Memorize this verse as a family:

James 5:7-8: Be patient, then, brothers [and sisters], until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm for the Lord is near.

Activity: Light the Advent Wreath

Light the pink candle on your advent wreath this week. This pink candle is called the “joy candle.” Read Isaiah 35:1-10 together. We are all waiting for Jesus to come. It is hard to wait, but Isaiah describes what the world will be like when Jesus does return. Ask the family to describe all the things that they hear in Isaiah’s prophecy that makes them happy and joyful.

Discussion. James, Jesus’ brother, tells us in James 5:7-8 that waiting for Jesus is like a farmer waiting for his crops to grow. What would the farmer miss out on if he gave up waiting for his plants to grow? What would we miss out on if we gave up waiting for Jesus?

Waiting is hard. Discuss as a family something that they had to wait for and did they become impatient? What happens to us when we become impatient? Compare this to what James says in James 5:9.

Waiting for Jesus was very hard for the church that James belonged to. They were poor. Some people were mean to them and had them thrown into prison. They sometimes went without food. James wants them to watch out when they get impatient.

What do we have to watch out for as we get impatient waiting for Jesus?

Set Goals. Your family might like to plant a seed and take care of it in the coming months to remind you of how, like a farmer, we can’t get impatient and give up on waiting for Jesus. Find a way to remind each other of what brings us joy even as we wait for Jesus. Gratitude is the opposite of being angry and impatient.