LifeGroup Notes
Think back over Christmases past. Which one did you most look forward to with anticipation? Why?
As you anticipate Christmas, what phrase or phrases best describe you?
Oh no…there is so much to get done!
How long is your family staying?
Do we have to buy a gift for every single person we know?
What a wonderful time of year to reflect on the birth of Jesus and all the promises!
I really miss the people who are not going to be with us this Christmas.
Read Luke 2:1-7
What initial reactions or thoughts do you have to this scripture and episode?
What evidences of God’s timing and provision do you see in this passage?
Why does it matter to the gospel story that Caesar Augustus issued a decree for the entire Roman world?
In the video, Kyle mentioned that there are about three hundered promises made about Jesus in the Old Testament, and God kept all of them. Here are just a few of them:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
“Out of Egypt I called my son.” Hosea 11:1
President James A. Garfield once called history “the unrolled scroll of prophecy.” God always keeps his promises. History is his story! In Jeremiah 1:12, God says, “I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” God had the date of Jesus’ birth circled on his calendar. Sending his son into the world as a gift to humanity was no impulse decision; God had planned it since the beginning of time.
How had God orchestrated all the circumstances so that the Good News about Jesus would spread throughout the world?
- Politically?
- Philosophically?
- Linguistically?
- Through advancements in technology and industry?
When has God come through for you “at just the right time”?
When you look back, how did you see God orchestrating the circumstances to come through for you in ways you didn’t understand at the time?
It can be difficult to see God’s hand when you are in the middle of your “winter.” Why do you thing it is so hard to see God at work when you’re in the midst of painful circumstances?
We learn from the Christmas story that we can trust God’s timing. So much of God’s Word teaches us to trust God in the middle of our life circumstances. This isn’t easy, but it is how God molds us into the people he wants us to become. A familiar verse for many Christ-followers is Proverbs 3:5-6:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowlege him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
How does this verse show us how to trust in God’s timing?
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Prayer
Take some time to thank and praise him for being a God who is driving the universe with both hands on the wheel.
Then take your personal requests to him, trusting him to orchestrate everything for your good and his glory. Be sure to not only ask him to work on your behalf, but also to help you trust him and his timing as he is working.