November 27th

---

Christmas at the Movies
It’s a Wonderful Life

---

18 This is how Jesus the

was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this (meaning breaking the engagement), an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the

Reveal Answer

.

—Matthew 1:18-20 (NLT)

27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the

could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 

—Luke 1:27-31 (NLT)

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That

Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death.

—Matthew 2:13,14 (NLT)

“But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. There are no lights in the windows. It might be an empty house. Was it ever inhabited? It seemed so once… Why is God so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?” —C.S. Lewis

---

I am at the

Reveal Answer

of my rope.

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

—Luke 1:34 (NLT)

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.

—Isaiah 9:1 (NIV)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called

Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

—Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Disappointment is an

Reveal Answer

to meet a Savior.

---

^{I wish I had never been born.}

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

—Luke 2:16-19 (NLT))

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish

prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

—2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (MSG)

God has me here for more than me and not only me!

Disappointment is the innovator of

Reveal Answer

.

Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’”

—Isaiah 43:7 (NLT)

---

FILL OUT YOUR CONNECTION CARD HERE
Next Steps:
1. I choose to follow Jesus.
2. I am looking for a purpose behind my disappointment.
3. I acknowledge that only God can take disappointment turning it into destiny.
4. Who will I share this message with that God is preparing?