December 21st, 2025 -- More than a Manger, Part 4

Devotional

Day 1: Keep Praying: Courage When Hope Fades

Zechariah’s story reminds you that the long wait does not mean God has gone silent. The temptation is either to forget to pray or to stop praying when time stretches and disappointment grows. Yet God is listening, and in His wisdom He answers at the right time—sometimes with a yes, sometimes with a no, always for His good purposes. The first Advent was itself an answer to generations of prayer for a Redeemer. Take courage: bring your requests to the Lord again today, trusting His heart even when you cannot trace His timing. [10:31]

Luke 1:12–13 — Terrified, Zechariah froze when he saw the angel. The angel reassured him: “Do not be afraid; God has heard your petitions. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son—name him John.”

Reflection: What request have you quietly stopped praying about, and what simple step could you take this week to bring it before God again?

Day 2: Lean on God’s Grace in Every Season

Mary was troubled by the greeting that she was favored, yet the message was clear: she had received grace. Grace means undeserved kindness—good we could never earn—and it steadies us in blessings and in burdens. Like Joseph in Genesis, who could say, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” grace helps us trust God’s hand even in hard things. Emmanuel means God is with you; He does not parachute in and out of your life. Courage today looks like receiving grace with open hands—whether the news is sweet or stretching. [23:20]

Luke 1:28–30 — Gabriel came to Mary and greeted her as one graced by God, assuring her of the Lord’s nearness. Disturbed by the greeting, she tried to understand it. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have received God’s favor.”

Reflection: Where are you hesitant to receive God’s grace because you feel unworthy, and how could you practice receiving it in one concrete way this week?

Day 3: Do the Right Thing When It’s Hard

Joseph faced a costly choice, and God called him to the harder path: take Mary as his wife, bear the shame, and raise the child as his own. The right choice is rarely the easiest choice, but it is always the best one. Following Jesus is not just right; it is best—even when it means resisting pressure, absorbing misunderstanding, or walking uphill. Jesus’ incarnation shows the pattern: He embraced the hard road for our good. With your eyes on Him, take courage and choose obedience today. [35:48]

Matthew 1:19–21 — Wanting to spare Mary public disgrace, Joseph planned a quiet separation. As he wrestled with this, an angel spoke in a dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear taking Mary as your wife; the child in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will rescue his people from their sins.”

Reflection: What is one hard-but-right decision before you, and what single step could you take in the next 48 hours toward faithful obedience?

Day 4: Joyfully Believe the Good News Today

The shepherds were told, “Do not fear,” and invited to run toward joy. We are tempted to ignore or minimize the gospel, as if it were too good to be true. Yet the good news tells the whole truth: we are worse sinners than we realized, and in Christ more forgiven and accepted than we ever dared hope. Saving faith is transforming faith; the gospel reshapes thinking, habits, and relationships. Don’t let fear control you—receive the good news and walk in it with humble confidence. [42:27]

Luke 2:10–11 — The angel said to the shepherds, “Set your fear aside. I am bringing you news that overflows with joy for everyone: today in David’s city a Rescuer is born for you—Messiah, the Lord.”

Reflection: Which part of the gospel do you tend to minimize—your need or God’s provision—and how could you let that truth shape one conversation or decision this week?

Day 5: Take Heart: Jesus Has Overcome the World

Jesus gives peace the world cannot supply, and He speaks honestly: trouble will come. Yet He says, “Take heart,” because He has already overcome the world. He is the First and the Last; the end of the story is secure in His hands. Courage is not the absence of fear but doing the right thing in the face of it, anchored in Emmanuel—God with us. Receive His peace and step forward in holy boldness today. [43:52]

John 16:33 — “I have told you these things so that in me you will have peace. In this world you will face trouble, but be courageous—I have already conquered the world.”

Reflection: Where does fear currently set the pace of your decisions, and what would “take heart” look like in that specific place this week?

Sermon Summary

Advent is more than a manger; it is God’s bold answer to human fear. Across the nativity accounts, angels appear and say, “Do not be afraid,” not merely because angels can unsettle us, but because the incarnation itself births courage. We’ve been asking, “Why did Jesus come?” We’ve said He came to defeat sin, bring God to us, and bring us to God. Today I pressed a fourth reason: He came to give us courage—courage to keep praying, to lean on grace, to do the right thing, and to joyfully believe the gospel.

With Zechariah, we see courage to keep praying. The angel ties “fear not” to this assurance: “Your prayer has been heard.” God had been listening all along, though His timing was different. Sometimes He says yes; sometimes He says no (as with Paul’s thorn), but never because He’s indifferent. Courage keeps praying because the Father is neither late nor deaf.

