Kroger Christmas
(Christmas)
 
Luke 2, Matthew 2:1-12
 
The Basic Bible Truth
 
Without a doubt, the birth of Jesus is the most recognized story from the Bible.  We can become so familiar with it that it looses its impact.  The Creator of the universe, who holds it all together in the palms of His hands, loved us so much that He lowered Himself to our condition and came as a human baby in a the humblest of circumstances in an out of the way little village called Bethlehem.  What wondrous love is this.
 
The Object And Lesson
 
Grocery Bags
Magic Markers

Kroger Christmas is my version of a living Nativity.  The Kroger chain of stores is popular where I am located, so it was a natural fit for me to use their bags and have their name in the title.  The premise is quite simple.  I use the blank side of the grocery bags as my canvas for faces.  Each and every scene of the Christmas story is staged with “actors” standing in position as the passage of Scripture is read.  Then the next scene is set up with new “actors”.  This is a final “traditional” nativity scene with wisemen, camels, a donkey, a cow, sheep, shepherds, Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus (laying across two chairs), a few angels, and even a Texas longhorn.
 
As just a side note, nearly every story from the Bible can be acted out in this fashion.  Just draw the characters with a few facial expressions and you are in business.  I even have bags with many of the Disney characters, television personalities, people from history, and persons that I have invented.  They are used from time to time to emphasize a point in a lesson.  For example, one day I planned to discuss the wedding at Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle.  To set the stage for the day, we had a wedding.  Imagine Bruce the shark from “Finding Nemo” officiating the wedding of Sponge Bob Square Pants, and The Little Mermaid.  (Of course, Patrick was best man!)  You can only imagine the cast of characters who attended.  It can be great fun and a memorable experience.  But we always end on a serious note.  We always finish by reiterating the basic Bible truth of the lesson that day.

PDF of Lesson