Christmas Means Good News by Pastor Steve Lombardo

Devotional

Day 1: The Shepherd Who Leads, Protects, and Provides

You are not left to wander on your own; the Lord goes before you, calls you by name, and invites you to follow. He guards you from dangers seen and unseen, even when you cannot track how often His care has surrounded you. He supplies what you truly need—sometimes green pastures and still waters, sometimes strength and courage for a rocky path. His Word is nourishment for your soul and the steady voice that steadies your steps. Trust Him to direct, shelter, and sustain you today. [20:29]

Psalm 23:1–2
The Lord shepherds me; I’m not missing what I truly need. He settles me in places where I can rest and leads me beside waters that quiet my heart.

Reflection: Where do you most sense your need for the Lord to lead, protect, or provide this week, and how could you open His Word there and follow one clear step He shows you?

Day 2: From Fear to Faith in the Already/Not Yet

Real fears visit real lives, and yet good news still breaks into the night. Like the shepherds, you can step toward Jesus even while your heart is pounding, because His arrival means hope has already come, though the world is not yet fully healed. Faith holds both truths at once: God is sovereign over what you face, God is good in what He allows, and God is always working through it. You are not asked to pretend the shadows aren’t real; you are invited to walk through them with Him. Today, take one step from fear toward faith by trusting His character. [15:11]

Luke 2:8–15
Shepherds were keeping watch at night when an angel appeared and God’s brightness lit up the darkness. They were terrified, but the messenger said, “Don’t be afraid—this is joyful news for everyone: a Savior has been born in David’s town. You’ll find a baby wrapped up and resting in a feed trough.” Then a vast heavenly army burst into praise of God.

Reflection: Which current fear could you name before God right now, and what would trusting His sovereignty, goodness, and ongoing work look like in that specific situation?

Day 3: Hearing to Hurrying—Obedience Without Delay

The shepherds didn’t only discuss the message; they moved with haste to Jesus. We often stall with spiritual-sounding delays, but when God has already spoken in His Word, the next faithful step is to do it. Some acts of love and obedience don’t require another round of “I’ll pray about it”—they require courage and movement. Love your family, pray for your enemies, forgive, bear with one another, and take the step God has placed in front of you. When you hurry toward obedience, you meet Jesus there. [22:05]

Luke 2:16
They rushed off quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby exactly as described, laying there in a feed trough.

Reflection: What is one clear command of Jesus you already know but have been postponing, and what specific action could you take today to move toward it?

Day 4: When You See Jesus, You Share Him

Seeing Jesus moved the shepherds to speak; they passed along what they had heard and confirmed. The message they carried was simple, supernatural, and good—God has sent a Savior. Begin sharing where you live: with your household, your friends, your neighbors. You don’t need polished speeches; you can offer what you have seen and known of Christ’s kindness and power. Let your amazement overflow into gentle, joyful conversation. [24:27]

Luke 2:17–18
After they saw the child, they told others what had been announced to them about Him, and everyone who heard their report was struck with wonder.

Reflection: Who in your immediate circle could you naturally tell this week what Jesus has done in your life, and what is one simple, honest way you could begin that conversation?

Day 5: Return Different—Worship in the Ordinary

The shepherds went back to their fields, but they didn’t go back the same; worship filled their routine. Many mountaintop moments lead us into Monday, yet the grace we’ve received reshapes how we work, love, and endure. God uses ordinary places and regular jobs as altars where praise rises and faith matures. You may not feel finished, but you are changing—formed through both quiet obedience and daily gratitude. Go where you’re assigned today with a heart that glorifies God there. [26:13]

Luke 2:20
The shepherds returned to their work, celebrating and honoring God for everything they had heard and seen—it all matched what they were told.

Reflection: As you step into your usual responsibilities, what is one practical way you can turn a normal moment into worship—through gratitude, excellence, kindness, or prayer?

Sermon Summary

This week I wanted us to see Christmas through the eyes of the shepherds and the heart of our Shepherd. Scripture’s shepherd theme runs deep—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David—and above them all, the Lord who precedes, protects, and provides. He goes before us, calls us by name, and leads us by his voice. He guards us from more than we know, even while we still encounter the “already and not yet” of this broken world. And he feeds us with his Word, the green pastures and still waters our souls need.

In the first century, shepherds were not admired. They worked hard, smelled like their work, and slept odd hours. But God sent heaven’s announcement to them first. That tells you something about grace: your status, vocation, or past doesn’t qualify or disqualify you—God’s goodness does. The shepherds’ story traces the movements I pray we make too. They moved from fear to faith when the angels broke into the night. Our lives have genuine fears—illness, loss, uncertainty—and we live in the tension: Jesus has already come and brought salvation, yet sickness, death, and sorrow remain. How do we move toward faith in that tension? By clinging to three anchors: God is sovereign, God is good, and God is always working. He is not surprised by our valleys; he is present in them, bending everything toward our ultimate good—Christlikeness.

