Turn the Volume Down: Finding Jesus This Christmas

Devotional

Day 1: Fact, Not Fiction: Jesus Came to Set Us Free

Christmas is not a myth or a mood; it is the announcement that the Savior actually stepped into our world. He was born in a stable so nobody would feel too low or too late to come. He came to set people free from sin, shame, and fear—real chains broken by a real Deliverer. Wherever you are today—on base, online, or in the room—His arrival is good news for you. Let your heart celebrate the One who came for all and came for you [01:49]

Luke 2:10–12: The angel told the shepherds not to be afraid because the message was joyful for everyone: in David’s town a Rescuer has been born for you—He is the Anointed Lord. You’ll find Him wrapped up and laid in a manger.

Reflection: Where in your life do you most need to experience the freedom Jesus brings, and what one step will you take today to welcome Him into that place?

Day 2: When God Changes Your Plans: Trust Like Mary

Mary and Joseph did not plan for angels, whispers, or detours. Yet in the middle of surprise and suspicion, God was accomplishing His promise. Obedience did not erase the difficulty, but it filled their path with His presence. When plans change, faith chooses to stay near and say yes. Trust the God who writes better stories than the ones we draft [02:17]

Matthew 1:20–23: In a dream Joseph was told not to fear taking Mary as his wife, because the child in her was from the Holy Spirit. She would bear a son, and he was to name Him Jesus, because He would rescue His people from their sins. All this fulfilled the promise that God would be with us—Immanuel.

Reflection: Which specific disruption are you facing right now, and what quiet act of obedience could you offer God in response this week?

Day 3: Worship That Moves: Shepherds, Wise Men, and You

The shepherds left their night shift, and the wise men crossed miles, because worship moves us. They did not arrive empty-handed; their gifts pointed to a King, a Priest, and a Sacrifice. True worship is more than a song—it is attention, adoration, and offering. Your gift might be time, generosity, or a humble yes to God today. Go and bow before Jesus with whatever you have, and call it worship [03:33]

Matthew 2:10–11: When the travelers saw the star pause, joy surged within them. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, knelt low to honor Him, and opened their treasures—gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Reflection: What specific “gift” can you lay before Jesus this week—your time, a generous act, or a decision of obedience?

Day 4: Turning Down the Volume to Hear Good News

Some holidays hurt because old noise gets loud—memories, conflicts, and the ache of what was. The good news is that Jesus came not to condemn but to rescue. Turn the volume down on the noise, and turn your eyes to what He has already done for you. In Him, fear and cycles lose their grip, and gratitude grows where dread used to live. Let His love quiet your heart so you can breathe and rejoice [08:03]

John 3:16–17: God loved this world so deeply that He gave His one-of-a-kind Son, so that anyone who trusts in Him won’t be lost but will share in God’s unending life. He did not send the Son to slam the gavel, but to bring rescue.

Reflection: What noise—internal or external—most drowns out the good news for you during this season, and how will you practically lower it this week?

Day 5: Whosoever Calls: Grace for Every Story Today

God desires relationship with you—yes, you—no matter your past. It is not about what you do for Him but about what He has already done for you in Jesus. Anyone who calls on His name in repentance and faith will be saved. Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and He welcomes the young and the old alike. If He is drawing you, answer Him today with a simple, honest yes [10:44]

Romans 10:9–13: If you openly confess that Jesus is Lord and trust deep within that God raised Him from the dead, you will be rescued. With the heart we believe and are set right with God; with the mouth we confess and are saved. The Scripture promises that those who trust in Him won’t be disgraced, and it closes with this wide-open invitation: everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will be saved.

Reflection: If you sense God inviting you today, what simple prayer could you pray in your own words, and who could you share it with for encouragement?

Sermon Summary

Merry Christmas, church family. Today we celebrated the simple, stubborn fact that Jesus really came. Not a cozy myth, not a seasonal sentiment—God stepped into our world as a child, born without privilege so no one would be intimidated to come near. We walked with Mary—a girl likely no older than 14—asked to bear a promise bigger than her life, and with Joseph, whose plans were overturned by God’s better plan. We stood beside shepherds who left their posts, and wise men who laid their treasures down, remembering what their gifts proclaimed: a true King, a true Priest, and a Lamb who would truly die.

I shared a piece of my story—how Christmas in my childhood was often marked by fear, chaos, and pain—and how Jesus met me there and set me free. The gospel doesn’t pretend the noise isn’t loud; it invites us to turn the volume down and listen to the One who speaks peace into storms. Scripture calls us to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord. That is not performance; it’s surrender. Not what we do for God, but what God has done for us in Christ—crucified, risen, and present.

So I invited all who haven’t yet received Him to come—just as you are—because He came just as He promised. And I invited believers to return to gratitude: to name the blessings, kneel in thanks, and let worship re-narrate our week. We closed by celebrating the good work God is doing among us—even in everyday vocation. A young man in our midst, just 19, is stewarding a business with integrity. That’s not a side note; that’s a living parable that God has a plan, and obedience in ordinary places matters. Church, this is our hope at Christmas: Christ with us, Christ for us, Christ in us—turning detours into directions, noise into a new song, and fear into a future.

