“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things… He has helped his servant Israel  and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever”.” – Luke 1:46-54.

The Luke passage is Mary’s song of praise. How could this teenager express such confidence in God when she is pregnant and unwed? How was she able to say “yes” to God under such challenging circumstances? She could surrender to God when she agreed to mother a son in a most unusual fashion: “…“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true… (Luke 1:38).

Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem in Judea because Caesar Augustus wanted to take a census of the whole Roman world. This directive brought Mary and Joseph to the place where it was prophesied that the Messiah would be born. God sent unlikely witnesses to sing the praises of the newborn King. Unsuspecting shepherds, hanging out in a field with sheep, were urged by an angel to find the Messiah baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Mary treasured God’s Words to her, actively remembering and reflecting on what He had spoken to her through Gabriel and the Holy Scriptures. Mary did not turn aside because she remembered God’s promises. We, too, can remember what He has done in our lives, His promises fulfilled. Every Word He has ever spoken remains: “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Everything God does will directly correlate with who He is, so it will always be good. It is easy to forget just how good our God is. The good news is we can rest in who He is and trust His plan. We can trust that what God promises, He will fulfill. Even when life doesn’t look how we thought it would, we can trust what God has promised us. Joshua 21:45 says, “Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

Some of us have a hard time putting our trust in promises. The Bible gives us many stories that show our faith in God’s promises is not misplaced. Many people throughout the Bible received the blessings of God’s fulfilled promises, including Noah, Abraham, David, and the Israelites. We do not have to fear that God will not keep His promises. We can put our trust in Him and the promises He has given to us in His word.

His greatest fulfilled promise was through Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you tend to trust promises or react with skepticism? Why?
2. How do you think the promises people have broken in your life affected your ability to trust God’s promises?  
3. What are some of the promises God has given us that we can hold on to when it feels like others aren’t keeping their promises?

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John 14:27.

There are a lot of folks who are stuck in the past. They are always looking back. They regret bad decisions from their previous days. They are haunted by what they did wrong or failed to do right in years gone by. Then, other people will live in the future. They are preoccupied with what could be down the road.

While the Bible helps us understand how to process our past and inspires us with hope for our future, its emphasis is on “today.” God does not dwell in our past or future. He only relates to you in the present. God calls us to pay close attention to now —  to live in the present.

Mary exemplifies living in the present and finding peace. Her world was turned upside down when an angel appeared, and she was told she would deliver the Messiah. Mary knew there was a good chance she would be disgraced by her community, disowned by her parents, and disavowed by Joseph. And how did Mary react to this turn of events? She remembered God’s character and His ways. Mary concentrated on the present amid indescribable circumstances that would drastically change her future. Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true….”(Luke 1:38). She still saw herself as a servant of the Lord and trusted in Him in the present circumstances she found herself in.

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel  and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever” (Luke 1:46-55).

What a beautiful example of how having faith embedded deep within our hearts will help us to keep a Biblical perspective in the twists and turns of life. Her trust of God helped her accept Gabriel’s message. Her understanding of Scripture assured her of God’s promises and gave her the faith to rejoice at God’s call on her life. She is also an example of how knowing and believing God’s Word and His promises gives us the faith to praise Him when life doesn’t turn out how we thought it would.

And this is the secret to our peace as well. We need to see ourselves as servants of the Lord, to do what He commands, to walk where He leads, and to serve in humility where He puts us. Faith in God’s promises frees us to live for the Lord in the only moment we can: the present. Yes, believers have a bright future, but at the same time, we live in His kingdom here and now.

Every moment of every day is a gift. Remember that no matter what any given moment brings, you can always know peace—like the peace in the eye of a hurricane—by simply trying to live and love in this moment.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can God’s promises help us live in the present moment?
2. How can we stay focused on the present this week?

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” – Luke 1:30-33.