Then the shepherds moved from hearing to hurrying. They didn’t just discuss the idea of going to Bethlehem; they went with haste. We don’t need to “pray about” what God has already commanded—love, forgive, bear with one another, pursue reconciliation. Obedience is the fast track to joy. From there they moved from seeing to sharing. Having found the Child just as the angels said, they made it known to all. Start at home: anchor your family in the truth that Jesus reigns, saves, and will return. Finally, they moved from wondering to worshiping. Others marveled; the shepherds returned to their fields glorifying God. Monday came, and they went back to work—but not back to normal. That’s the fruit of meeting Jesus: the same job, but a different heart; ordinary places, but new worship.

Key Takeaways

1. Move from fear to faith. Faith is not denial of danger; it is confidence in God’s presence and purposes within it. Hold the already/not yet together—salvation is real now, yet sorrow still stings. Anchor your heart in three truths: God is sovereign over it, good in it, and working through it to shape you into Christ’s likeness. Let those anchors steady your steps when fear surges. [15:27]
2. Follow the Shepherd who precedes you. You don’t have to manufacture a path or muscle through the dark; the Shepherd goes first. Learn his voice, and make following, not figuring, your posture. Leadership begins with discipleship—Jesus leads, we listen, and we live under his authority and care. [02:51]
3. Hurry in obedience, not delay. When God’s will is clear, speed honors him. The shepherds went “with haste”; they didn’t stall behind spiritual-sounding excuses. Some commands need less discussion and more action: forgive, reconcile, serve, pray, show up. Joy often waits on the far side of quick obedience. [21:50]
4. Share what you’ve seen of Christ. They spoke what they saw. Your story—how his Word met you, how his grace held you—is a stewardship, not a secret. Start at home, then widen the circle; truth shared in ordinary conversations can change eternal trajectories. [23:46]
5. Worship as you return to work. They went back to the fields, but they went back different. Real encounter doesn’t always change your location, but it always changes your devotion. Let worship soak everyday tasks, seeing your workplace as the place God uses to shape you and shine through you. [26:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:56] - Christmas Eve invite: Simeon and Anna
[01:19] - Shepherds in Israel’s story
[02:06] - The Lord our Shepherd
[03:38] - The Shepherd who protects us
[04:43] - The Shepherd who provides
[05:20] - Shepherds’ low status and grace
[08:02] - Angels appear; fear turns to faith
[13:06] - The already and the not yet
[15:27] - Trust God’s sovereignty, goodness, work
[21:19] - Hearing to hurrying: obey with haste
[23:46] - Seeing to sharing: speak the news
[25:22] - Wondering to worshiping
[27:59] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Luke 2:8–20

Observation questions

In Luke 2:9–15, what emotions and actions are described as the shepherds encounter the angels and then talk about going to Bethlehem?
Verse 16 says the shepherds went “with haste.” What details in the verse highlight their urgency?
In verses 17–18, who is doing the talking and how widely do they share what they’ve heard and seen?
Who received the first birth announcement and how was their social standing described in first-century Israel? ([05:20])

Interpretation questions

The shepherds moved from fear to faith. How does holding the “already and not yet” together help a believer do the same when sorrow and danger are still present? ([13:06])
“When God’s will is clear, speed honors him.” How does the phrase “went with haste” challenge common patterns of delay, especially when the commands are already clear? ([21:50])
“They spoke what they saw.” Why might starting at home be the most faithful first step in sharing Christ, and what obstacles often keep this from happening? ([24:41])
The shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God. What does this teach about worship in ordinary work and unchanged circumstances? ([26:13])

Application questions

Where are you feeling real fear right now (illness, loss, uncertainty)? Which anchor is hardest to trust—God is sovereign, God is good, or God is always working—and what is one concrete way you can practice that trust this week? ([15:27])
Is there a clear command you’ve been stalling on (forgive, reconcile, serve, pray, show up)? What specific step will you take in the next 48 hours to “go with haste”? Who will you tell for accountability? ([22:24])
Think of one person in your home or extended family with whom you can “make known” what you’ve seen of Christ. What is one simple sentence you can share this week about how his grace met you recently? ([23:46])
What would it look like to “return to the fields” glorifying God in your exact job or daily tasks? Name one routine you will intentionally turn into worship (for example, a commute prayer, a lunchtime Scripture, a grateful email). ([26:13])
Where are you trying to figure out your own path instead of following the Shepherd who goes before you? What is one practice that will help you listen for his voice (for example, John 10:27 meditation, five minutes of quiet before decisions)? ([02:51])
Do you ever feel disqualified by your status, job, or past? How will you respond to the truth that God’s good news comes first to unlikely people? What is one habit of receiving grace you will adopt this week (for example, daily confession and assurance)? ([06:43])

Sermon Clips

``Nobody wanted to be a shepherd but here's how great our God is The first ones to hear the good news that Jesus is born were the shepherds I jotted this down and maybe this is the only application we need today We can close in prayer But your social status your wealth or lack thereof your vocation your ethnicity none of that matters to God His good news is offered to you not because you are good but because he is good [00:06:43] (30 seconds) #GoodNewsForEveryone

To have faith that God is sovereign Meaning he's in control of all things There's nothing that has come into your life that you're experiencing that God has not allowed God is sovereignly in control of all circumstances of everything that you're going to face in life God is not caught off guard God is not at the whim of chance God is not at the beck and call of the devil He's got the devil on a leash God is sovereignly in control And if you remember that you remember that he's got a plan in this control [00:15:32] (36 seconds) #GodIsSovereign

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