already right here, standing silently with us, walking ahead of us, showing us we don't have to do it all? Could it be that we are called to be still, notice, listen – and then follow?

 

Advent Theme: Christ will come again: We watch, we prepare, we get ready.

 

Opening Prayer:  Here we are, God, listening to you and looking for ways to get ready. Be with us as we listen and wonder about your words to us. Amen 

 

Please open your Bibles to Luke 3: 7-18 and read or read the scriptures below. 

Luke 3: 7-18

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Reflection Questions:

  • What does John mean: "Bear fruits worthy of repentance?" (What does the word "repentance" means?)
  • What would be the "fruits" (results)?
  • How were these people trying to get out of serious repentance? (They were thinking they had it made – they were chosen people, descendants of Abraham.)
  • What do you think got the people's attention? (Perhaps the idea of trees getting chopped down, or stone replacing them.)
  • What does John answer to each of the groups who ask, "What should we do?" (In general, verse 11; to tax collectors, verse13; to soldiers, verse14b.)
  • What did the people expect in the Messiah? (Someone who would come, change everything, kick out the Romans, set up a beautiful new kingdom where everyone would live happily ever after.)
  • What did John respond when they asked him if he was the Messiah? (Verse 16-18.)
  • Luke states that what John was proclaiming was "good news." What about the message sounds like good news to you? (Possible answers: someone – someone more powerful than John – was coming. There would be a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. Some serious changes were going to be made. )

The Real Thing – Fill in the blank - https://sermons4kids.com/real_thing_cloze.htm?fromSermonId=571

 

Click here for the young learner’s lesson

 

Videos (Click on the words or url)

Scripture Resources Luke 3:7-18 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vc8PgHians

Luke 3:7-18// You brood of vipers! Bear fruits in keeping with repentance // /Advent 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmTF3yFYToY

Activities:

Christmas Calendar:  Click on Christmas Calendar to find out what activities are happening each day.

Advent Wreath - Light the third candle which is Joy or Shepherds (pink candle).  It is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.

 

                       https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/pictures/advent-wreath-greens.jpg

Good News Banner:  You will need construction paper, white paper, or banner paper for the activity. Use newspapers, magazines, stories and pictures printed from the internet, etc.  

Look for Good News articles or picture.  What is the good news that Jesus brings?  What is the good news in our world?  What might Jesus see as good news in our world?  Look through and cut out words or pictures that seem like good news to you and create either one large banner of good news or create individual banners of good news.  If you do not want to use the media, you can create your own good news banner.

Baptism Cans: Take an empty can and cover it with construction paper and write THE REAL THING on the outside. Then take seven strips of paper on which you can write ways that you can be REAL and place them inside the Baptism Can. Suggestions: repentance, helping others, feeding the poor, give clothes to the poor, and give toys to needy children.  Read your slips of paper throughout the week to remind you to be THE REAL THING!!

Spiral – The Spirit of Christmas - https://sermons4kids.com/spirit_of_christmas_spiral.htm?fromSermonId=182

Decoder – The Real Thing - https://sermons4kids.com/real_thing_decoder.htm?fromSermonId=571

Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3103712/what-then-should-we-do/                                                 

Prayer: Thank you God for giving us these stories and this good news. Help us to do the work you have given us to do and serve those around us as you have called us to do. Amen.