Life has moments when we ask, “Why me?” or move forward with “What now.” Mary, the mother of Jesus, had that choice. Before Gabriel spoke his prophetic words announcing that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she was well on her way to marrying the man of her dreams. You could picture her setting up her house, being a good carpenter’s wife, and raising Joseph’s children. But Gabriel’s news changed everything. It was a moment that changed everything.

Luke 1: 26-28 tells us: “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son of the most high. Mary asked how this could be, and Gabriel told her that the Holy Spirit would come on you and that the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

Mary was probably going about her typical day without expecting a divine encounter with God. Scripture tells us that Mary was greatly troubled. We have to assume she was scared, and who could blame her? She’s got her whole future in front of her. She’s about ready to get married, and then a divine moment. How do you even absorb and take in those words? How do you get your head around what you have just been told?  First, she’s just trying to deal with the angel Gabriel and the fact that the Messiah is coming to fulfill all the prophecies of the Old Testament, she is playing a big part in it.

In all of this, Mary had a beautiful attitude of humbleness. And to say, “God, I don’t understand all of this. I don’t… have no idea how all of this is going to play out, but all I can say in this moment, in this holy moment, is to say, ‘God, let it be.’ I’m here. I’m saying yes to you.” We won’t understand every detail of our encounters with God, but that’s okay.  Our job is to acknowledge that God is in control and that amazing things can happen when we say yes to Jesus Christ, allow Him to run our lives, and are in sync with the Holy Spirit. We may not see how He will put all of those pieces together or how we will get out of this situation, but somehow, He does when we trust Him.

It’s amazing when we look at our lives and how quickly God can change things. But should we be surprised?  God is constantly working behind the scenes and setting us up to fulfill His plan and purposes.

Discussion Questions:

1. So, how do we put ourselves in a position to experience and seize divine moments?

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” – Galatians 5:22-23.

A simple search in Google on character yields thousands of books, speeches, and quotes. Historically, philosophers, educators, politicians, religious leaders, judges, and the general public have agreed that character should be valued and reinforced. But character — the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or unique talents — seems obsolete. Not many people talk about it, let alone work at it. And too often, the media is filled with stories of character flaws of people we have put on pedestals. Character flaws are not limited to others. We are all a mixture of both good and bad, and we make missteps.

God cares about character, so much so that it could be said that the Bible is a character textbook. It is filled with instructions on what it means to live righteously. The life of Christ teaches us great practical character lessons. Despite difficult circumstances and times of severe difficulty, Jesus was the epitome of love, kindness, and gentleness.

One of the great lessons Jesus taught His followers is that a man’s or woman’s character is always a matter of what is in his or her heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, Above all else, guard “your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 21:2 says, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” And 1 Corinthians 4:5 says, …He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts…”

God is always attempting to get us to change our character. We must do what we can today to conform to His image, the image of Jesus Christ. As believers and representatives of God on earth, we need to be people of integrity and character. A person of integrity does right in all areas of life, one who can be trusted. True character is built on our inner values and consistent actions, even when no one is watching, and striving to live with integrity, honesty, and kindness reflects our faith and relationship with God. Our character demonstrates our commitment to living a life that aligns with His principles, doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult, and being dependable in all situations.

 Discussion Questions:

1. In what areas of your life do you need to intentionally focus on building stronger character?

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”  – Romans 12:9-13, (ESV).

One of the most frustrating parts of the Christian life is we are sometimes not as passionate about God as we should be. We sometimes find ourselves amid a stretch of feeling reasonably indifferent about the things of God. We know that Bible reading, prayer, church involvement, missions, evangelism, and many other means of grace should capture our hearts. But with all that is going on around us, we can’t seem to get excited about them. We are spiritually apathetic for a short time. And while we may be aware of our apathy, we often feel helpless to pull ourselves out of it.

