Peace Even When Bad Things are Happening

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³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, sup>27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. sup>28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” sup>29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. sup>30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! sup>31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. (Luke 1:26-31)

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. (Matthew 1:19)

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others — the armies of heaven — praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14)

What seems like my disappointment is often the necessary set up for a appointment with God.

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.” (Matthew 1:20-21)

²¹ You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:21)

I don’t have to understand the plan to trust that God has a .

Peace does not mean the of problems; peace comes from the of Jesus.

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. ⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me — everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9)

Additional Notes

What’s Happening at Crossroads

NEW HERE?

We’re so glad you’ve chosen to come to Crossroads today! We want to thank you for visiting and would love to get to know you. Stop by and say hello at one of our Welcome Centers, our First Step area, or check out ecrossroads.info for more. We can’t wait to meet you!

CHRISTMAS EVE GATHERINGS

Peace is underrated in a world that seeks happiness. As we look to the Christmas story, we find that peace is not circumstantial but a perspective of the heart. Come join one of our gatherings as we celebrate the arrival of Jesus and what that means in the gospel story.

• Downtown
  • Sunday 12/24 – 10:45am
• South
  • Saturday 12/23 – 5:00pm
  • Sunday 12/24 – 9:15am & 10:45am
  • Sunday 12/24 – 10:00pm*

*The 10pm family gathering will be a special time that includes Christmas carols, a Christmas message, and beautiful candlelight.
Childcare will be available for our youngest age groups at each gathering except for the 10pm family gathering.

RETURNING PRESENTS

Thank you to all of you who agreed to sponsor families for Presents from Parents and foster children for Josiah White’s. At South campus, return your gifts to the tables in the Next Steps area. Look for the table with red balloons for Presents from Parents and the table with blue balloons for Josiah White’s gifts. At Downtown campus, bring your gifts to the Information Center.

CHRISTMAS LIGHT PARADE

Join Crossroads as we “light up” for The Christmas Light-Up Parade on Saturday, December 2rd, at 6:30 in Downtown Kokomo. Our theme revolves around gifts and lights. RSVP by Dec. 2nd if you want to participate so we will know you are coming and can keep you updated. Text Sherry at 765-434-9010 or via email at [email protected] to stay in the loop on updates.