Song: Joy (What the World Calls Foolish) - (Martin Smith)
Verse: Philippians 4:4
Questions:
What makes your heart feel joyful when things are going great?
What helps you hold onto joy even when the day is tough?
What’s one thing that brought you joy this week?
Activity: Start a joy jar! Write down joyful moments and fill the jar all year long.
Link: Last Christmas (Wham!)
Verse: Luke 22:19 “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Questions:
Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?
Jesus asked us to remember Him. What helps you remember God’s love?
What new memory do you hope to make this year?
Activity: Take a walk down Christmas memory lane. Look at old pictures from Christmases past. If you don’t have old pictures, make it a point to take pictures this Christmas and start creating new memories to look back on.
Song: Silver and Gold (Burl Ives)
Verse: Matthew 2:1-12 - The Magi and their gifts
Questions:
How do you feel when you receive a gift?
How do you feel when you give a gift?
What is the most memorable gift you have ever received?
Song: Christmas Waltz (Laufey)
Verse: Luke 1:76-79 - Zechariah’s prophecy
Questions:
Why do you think some people get more excited to celebrate Christmas than others?
What are some things that you love experiencing during Christmas?
Activity: Learn about Christmas traditions from other countries. Maybe even try a new Christmas recipe! (19 Christmas Dinners from Around the World | Taste of Home)
Song: O Holy Night (TAYA)
Verse: Ephesians 2 - We were dead, but God made us alive in Christ
Questions:
The song talks about a world that’s “weary.” What’s something that makes you tired or stressed?
How does knowing Jesus loves you give you hope or peace?
Song: Angels We Have Heard on High (For King + Country)
Verse: Luke 2:8-20
Questions:
Have you ever thought about what an angel looks like?
If an angel showed up in front of you, how do you think you’d react?
The shepherds couldn’t wait to see Jesus. What would you have wanted to tell people if you were there that night?
Activity: Spread some Christmas joy by writing/making Christmas cards and delivering them to your local senior centers or senior living communities.
Song: Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (Meghan Trainor)
Verse: Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born…”
Questions:
God promised a Savior long before Jesus was born. Why do you think that gave people hope?
What do you do when you’re really excited—dance, jump, sing, shout?
What’s something you’re celebrating about Jesus this Christmas?
Advent is a season of waiting, wondering, and watching for God to move. It reminds us that God keeps His promises—even when the waiting feels long.
As we begin this first week of Advent, we focus on hope: the hope Mary carried, the hope the prophets announced, the hope the angels sang about, and the hope Jesus brings into our lives today.
This week, we’ll experience Advent through music—songs that are fun, familiar, sacred, and full of meaning. Each day pairs a song with Scripture and questions that help you slow down, listen for God, and talk together about faith in simple, natural ways. Whether you’re a family with young kids, teens, or adults, these moments are meant to help you refocus and remember that Jesus is the center of our Christmas joy.
As you enter this week, invite God to stir hope in your home. Look for the small ways He shows up. And let these songs, conversations, and activities draw you closer to the One who came near—Emmanuel, God with us.
Song: What Christmas Means to Me (Hanson)
Verse: Luke 1:246-55 (The Magnificat)
Questions:
Mary trusted God even when she didn’t know what would happen next. What do you think that felt like?
What’s something you’re excited for this Christmas?
How can you share God’s joy with someone this week?
Activity: Share God’s joy with others! Sponsor a child at NEC, donate to a Salvation Army collection, or simply spread love through kindness and a genuine smile.