Praxis: Away in a Manger

Setup:
Arrange the use of a barn for your youth group. Try to set up hay bales as seats ahead of time. While there amidst the sights, sounds, and smells of farm animals read Luke 2:1-40 then go to a discussion time.

Warmup:
-Ask how many kids believe in the virgin birth?
-Do you think it was easier to believe back then or now?
-Luke wrote using historical evidence and probably used Mary herself as a source.
-Who would you invite if you were having a birthday party for a King?

Study:
Luke 2:1-40
-The birth of Christ takes place in a setting of extreme humility. Jesus is one king who will be able to relate to even the poorest of his subjects. Perhaps that is why it happened this way.
-The birth of God's son was announced to shepherds, we know the Christmas story and we always see shepherds in the Nativity. The fact is that because of their lifestyle, shepherds were almost always ceremonially unclean. They had no permanent address and their reputation as a class of people was so low that in those days anyone was allowed to be a legal witness in a court... except for a shepherd.

Application:
-But Jesus came for ALL.
-We need to share our faith with others and not just those we feel comfortable around.
-We need to realize that no matter where we are in life Jesus came as our savior.

Reflection:
Spend some discussion time on application topics.
Written by Matt Archer, 1994