The family Christmas devotions follow this for dad only:
The Gift of Innocence
Sexual predators and perverted bullies hurt children’s minds and bodies. Racy music, pornography, and dirty-minded friends destroy pure children. Kids were born innocent of sin. They do not know the depths of wickedness. Dad, what are you doing to keep them from humanity’s filth?
How to protect them
You cannot give innocence. God already gave it to your child. He has trusted you with preserving this special gift. I know every person will learn about the worst types of sin at some point. However, the younger a child learns evil, the more it shapes his or her development.
Sin-obsessed kids pollute innocent children. Do you know your children’s friends? Some of the worst places for kids are school buses, backyards, and bedrooms. Do your children spend time with innocent children or polluters? Do not let your children out of your sight or earshot with any family or child about whom you have the slightest doubt. Loving parents do not just let their children do what they want; they protect their innocence.
How to prepare them
You will not keep them from seeing or hearing about wickedness forever. Between the cradle and college, they will find out. Are you preparing them for the day they discover the sins available to them? I mean more than just “having a talk” about drugs and unwed pregnancy. Since innocence comes from God, we develop their hearts to follow Him.
Only a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ kept me from jumping into the sea of sin I found available when I left home. Sure, I was sheltered. I did not know what all was out there. However, my parents did more than put their hand over my eyes. They prepared my heart to pursue the God of purity.
I regret how much I know about sin and wish I could have my innocence back. I look forward to the day the Lord takes all sin away. Until then, we must protect and prepare our children.
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If you send your kids out to daycare, public school, or Christian school, make sure they read the book Yell and Tell for boys or for girls. In these sinful times, we cannot afford to let our kids get abused by classmates, friends, family, or neighbors.
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Dad, read this Christmas devotional story to your kids.
Family Christmas devotions:
The Surprise of Giving
Misty came into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. The Christmas tree lit up the living room and kitchen, with no other lights on and the sun not even up yet. Rusty was sitting at the table with a cup of hot chocolate.
“You’re up early,” Misty yawned.
“Yep,” Rusty took a sip of his cocoa. “Mom is, too. She made me this. You want some?”
“Sure, hot cocoa sounds Christmassy.”
Rusty got up and poured a mug of hot chocolate for his sister. He handed it to her and said, “Merry Christmas.”
“I thought I would never get to sleep last night.” She took a sip. “Woo, that’s hot. It’s good though. Thanks.”
Mom and Dad came in the kitchen. “Good morning, kids,” Dad said.
“Can we open presents?” Misty said.
“Wow, she woke up quick,” Mom said.
“Well, how about we have a different kind of Christmas this year?” Dad said.
Misty frowned. “Is that a fun kind of different? Or a different kind of different?”
“I don’t care as long as we get to open presents,” Rusty said.
“Okay,” Dad said with a grin, “we will open a present or two.” He looked at Mom and she smiled at him.
“They’re up to something,” Misty said, glancing at Rusty over her mug of cocoa.
“When Dad’s smiling, you know he’s up to something,” Rusty said.
Dad laughed. “Come on, now. Trust me.”
Mom put her arms around Rusty and Misty and said, “Merry Christmas, you two. We are going to make a new memory today. Trust me, you will love it.”
“So,” Dad said, while moving into the living room, “Let’s open some gifts.”
“Yes!” Misty said, bouncing away from her cocoa.
Rusty was right behind her and slid to a stop on his knees in front of the pile of presents. “Can I start with this one?”
Dad shook his head. “We want you both to open these two boxes.”
A glowing smile lit up Misty’s face as she took her box. She and Rusty raced to rip the paper off their boxes. They both had white rectangular boxes. They opened them and found clothes.
“Oh, clothes,” Misty said and then tried to smile. “I can always use clothes.”
“I got clothes, too,” Rusty said. He nodded at his parents and said, “Thanks.”
“Well, take them out and make sure they fit,” Mom said.
Rusty and Misty obeyed by getting up and walking to their rooms to try on the clothes. They tried to smile, but their slumped shoulders revealed their disappointment.
Soon, the kids came back in their outfits. Misty had a red skirt and white sweatshirt. Rusty had green pants and a white sweatshirt. Both of the sweatshirts had a picture of baby Jesus in the hay manger and words above and below saying, “Jesus was born… so we could be born again.”
“Well, they fit,” Misty said.
Rusty looked at his parents, and said, “Wait a sec. You are both dressed like we are. What is going on?”
Dad laughed. “Well, seeing we are all dressed up like this, why don’t we go around town and show off our new threads?”
“Threads?” Misty asked.
“Clothes,” Mom interpreted.
“We have to go somewhere?” Rusty asked.
“Yes, get your shoes on,” Dad said.
Rusty and Misty went to the door to pull on their shoes. “This is going to be the worst Christmas ever,” Rusty whispered.
“I know. Why are we doing this?” Misty asked.
Rusty shrugged.
Soon, the whole family was traveling down the road in the minivan. Rusty stared out the window at all the mounds of snow along the road. It looked dirty and grimy. His new pants were scratchy and the sweater rubbed against his neck.
Misty sat with her arms crossed.
Rusty finally spoke up. “So, um, is this all we are getting for Christmas?”
“Getting?” Dad laughed. “Christmas is about giving. What did God get for Christmas, son? I think He set the example by giving, not taking. This year we are having a Christmas of giving.”
