Welcome

            Thank kids for coming.

            Just for fun, have kids high-five three of their friends.

            Make announcements.

            Introduce new kids.

            Celebrate birthdays by whispering the “Happy Birthday” song.

            Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. Today we’ll learn about the night Jesus was born.

Share

            Tell a story about when you were a baby.

            Have kids get in pairs and tell stories about when they were babies or about babies they know.

Summarize

            Open a Bible, and say: Today we’ll explore how Jesus is the light of the world and what that means to us. We’ll dig in to the Bible to find out. The Bible isn’t an ordinary book; it’s God’s special book. The Bible is one way God talks to us. God is here right now, ready to talk to you.

            Pray, thanking Jesus for being the light of the world.

Tip 

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can choose your own worship songs from our Best Of Dig In Music DVD here. 

Sing Songs to God

          Sing the three songs in any order. 

Tip

• For safety reasons, it's better to use thicker glow sticks, as the thinner, bracelet glow sticks can break.

A Dark Night

          Turn off all the lights and darken the room as much as possible.

          Say: It’s dark in our room, just like the night Jesus was born. Did you know there’s another kind of darkness we can have in our lives? When we feel afraid, sad, confused, lonely, or far from God, it’s like being in the dark.

          In their small groups, have kids talk about this question.

          Ask: • Tell about a time you experienced darkness by being afraid, lost, confused, or all alone.

          Before kids share, give your own example of a dark time, such as losing a job, moving away from friends or family, or facing an illness.

          Play music quietly while kids talk together. (This fills some of the background silence and makes it more comfortable for kids to share.)

          Say: When we go through dark times like the ones we’ve talked about, we need Jesus, the light of the world.

Angels Visit Shepherds

          Say: The Bible tells us that shepherds were out in a field that night, protecting their sheep from wild animals. Have kids imagine they are the shepherds in the dark field as you read aloud Luke 2:8-12, with expression. Turn on the lights.

          Say: Wow! There’s a bright light! I need your help celebrating this good news of Jesus, the light of the world. The angels did it with style, so let’s do what they did.

          Read aloud Luke 2:13-14.

          Have kids pretend to be angels as they crouch and whisper “Glory to God” when your hand is low. Practice that. Have kids jump and shout “Glory to God” when your hand is high. Practice that.

          Say: There was one angel (hand low)

          And then more (hand medium)

          And then all the angels in heaven. (hand high)

          Do this again.

Heading to the Manger

          Say: After the angels returned to heaven (turn off the lights), the shepherds hurried to find Jesus. And they found Jesus lying in the manger—just as the angel had said. Listen to this!

          Read aloud Luke 2:6-7, and then have kids make baby crying sound effects. Say: Jesus—God’s Son—had left heaven to come to earth.

          Ask: • Call out words that describe what you imagine heaven is like.

          Say: Jesus left that perfect place to come to earth. And the first thing he experienced was a dirty stable.

          Pass around the bag of potting soil and have kids smell it.

          Ask: • What would it be like to put a newborn baby in a dirty stable?

Shining God’s Light

          Have children gather around the manger.

          Say: Jesus was no ordinary baby—Jesus is God! Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus came to show God’s love to a world that was dark and smelly with sadness, fear, and sin.

          Pull back the blanket to show the glow cross. Let kids take turns looking inside the manger.

          Give children each a glow stick, but tell them not to crack it.

          Have kids go back to their small groups.

          Ask: • What do you want to do with the glow stick?

          Say: The shepherds wanted to share the news that Jesus is the light of the world! That’s the most important news in the world! They ran and told everyone about Jesus, the light of the world. Let’s do that now!

          Let kids crack their glow sticks and hold them up high.

Light Party

          Tell kids to be the shepherds. They have 30 seconds to tell as many people as possible that Jesus is the light of the world.

          Ask: • What just happened here?

          Say: That was exciting! That’s what happens when we share that Jesus is the light of the world. We can celebrate and share this amazing gift of God’s love!

Tip 

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or purchase DVDs here.

Discuss and Watch "Karl, Light of the World"

          Have kids get into groups of three. Say: Today we’re going to watch a video about a guy who got confused about something that was said at church. In your group, tell about a time you got confused about something someone said—it can be something you heard at church or someplace else. I’ll go first. Share your own story about a time you were confused about what someone said. Take about a minute to share so you model the type of sharing you’d like kids to do. Then invite children to share their own stories with their groups.

          Allow three minutes for sharing, and then have kids return their attention to you.

          Say: Let’s watch our video and see what happens.

          Watch “Karl, Light of the World.”

