Christmas_Peace_BBCC_12.7.25.pdf

Devotional

Day 1: Light that unmakes our darkness, not merely endures it.

God is not intimidated by chaos. Isaiah speaks of people sitting under a heavy shadow who suddenly see a great light. That light does not just help them cope; it changes the landscape. Gloom is turned into gladness, and burdens are lifted. Where there was despair, there is now hope. This is what God does when He draws near—He replaces oppression with freedom and turns weary hearts into singing hearts.

You don’t have to manufacture light. You can open your hands and ask for it. Invite Jesus into the specific places that feel confusing, noisy, or overwhelming. Trust is often small and practical: a whispered prayer before the hard conversation, a deep breath before the inbox, a pause before reacting. God delights to meet you there and bring peace that you could never build on your own.

Isaiah 9:1-4
Though darkness covered the land, a great light dawned on those who were weighed down. Joy rose like harvest time, like sharing rich spoils. The Lord shattered the yoke that bent their backs and snapped the rod of the oppressor.

Reflection: Name one “dark room” in your week. What is one concrete, small act of trust you will take today to invite Jesus’ light there?

Day 2: When control crumbles, grace begins to rebuild.

We reach for peace by controlling outcomes, managing people, or smoothing over tensions. These efforts promise relief but leave us more anxious and tired. The unrest around us exposes a deeper unrest within us. When our grip tightens, our joy thins. But when our hands open, grace has room to work. Real peace is not the fruit of our manipulation; it is the gift of God’s presence.

Let your limits preach to you today. Admit what you cannot fix, and bring it to the One who can. Practice a simple release: name the situation, surrender it in prayer, and wait quietly for a few minutes. In that waiting, you are not doing nothing—you are making space for God to lead, for wisdom to rise, and for peace to take root.

Isaiah 9:4-5
God Himself breaks the bars that enslave His people. The boots and bloodied cloaks of battle are tossed into the fire, because the Lord ends the war in a way human hands never could.

Reflection: Where are you manipulating outcomes to feel safe? Write it down, release it to God in prayer, and choose one five-minute pause today when that urge rises—will you take it?

Day 3: God-with-us: divine strength in human nearness.

Isaiah points to a child who carries the government on His shoulders. He is not distant. He is Immanuel—God with us—near enough to enter our pain and strong enough to carry it. He is Wonderful Counselor to guide confused hearts, Mighty God to fight what overwhelms us, Everlasting Father to hold us with steady care, and Prince of Peace to reconcile what is torn inside and out.

Jesus meets every real need without pretense or hurry. He does not offer a slogan; He gives Himself. Bring Him your specific need and call Him by the name that meets it: guidance, power, protection, or peace. His sufficiency is not theoretical. It is for your living room, your workplace, your grief, and your decisions today.

Isaiah 9:6
A child will be born for us, a son given to us. Authority will rest on Him, and His names will tell the story of His sufficiency—wonderful in wisdom, strong as God, faithful like a father, and the ruler who brings peace.

Reflection: Which name of Jesus meets your most pressing need today—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, or Prince of Peace? How will you ask Him, by that name, to step into one situation before the day ends?

Day 4: Peace starts at the cross, not circumstances.

The peace you long for begins with peace with God. Our sin kept us at a distance, but Jesus closed the distance through His death and resurrection. By trusting Him, we are declared right with God. This settled peace becomes the foundation for every other peace—within ourselves, with others, and even as we face the world’s unrest.

When conflict surfaces, start at the cross before you start with the other person. Receive again what Jesus has already secured: full pardon, open access to grace, and hope that does not run dry. From that place, you can move toward others with humility and courage, seeking reconciliation not to earn peace, but because you already have it.

Romans 5:1-2
Since we have been made right with God through trusting Jesus, we now live at peace with Him. Through Jesus we have stepped into a wide field of grace and stand there with hope, looking ahead to share in God’s glory.

Reflection: Before addressing a conflict, will you first confess your part to God and receive His peace? After that, what is one humble step—an apology, a text, a meeting—you will take toward that person today?

Day 5: At the Table: remember, repent, rejoice, receive.

The Lord’s Supper brings the gospel to our hands and lips. We remember the body given and the blood poured out. We repent of the words, habits, and attitudes that dull our love. And we rejoice in complete forgiveness and a righteousness not our own. Examination is not earning favor; it is stepping into the reality of grace already won for us.

Prepare your heart like setting a table—clear what does not belong and make space for what does. Name a sin or a grudge and lay it down. Then celebrate a specific truth: “I am forgiven,” “I am loved,” “I belong to God,” “He is enough.” Come hungry for mercy, and leave strengthened for peace.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
On the night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread and the cup, saying that they point to His body and blood given for us. As we eat and drink in remembrance of Him, we proclaim what He accomplished until He returns.

Reflection: As you prepare for the Table, what sin, grudge, or self-reliance will you lay down before God today, and what specific truth about Christ’s finished work will you celebrate in its place?

Sermon Summary

of the Sermon:**

This sermon, drawn from Isaiah 9:1-6, explores the deep longing for peace in a world marked by chaos, conflict, and disappointment—especially felt during the holiday season. The message acknowledges the reality of unrest both globally and personally, and the futility of human attempts to manufacture peace through control or appeasement. The prophet Isaiah’s words are presented as a promise that God alone can break through our darkness, turning gloom into joy and oppression into freedom. The heart of the message is that true and lasting peace is found only in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who came as both fully God and fully man to reconcile us to God through His sacrifice on the cross. The sermon concludes with an invitation to remember, repent, and rejoice in Christ’s finished work as the church partakes in the Lord’s Supper.