With Mary, we hear, “O favored one,” the language of grace. Grace is not a pat on the back for moral performance; it’s God giving what we could never earn. That holds when life feels like gift and when it feels like loss. Like Joseph in Genesis, who could say, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” we lean on grace because Emmanuel means God is with us—in the sweetness and the ache.

With Joseph, we face the hard edge of courage: doing the right thing when it will cost us. The angel calls him to take Mary, embrace the shame, and raise a Son whose very mission is to bear shame. The right choice is rarely the easy choice, but it is always the best one. Following Jesus is not only right; it’s best—even when it is the hardest road on the map.

And with the shepherds, we are called to joyfully believe the gospel. The good news tells the sobering truth (I am more sinful than I thought) and the astonishing truth (I am more accepted in Christ than I ever dared hope). We must not ignore it or minimize its transforming power. Jesus gives a peace the world cannot give; He has overcome the world. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is faith acting in the presence of it—because Christ is with us.

Key Takeaways

1. Keep praying when hope thins. God’s “fear not” to Zechariah anchors courage in a God who hears, even when years pass in silence. Faithful prayer is not a lever to control outcomes; it is a relationship that reshapes our desires and steadies our hearts. Sometimes God’s yes comes later; sometimes His no is mercy in disguise. Courage keeps asking because the Father is good and near. [10:31]
2. Lean into God’s undeserved grace. Mary’s “favor” is grace—an unearned gift that steadies us in joy and in sorrow. Grace frees us from self-suspicion when good comes, and from cynicism when hardship arrives. Emmanuel means God is with us in both the feast and the famine. We receive and rest in grace, not in our worthiness. [20:53]
3. Do the right thing, anyway. Joseph is called to the costly obedience that risks reputation and embraces responsibility. The right choice is often the hardest because it refuses self-protection and aligns with truth. Following Jesus is both right and best, even when it cuts against culture or convenience. Courage loves God and neighbor more than image. [32:33]
4. Joyfully believe and live the gospel. The gospel humbles us (we are needier than we thought) and lifts us (we are more loved than we imagined). Minimizing it leaves us unchanged; receiving it reshapes desires, habits, and courage. Jesus gives peace that stands up under pressure because He has overcome the world. Believe it—and embody it. [37:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:43] - Why Jesus Came: Courage
[05:23] - Angels and the “Fear Not”
[07:30] - Zechariah: Courage to Keep Praying
[10:31] - Your Prayer Has Been Heard
[15:30] - Persevering When Hope Fades
[16:20] - When God Says Yes or No
[19:07] - Mary: Lean on God’s Grace
[24:52] - Grace in Hard Seasons Too
[30:08] - Emmanuel: God With Us
[32:33] - Joseph: Do the Right Thing
[35:48] - Right And Best, Not Easiest
[37:26] - Shepherds: Joyfully Believe the Gospel
[43:52] - Take Heart; Christ Overcame

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Luke 2:8-20

Observation questions

In Luke 2:9-12, what does the angel actually say to the shepherds, and what specific “sign” are they given? How does the content of the message connect to the command “fear not”?
“Do not be afraid… your prayer has been heard” ([10:31]). In Luke 1, what situation made Zechariah afraid in the temple, and what new information did the angel give him in that moment?
“O favored one… do not be afraid… you have found favor with God” ([20:53]). In Luke 1, what word is used for “favor,” and what does that word mean in relation to Mary’s calling?
“Do not fear to take Mary as your wife” ([32:33]). According to Matthew 1:20-21, what action is Joseph commanded to take, and what reason is he given for that action?

Interpretation questions

“Do not be afraid… your prayer has been heard” ([10:31]). Why might tying “fear not” to “God hears” reshape the way a believer prays during long seasons of silence or delay?
Emmanuel means “God with us” ([30:08]). How does God’s nearness give courage to receive grace in both gifts (when life feels like feast) and losses (when life feels like famine)?
Joseph is told to do the hard, right thing even when it would cost him socially and personally ([32:33]). What does this reveal about the nature of obedience when reputation, convenience, or comfort are on the line?
“Good news of great joy… for all the people” ([37:26]). Why is the gospel both sobering (exposes sin) and astonishing (announces acceptance), and how does that tension produce courage rather than denial or despair?

