Christmas Means Trusting by Pastor Steve Lombardo (Matthew 1:18-25)

I invited us into December as a month of being all-in—serving, loving our families, blessing our community, and giving with open hands. We’re taking a special offering next week, not because God needs our money, but because our hearts need to declare, “I’m in.” I asked every household, including our kids, to participate—not about the amount, but about engagement with what God is doing among us. From there, we turned to Joseph and the first Christmas, resisting the urge to sanitize it. Joseph was betrothed—legally bound—to Mary. He discovers she’s pregnant, and he knows the child isn’t his. In a context where this could cost Mary her life and destroy their reputations, Joseph chose mercy, planning to dissolve the betrothal quietly.

We talked about trust: not a feeling, but a settled confidence in the reliability and strength of another. Many of us place trust in things that eventually fail—governmental systems, even family and friends, and certainly ourselves. Bodies break, reputations shift, and institutions disappoint. Into that fog, God speaks. To Joseph, He spoke through a dream; to us, He speaks supremely through Scripture. The angel’s word clarified reality, reoriented Joseph’s fear, and called him to obedience: take Mary, name the child Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. Joseph obeyed immediately. That obedience didn’t erase the whispers in Nazareth, but it did anchor him to God’s will.

We also looked at Jesus in Gethsemane—trust under maximum pressure. Trust doesn’t bypass the cup; it yields to the Father in it. And strangely, trials grow us. Like trees that drive roots deeper in wind, adversity—rightly engaged—produces resilience, empathy, and wisdom. God often uses storms not to break us, but to make us. So we practice transformational trust: sometimes by doing something hard (forgiving, obeying, giving), sometimes by refusing our default habits (worry, control, distraction). Two honest mirrors of our transformation? Our phone feeds and our bank statements. They quietly reveal what we actually love.

So, trust the Lord when times are tough. Trust Him because His word is true. And trust Him in ways that change how you live—right now, in the middle of your storm.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Trust God in painful uncertainty Trust isn’t the absence of fear; it’s leaning into God’s character when explanations are thin and stakes are high. Joseph models this by choosing mercy and waiting on God rather than retaliating or shaming. Mature trust can hold both confusion and obedience at once. [24:01]
• 2. Anchor to God’s trustworthy word God’s word clarifies what our emotions can’t, cuts through rumor and assumption, and names reality as God sees it. The angel’s command didn’t just inform Joseph; it commissioned him—take Mary, name the Child, participate in salvation’s story. Scripture still does this—steadying our steps and assigning us faithful action. [27:44]
• 3. Obedience prioritizes God over outcomes Joseph’s obedience didn’t make life easier; it made him faithful. We obey not to control results but to align with the King. If “doing it right” still leaves you misunderstood, you’re in good company—and you’re walking in the light where God does His deepest work. [32:46]
• 4. Adversity can deepen resilient faith God often forms what He intends to use. Like roots pressing deeper in wind, challenges can enlarge our capacity for empathy, courage, and endurance. Hard seasons are not wasted seasons when they are submitted seasons. [27:05]
• 5. Practice trust through action and restraint Sometimes faith looks like decisive steps—marrying Mary, forgiving an enemy, giving generously. Other times it looks like refusing worry’s control, closing toxic tabs, and surrendering outcomes. Trust matures as we choose both wise doing and wise not-doing. [34:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [05:35] - All-In: every part of life
• [06:14] - December special offering invitation
• [06:57] - 206-household generosity challenge
• [08:10] - What Christmas meant to Mary
• [09:31] - The unsanitized first Christmas
• [10:45] - What real trust means
• [11:47] - Misplaced trust: government, people, self
• [18:38] - Joseph’s crisis and character
• [27:44] - God’s word to Joseph
• [29:25] - Scripture’s power to shape us
• [31:07] - Joseph’s immediate obedience
• [33:50] - Practicing trust: do and don’t
• [37:33] - Closing prayer and invitation

Bible reading
Matthew 1:18–25 (ESV)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Observation questions (look closely at the text and the story)

1. How does Matthew describe Joseph’s immediate emotional and practical response to discovering Mary was pregnant (what words are used about his character and plan)?
2. What specific words did the angel give to Joseph in the dream, and how do those words change the way Joseph can see the situation? [27:44]
3. What does verse 24 report about Joseph’s timing and manner of obedience—what details show how quickly or fully he responded? [31:07]
4. What did “betrothal” mean in first‑century Jewish practice, and how does that cultural detail raise the stakes for both Mary and Joseph in this passage? [19:09]

Interpretation questions (think about what the text and examples mean)

1. Joseph is called a “just” man who planned to “divorce her quietly.” How should the relationship between justice and mercy be understood in Joseph’s decision to avoid public shame? [19:09]
2. The angel instructs Joseph to name the child “Jesus” and explains the child’s purpose. What does giving Jesus a name and a household role imply about Joseph’s part in God’s saving work? [27:44]
3. Trust under pressure is illustrated by Jesus’ yielding in Gethsemane. How does yielding the “cup” while still submitting to the Father help interpret what mature trust looks like when outcomes are painful or unclear? [23:08]
4. Scripture is described as the primary means God uses to steady people in confusion. How does relying on Scripture change the way someone should weigh emotions, rumors, or public opinion in a crisis? [29:25]

Application questions (practical, personal next steps)

1. Trust sometimes requires decisive action. Name one concrete thing you will do this week that demonstrates trust in God (forgive someone, start a conversation, make a sacrificial decision). When will you do it and who will hold you accountable? [34:04]
2. Trust also requires restraint. Identify one worry, habit, or feed you will stop engaging with this week (a worry pattern, an app, a toxic conversation). How will you practically replace that time or habit with a trustworthy alternative? [34:28]
3. Scripture steadies us in confusion. Which Bible passage will you read or memorize this week to help you trust God in your current situation, and when will you set that time aside? [29:25]
4. Obedience can bring misunderstanding from others. Who in your life might criticize or misunderstand a faithful choice you need to make, and how will you prepare to remain obedient even if the social cost is real? [31:07]
5. Hard seasons can form resilience and empathy. What past difficulty has God used to grow you, and how can you invite God to use the current difficulty you face to produce the same growth? [24:37]
6. Generosity is a practical test of trust. What specific, measurable gift of time, money, or talent will you give this month to say “I’m in” for kingdom work, and how will you follow through on that commitment? [06:14]

Observation, interpretation, and application questions are designed to be discussed in the group: read the passage together first, then work through the observation questions, move to interpretation, and finish with the application questions so the group leaves with specific next steps.