          Say: Karl was confused about what the pastor at his church said. He thought the pastor said that Karl should be the light of the world, and Karl thought that meant wearing a funny sunshine costume.  

          Ask: • What did Karl get wrong when he thought he was the light of the world? Allow another three minutes for kids to share in their groups, and then invite a few kids to share their answers with the larger group.

          Ask: • We know that Jesus is the light of the world, not us. But how can we show Jesus’ light in the world?

          Say: Jesus is the light of the world! We have the great opportunity to reflect the light and love of Jesus to others so they can experience that light and love, too.

Reveal a Message

          Darken the room.

          Set a handout facedown in front of each child.

          Say: There’s a message on your paper. Without picking up your paper, see if you can read the message in the dark.

          Have kids crack the glow sticks to make them glow. (You can have groups of two or three kids share if you don’t have one glow stick per child.) Then have them use their glow sticks or lanterns to try to read the message while the papers are still facedown on the floor.

          Have kids pick up the papers and hold the glow sticks or lanterns behind the papers to reveal the message.

Talk About It

          Ask: • How did the light make a difference in this experience?

          • Jesus is the light of the world. Does Jesus make a difference in your life? Tell me about that.

          Say: Let’s look at what the Bible says about Jesus, the light of the world. When these verses talk about “the Word,” they’re referring to Jesus.

          Read John 1:4-5. Remind kids that Jesus is the light of the world. Read the passage, substituting the word “Jesus” for the words “the light.”

          Ask: • What does this passage tell you about Jesus?

          • What would our world be like without Jesus?

          Say: Jesus is the light of the world. He came to show people God’s love and power. The Bible tells us that nothing is more powerful than Jesus! I am so thankful that Jesus came to shine God’s love to each of you.

Set Up the Game

            Choose a child in each small group to be “Darkness.”

            Choose another child in each group to be “The Light of the World,” and have him or her stand to one side of the group, holding a flashlight. Tell him or her to be careful not to shine the light directly into anyone’s face.

            Have the rest of the children in each group spread out around “Darkness.”

Play the Game

            Have kids move around the room using only baby steps.

            When children are tagged by Darkness, they must freeze and crouch down on the floor, waiting for The Light of the World to shine the flashlight on them. When the light shines on them, they’re free to stand and can continue playing.

            The Light of the World can’t be tagged by Darkness.

            The game starts when the lights go off and ends when the lights come back on.

            Stop the game after a few minutes of play.

            Repeat the game with different children being Darkness and The Light of the World.

Talk About It

            Have kids sit in a circle with their small groups and discuss the following questions.

            Ask: • What would the game have been like without The Light of the World?

            • What would our world be like without Jesus—the true light of the world?

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. Without him, we would live in darkness. But Jesus is more powerful than the darkness. His light can never be stopped.

            Have kids each think about a friend or family member who would be encouraged by Jesus’ power over darkness. Let kids pray silently for those people, asking God to shine Jesus’ light into their lives.

To use this feature, please ask your DIG IN Director to create a One Room classroom. For instructions and tips on creating a classroom for at-home lessons, click here.

Not available for this age level.

Wonder

          Read aloud Luke 2:13-14. Repeat the end where it says “with whom God is pleased.”

          Say: This verse makes it sound like God is going to give peace to only those people he likes. Does God have favorites? Let’s dig in to that.

Favorite Kids

          Choose a few of the kids as your “favorites.” If you have a large group, stop when you reach 20. Have your “favorites” come to you and get candy or another treat.

          Let your “favorites” eat their candy up front, and ask the other kids: • What’s this activity like for you?

          Ask the “favorite” kids: • What was this activity like for you?

          Ask everyone: • Do you think this is the way God treats people? Explain.

          Have the “favorites” rejoin the rest of the kids. Give everyone candy.

Peace on Earth

          Say: Some of you probably didn’t have a very peaceful feeling about that experience.

          Tell the kids about a time you felt God’s peace.

          Ask: • Turn to a partner and share about something that makes you feel peaceful.

          Say: That peaceful feeling is like God’s love filling your heart. True peace can only come from God. Jesus came to show God’s love—and to give us true peace—because Jesus is the light of the world.

Look at Verse Context

          Tell kids to listen to a Bible verse so they can answer this question: According to this verse, who is God’s good news for?

          Read Luke 2:10.

          Ask: • According to this verse, who is God’s good news for?

Look at Other Verses

          Tell kids to listen to a Bible verse so they can answer this question: What do these verses show you about favorites?

          Read Acts 10:34-36.

          Ask: • What do these verses show you about favorites?

          • Based on these verses, who can receive God’s peace?

