December 3, 2023
Guess Who's Coming to Christmas | Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph
The Bible doesn’t make a huge deal about Jesus’ birth. Mark skips the story all together, John goes poetic and Luke and Matthew tell very different (though not conflicting) stories. One of the interesting pieces is who got invited to the birth of Jesus. It’s a curious short list. This week we begin with Joseph, the man who played the role of Jesus’ earthly father. It was not a job he was looking for but he was God’s choice.
Songs for this week: Spotify
Matthew 1:18-25
- Tell the story of a job (maybe just a chore around the house) that you didn’t want but turned out to be better than you thought.
- Have you ever seen God work through a broken dream you or someone else had
- Why did the angel call Joseph “Son of David”? What is the significance of that
- "Immanuel” is a potent name. How do you understand its meaning and power?
- One of the standout qualities Joseph had was obedience. Instant obedience. Are you dragging your feet about obeying God on something right now?
Share with a friend
Recent Sermons
James 2:14-26 -James continues to press deep into the muscles and tissues of our faith. Is your faith doing what it was designed to do? Just like you might go to the doctor for a physical check-up, James offers a self-administered faith check-up in this passage. Where do you see signs of life in your faith?
James 1:19-27 - James is direct: angry words, thoughtless words, and religious words don’t have a place in a life of faith. Our words don’t work … but God’s word does! Our job is simply to cooperate with his word.
James 1:1-8 - James gets right down to business! For everyone not currently soaking in a hot tub, suffering is a first order of business. In just a few verses, James explains how trials can grow maturity, how wisdom helps the journey, and how to avoid wasting a suffering experience.
Empowered Baptism is recognized throughout the Church as the beginning of a ‘God thing.’ John’s baptism was a visible demonstration of the start of a new life — clearing out the junk to prepare for what God was about to do. Jesus’ baptism reveals the true heart of baptism: God’s desire to bless and express His delight. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the start of the Kingdom. Ordinary women and men were now filled with the Spirit of Jesus to continue on the ministry Jesus started.
Luke 3:21-22 -At Jesus’ baptism, the Father said, “You’re my son. I love you. I’m proud of you.” As Christians, our baptism is a sign that we are in Christ, that what is true about him is true about us, and that the Father’s blessing now defines us.
Luke 3:1-20 - The first mention of baptism in the Bible begins with John. John was the cousin of Jesus and also His opening act. John called the people of his day to "Get Ready." The public sign of a life getting ready for God was, and still is, baptism. Get washed so God can do what God wants to do.
