Ordinary People With Extraordinary Plans | Worth The Wait | Pastors Nick Person and Andrew Paino

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Glory in Your Ordinary Everyday Moments

God loves to show up in the middle of ordinary life. The shepherds were simply doing their night shift when heaven broke in, reminding us that no day is too routine for God’s presence. Your emails, commutes, lunch-making, and late-night homework help are not empty space—they are places where grace can shine. Ask Him to help you notice the quiet glimmers of His glory right where you already are. Even when nothing looks spectacular, the Lord is with you in the ordinary, steady work of love. Watch for Him today, right where you are. [34:37]

Luke 2:8–9 — Nearby, shepherds were out in the fields, keeping an eye on their sheep through the night. Suddenly, an angel stood among them, and the brilliance of God’s presence surrounded them, and fear filled their hearts.

Reflection: Where in your daily routine this week do you want to ask God to make His presence unmistakably visible, even if nothing about your schedule changes?

Day 2: Born To You—Good News For All People

The angel’s words were personal: a Savior is born to you. The Messiah didn’t arrive for an elite few; He came for ordinary people—workers on a hillside, tired parents, and those who wonder if they matter. This is joy designed for everyone and delivered right to your doorstep. Receive it as your own gift today, not just a beautiful story from long ago. Let the truth settle in: Jesus came near for you, to rescue, rule, and rejoice over your life. He is the good news with your name on it. [36:30]

Luke 2:10–11 — The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m announcing joyful news meant for all people. Today, in David’s town, a Rescuer has been born for you—the promised King.”

Reflection: In what specific area of your life do you struggle to believe Jesus came for you, and what simple reminder could you practice daily to receive His nearness there?

Day 3: The Sign Of The Manger—God With Us At Our Lowest

The sign wasn’t royal robes or a palace but a feeding trough, a place no parent would choose for a newborn. God chose the lowest spot so none of our lowest moments would be beyond His reach. He comes close to the places that feel dirty, disappointing, or forgotten, and calls them the very ground of His arrival. If He was willing to be laid where animals fed, He is not ashamed to meet you where you feel least put-together. Let this humble sign reframe your pain: you are not alone there. He knows, He sees, and He is with you. [42:11]

Luke 2:12, 16 — “Here’s the sign: you’ll find a baby wrapped up and lying in a manger.” They hurried and discovered Mary, Joseph, and the child just as they were told—resting in that unlikely crib.

Reflection: Name one low or hidden place in your life right now; how might welcoming Jesus there change what you expect or how you pray this week?

Day 4: The Weight Of This News Calls Us To Act

When heaven burst into song, the shepherds didn’t stay seated; they decided to go. Joy moved them from fear to footsteps, from hearing to seeking. The good news that calms our hearts also commissions our lives. Faith takes shape as we follow, even if it’s just the next faithful step. Let praise propel you toward obedience—small, concrete, timely. Don’t overthink your way out of what God is inviting you to do today. [44:07]

Luke 2:13–15 — Suddenly a vast choir of heaven’s messengers filled the sky, honoring God: “Glory to God above; peace on earth to those embraced by His favor.” When they returned to heaven, the shepherds said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has made known to us.”

Reflection: What is one specific step—conversation, act of service, or moment of courage—you sense God nudging you to take in the next 48 hours?

Day 5: Carrying The Extraordinary Into Ordinary Life

The shepherds saw the child and then went back to their work changed, their ordinary now saturated with praise. Mary treasured every detail, holding the mystery in her heart as she swaddled the miracle. Encounter leads to witness; worship spills into weekday routines. You don’t need a platform—just a willingness to carry joy into your emails, errands, and relationships. Let your everyday become the stage where gratitude keeps singing and hope keeps spreading. Go back to your life, but don’t go back the same. [45:17]

Luke 2:16–20 — They found Mary, Joseph, and the baby in the manger. After seeing Him, they shared what had been told about the child, and people were amazed. Mary kept these moments close, turning them over in her heart. The shepherds returned to their fields, giving God glory for everything they had heard and seen.

Reflection: Where will you be this week (a meeting, a classroom, a kitchen, a jobsite) that needs the sound of quiet praise—and what will you do to bring it there?

Sermon Summary

I love that God steps into ordinary lives. Shepherds were pulling the night shift, doing the same tasks they did every night—watching, counting, staying awake—and heaven broke in. That’s the hopeful pattern of Christmas: God’s glory showing up in the very places we assume He’s least likely to be. I’ve felt that in my own story—moving from Seattle to Durham, settling into a normal job and a normal routine—only to realize God was already moving in the “everyday,” preparing something bigger than I could see.

When the angel said, “A Savior has been born to you,” that changed everything. Jesus wasn’t just born to Mary and Joseph; He was given for us. That’s intensely personal. He came for shepherds who didn’t have status, and He comes for us in our workplaces, kitchens, car lines, and late-night worries.

