Welcome & Engage

•    Spend time welcoming everyone as they arrive. 
•    Create an intentional environment.
•    Watch the Ethos online experience. 
•    Sing, lean in, take notes, be vocal.

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TAKEAWAY: The birth of Jesus wasn't neat or tidy - it was messy, filled with doubt, pain, and uncertainty.

HEAD CHANGE: God's favor doesn't always mean comfort or ease; it often means being graced for His mission.

HEART CHANGE: Jesus came for the broken, the doubters, the outcasts, and the lonely.

LIFE CHANGE: God's love and favor often manifest in unexpected ways

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Overview

This message invites us to explore the true meaning of Christmas through the lens of the Nativity story. We're challenged to look beyond the commercialized version of the holiday and embrace the season of Advent - a time of longing and anticipation for Christ's return. The sermon delves into Matthew 1 and Luke 2, examining the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. We're encouraged to see the raw, messy reality behind the polished nativity scenes we're accustomed to. Through the experiences of Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds, we're reminded that God often works in unexpected ways, choosing the humble and marginalized to play crucial roles in His plan. This perspective urges us to reconsider our understanding of God's favor and blessings, recognizing that being chosen by God may involve challenges and sacrifices rather than earthly comforts.

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“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  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 1:18-20 ESV

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Discussion Questions

1.  Favor isn't about being blessed with God's blessing. Favor is about being graced for God's mission. How does this perspective change your understanding of God's favor?

2.  Discuss a time when following God's will required you to say "no" to something else. How did that experience shape your faith?

3.  The sermon highlights how God used ordinary, even marginalized people in His plan. How does this encourage you in your own walk with God?

4.  How does the messy reality of Jesus' birth challenge or comfort you in your current circumstances?

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Close in Prayer

Lord, thank you for entering our messy world and messy lives. Help us to see Your presence in our doubts, pain, and brokenness. Give us the courage to say yes to Your mission, even when it's difficult. May we be bearers of Your love to the lonely and outcast this Christmas season. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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