This Sunday, we learned about the family story of Jesus, a story that begins in a very ordinary way. Mary was not a queen or a princess. She was a young woman, engaged to be married, living a normal life. At first, there was nothing about her situation that seemed special or important.

Then something unexpected happened. An angel came to Mary and said, “Do not be afraid.” Those words appear again and again in the Bible, especially when God is about to do something new. The angel told Mary that she would be part of God’s plan to bring love into the world through Jesus. What makes Mary’s story meaningful is not power or position, but her willingness to trust God when she did not have all the answers, just as we hear in the Gospel of Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ beginnings (Matthew 1).

Mary did not walk this path alone. She leaned on her community and found comfort and courage alongside her cousin Elizabeth, who was experiencing her own unexpected joy. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we remember that God’s love often shows up quietly, through ordinary people, and that this love, once given, lasts forever.

What We Learned:

• God often works through ordinary people.
• God’s love does not need power or fame to change the world.
• Trusting God can be hard, but we are never alone.
• When we share love and kindness, we help show God’s light to others.

Many years after King David lived, a boy named Josiah became king of Judah. He was only eight years old, far younger than anyone expected a king to be, and the throne felt much bigger than he was. Still, Josiah wanted to lead in a way that honored God.

As Josiah grew older, he noticed that God’s temple had fallen into disrepair. The stones were cracked, and dust covered the floors. Wanting to restore the place where people worshiped, Josiah ordered the workers to begin repairing it.

During the renovations, something remarkable happened. The high priest discovered a forgotten scroll tucked away in an old room. It was the Book of the Law—God’s instructions for how the people were meant to live. When the scroll was read aloud, Josiah felt a deep sadness. He realized the people had drifted far from the path God had set for them.

Instead of ignoring what he heard, Josiah listened. He let God’s words shape his heart. Then he gathered the people and renewed their covenant with God, promising to follow God’s commandments and encouraging the nation to return to faithfulness. Even though he was young, Josiah led with courage, humility, and a deep desire to do what was right.

What We Learned

• You’re never too young for God to use you in important ways.
• Listening to God helps us find our way, even when the path feels unfamiliar.
• Good leaders choose what is right, not what is easy.
• When we return to God, God always welcomes us back.

Kids’ Christmas Program Update

Christmas is coming soon, and our kids are excited to share this year’s special program, “Our Magi Mission.” They’ve already begun learning their parts, and we will have a Saturday rehearsal to get costumes ready and practice the story. And yes—Julie Anne still remembers that pizza was promised for lunch!

If you have a young person who would like to participate in telling the story of Jesus’ birth, we would love for them to join us.

See you Sunday! Blessings…

Things weren’t going so well in Israel. Samuel, the prophet who had led God’s people for many years, was getting old. He hoped his sons could take his place as judges, but they didn’t follow God’s ways. They took bribes and treated people unfairly. The Israelites were tired of it. One day, the elders came to Samuel and said, “We want a king! All the other nations have one — why can’t we?”

Samuel didn’t like the idea at all. He prayed to God, hoping for a different answer. But God told him, “Listen to the people. They’re not rejecting you, Samuel — they’re rejecting Me as their king.” Even though it made Samuel sad, he did what God asked. God chose a man named Saul — tall, strong, and brave — to be Israel’s first king. But everyone needed to remember that even with a king, God was still the one truly in charge.

Sometimes we think we know what will make us happy — like getting what everyone else has. But just like the Israelites, we learn that following God’s way is always better than trying to copy the world around us. God’s love and leadership never fail, and He will always lead His people forward.

What We Learned

• It’s easy to want what others have, but God’s plan for us is always best.
• God doesn’t leave us, even when we make the wrong choice.
• The best kind of leader is the one who follows God first.