Application questions

Keep praying: Where have you quietly set down a long-standing request because hope has thinned? What would it look like to pick it up again this week, trusting “Your prayer has been heard” ([10:31])?
Receive grace in the sweet: When good gifts come, do you second-guess them or rest in “O favored one” grace ([20:53])? What simple practice (like thanksgiving lists or a daily doxology) might help you receive without self-suspicion?
Receive grace in the ache: Think of one current hardship. How might you say with Joseph of Genesis, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” and act accordingly this month ([27:27])? What would leaning into grace—not cynicism—practically look like in that situation?
Do the right thing anyway: Is there a hard, right choice you are avoiding to protect image or ease? What would obedience cost—and why is it still best? Who could stand with you as you take that step ([32:33])?
Joyfully believe the gospel: Where are you minimizing the gospel’s power to change a habit, heal a relationship, or quiet a fear? What concrete step could embody “good news of great joy” in that exact spot this week ([37:26])?
Peace under pressure: Name one pressure point where you need the peace Jesus gives, not the world’s version. How will you ask for and practice that peace daily (Scripture, prayer, community) in the coming week (“Take heart; I have overcome the world” [43:52])?

Sermon Clips

of of a sinless life the life that you and I were supposed to live but none of us could But Jesus did it He did it He lived that life And then theres death that he was that he died He didnt have to but he did so that we could have forgiveness of sins The Bible talks about this wonderful thing of how that Jesus's righteousness gets put on our account and our sin and guilt gets put on his account and he pays for it That debt he pays for Its a wonderful thing [00:23:11] (40 seconds) #PaidInFullGrace

The Advent season helps us to have courage to do the right thing To do the right thing See the temptation that we all face is this is that the right thing is almost always the most difficult thing to do The right thing is almost always the most difficult thing to do And here we have this challenge to Joseph of saying do it Take Mary as your wife And this was a challenging situation in front of him I mean he had a dilemma here What should he do Should he continue with the wedding He loved this woman Theres no family pressure And then now theres family pressure the other way [00:32:28] (45 seconds) #RightIsHard

Does she divorce Does he divorce her Does he make a public example to save his own image Because I mean this was a tremendous shame This is an honor shame culture remember Okay And so this would have been tremendous shame here And so does he put her away in a public way so that he saves his familys reputation Its not just his Its his familys reputation on the line here Does he do that What Or does he put her away quietly What does he do here Hes pondering this and hes trying to think And he thought that the most honorable thing was that and that was going to be a really difficult thing [00:33:13] (36 seconds) #ChooseCompassion

He thought he was doing the most difficult thing in the scenario He thought the most difficult thing would be to stop the wedding but to not make any public example about it That was something that would have been challenging for him to do because he would have wanted to make sure that his familys reputation would have been intact But he put that aside and he says no were just going to do this quietly and well deal with the fallout as it comes Okay [00:33:49] (24 seconds) #QuietCourage

But then the angel comes to him and so what Gods saying through the angel message here is he says I dont want you to be afraid to do something even harder than what you think is hard already I you know go through with the wedding and heres what I want you to do I want you to take on the shame that would no doubt come and then heres what I want you to do is I want you to adopt and raise this baby as your own That is a challenging situation in that culture Just absolutely challenging [00:34:13] (30 seconds) #DoTheHardThing

At that time and culture very difficult but it was the right thing to do because it was true that the angel what the angel said it was true that Mary had not been unfaithful That was not why she was expecting a child Thats not why she was pregnant It wasnt because of any poor decisions on her part It was truly what the Lord said but who was going to believe that Joseph was asked by God do the right thing Stand next to her Bear the shame [00:34:43] (32 seconds) #StandByTheTruth

Boy thats going to be a foretaste of what that child is going to do isnt it Isnt that child going to bear the shame Right Boy its a wonderful thing that we think about there So God asks him says dont be afraid So the reality to rest on in this situation is this is that the right choice is always the best choice Its rarely the easiest choice but its always the best choice And this is why I always you know try to encourage people particularly our teens with this statement Ill say it you know multiple times here that following Jesus is not just right it is also best You see when you grow up in church you know that everyone thinks that following Jesus is right [00:35:16] (46 seconds) #RightIsBest

So the gospel means that Im more forgiven and accepted Do you accept that Do you accept that Jesus Christ came for your sins Do you accept that The Bible makes it very clear Makes it very clear Every one of us here needs Gods forgiveness And we have it in Jesus Christ We have it in Jesus Christ So dont ignore it But then were also tempted to minimize it We can minimize the effects of the gospel that it should be having in our lives You see heres the thing is that saving faith is always transforming faith And so if were not being transformed and be more conformed to the image of Christ if our thinking isnt being changed over time to be more like Christ then were minimizing the effects of the gospel that should be in our lives [00:42:29] (42 seconds) #TransformingFaith

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