There is a lot to digest in the Roman 12 passage,  but wrapped right up in the middle is this, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Paul writes to be fervent in spirit and to serve the Lord.  Zeal means having great energy or enthusiasm to pursue a cause or objective. We should be filled with energy and enthusiasm because no matter what is going on in our lives, we are living for Jesus, and we aim to follow Him. Next, it says to have fervor. To have fervor is to be intense and have passion. God wants us to have great energy, enthusiasm, intensity, and passion when following Him. This does not mean that everything we do will be exciting. But it does mean that we can still do whatever we are called to with high energy, enthusiasm, and passion.

No matter what you are doing, there will be fun things, and there will be not-so-fun things. It is not about what you are doing but the attitude in which you do them. You are not just living for what the day brings, but something much bigger. You are living for Almighty God. Our walk with God is not just a fleeting enthusiasm but a burning passion, a deep commitment to actively pursue God’s will in every aspect of our lives. According to the Word of God, the way to fight off apathy and reignite your passion for Jesus is to do the very thing that apathy is trying to put you off of: Serve the Lord. Read the Bible. Pray. Worship.

 The antidote for spiritual apathy is a faithful and diligent routine of devoting time to Jesus and serving Him.

 Discussion Questions:

1. Where do you see areas in your life where you could cultivate more zeal for the Lord?
2. How can you actively express your devotion through your actions, words, and attitude?
3. What steps can you take to reignite your passion for God’s Word and prayer life?

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep….I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me” – John 10:11,14.

What was a day in the life like for a person who lived in Bible times? A shepherd’s life was long and sometimes difficult. In the early morning, shepherds led the flock from the fold, marching them to where they would be pastured. Once there, they watched them all day, taking care that none of the sheep strayed, and if any, for a time, eluded his watch and wandered away from the rest, seeking diligently till he found and brought it back. The shepherd had to protect the sheep from predators, of which there were many: lions, bears, wolves, hyenas, and leopards were all interested in a sheep dinner.

We all have some shepherd we follow. Sometimes, we may want to be or at least try to be our shepherd and follow ourselves. Or our functional shepherd may be another person in our life, leading us around and taking us places we don’t want to go.  Maybe there is some idea or something that consumes you. But there is only one good shepherd. Jesus was called the Good Shepherd because He called himself the Good Shepherd in the Gospel of John.

There are two different types of shepherds: hired hands and those who own the sheep. The hired hand is doing this shepherding gig to make a living. In most cases, his commitment to the sheep is based on self-interest, which will impact to what degree or length he will go to take care of those sheep. If the going gets tough, the shepherd may get going.

The shepherd who owns the sheep has no limitations in his level of care for his sheep. Jesus is the long-awaited, true Good Shepherd who does not lose sight of His sheep (Ezekiel 34). He knows the heart and condition of each one in His flock.  The text says the Good Shepherd “…sacrifices his life for the sheep” (John 10:11) to save and protect his sheep.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). He protects them against danger, goes after those who wander away, and pursues those who are lost (Matthew 18:12-14).

Psalm 100:3 says, “Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his, — his people, the sheep of his pasture.”  Jesus is the only one who cares about you without limitation.  He is the only one who loves you perfectly.  Psalm 121:3-4 says, “He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.” There is no limit to the Good Shepherd’s love and care for you.

Discussion Questions:

1. When you think of a shepherd, what comes to mind? What comes to mind when you think of a sheep? What is most significant about the shepherd’s relationship to the sheep?
2. Throughout Scripture, God describes Himself as the Shepherd of His people. How does that apply to your life?

“They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.” – Luke 2:16-20.

December is a strange time in America. Everyone and everything is all about Christmas. Religious or not, young or old, everyone shops, bakes cookies, and sings about reindeer. Hipsters pull out Nat King Cole albums, and families gather to watch Miracle on 34th Street for the 34th consecutive year. And then, where you least expect it is the elf on the shelf. Amidst it all is a childlike wonder and joy that is sometimes rare in our culture today. Imagine the childlike wonder and joy the shepherds experienced when an angel of the Lord appeared to them and they met the future Savior of the world.

