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Christmas For You

Christmas reminds us that God rewards those who are willing to search for Jesus

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. MATTHEW 2:1-5 ESV

Christmas reminds us that God does some of his best work in political chaos

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered… And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to rthe city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. LUKE 2:1-5 ESV

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” MATTHEW 2:13-15 ESV

God will direct the lives of those who choose to listen

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” LUKE 1:30-33 ESV

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God […] And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. LUKE 1:34-35, 38 ESV

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. MATTHEW 1:19-20 ESV

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. LUKE 2:25-26 ESV

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years- LUKE 2:36 ESV

God invites those who feel unwanted and left out

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. LUKE 2:8-11 ESV

God did all of this to be with me

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). MATTHEW 1:23 ESV

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Take a few minutes, especially during this season, to slow down and offer Jesus any burdens, unmet expectations, or even celebratory moments—visualize laying these at His feet as you open yourself up to His presence. When you reflect on this past year, how would you rate your hunger for God? Has it increased in the past 12 months or decreased? Ask God to reveal where you are on a heart level. If life has felt messy or filled with disruptions, what might God be inviting you into through these unwelcome circumstances? Linger here for a bit as you ponder before God. Finally, read the following a few times: “God must know something about me that I don’t know about myself in order to live and lead in these times.” What stirs in you as you read this? Bring these emotions to God, and ask Him if there is anything He wants to reveal to you about yourself in this moment. Close your time by asking God for more of Him during this holiday season, thanking Him for this time you and He were able to share together.

Discussion Questions

  1. During this holiday season, choose some people in your life to discuss the following questions with. This could be a discussion at the dinner table, with some coworkers, or even a text thread with a few friends.
  2. GOD REWARDS THE SEARCH: Over the course of your life, what has your process for searching for Jesus looked like? How has God met you in that search?
  3. GOD WORKS AMIDST POLITICAL CHAOS: How has chaos helped to develop and/or grow your faith in God? In what ways have you seen the chaos of the past few years furthering God’s work in the world?
  4. GOD DIRECTS THE LISTENERS: As you participated in the Christmas Eve service, where did you feel God stirring you? What do you think God was saying to you personally?
  5. NEXT STEPS: God loves you deeply, and eagerly wants to share life with you. To take a next step, whether it’s inviting Jesus into your heart, asking for prayer, or to be connected to a community group, go to sandalschurch.com/next and we will help you take that next step!