Key Takeaways

1. Obedience often disrupts our plans Mary and Joseph show us that God’s call can collide with expectation, reputation, and timing. Faith doesn’t sanitize uncertainty; it learns to trust within it. Holiness grows where surrender costs something. If God has rearranged your map, ask what He might be giving you that you could never have planned. [65:01]
2. Turn the volume down to hear Painful memories and holiday noise can drown out hope, but the incarnation speaks softly and steadily to the honest heart. Quiet is not escape; it’s attention—a posture where Christ reinterprets our past and reframes our present. Freedom doesn’t erase scars; it redeems them into testimony. Practice stillness long enough to hear Him name you beloved. [68:03]
3. Salvation is received, not achieved The call is to confess and believe because grace moves first and finishes what it starts. Repentance is consenting to be rescued, not proving you deserve rescue. The stable is our level ground—no ladder to climb, just a Savior to trust. Come as you are; leave as who He says you are. [70:44]
4. Faithfulness in ordinary callings matters God’s plan meets us in real work, real risk, and real stewardship. Doing the next right thing, again and again, becomes a channel for God’s blessing to others. Your workplace can be an altar where excellence and integrity preach. Don’t despise small beginnings; they are often God’s chosen stage. [80:55]

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Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- John 3:16
- Romans 10:13
- Luke 1:26–38

Observation questions

Read John 3:16. What words or images stand out most, and why does this verse sit at the center of the gospel message?
Read Luke 1:26–38. What specific costs and risks are visible in Mary’s response to God’s call? How does the text show both fear and trust? ([01:05:01])
Read Romans 10:13. What promise does this verse make about who can be saved and how they are saved?
What concrete examples of “faithfulness in ordinary callings” were named in the talk (for example, the young business owner)? How do those examples show ordinary life becoming a stage for God’s work? ([01:20:55])

Interpretation questions

How should Mary’s willingness to accept a life-changing, public cost shape the way one understands obedience today? ([01:05:01])
What does it mean for a person’s past pain and scars to be “redeemed into testimony” rather than erased? How does that change the way one tells their story? ([01:08:03])
How does the claim “salvation is received, not achieved” affect a person’s understanding of repentance and assurance? What practical differences follow from grasping salvation as gift not performance? ([01:10:44])
In what ways can steady, small acts of integrity at work or home function theologically as “altars” or means of blessing to others? ([01:20:55])

Application questions

God sometimes rearranges personal plans. What is one decision or “detour” you face now where obedience would cost you reputation, time, or comfort? What is one concrete next step you can take this week toward that obedience? ([01:05:01])
Practicing stillness was named as a way to hear Christ’s voice. What is a realistic plan you can try this week (time, place, length) to “turn the volume down” and listen? Commit to the plan and tell the group how you will report back. ([01:08:03])
The gospel is received by confessing and believing. If you have not named Christ as Lord, will you pray a simple prayer of trust this week? If you are already a believer, what is one habit you can stop trying to earn salvation by performance and instead rest in what Christ has done? ([01:10:44])
Gratitude was invited as a regular response. List three specific blessings from the last month. How will you express thanks this week (a note, a prayer, a verbal thank-you, kneeling in private)? ([01:10:44])
Identify one “small beginning” in your life—at work, school, home, or volunteering—where you can practice integrity and excellence. What concrete action will you take in the next seven days to honor God there? ([01:20:55])
How could you turn a personal scar or painful memory into a redeeming testimony this season? Who might you share it with, and what would the first step toward that sharing look like? ([01:08:03])

Sermon Clips

the wise men came they gave gifts the frankincense the gold and the gold was for the king the frankincensewas the offering that was used the scent that was used in the temple and then the myrrhwas for his sacrificial death on the cross for all of us to anoint his body you know when we sit and think about it at times we're asked to make sacrifices are we not for other people [01:06:59] (41 seconds) #GiftsOfTheMagi

folks I have good news I have good news this Christmas Jesus Christ came and died on the cross he was born a virgin from a virgin birth amen he came as the king of kings as a little babythat had nothing he was not born in in in a in a a big mansion or palace but in a stable so everyone no matter where you're at economically education wise everyone could come to know this Jesus as Lord and Savior [01:10:23] (51 seconds) #HumbleKingForAll

he was born a virgin from a virgin birth amen he came as the king of kings as a little babythat had nothing he was not born in in in a in a a big mansion or palace but in a stable so everyone no matter where you're at economically education wise everyone could come to know this Jesus as Lord and Savior he came because God desires God desires to have relationship with you [01:10:35] (48 seconds) #BornForRelationship

so everyone no matter where you're at economically education wise everyone could come to know this Jesus as Lord and Savior he came because God desires God desires to have relationship with you you save apreacher you don't know what I've done honey it doesn't matter God says he still loves you and wants a personal relationship with you it's not about what we do but it's about what he's already done by sending his son amen [01:11:00] (39 seconds) #JesusWelcomesAll

he came because God desires God desires to have relationship with you you save apreacher you don't know what I've done honey it doesn't matter God says he still loves you and wants a personal relationship with you it's not about what we do but it's about what he's already done by sending his son amen so the day I ask you will you turn the volume of life down have you ever accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior [01:11:14] (35 seconds) #GraceNotGuilt

you save apreacher you don't know what I've done honey it doesn't matter God says he still loves you and wants a personal relationship with you it's not about what we do but it's about what he's already done by sending his son amen so the day I ask you will you turn the volume of life down have you ever accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior [01:11:23] (26 seconds) #LovedDespiteMistakes

if you've not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior all you need to do say Lord here I am I come to you today the best way I know how I accept what you did on the cross through your son Jesus Christ for me I repent of my sins I believethat you're the Lord and I ask you to be the Lord of my life right now [01:12:11] (42 seconds) #SayYesToJesus

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