The Guiding Light

Today’s Focus: two questions Christians often ask are, “How do I know God’s plan for my life?” and “How do I hear God’s voice.”  We know God has a plan, we just don’t always know what it is.  In part two of our Christmas Lights series, we are going to examine the process by which God guides his children. 

God promises to guide us (see Psalm 32:8)

Our responsibility is to follow (see John 8:12)

“It’s always interesting how silent God can be when we ask him about the details of our future. Rarely does he give us the full picture. More often than not, he gives us one simple next step. A step that feels like it’s in the wrong direction. To say it another way, God speaks in sentences not in paragraphs.”  – John Stickl

MATTHEW 1:18-25

This is how Jesus the Messiah 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, 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 Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

[01]  GOD    YOUR LANGUAGE

[02]  IT WON’T ALWAYS MAKE 

[03]  YOU’RE PART OF A BIGGER 

MATTHEW 2:13-18

This is how Jesus the Messiah 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, 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 Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

[04]  TRUST GOD WHEN HE    A DOOR

[05]  THERE WILL BE TIMES OF 

[06]  DO THE LAST THING GOD 

MATTHEW 2:19-23

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

[07]  IT’S A SERIES OF SMALL  

9 questions to ask when seeking God’s will:

• Am I living an obedient life?
• If God speaks, will I obey?
• What do I sense God speaking?
• What am I passionate about?
• What am I feeling drawn toward?
• What doors are opening?
• Any red flags according to God’s Word?
• What are the trusted voices in my life saying?
• Do I have peace about it?

NOTES