Good News, Week 4: Dec. 17, 2023

John the Baptist is Born

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Passage: Luke 1:57-80 - When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth to her baby, her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her. Then when time came for the baby to be circumcised, they wanted the baby to be named after his father Zechariah. However, Elizabeth said that the name was to be John. Zechariah confirmed this by writing on a tablet that the baby’s name is John. Right then and there, Zechariah was able to speak once again and began praising God for bringing salvation and redemption to the people. He testified that John was to be a prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord.

Big Idea: Praying, Hoping, and Waiting

Follow Up Questions:

• Preschool-Kindergarten

  • What story did you learn about in class today? What happened in it?

  • Have you ever wanted something really badly, but you had to wait a long time before you could have it?

  • What does it feel like to have to wait for things that you really want?

  • What were the two things that Zechariah and Elizabeth really wanted but had to wait a long time for? (to have a baby, and for God to send a Savior to the world)

  • Do you think that we can still trust God, even when we don’t get an answer to our prayers right away? Why do you think that?

• Grades 1-3

  • What was the story you learned about in class today?

  • What were the two things that Zechariah and Elizabeth were hoping ad praying for? (to have a baby and for God to send a Savior to the world)

  • How do you think it felt for them to have to wait so long, until they were already really old, for God to finally answer their prayers?

  • Why do you think God sometimes doesn’t answer our prayers right away?

  • Do you think that hoping and waiting for something helps us to grow in our trust and faith in God? Why or why not?

• Grades 4-6

  • What happened in the story you learned about in class today?

  • What were the things that Zechariah and Elizabeth were praying to God for?

  • Why do you think God made them wait all the way until they were old to get an answer?

  • Do you think that having to wait for something, instead of always getting what we want right away, can sometimes be a good thing for us? How so?

  • What are some things we can remind ourselves of when we find ourselves waiting for God to answer our prayers so that we don’t lose hope?