One part of the shepherd’s story is sometimes overlooked. That part is the shepherds going around and sharing the good news with others after witnessing the promised Messiah in the manger with their own eyes.

We, as Christians, can make sharing the gospel more complicated than it is because they feel like they lack biblical knowledge or fear rejection. Much like with these shepherds, sharing your faith is simply sharing the good news that you have witnessed firsthand. You do not have to take a theology course before telling your testimony to others and do not have to fear rejection. Our job as Christians is to proclaim the good news about Jesus. Fortunately, success does not depend on us.

It should be noted that the shepherds weren’t sitting in the temple praying or walking out of an advanced theology class when this happened; they were working, watching sheep. The point is that God wants to use who we are to share His good news where we are.

This Christmas, consider your own story. Look over the past year and ask yourself, “Where did I see God?” And then, think about who you might share your story with. Who might be blessed to hear about how God has worked in your life, whether it was extravagant or simple, whether you are still struggling or you’ve made it out of the valley?

What if the shepherds hadn’t told everyone else what they’d seen? What if they thought, “I do not matter. No one cares about me.” The people of Bethlehem would have missed an amazing opportunity to learn of Emmanuel, God’s Son, sent to earth to save all people. If you keep your story to yourself, you just might be depriving the people around you of the chance to meet Jesus firsthand.

Discussion Questions:

1. Share the last time God prompted you to have a bold conversation with someone. How did you respond to that moment? What happened?
2. How can you draw inspiration from the shepherds’ boldness to proclaim the Gospel daily?

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” – Luke 2:8-11.

When was the last time you received some good news? How did you respond? With Christmas just 16 days away, it is the season to reflect on the Christmas story. The story of the birth of our Lord and Savior is tapestry made up of many different story threads. The shepherds are one of them. They received good news, and their response to that good news is what makes their part of the story compelling.

Try to imagine what it must have been like to be the shepherds. Tending sheep was not a glamorous or desirable job, as they spent much of their lives in solitude. But it needed to be done, and they did it. The peacefulness of another evening protecting their flock was broken when an angel appeared, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. It was almost too much for them to handle. The Bible says they were terrified. But the angel quickly told them not to fear because he came to bring them good news. The Savior of the world had been born. And the shepherds could find the newborn Christ lying in a manger in Bethlehem. After hearing this news from the one angel, they suddenly heard an army of angels in heaven singing praises to God. Can you imagine? Serenaded by a choir of angels.

When the shepherds heard this impressive announcement of the newborn Messiah, they said to one another, “Let’s go!” The shepherds could have declined the invitation. They could have declared themselves unworthy of meeting the Messiah. But they chose to say yes to Jesus’ invitation. They had the faith to follow, to go. It says in verse 16 that the shepherds “hurried.”

Luke’s Gospel makes no mention of the shepherds doing anything else. There was no work to be undertaken, no task to be accomplished, no requirements to enter the presence of Jesus. You would think they stood there in awe in the presence of the Son of God.  The faith of the shepherds is an example for each of us. Through the example of the shepherds, we can be encouraged that we don’t need to have it all together, we don’t need to be at the top of society, and we don’t need to have all the answers. We need to recognize God’s invitation and remember that we can respond in faith, always trusting in Him.

We are faced with the same decision—to go or stay regarding God. Not only to go to church but also to go out into the world and do the things of God. Each of us has a talent that we have to decide to use. Each of us has an opportunity to bring God into conversation. The encounter between the angels and the shepherds gave them pause to think. It encouraged them. However, the encounter between the shepherds and Christ, while introduced by the message of the angels, happened because the shepherds decided to go.

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Luke 2:13-14. Share how you would have reacted if millions of God’s angels broke out in the first Christmas chorus right before your eyes?
2. God intentionally chooses the disfranchised to receive His good news. God can use you to reach others if we are willing to go. What can you do so that you will be more willing to go?