Summarize

          Say: Everyone is special to God, and peace is available for everyone. Jesus is the light of the world, not just parts of it! What this verse is really saying is: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace and good will toward all people on earth.”

Tip

• Hide some of the pictures by taping them under a table or chair.

Find the Baby

            Give each child a glow stick if he or she doesn’t already have one.

            Say: In our Bible story, shepherds went to search for baby Jesus. Let’s look for Jesus just like the shepherds did.

            Hold up a picture of baby Jesus so kids know what to look for.

            Dim the lights. If the room is too dark with the lights dimmed, set a small lamp to one side of the room for safety.

            Have children use their glow sticks to find the hidden pictures.

            Optionally, play the sound effect of a baby crying while children search.

            As each child finds a picture, have him or her sit in the middle of the room.

            Once everyone has found a picture, have all the kids hold their lights high in the air and shout, “Jesus is the light of the world!”

            Play a few rounds, hiding the pictures between each round. You can even choose a few children to hide the pictures.

Pray

            Gather children. Say: Just as the shepherds found Jesus, you found Jesus, too. Jesus is the light of the world, and he showed God’s love to everyone.

            Have kids each think about a friend or family member who would be encouraged to know God loves him or her. Let kids pray silently for those people, asking God to shine Jesus’ light into their lives.

Make a Light

            Say: Jesus was born to show how much God loves us. Jesus is the light of the world! That means Jesus shines God’s love to us. Let’s make candles to help us remember that Jesus is the light of the world.

            Have kids color their craft sticks with markers.

            As kids color, ask: • When are you really glad to have a light?

            Have kids tear pieces of orange, yellow, and red tissue paper to make flames. Let kids use glue sticks to glue the “flames” to the top of their craft sticks. Let children glue glitter on the flames, too.

            Say: Let’s make stands so we can set out our candles to shine!

            Have kids use crayons to decorate foam cups and then turn the cups upside down and stick their “candles” in the bottoms of the cups.

Let It Shine

            Say: The shepherds ran and told everyone the good news that Jesus had been born.

            Ask: • Who do you want to tell about Jesus?

            • What will you tell about Jesus?

            Say: When you go home, you can use your candle to share the good news that Jesus is the light of the world!

Glow

            Darken the room. Have kids get out their glow sticks.

            Say: You’re special to God—so special that Jesus came to the world for you. Jesus brought God’s love to the world like a light.

Thank God

            Say: Hold your glow stick close to your body as we thank God for sending Jesus, the light of the world, to be with us.

            Lead kids in thanking God for Jesus.

Hide the Light

            Have kids each set their glow sticks on the floor in front of them and use their hands to cover the light.

            Say: We have something great to share. God doesn’t want us to hide the news that Jesus is the light of the world. Let’s show our lights!

Show the Light

            Say: Jesus wants us to shine his light and show love to others so they can know him, too.

            Have kids name some people they would like to share Jesus’ love with.

            Ask: • What things can you do to show Jesus’ love to others?

            Say: Hold your glow stick out in front of you as we ask God to help us share Jesus’ light with others.

            Lead kids in asking God to help them show Jesus’ love.

Shine

            Lead kids in holding up their lights and calling out ways they’ll share Jesus’ love.

            Say: Let’s thank God for sending Jesus because God loves us so much. Lead kids in shouting, “Thank you, God, for Jesus—the light of the world!”

            Thank kids for coming, and tell them you look forward to seeing them next week.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.

To use this feature, please ask your DIG IN Director to create a One Room classroom. For instructions and tips on creating a classroom for at-home lessons, click here.

Not available for this age level.

Wonder

          Read aloud Luke 2:13-14. Repeat the end where it says “with whom God is pleased.”

          Say: This verse makes it sound like God is going to give peace to only those people he likes. Does God have favorites? Let’s dig in to that.

Favorite Kids

          Choose a few of the kids as your “favorites.”  If you have a large group, stop when you reach 20. Have your “favorites” come to you and get candy or another treat.

          Let your “favorites” eat their candy up front, and ask the other kids: • What’s this activity like for you?

          Ask the “favorite” kids: • What was this activity like for you?

          Ask everyone: • Do you think this is the way God treats people? Explain.

          Have the “favorites” rejoin the rest of the kids. Give everyone candy.

Peace on Earth

          Say: Some of you probably didn’t have a very peaceful feeling about that experience.

          Tell the kids about a time you felt God’s peace.

          Ask: • Turn to a partner and share about a time you felt peaceful.

          Say: That peaceful feeling is like God’s love filling your heart. True peace can only come from God. Jesus came to show God’s love—and to give us true peace—because Jesus is the light of the world.

