25 Gifts Christ Gives to Us

19

October 31, 2013 by FHElessons

{Note:  I recently discovered that clicking on the free printables below and then right-clicking to print causes the documents to print at a smaller size than they should be.  For full size documents of all the printables in this post, click on the following links: Handout 1 (green), Handout 1 (white), Scripture Gift Tags 1, Scripture Gift Tags 2, Scripture Gift Tags 3, Blank Gift Tags. Save to your computer and then print at full sheet (8.5×11 in) size.}

 

One of my family’s Christmas traditions is advent stockings.  When each of my children was born, I made him or her a stocking with 24 pockets and/or hooks on the front for holding 24 small gifts or treats.  The kids could choose one each day to help them count down the days until Christmas.  Here they are:

Last year I decided to step up my game a little by coordinating the gifts with scriptures.  I wanted my kids to learn a little more about Christ during the Christmas season, so I found 24 scriptures, each one referencing a Name of Christ.  You can see what I did and download the scriptures I used HERE.

This year I thought I’d continue my Christ-centered advent but with a new theme.  In keeping with the current series I have been doing about gifts {See also my posts Why We Give Gifts for Christmas and How to Teach Our Children to Give Good Gifts}, the scriptures I am using this year each tell of a gift that God gives to us.

Originally I planned to have my theme be gifts that Christ gives to us, but since God the Father and Jesus Christ are One, what one gives, the other also gives.  Thus, my scriptures could more correctly be titled “Gifts that God Gives to Us.”

If you would like to do a little FHE lesson on gifts either the last Monday in November or the first one in December to introduce this theme and get your kids thinking about Good Gifts, feel free to use one of the above links.  At the end of the lesson, you could give them the following handout:

 

Handout to Be Given Before Day 1 of Advent

(Click on it to open and then right-click to save to your computer.  After it is saved, open it and print the full 8 1/2 x 11 inch size.  I noticed that if you try to print straight from the link, it will print too small.)

If you would like to use less color ink, you can print this version:

Instruct your family to fill in gifts that God has given to us as they read each advent scripture and as they think of them throughout the month.  There are so many amazing gifts from God that I had an agonizing time choosing between all the scriptures that tell about them.  And on top of that, I could think of a lot of gifts God has given me that are not even described in the scriptures.  So, I hope as my family begins thinking about these gifts during December, that they will think of more and more until they realize that there are so many we could never fit them all in one piece of paper!

 

The Advent Calendar

Now, one thing that is different for me this year is that my son is on a mission.  I obviously don’t want to send his advent stocking, so I am going to send his gifts in little gift boxes.  I found these cute containers at Dollar Tree (8 for $1).  They’re like little Chinese food take-out boxes.  They were in the party section, and they aren’t really patterned for Christmas, but at least they are green!

 

I will put a small gift or a treat in each box and then tape the scripture for the day to the front.  I know you’re excited to find out what these scriptures are, and, guess what? I have created some super cute free printables for you!  The scripture for each day is printed on a cute little gift.

Note: To download, just click on each picture (there are 3 total) and then right-click to save to your computer. After it is saved, open it and print the full 8 1/2 x 11 inch size.  I noticed that if you try to print straight from the link, it will print too small. I printed mine on cardstock and then cut them out tight against the shape.  But you could also cut them out loosely and leave a white border around each gift.

 

Because I couldn’t narrow it down to 24, I chose 25.  The last scripture will have to be tucked into their stockings for Christmas morning.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

 

Last year I tried to match the advent gift to the scripture for that day.  For example, for a scripture that names Christ as the Light of the World, I gave a tiny flashlight, and for a scripture that names Christ as the True Vine, I gave a little pack of Red Vines candy.  This year I think the scriptures will be too hard to match, so I am just going to give the gifts and the scriptures; they won’t necessarily coordinate.  Here are some ideas for ways you can use these scriptures:

 

Ways to Use Advent Scriptures

1. Wrap each gift (or tuck into a box like I am doing for my missionary) and attach the scripture as a tag.

2.  Leave a scripture and a treat on your child’s pillow each night.

3. Hide the scriptures all over the house so that people will find them all throughout the Christmas season.

4.  Read one scripture together each night as a family.

5. Use in place of or in addition to your normal advent tradition.

 

If you do happen to get the little boxes like I did, here are a couple of ways you could display them:

In a Pile

Hanging from a series of little hooks OR

Hanging from a ribbon or string on the wall

As I mentioned before, I found too many scriptures to choose from.  Here are the scriptures I didn’t use in case you like them better or in case you just want to study the subject of gifts.  Click on each scripture to open it.  The correct verses will be highlighted.

 

Additional Scriptures for Study or Use

• Romans 5:15 (note that the “offence” spoken of here is Adam’s Fall)
• Galatians 2:20
• John 4:10
• Romans 6:23
• Acts 5:31
• Ether 12:8 – 11
• John 10:17 – 18
• 1 Corinthians 12:31
• Ephesians 4:7 – 8
• 1 Nephi 15:36
• D&C 46:8
• John 6:49 – 51
• 2 Nephi 25:13
• Matthew 11:28
• John 1:3
• John 14:2
• John 16:33
• Psalms 23:1 – 6
• 1 Nephi 1:14
• 2 Nephi 9:19 – 22
• 2 Nephi 11:5
• 2 Nephi 10:14
• Psalms 119:105
• John 8:12
• Genesis 9:3
• Isaiah 44:24
• Psalms 27:1
• James 1:5
• D&C 14:7-9
• Ether 3:14
• Hebrews 7:25
• Moroni 7:28
• Mosiah 13:28
• 3 Nephi 11:14
• Isaiah 45:12

 

In case you prefer one of those scriptures to the ones I used or some different scriptures altogether, here is a blank copy of the printable.

You can print it and write the scriptures in by hand or possibly bring it into Word or Photoshop and type over it.

 

The Scriptures I Used

And finally, in case you want to use your scriptures in a different format than above, here are all the ones I used, in no particular order.  Besides the fact that I made 25 little gifts with scriptures, I also cheated by putting 2 scriptures on some of the gifts.  There were just too many great scriptures to choose from! Click on each scripture to open it.  The verses I used will be highlighted:

• D&C 78:17-18
• Matthew 16:19
• Proverbs 3:5 – 6
• John 13:15
• D&C 29:5
• Psalms 103:8
• Helaman 14:30
• Matthew 21:22 and Romans 8:32
• Isaiah 40:29
• John 14:27
• Ephesians 2:8 – 9
• Moroni 7:16
• D&C 6:13
• Alma 7:12
• Matthew 7:7 – 11
• John 3:16
• Matthew 20:26 – 28
• John 14:16 – 18
• Ephesians 1:3,7
• Isaiah 53:4-5 and Matthew 4:23
• Mosiah 4:19
• Isaiah 64:8 and Psalms 102:25
• Alma 42:15
• Helaman 14:15 – 17
• D&C 84:36-38

 

I hope you enjoy reading about all the amazing gifts that God has given us, and I hope it brings you closer to Christ this Christmas season!  Merry Christmas!