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus’ miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.”― Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

As a Christian, you will encounter skepticism about whether the biblical stories should be taken literally. Really, feeding 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves? Should I take Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark as fact? Can my questions help me overcome skepticism, or will my doubts derail my faith?

If you are a writer, you will soon learn to appreciate your copy editor.  Often, that last set of professional eyes catches errors the writer may have missed. Because no matter how good a writer you are, frequently embarrassingly glaring mistakes somehow slip through. The Old Testament contains approximately 300 prophecies, is the work of multiple contributors, and spans more than 1,500 years. And yet, not a word of it is contradictory. The New Testament then shows Jesus fulfilling every one of those Old Testament prophecies. No writer(s) could pull off such a feat, no matter how gifted. Only God could give us this perfect book. So, we meet our skepticism with facts. Our faith is based on the assurance that the Bible is God’s inspired Word.

Skepticism is not new. History is replete with skeptics. Take the story of Nicodemus: In John 3, we read about an exciting yet confusing encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus represents the privileged leadership in the Jewish community. He is most likely educated, devout, and used to being listened to and obeyed. He is an insider, an elite. Yet, Jesus has stirred something powerful enough to draw him in. He and others are fascinated by the signs Jesus has done. So he goes to Jesus under the cover of darkness; Nicodemus has questions for Jesus. He senses something special about Jesus, and in his skepticism, he asks many questions. He struggled to understand and asked more. He left that conversation still a skeptic, with much to consider. Something deep inside began to change. Maybe he wrestled some more, watching Jesus from the sidelines.

Maybe he processed with a trusted friend, journaled, or prayed. But he leaned into his belief that God was a God he could trust and ended up one of the few standing in plain view before Jesus on the cross, one of the few who had tried to defend Him.

 Discussion Questions:

1. Sometimes, we already believe in Jesus Christ as God. Do you remember a time when you were skeptical about Jesus?
2. Sometimes, we are still on a faith journey. In what ways does this story of Nicodemus reveal that it’s pretty normal to doubt or ask questions?
3. Do you see yourself in Nicodemus’ story? In what ways can it show us we can be encouraged “wherever we are” in our faith journey?

“As Christians, our identity is to be found in our relationship with Christ, not in our subjective and often negative life experiences in our life.” – Jerry Bridges.

The issue of identity has become increasingly popular. From the moment we are born, we are constantly told who we are or who we should be. With so many opinions flying left and right towards us, many wonder what our identity is.

Society would make us believe that we must convince others that we have what it takes or that we are enough. When we think our worth is based on what we do, how we look, and who accepts us, we are stuck on a hamster wheel of constantly striving to prove our value. We measure ourselves by the expectations of others, compare ourselves to the ultra-successful, and try to please the impossible-to-please. The reality is that whether we are striving to be beautiful, smart, happy, a good parent or a good child, a good neighbor, etc., we will mostly fail. If we try to be a perfect Christian, we will fail. As Christians, our identity should be less about “who” we are and more about whose we are.

As believers, we have a shortcut to the million-dollar question. Who are we? We are a part of the family of God. We have an identity in Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul writes, “ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

In this passage, Paul is referring to times in his life when he recognized his faults, blind spots, and weaknesses. But rather than looking at them as just another faux pas, Paul counts these times when he relied on the Lord’s strength and guidance. Freedom and acceptance are some of the most beautiful and comforting things that can be found in a relationship with Jesus. God knows that we will fail, and He loves us anyway. He does not ask us to meet a quota or look a certain way. Instead, He invites us to find our identity in Him.

 When we find our identity in Christ and in Christ alone, we are rid of any societal standards or expectations. We are loved by the greatest love the world has ever known and accepted by the only One who will care for us despite our flaws and failures. Your identity in Christ is rich, deep, unique, and solidly rooted in God, not your behavior.

 Discussion Questions:

1. Where do you find yourself seeking identity outside of Christ? Do you find yourself holding tightly to something, fearing you’ll be lost without it?