Look at Verse Context

          Tell kids to listen to a Bible verse so they can answer this question: According to this verse, who is God’s good news for?

          Have an older child read Luke 2:10.

          Ask: • According to this verse, who is God’s good news for?

Look at Other Verses

          Tell kids to listen to a Bible verse so they can answer this question: What do these verses show you about favorites?

          Have an older child read Acts 10:34-36.

          Ask: • What do these verses show you about favorites?

          • Based on these verses, who can receive God’s peace?

Summarize

          Say: Everyone is special to God, and peace is available for everyone. Jesus is the light of the world, not just parts of it! What this verse is really saying is: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace and good will toward all people on earth.”

Mime Sharing the Light

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. He came to show people how much God loves them. That’s great news that everyone should know! Let’s play a game to think about ways we can spread Jesus’ light—and share God’s love—with our friends and family members.

            Let each child take one of the “Share Jesus’ Light Cards” from the bag without looking.

            Tell children not to show their cards to anyone else.

            Say: Each of your cards has a different way you can share Jesus’ light. When it’s your turn, act out what’s on your card. The rest of us will try to guess what it is.

            Choose a child to start the game, and have each child act out what’s on his or her card while others guess what that child is acting out.

            If kids can’t guess after about 30 seconds, have the child reveal the answer, and let the next child have his or her turn.

            If you have more than 10 people in your group, form two or more groups to play simultaneously.

            Continue until everyone has had an opportunity to act out what’s on a card.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What makes it hard to do these things in real life?

            • How would your world—your school, home, sports teams—be different if you did share God’s love?

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is the light of [name of your community]. We get the awesome job of sharing Jesus, and showing God’s love, to the people around us!

Decorate

            Give each child a water bottle, a sheet of foil, and a pencil.

            Have kids decorate their foil by poking holes in it with a pencil to make the letters in their names or initials or other creative decorations. Kids can also engrave shapes into the foil with a pencil, draw on it with permanent marker, or decorate the foil with stickers.

Assemble the Lantern

            Have kids use Glue Dots to secure their foil tightly around their water bottles.

            Kids can wrap chenille wire around the neck of the bottle and then twist it at the top to make a handle.

            Direct kids to place their lighted glow sticks in their water bottles.

Talk About It

            Darken the room.

            Read aloud Luke 2:8-11.

            Ask: • What do you think it was like for the shepherds to see all that radiant light in a dark, quiet pasture?

            • How is that like the way Jesus brought light to the world?

            Say: Jesus came to bring God’s awesomeness to people on earth so we could know about God’s love and power. That’s why we say that Jesus is the light of the world. He came to shine God’s love, power, and glory to people.

            Encourage kids to take home their Light of the World Lanterns as a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world.

            Say: The light in your lantern will eventually stop glowing, but Jesus is always the light of the world! When your lantern stops glowing, you can put it on a windowsill or near a lamp and still watch the light shine through.

Listen to God

            Darken the room, and set the glow cross in the middle of the room.

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. That means he came to show God’s love to everyone. Now that you’ve heard about Jesus’ light, you can shine it to people around you. Take a moment to silently ask God about what he might want you to do to show his love to people around you. Listen to hear what God might say to you.

            Allow about one minute for kids to sit in the dark, quiet room and silently listen to God.

Light Prayers

            Explain that sometimes we hear God’s voice, and sometimes we get a feeling in our hearts. Sometimes God brings a picture or name or word to our minds. Have children each write or draw on a sticky note what they just heard from God.

            After they’re done, have children each stick their notes around the cross so that the light of the cross shines on their notes. Ask kids to return to their seats, and then have them silently pray for the courage to show God’s love and share about Jesus, the light of the world.

            Say: Thank you for being here today. This week you can be like the shepherds who shared about Jesus. Hold your glow stick up high. Pause. You can share God’s love and light with the people around you.

            Thank kids for coming, and tell them you look forward to seeing them next week.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.

To use this feature, please ask your DIG IN Director to create a One Room classroom. For instructions and tips on creating a classroom for at-home lessons, click here.

Not available for this age level.

Wonder

          Read aloud Luke 2:13-14. Repeat the end where it says “with whom God is pleased.”

          Say: This verse makes it sound like God is going to give peace to only those people he likes. Does God have favorites? Let’s dig in to that.

Favorite Kids

          Choose a few of the kids as your “favorites.” If you have a large group, stop when you reach 20. Have your “favorites” come to you and get candy or another treat.

          Let your “favorites” eat their candy up front, and ask the other kids: • What’s this activity like for you?

          Ask the “favorite” kids: • What was this activity like for you?

          Ask everyone: • Do you think this is the way God treats people? Explain.

