Lectionary Year A, Unit 1: Four Weeks Of Advent

This unit covers the four Sundays of advent in Lectionary Year A. It is designed to help students anticipate the coming of Christ and to share in the excitement that event brings.

Lesson 1: Ready Or Not, Here I Come!- This lesson's theme is Preparing for the Coming of Christ. Its' focus is preparing for the unexpected coming of Jesus by waking up and making ourselves ready. (Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44)

Lesson 2: Do You See What I See?-This lesson's theme is Who is Jesus? Recognizing the characteristics of God. Its' focus is on recognizing the characteristics of Jesus as they have been revealed to us by John the Baptist and others. We await His arrival by learning of His character so that we will recognize Him when He comes. (Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-2)

Lesson 3: Something Good is About to Happen!-This lesson's theme is Joyful anticipation for the good that God can and will do. It focuses on the promises that God has made for justice, healing, and deliverance for His people. However, we cannot always see those promises now. We are challenged, like John the Baptist in prison, to wait patiently (sometimes in suffering) for the good that God will bring when He comes. (Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11)

Lesson 4: More Than We Could Ask or Imagine!-This lesson's theme is God's promise to be with us is fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus. It focuses on the fact that the birth of Jesus was foretold and fulfilled; God desires to be with us, even to the point of experiencing life as a human being. (Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25)