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s Power to Transform Chaos into Peace: The world’s history is a story of unending conflict, and our personal lives often mirror that unrest. Yet, Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us that God is not limited by the darkness or chaos we experience. He alone can break through our deepest gloom, bringing light and hope where there was only despair. This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own, but a gift that God graciously gives.
2. The Futility of Human Solutions for Peace: We often try to secure peace by controlling circumstances or appeasing others, but these efforts inevitably fall short and leave us more frustrated. True peace cannot be manufactured by human effort or manipulation. The unrest within and around us points to a deeper need that only God can satisfy. Recognizing the limits of our own solutions opens us to receive the peace that only Christ can provide.
3. Jesus: The Fulfillment of Our Longing for Peace: Isaiah’s prophecy points forward to Jesus, who is both fully God and fully man—Immanuel, God with us. He is described as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Each of these names reveals a facet of Christ’s sufficiency to meet our deepest needs, not just as a distant ruler, but as a present Savior who enters into our brokenness and brings reconciliation.
4. Peace with God Through the Cross: The peace Jesus offers is not merely the absence of conflict, but the restoration of our relationship with God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus bore the punishment for our sin, making it possible for us to be justified by faith and to have true peace with God. This peace is foundational—it is the starting point for all other forms of peace in our lives, and it is available to all who trust in Him.
5. Remembering, Repenting, and Rejoicing in Christ’s Sacrifice: The Lord’s Supper is a powerful reminder of what Christ has done to secure our peace. It is a time to remember His sacrifice, to repent of anything that hinders our fellowship with Him, and to rejoice in the complete forgiveness and righteousness we have in Him. Examining our hearts before God is not about earning His favor, but about living in the reality of the peace and freedom Christ has already won for us.

Bible Study Guide

**Bible Study Discussion Guide: Rejoicing in Peace (Isaiah 9:1-6)**

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### Bible Reading

- **Isaiah 9:1-6**

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### Observation Questions

In Isaiah 9:1-2, what kind of situation are the people described as being in? What words or images does Isaiah use to describe their condition?
According to verses 3-5, what changes does God promise to bring about for His people?
In verse 6, what are the names or titles given to the child who is to be born? What do these names tell us about who He is?
Based on the sermon, what examples were given of how people try to find peace on their own?

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### Interpretation Questions

Why does Isaiah use the imagery of darkness and light to describe the people’s situation and God’s intervention? What does this say about the kind of peace God brings?
The sermon mentioned that human attempts at peace—like control or appeasement—don’t work. Why do these efforts fail to bring real peace, according to the passage and the message?
What does it mean that Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace”? How is His peace different from what the world offers?
The sermon said that the peace Jesus brings is not just the absence of conflict, but the restoration of our relationship with God. Why is this kind of peace foundational for all other peace in our lives?

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### Application Questions

The sermon talked about the chaos and unrest we experience both in the world and in our personal lives. Where do you most feel a lack of peace right now—at home, at work, in your heart, or somewhere else?
When you face stress or conflict, do you tend to try to control the situation or avoid it by appeasing others? How have these approaches worked for you in the past?
Isaiah’s prophecy says that God alone can break through our darkness and bring peace. Is there an area of your life where you need to stop relying on your own solutions and trust God to bring peace? What would it look like to do that this week?
The sermon described Jesus as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Which of these names means the most to you right now, and why?
The Lord’s Supper is a time to remember, repent, and rejoice in what Christ has done. Is there anything you need to repent of that is keeping you from experiencing God’s peace? How can you take a step toward repentance this week?
The message said that peace with God is the starting point for all other peace. If you have trusted Christ, how does knowing you have peace with God affect the way you handle conflict or disappointment?
Think about a specific relationship or situation where you long for peace. What is one practical step you can take this week to invite Jesus, the Prince of Peace, into that area?

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Sermon Quotes

In a season of peace we sure do find ourselves without it. We sure do find ourselves stressed. It’s like peace eludes us.

People are crying out peace peace when there is no peace. But what we see is people desire peace. There is a longing for it.

We try to find peace through control, trying to make people behave the way we want, or through appeasement, becoming people-pleasers just to avoid conflict. Both lead to frustration and no peace.

Man has no light within himself to lighten the darkness. So what does God do? He sends the light. His brightness can overcome the darkness of our lives, punching through like the sun for a bright, glorious future.

When we know that God is going to make the bad things good, that he is going to fix what is wrong, then you can be at rest can't you. You can be at peace.

We are not inoculated from pain. We are not exempt from hurt, depression, sorrow and suffering. We will face hard times we never imagined, but for the believer the conflict and pain are not permanent; God can bring peace and healing.

The arrival of Jesus pierced the darkness; he is the one who makes peace possible, the one who can fix the chaos of our broken world, bringing reconciliation between God and humanity through his coming.

Jesus brings peace through the blood of his cross; by trusting in his finished work we are justified and reconciled. For those who have trusted him, we have peace with God — he is our peace.

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Christmas_Peace_BBCC_12.7.25.pdf

Devotional

Day 1: Light that unmakes our darkness, not merely endures it.

Day 2: When control crumbles, grace begins to rebuild.

Day 3: God-with-us: divine strength in human nearness.

Day 4: Peace starts at the cross, not circumstances.

Day 5: At the Table: remember, repent, rejoice, receive.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Quotes

Chatbot

Christmas_Peace_BBCC_12.7.25.pdf

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