          Have the “favorites” rejoin the rest of the kids. Give everyone candy.

Peace on Earth

          Say: Some of you probably didn’t have a very peaceful feeling about that experience.

          Tell the kids about a time you felt God’s peace.

          Ask: • Turn to a partner and share about a time you felt peaceful.

          Say: That peaceful feeling is like God’s love filling your heart. True peace can only come from God. Jesus came to show God’s love—and to give us true peace—because Jesus is the light of the world.

Look at Verse Context

          Tell kids to listen to a Bible verse so they can answer this question: According to this verse, who is God’s good news for?

          Open to Luke 2:10, and ask a child to read it.

          Ask: • According to this verse, who is God’s good news for?

Look at Other Verses

          Tell kids to listen to a Bible verse so they can answer this question: What do these verses show you about favorites?

          Open to Acts 10:34-36, and ask a child to read it.

          Ask: • What do these verses show you about favorites?

          • Who can get God’s peace?

Summarize

          Say: Everyone is special to God, and peace is available for everyone. Jesus is the light of the world, not just parts of it! What this verse is really saying is: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace and good will toward all people on earth.”

Mime Sharing the Light

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. He came to show people how much God loves them. That’s great news that everyone should know! Let’s play a game to think about ways we can spread Jesus’ light—and share God’s love—with our friends and family members.

            Let each child take one of the “Share Jesus’ Light Cards” from the bag without looking.

            Tell children not to show their cards to anyone else.

            Say: Each of your cards has a different way you can share Jesus’ light. When it’s your turn, act out what’s on your card. The rest of us will try to guess what it is.

            Choose a child to start the game, and have each child act out what’s on his or her card while others guess what that child is acting out.

            If kids can’t guess after about 30 seconds, have the child reveal the answer, and let the next child have his or her turn.

            As each child has a turn, have him or her imitate as many of the things already acted out as possible before acting out what’s on his or her own card.

            If you have more than 10 people in your group, form two or more groups to play simultaneously.

            Continue until everyone has had an opportunity to act out what’s on a card.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What makes it hard to do these things in real life?

            • How would your world—your school, home, sports teams—be different if you did share God’s love?

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is the light of [name of your community]. We get the awesome job of sharing Jesus, and showing God’s love, to the people around us!

Decorate

            Give each child a water bottle, a sheet of foil, and a pencil.

            Have kids decorate their foil by poking holes in it with a pencil to make the letters in their names or initials or other creative decorations. Kids can also engrave shapes into the foil with a pencil, draw on it with permanent marker, or decorate the foil with stickers.

Assemble the Lantern

            Have kids use Glue Dots to secure their foil tightly around their water bottles.

            Kids can wrap chenille wire around the neck of the bottle and then twist it at the top to make a handle.

            Direct kids to place their lighted glow sticks in their water bottles.

Talk About It

            Darken the room.

            Read aloud Luke 2:8-11.

            Ask: • What do you think it was like for the shepherds to see all that radiant light in a dark, quiet pasture?

            • How is that like the way Jesus brought light to the world?

            Say: Jesus came to bring God’s awesomeness to people on earth so we could know about God’s love and power. That’s why we say that Jesus is the light of the world. He came to shine God’s love, power, and glory to people.

            Encourage kids to take home their Light of the World Lanterns as a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world.

            Say: The light in your lantern will eventually stop glowing, but Jesus is always the light of the world! When your lantern stops glowing, you can put it on a windowsill or near a lamp and still watch the light shine through.

Listen to God

            Darken the room, and set the glow cross in the middle of the room.

            Say: Jesus is the light of the world. That means he came to show God’s love to everyone. Now that you’ve heard about the light, you can shine it to people around you. Take a moment to silently ask God about what he might want you to do to show his love to people around you. Listen to hear what God might say to you.

            Allow about one minute for kids to sit in the dark, quiet room and silently listen to God. You may have to encourage your older kids to get comfortable with silence.

Light Prayers

            Explain that sometimes we hear God’s voice, and sometimes we get a feeling in our hearts. Sometimes God brings a picture or name or word to our minds. Have children each write on a sticky note what they heard from God. Help them know that it’s okay if they didn’t hear anything this time; they can write a prayer to God instead.

            After they’re done, have children each stick their notes around the cross so that the light of the cross shines on their notes. Ask kids to return to their seats, and then have them silently pray for the courage to show God’s love and share about Jesus, the light of the world.

            Say: Thank you for being here today. This week you can be like the shepherds who shared about Jesus. Hold your glow stick up high. Pause. You can share God’s love and light with the people around you.

            Thank kids for coming, and tell them you look forward to seeing them next week.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.