Promises Kept STEP 1. ADULT. Focus: Bible Basis: Lesson 4 December

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1 D O W N L O A D E D Promises Kept ADULT by Yolanda Matthews December for use as STEP 1. Focus: God s promises are fulfilled in Jesus. Bible Basis: Luke 1:46-55 Materials for Opening Activity: One Christmas present nicely wrapped in a box with pretty paper and a bow, but with a Styrofoam cup or other poor gift inside One present poorly wrapped in a box with newspaper and masking tape, but a nice coffee mug or other desirable gift inside As we celebrate Christmas today we remember that God keeps His promises, just as He did on this day 2,000 years ago. OPENING ACTIVITY: It s What s Inside That Counts S how students the two presents, one neatly wrapped and the other poorly wrapped and ask them which one them would prefer to open and why. Then have one person open each package. Talk about how sometimes what promises to be wonderful and exciting for us does not turn out that way. However, this week we are talking about promises fulfilled, especially the one God kept on the first Christmas. [Now form small groups to discuss the following questions.] THE ANGEL TREE In 2002, Sonnie Day, a professional gospel singer in Detroit, received a call from a local church asking her to pick up a present for her daughter. When she went to collect the gift, she discovered it was from the girl s father, who was in prison. Day said it was wonderful seeing her daughter s eyes light up as she unwrapped the package under the tree. It kind of just blew me out of the water, said Day. She was excited, because I didn t tell her the gift was from him until she got up on Christmas morning and read the label on it, and it said From Dad. Day s family is one of thousands who have benefited from Angel Tree, a Christian ministry that purchases presents for children on behalf of incarcerated parents. The holidays can be a heartbreaking time for a child with a par-

2 December 25, 2011 / Step 1 D O W N L O A D E D 2 Memory Verse And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Luke 1:46-47 ent in prison. In Detroit, the problem is tragically commonplace. The Michigan prison population in 2010 was 44,113. Of those, 95.7 percent were men, and 55.2 percent were non-white. Michigan does not separate prisoner data by origin or previous residence, but according to a 2004 survey, almost 30 percent of prisoners released to parole in Michigan that year returned to the city of Detroit. The Angel Tree program started over 29 years ago by an ex-convict named Mary Kay Beard. Mary Kay Beard was a safe cracker and bank robber. She spent six years in prison. While in prison she asked God to change her hardened heart. On the three Christmases that she spent at the Julia Tutwiler for Women in Alabama, local church groups brought the inmates gifts of toothpaste and soap. Intrigued, Mary watched as her fellow prisoners wrapped up the small gifts and gave them to their children at the Christmas visit. Most children wouldn t think much of such small gifts, but in prison there was such joy on their faces! said Mary Kay. It really didn t matter to them what they got; it was from Mama. After being paroled, Mary Kay accepted Prison Fellowship s challenge to become their first Alabama State Director in One of her assignments was to create a Christmas project for prisoners. Mary Kay recalled the toiletries that prisoners gave their children on Christmas. So she and a crew of volunteers began creating a program to provide real gifts for prisoners children. Their plan was to erect a Christmas tree at Birmingham s Brookwood Mall, encouraging shoppers to buy presents for specific children. Then someone suggested writing the children s names on paper ornaments shaped like angels creating an Angel Tree! God never wastes anything, Mary Kay Beard said. He used my own criminal past to give me credibility in their eyes. And they trusted us. That year 556 children received gifts. Since 1982, six million children have received gifts from local church volunteers who deliver the gifts on behalf of the parents. The volunteers are angels who deliver on the promise of a gift and hope through the Gospel message. The parents trust Angel Tree will keep its promise to bring a little joy to their children. Some of the parents comments about the Angel Tree program are very inspiring: The gift lets my children know they are not forgotten; My children know they are still loved; It s a little sign to them that

