December 28, 2025 - Begin with Prayer: Matthew 2:13–23

yeah nazareth was um not a very big place but it was a keenly located place a place of intersection a place where a lot of people would come through so while the town was may not have been huge it was a place where a lot of people made connections at the bottom of a big hill that would lead you on lots of journeys i thought about talking about the reality of the grief of what herod's impact was um that probably at least 30 families experienced grief [00:42:09] (39 seconds)  #SmallPlaceBigImpact

i was never at the center of the story but i always stood near the edges my role was not to speak loudly but to listen carefully i learned that i have to begin with prayer jesus was born what feels like yesterday but those shepherds who came were gone nearly two years ago the wise men that came well they've left and mary is finally resting [00:44:04] (46 seconds)  #ListenFromTheEdges

and just a side note hey moms i wonder how long it took jesus to sleep through the night i thought maybe now the danger has finally passed but god spoke again quietly in the night in a dream get up the angel said take the child and his mother and flee no explanation no timeline only urgency begin with prayer joseph would tell us that obedience did not feel brave it felt frightening it felt unfinished it felt like stepping into the dark there was no plan beyond the next step god did not provide the five-year future plan with the bullet points of what it was going to look like but prayer had shaped joseph's heart [00:44:50] (81 seconds)  #PrayerShapesObedience

``listening had become his posture so he got up and began with prayer they left in the night no goodbyes no assurances only trust joseph didn't know egypt too well and he didn't know how long they'd stay he didn't know how provision or protection would come but he knew one thing god had spoken broken so he did what he only knew to do begin with prayer [00:46:11] (46 seconds)  #BeginWithPrayer

joseph didn't know egypt too well and he didn't know how long they'd stay he didn't know how provision or protection would come but he knew one thing god had spoken broken so he did what he only knew to do begin with prayer joseph would tell us that fear does not always arrive as panic sometimes it sneaks in quietly what if i misunderstood what if this costs too much doesn't come through but prayer had taught him something essential god's voice is not loud even though it sounds like it's surrounding us god's voice is not loud but it is faithful begin with prayer [00:46:31] (83 seconds)  #GodsQuietVoice

they stayed longer than they expected long enough to feel like outsiders to miss home and while they were there the violence joseph feared became real death and grief joseph would say he did not understand why such pain would happen but only that god had not abandoned them in the midst of it today i wonder if he'd say something like god didn't cause the pain but he sure didn't waste it the same god who warned them was still holding them because they began with prayer then god spoke again get up the angel said it's safe to return and joseph thought the danger was over but obedience did not lead to ease it led to another decision another moment of trust once again god guided him but this time to nazareth a small place a quiet life and the intersection of what would change the world [00:47:54] (83 seconds)  #GodDoesntWaste

this is where the son of god grew i wonder if joseph were here today if he would tell us something like this following god following god does not mean having all the answers it means learning how to listen again [00:49:16] (23 seconds)  #LearnToListenAgain

go and smile at that person or go and tell them that god loves them go up hmm i'll put it this way and don't be ugly this is the word of the lord thanks be to god profound what if the spirit of god is communicated through his presence through us rather than our agendas of what it should look like like god's the one who wants to lead and be in charge instead of us can we handle that and i say that not disrespectfully i confess can we handle that [00:56:28] (75 seconds)  #LetGodLead