PARENT GUIDE

Advent: Prophetic Hope for Gods Good King

What we taught this week and how you can continue the conversation at home

THE BIG IDEA

Your student learned that Advent is a season of waiting with hope. We looked at Isaiah 9 and the story of King Josiah to show that God promised a coming King who would bring justice, peace, and healing to a broken world. Josiah was a good king, but even he could not fix the deepest problem inside the human heart. Only Jesus, the true and perfect King, can heal, restore, and bring Gods Kingdom into our lives.

This is why Advent matters. It helps us look back to Jesus first coming and look forward to His return with confidence and hope.

——————————————————

WHAT WE TAUGHT

1. Advent is about waiting with hope

We watched the BibleProject video titled “Hope” to show that biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is trusting God while we wait for Him to act, even when life feels dark or uncertain.

We compared this to Israel waiting for God to send His promised King.

Key idea

Hope grows when we remember who God is and what He has promised to do.

2. Isaiah 9 shows the promise of a future King

We read Isaiah 9:1 to 7 and saw how God promised a child who would become a King bringing light, justice, fairness, compassion, and peace. This promise was made when Israel was experiencing darkness and judgment because their leaders had turned away from God.

Key idea

God always brings hope even when His people are in dark seasons.

3. King Josiah showed what a good king looks like

Students learned that Josiah became king at eight years old and helped lead the people back to Gods ways. He rediscovered the Book of the Law and responded with humility and repentance. Josiah did a lot of good, but he still could not stop the consequences of generations of rebellion.

Key idea

Even the best human leaders cannot heal the heart or fix the world. We need someone greater.

4. Jesus is the promised King who fulfills Isaiah 9

We watched a second BibleProject video titled “The Messiah” which showed how all the Old Testament hopes for a perfect King came true in Jesus. He is the only one who can bring true justice, peace, and restoration. He writes Gods Law on our hearts through the Spirit and brings the light that Isaiah promised.

Key idea

Josiah pointed forward. Jesus fulfills everything.

5. We practiced seeing hope through a simple activity

The group played a fast and fun round of “Hope Charades” to help them picture what hope looks like in real life. This helped reinforce that hope is active trust, not passive waiting.

——————————————————

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR YOUR STUDENT

Middle schoolers live in an unpredictable world. They face stress, pressure, friendships that change suddenly, and fears they often do not verbalize. Many feel both the desire for control and the frustration of not having it.

This lesson gives them:

A bigger story

God has been working through history and continues to work today.

A deeper hope

Jesus is the good King who brings light in dark places and who can be trusted when life feels confusing.

A clear direction

Waiting on God is not weakness. It is faith. It is how followers of Jesus grow stronger.

A relational picture of God

Jesus is not distant. He is present, ruling, guiding, and renewing hearts.

——————————————————

WAYS YOU CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AT HOME

You do not need to teach a full lesson. Just weave simple, intentional moments into your week.

1. Read Isaiah 9:6 together one night

Ask:

Which title of Jesus means the most to you right now and why?

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

2. Ask this simple daily question

Where did you see light today?

This helps your student begin to recognize Jesus presence in ordinary life.

3. Share one short waiting moment from your day

Example:

Waiting in traffic.

Waiting for a phone call.

Waiting for clarity on something.

Then say:

Waiting can be hard, but God meets us there.

This shows them that hope is something adults practice too.

4. Watch the BibleProject “Hope” or “Messiah” videos as a family

Even watching one together opens the door for conversation.

Ask afterward:

What is one thing about Jesus as King that stood out to you?

5. Pray a simple Advent prayer together

Jesus, help us trust you as we wait for you. Fill our hearts with hope and help us look to you as our King.

6. If your student is struggling with something

Use this question gently:

How might Jesus the good King bring hope into this situation?

Big Idea

Every person is created in the image of God. God made humans to reflect his character and partner with him in bringing goodness into the world. The Bible shows us that Jesus is the perfect image of God and he can restore our hearts so we can reflect God in our daily lives.

Summary

In our first week we explored what it means for every human to be created in the image of God. Genesis teaches that God made people to reflect His character by bringing life, beauty, order, and goodness into the world. This connects directly to our earlier weeks on righteousness and justice where we saw that God is restoring all things and invites us to partner with Him in His work. Because every person is made in God’s image, we treat others with dignity, compassion, and care, and we look for ways to help people flourish in our homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Through Jesus, we are transformed and are being transformed to become more like Him so we can grow as His image bearers and display His character for the world to see. In Jesus, we are God’s sons and daughters who reveal His heart to a watching world. Our goal this week was for students to understand their identity as image bearers, their role in God’s healing mission, and the beautiful responsibility of bringing life, goodness, and flourishing to others every day.

What We Taught

• God created every human with incredible value

• Humans are God’s living images in the world

• God invited us to rule creation with him by helping life flourish

• Humans often choose selfishness which breaks the image

• We need God to heal what is broken in us

Questions Parents Can Ask

• What does it mean that you are made in the image of God
• How would your school look different if every student treated others as God’s image
• What is one place where you see people using their influence to help something grow or flourish
• Where do you see people using influence in selfish or hurtful ways
• What part of being God’s image feels the hardest for you

At Home Activities

• Family Garden Moment

Plant a small herb or flower together. Talk about how ruling like God includes caring for creation and helping things grow.

• Honor Someone Challenge

Ask your student to name one person who is difficult to love. Pray together for that person and talk about how God still made them in his image.

• Reflect Together

Read Genesis 1:26 - 28 together as a family. Invite each person to share one thing that stands out.

Further Reading + Viewing for Families

• Psalm 8

• Genesis 2:15

• Ephesians 2:10

• Bible Project video: Image of God