3 December 25, 2011 / Step 1 D O W N L O A D E D 3 Memory Verse And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Luke 1:46-47 I will be home soon; and The Angel Tree program is God asking His people to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Michigan prison population in 2010 was 44,113. Of those, 95.7 percent were men, and 55.2 percent were non-white. Michigan does not separate prisoner data by origin or previous residence, but according to a 2004 survey, almost 30 percent of prisoners released to parole in Michigan that year returned to the city of Detroit. Mary Kay asked God to change her harden heart. Do you think the Angel Tree program was God s answer? How did the program transform Mary? Why do you think the prisoners trusted Mary to keep her promise to help their children? How do you think it made Daniel feel to hear that his cards sold out? Why do you think this kept promise was important to him? Why do you think it was important to Daniel to sell his friends cards too? Why are promises important to those receiving them? What promises have been made to you that were kept? What can be the outcome of promises not kept? What are some promises God has made? What promises has He kept? [When you finish with the questions, go on to Step 2 in your Adult Teacher s Guide.] News Source:

4 D O W N L O A D E D Promises Kept ADULT December for use as STEP 1. Focus: God s promises are fulfilled in Jesus. Bible Basis: Luke 1:46-55 CELEBRATING GOD S PROMISES Christmas is a time for celebrating. We celebrate with family and friends, gifts, and food. We know Mary had a great reason to celebrate that first Christmas. She was going to be a mother, but even more than that, through the birth of her son, salvation would be brought to God s people. God s promise over the centuries that He would send a Messiah and Redeemer was fulfilled beginning at Christmas and then through Jesus life, death, and resurrection. Sometimes, however, we may not feel like celebrating. We may be disappointed because we feel God is not blessing us, or answering our prayers, or caring about our problems. But we can be thankful, even while struggling, knowing and trusting He will keep His promise of salvation and eternal life for those who believe in His Son. If we keep that promise in mind, we will better be able to handle what may come our way and live celebrating Him. [Activity] Have your students return to the groups they had in Step 1 and discuss the following. What promises has God fulfilled in your life already? How can sharing promises God has kept for you be important to other people s spiritual walk? What promises are you waiting for God to fulfill? Why do you think we become disappointed even though we know He always keeps His promises? Share in your group some ideas to help you remember God keeps His promises (sometimes in ways we don t expect). Pray for yourselves as you ask Him to fulfill His promises. End the class with prayer. Thank God that He has given us promises that we can rely on when we are in need of comfort and assurance. Thank Him for the promise He kept at Christmas and for the promises He will keep in the future. (David C Cook is not affiliated with and does not endorse any website listed on these pages.)

5 D O W N L O A D E D September 4, 2011 / Step 4 5 D O W N L O A D E D resource highlight Have you Read PAuse for Power? We all long to read more of God s Word. Yet our world never seems to give us time for a quiet moment with Scripture. Pause for Power: A 365-Day Journey through the Scriptures is a topical, daily devotional designed for how you live. In just a few minutes each day, you ll explore biblical truths with Warren Wiersbe on themes such as love, peace, and ministry. The devotional is filled with wisdom and insights that can improve your life. Turn to the next page for a sample devotion.

6 Day 12 Hope: It s Alive Read 1 Peter 5:12 I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 1 Peter 5:12 While there s life, there s hope! That ancient Roman saying is still quoted today, and like most adages, it has an element of truth but no guarantee of certainty. It is not the fact of life that determines hope but the faith of life. A Christian believer has a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) because his faith and hope are in God (v. 21). This living hope is the major theme of Peter s first letter. He is saying to all believers, Be hopeful! The writer s given name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which means a stone (John 1:35 42). The Aramaic equivalent of Peter is Cephas (v. 42), so Peter was a man with three names. Nearly fifty times in the New Testament he is called Simon, and often he is called Simon Peter. Perhaps the two names suggest a Christian s two natures: an old nature (Simon) that is prone to fail, and a new nature (Peter) that can give victory. As Simon, he was only another human piece of clay, but Jesus Christ made a rock out of him! Something to Ponder What situation in your life is most in need of new hope? 15