The sign the angel gave wasn’t the swaddling—that’s what all newborns have. The sign was the manger. As a new dad, I think about the first hours of holding my baby girl, Layla—how carefully I tried to swaddle her, how sacred that felt. You’d never choose a feeding trough for a child. And yet God chose it. Why? Because the Messiah started at the lowest place to identify with us in our lowest places. He faced filth, poverty, and vulnerability first. When you encounter your lowest moments, you’re not beneath His reach; you’re exactly where His story began.

Heaven couldn’t stay quiet at His arrival, and neither could the shepherds. The weight of this good news makes us move. It sends ordinary people down ordinary roads with an extraordinary announcement. That’s our call too—return to our fields, our offices, our homes, but different—carrying the wonder of what we’ve seen and heard.

Mary treasured and pondered. The shepherds proclaimed and praised. Both are faithful responses. So here’s the invitation: treasure and act. Make a simple next step—come back at Christmas, step into baptism, join a life group, serve students. Carry the extraordinary into your ordinary. Because that’s how God loves to work.

Key Takeaways

1. God meets us in ordinary days God’s glory doesn’t wait for perfect conditions; it breaks in while we’re answering emails, lacing boots, and packing lunches. The shepherds weren’t chasing a miracle—heaven found them on a normal night. Expect God’s nearness in the small, repetitive, unglamorous pieces of life. That’s where He loves to be found. [34:14]
2. Jesus was born for you The angel’s words are intimate: “born to you.” This is not distant theology; it’s personal rescue. The Christ child addresses your specific fears, failures, and longings. Receive Him like a gift placed in your hands, not just a truth floating in the air. [36:51]
3. The manger reframes our lows A feeding trough is no place for a newborn—unless God is telling us that no place is too low for His presence. Jesus begins where we’re ashamed to be found, so we never have to face those places alone. Your “manger moments” can become altars of encounter. Hope starts at ground level. [42:11]
4. Good news demands embodied action Heaven’s praise spills into human obedience. The shepherds hurry, seek, see, and then speak—worship propels witness. Don’t wait for a perfect plan; take the next faithful step you know to take, and let praise become public. [43:21]
5. Carry glory into daily life Mary pondered; the shepherds proclaimed. We need both—quiet formation and courageous expression. Go back to your routine with a changed center, letting gratitude, humility, and boldness reshape ordinary rhythms. That’s how the extraordinary travels. [45:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:55] - Ordinary shepherds, ordinary night
[31:17] - Title and Luke 2:8–20
[32:06] - Moving story and ordinary life
[33:21] - Finding home and calling
[34:14] - God in the everyday
[36:30] - Good news of great joy
[36:51] - Born to you, not just them
[38:15] - The sign: a manger
[41:32] - Why the manger matters
[42:42] - Heaven erupts in praise
[43:21] - Act on the news
[45:17] - Carrying the extraordinary
[46:30] - Practical next steps
[47:17] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Bold Luke 2:8–20

Observation questions

In Luke 2:8–9, what were the shepherds doing, what interrupted them, and how did they respond? What details highlight how ordinary the moment was?
In verses 10–12, what words make the message both personal (“to you”) and global (“for all the people”)? What part of the sign is ordinary (swaddling) and what part is surprising (manger)?
Track the movement in verses 15–17: what do the shepherds decide, how do they act, and what do they do after they’ve seen the child?
Compare verses 19–20. What did Mary do, and what did the shepherds do? How do both responses fit as faithful ways to respond to Jesus?

Interpretation questions

“A Savior has been born to you” sounds personal as well as public. What does “to you” imply about how each person is meant to receive Jesus? How might that change how someone views salvation? [36:51]
Why might God choose a manger as the identifying sign instead of royal symbols? What does starting at “the lowest place” reveal about how God meets people in their lowest places? [42:11]
Heaven erupts in praise and the shepherds hurry to respond. What does this connection between worship and quick obedience teach about the weight of this good news? [43:21]
Mary treasures and ponders while the shepherds proclaim and praise. How do these two postures—quiet formation and public witness—work together to sustain a life of faith? [45:17]

