Advent Week 2 LIFEGROUP LESSON - Jesus the Star & Hope
LOOKING BACK
Family Time (15 mins)
LOOKING UP
Worship (-15 mins)
Bible Reflection (30 mins) Matthew 2:1-12
A few things to note:
Matthew 2:1-12 - Have a couple people take turns reading this passage a couple times. Encourage people to underline or make note of what jumps out to them.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Questions
LOOKING FORWARD
In small groups, share:
ANNOUNCEMENTS (5 mins)
Christmas Potluck Gatherings! (throughout December)
Celebrate Christmas with others at Epicentre at Christmas potlucks, hosted by different people in our church. It’s an opportunity to make some new friends, and practice hospitality! We have 4 host homes in Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, and Arcadia. Go to epicentre.org/events or sign up at the Connection Center on Sunday.
Pasadena Homeless Count (Jan 23-24)
Pasadena Partnership is an organization devoted to ending homelessness in Pasadena by holistically serving the 500+ unhoused people of our city. We invite you to volunteer with the "Pasadena Homeless Count" on Jan. 23 & 24 to do surveys with our unhoused neighbors. This data helps get needed funding and resources for long-term support and solutions. Go to pasadenapartnership.org and click “Homeless Count” to sign up!
Glove Drive (now till Jan 7)
We are also collecting as many pairs of gloves as we can to give to them! Help us reach our goal of collecting 400 pairs of gloves, which we're collecting on Sundays now till Jan. 7th!
HOPE Kids (for parents of kids 5th and younger) - December 15th, 6-7:30pm
Parents, you and your kiddos are invited to join us for HOPE Kids, a special space for kids to have fun, hear God's voice, and worship with one another.
There will be dinner, games and more! RSVP for dinner.
To learn more about all of these events, head to epicentre.org/events!
Family Time (15 mins)
- Vision of Advent: Advent means “coming.” During the season of Advent (The 4 Sundays before Christmas day), the people of God take time to remember and reflect on the first coming of Jesus through His incarnation, and at the same time to wait with expectation & hope for His second coming.
- Connection Question: Besides waiting and looking forward to Jesus’ return, what are you looking forward to and waiting for this Christmas?
- Announcements (see bottom of this doc)
- Check-Ins: life updates, praise reports, etc.
LOOKING UP
Worship (-15 mins)
- Away in a Manger by Phil Wickham
- O Holy Night by Hillsong
Bible Reflection (30 mins) Matthew 2:1-12
A few things to note:
- Besides seeing the star in the sky and connecting it to the birth of a king for the Jews, the Magi (Wise Men from the East) really didn’t know much when they set out on their journey.
- Based on Matthew 2:16, it seems to suggest that it took about 2 years from when Magi saw the star to the time they arrived in Jerusalem.
- There is no more mention of the Magi in the rest of the New Testament. So, when they came to Jerusalem, they only saw the child Jesus and we don’t know if they ever heard about Jesus’ public ministry ~ 30 years later, and his death & resurrection. The “King” they saw was not living in a palace but in a small town with his poor parents.
Matthew 2:1-12 - Have a couple people take turns reading this passage a couple times. Encourage people to underline or make note of what jumps out to them.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Questions
- What stands out to you from this passage?
- What do you learn from the Magi’s response to seeing the star in the sky and their subsequent journey?
- The Magi were not known to be worshippers of the God of the Jews in general. They were considered “foreigners.” What do you learn about God’s heart as you read about these foreigners being shown the sign and then led to meet & worship Jesus in person?
- Feel free to ask your own questions too.
LOOKING FORWARD
In small groups, share:
- In what ways do you need the guiding star of Jesus today, even if you don’t know where it leads, how long it will take to find the answer, or how it will end?
- The Magi saw the star and came looking for the King. Who (character of God) and what are you looking for in this season?
- Who around you is looking for “the star”? Who can you reach out to in this season to share the presence of God with?
- Pray for one another based on your sharing.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (5 mins)
Christmas Potluck Gatherings! (throughout December)
Celebrate Christmas with others at Epicentre at Christmas potlucks, hosted by different people in our church. It’s an opportunity to make some new friends, and practice hospitality! We have 4 host homes in Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, and Arcadia. Go to epicentre.org/events or sign up at the Connection Center on Sunday.
Pasadena Homeless Count (Jan 23-24)
Pasadena Partnership is an organization devoted to ending homelessness in Pasadena by holistically serving the 500+ unhoused people of our city. We invite you to volunteer with the "Pasadena Homeless Count" on Jan. 23 & 24 to do surveys with our unhoused neighbors. This data helps get needed funding and resources for long-term support and solutions. Go to pasadenapartnership.org and click “Homeless Count” to sign up!
Glove Drive (now till Jan 7)
We are also collecting as many pairs of gloves as we can to give to them! Help us reach our goal of collecting 400 pairs of gloves, which we're collecting on Sundays now till Jan. 7th!
HOPE Kids (for parents of kids 5th and younger) - December 15th, 6-7:30pm
Parents, you and your kiddos are invited to join us for HOPE Kids, a special space for kids to have fun, hear God's voice, and worship with one another.
There will be dinner, games and more! RSVP for dinner.
To learn more about all of these events, head to epicentre.org/events!