“What are we giving?”
“Joy,” Mom said.
Dad turned the van into the parking lot of a business. Another vehicle pulled in behind them.
“Where are we?” Misty asked.
“This is the nursing home,” Dad said. “You were here a long time ago, remember?”
“No.”
“Hey, look at that,” Dad said as he pulled into a parking spot. “Those people are dressed just like us.”
“They are from church!” Misty said.
Mom smiled. “Yes, all your friends who sang in the children’s Christmas choir are coming here today. We kept it as a surprise.”
“So we are all dressed the same?” Misty asked.
“Yes.”
“And we are going to sing to the people?” Rusty asked.
“Yes.”
Misty hopped out of the van to go see her friends. Rusty, Mom, and Dad followed. Soon, all the children had gathered as a group in the sitting area. As they began singing, “Joy to the World” several patients gathered around to listen. Some came in walkers. Others rolled up in wheelchairs. A few hummed along and a couple elderly people sang with them.
One older lady began wiping tears from her eyes as they sang “Silent Night, Holy Night.” An old man took out his handkerchief and wiped his face. After they sang another Christmas carol, Dad spoke to the crowd about the love of Jesus. He told them about the inn not having room for Jesus. He asked the listeners if they would make room for Jesus in their hearts. He invited them to repent of their sins, take the Name of Jesus on their lives, and receive His Spirit.
Afterward they sang “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Nobody wanted to stop the singing. The kids kept suggesting other songs they could all sing, and more and more patients kept coming out to listen. Finally, the children’s choir director told them they could not sing all day and would have to go.
“Please? Can’t we sing just one more song?” Misty asked.
“Well—”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” a man said to the choir leader. “My wife is down the hall and can’t get out of bed. Could you all go sing to her?”
“Yes!” Misty said, “that sounds fun!”
“Okay,” the choir director said. “Let’s see if we can fit this group into her room.
“Hey,” Rusty said, “what if we all walked up and down the halls singing to people in their rooms?” We could split up into several groups.
“Great idea,” the leader said. She picked out some of the adults to lead and they split into four groups. Soon, the halls were full of the sounds of Christmas. The kids sang for another two hours in the halls and in patient’s rooms. Afterward, the nursing home staff invited the kids and other singers to come in and drink some hot cider and hot chocolate in the cafeteria.
• • •
On the way home, Misty kept talking about the people’s faces. “Did you see that man crying?” Misty asked.
“I think some people really felt the presence of God, today,” Rusty said.
Mom and Dad just listened and smiled while the children talked.
“Dad, did you see that one guy’s airplane collection?” Rusty asked. “Those were cool.”
“Yes,” Dad said, “he’s here because he used to be in the military and has a long-term injury. I talked with him for a while and he seemed interested in knowing more about the Lord. I want to come back and give him a Bible study.”
Rusty’s eyes lit up. “Really? Just because we sang to him?”
“Yes.”
“You guys got to do the same thing God did,” Mom said.
“What’s that?” Misty asked.
“You got to give! You got to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Now, tell me. Was that fun?”
“Yes!” they said.
“And,” Dad said, “we have more gifts waiting for you at home.”
• • •
After Christmas dinner, Rusty, Misty, Mom, and Dad sat down to enjoy the fireplace.
“Well, did you have a good Christmas?” Dad asked.
“Yes,” Rusty said, his eyes still twinkling.
“You don’t seem to be paying much attention to your gifts,” Mom said.
Rusty sighed. “You know, I did not think I would like going to the nursing home at all. But that was really different. It made me happy somehow. It is a different kind of happy.”
“You are experiencing the joy of giving, son,” Dad said.
Mom smiled, “You are growing up, Rusty.”
They all looked over at Misty who was writing quietly in her new journal. She saw them all staring and looked up. “I am writing down the story of what happened to day. I do not want to forget this day. That was such a fun surprise! We should do that every year.”
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Now discuss this Christmas devotional with your kids.
Do you think more about giving or getting at Christmas time?
Can you get enough gifts to give you joy?
What “giving” experiences have you had? When have you give someone something and really enjoyed it?
Have you given to people as a family before?
How did you feel?
What could you do to join with God’s joy of giving?
What could your family do to give to others?
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Read this Christmas family devotion together:
Family Christmas devotions:
When Christmas Began
At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.
Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.
There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them.
They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David’s town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.
A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived. The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.
At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s promised Messiah. Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required, Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God: “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace. With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”
There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying. That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.
When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God’s blessings were upon him.
(Luke 2:1-40, Good News Bible)
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Use this Christmas devotion discussion to look closer at the story:
In Luke 2:10, what did the angels say baby Jesus would bring to everyone?
How do you think Mary and Joseph felt about the birth of Jesus?
How do you think the shepherds felt after they saw Jesus?
How did Simeon feel when he saw Jesus for the first time?
How did Anna feel when she held baby Jesus?
How does Jesus make you feel?
When you tell others about Jesus, how should you make them feel?
For older family members: How do you think Mary felt when she first heard about her pregnancy? How did Joseph feel?
How does God use difficult things in our lives to make us better? Have you experienced something hard, scary, or boring that God used to bring joy and happiness to others?
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Memorize this!
Matthew 1:21
And she shall
bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save
his people from their sins.
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