Application questions

Think about your most ordinary routines (emails, lacing boots, packing lunches, car lines). Where will you intentionally look for God’s nearness this week, and what simple cue or habit will help you notice Him in those moments? [34:37]
Name one fear, failure, or longing you’re carrying right now. What would it look like to receive Jesus “born to you” into that exact place today—specific words you’d pray, a conversation you’d have, or a step you’d take? [36:30]
Where is your “manger moment”—a place that feels too messy, low, or shame-filled? What is one concrete way you’ll invite Christ into it this week (journal and pray there, ask for help, confess to a trusted friend, serve someone from that place of pain)? [42:11]
Good news moves feet. What is one embodied action you will take in response this week—share the news with a specific person, serve, schedule a baptism conversation, join a group, or commit to Christmas services? When will you do it, and who will you tell for accountability? [46:30]
Choose one practice of pondering and one practice of proclaiming for this week. Pondering: maybe five quiet minutes with Luke 2 after dinner. Proclaiming: maybe an invite, a gratitude text, or blessing a coworker. What will those look like for you? [45:17]
The shepherds returned to their ordinary fields but different. Name one place you’ll return this week (office, kitchen, classroom, commute). What will “returning different” look like there on Monday at 9 a.m.? Be concrete. [44:46]
Think back to a recent “look what God did” moment. Where have you lost a sense of wonder? What small act could help you treasure again this week—printing a verse on the fridge, a 2‑minute pause before pickup to pray, or carrying a small reminder in your pocket? [40:55]

Sermon Clips

``They're probably just sitting around counting sheep as they're half asleep. They're probably making sure that they're fed, making sure one doesn't get away. They're just doing their ordinary life. And then all of a sudden, the Lord shows up in extraordinary ways. I want you to hear me when I say this this morning. God is with you in your ordinary. [00:35:17] (22 seconds) #GodInTheOrdinary

For me, so often, I find myself trying to long for that burning bush moment. God, when are you going to part the seas for me? When are you going to clearly be here in my scenario? But yet, church, I want to tell you this morning that God is with you in your ordinary every day. He's with you during the student pickup, during those homework assignments. Every single part of your every day, the Lord is with you. And I think that's a great reminder for us this morning. [00:35:40] (33 seconds) #GodInTheSmallThings

It wasn't good news for just you. It wasn't good news for just me today. Today, the Messiah is born, not to Mary and Joseph, but to all humanity. He was born for the lowly shepherd, born for you and me. But the angel gave them a sign. The angel said, there's going to be a sign that you know that this is the Messiah. And that leads me to my third point this morning. All babies are swaddled, but not all are lying in a manger. That was the sign to them. [00:37:42] (36 seconds) #SignInTheManger

But as I'm swaddling her and as she's laying there perfectly, there's a moment that my wife and I share and we get to look at what God did. We get to look at this beautiful new baby, how incredible that moment is. I asked you not too long ago how many parents are in their room. And so I want you to think back to the first time that you got to hold your brand new baby, how precious and special that moment was. And then for a moment, I want you to think that you place that baby down in a dirty barn manger. [00:40:47] (37 seconds) #MajestyInAManger

Why did it have to be that way? You would never place a brand new baby in this filthy feeding trough where barn animals eat. You would never do such a thing. Why did it have to be that way? Why would you put the face of God in this dirty manger? It doesn't make any sense. Why would he be in a barn? Does anything good come from Bethlehem? Lord, I thought this was supposed to be the Messiah. This was supposed to save everyone from Roman reign, from Jewish culture. This was supposed to be the moment. And here he is lying in a manger. [00:41:24] (33 seconds) #GodInUnexpectedPlaces

And I didn't put this in your notes today, but I want you to write this down. He was lying there at his lowest point to identify with us in our lowest moments. It had to be that way. Jesus, the Messiah, placed in a manger for ordinary people just like you and me. We have access to an incredible God. We have access to a God that was placed at our lowest points. That way he can identify with us in our lowest moments. [00:41:57] (38 seconds) #GodAtOurLowest

This news caused us to act. It causes the shepherds to act. The weight that we carry has caused us to act for 2,000 years. 2,000 years we've been echoing in eternity that we get to act on this great news. And my question for you this morning is, are you willing to act on this news? Are you willing to go out of your way to say, The Lord is here. He is my King. He is my Jesus. He was placed in a manger for us. You see, the shepherds had a responsibility. That they had to go act. On this great news. [00:43:45] (39 seconds) #ActOnTheGoodNews

She's looking and thinking about all of the things that have happened as she's placing this swaddled baby in a manger. And I can also picture Joseph saying, that's a swaddle fit for a king. I've been waiting to say that all week. But as we continue to look, as we continue to carry this extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary, my question to you is, how are you going to carry forward knowing this news? Knowing that God uses ordinary people just like you and me to accomplish extraordinary things. What does that look like for you? [00:45:49] (40 seconds) #SwaddledForAKing

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Ordinary People With Extraordinary Plans | Worth The Wait | Pastors Nick Person and Andrew Paino

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Glory in Your Ordinary Everyday Moments

Day 2: Born To You—Good News For All People

Day 3: The Sign Of The Manger—God With Us At Our Lowest

Day 4: The Weight Of This News Calls Us To Act

Day 5: Carrying The Extraordinary Into Ordinary Life

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Ordinary People With Extraordinary Plans | Worth The Wait | Pastors Nick Person and Andrew Paino

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