Sometimes God raises His voice so there’s no confusion. Like the angels with Mary and the shepherds, He makes the message unmistakable when He invites people into something beyond their strength. In overwhelming moments, His clarity is mercy, not pressure—more like a tornado siren meant to protect than a whisper easy to miss. He is not trying to hide His will; He is helping you stand in it. If He’s calling you into a bold step, expect a bold confirmation and a peace that steadies you for obedience [28:41]
Luke 2:9–10
Out in the fields, an angel suddenly stood among the shepherds, and the brightness of God’s presence surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here with good news that will overflow into great joy for every person.”
Reflection: Where do you feel invited into something bigger than your ability right now, and what clear confirmation from God have you already received that you can act on this week?
God also speaks gently, in the quiet places where your heart slows down. Joseph wrestled with questions; God met him in a dream with direction and peace, not panic. When God speaks this way, it tends to settle you, even if it stretches you. Share confusing dreams with trusted believers and wait for clarity in God’s timing. Before sleep, simply tell the Lord, “I’m listening,” and rest with open hands [34:51]
Matthew 1:20
While Joseph was considering everything, a messenger from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife; the life growing in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection: Tonight before bed, how will you invite God to speak—and who is one trusted follower of Jesus you could ask to help you discern a recent dream or impression?
God’s Word is not outdated; it’s the most reliable guide you own. Mary’s praise pulled together many ancient promises, showing a heart formed by Scripture and a mind steady in God’s story. The more Scripture saturates you, the more you recognize God’s voice in real time. Open the Word with expectancy and let it shape both your prayers and your steps. Let this season renew your appetite for the pages that always point to Jesus [37:43]
Luke 1:46–55
Mary said, “My whole being celebrates the Lord, my Savior. He notices the humble, shows mercy across generations, brings down the proud, lifts up the lowly, and feeds the hungry with good things. He is keeping the promise He made long ago to Abraham and his descendants.”
Reflection: Choose one Scripture about Jesus to meditate on each morning this week; how will you let it guide one specific decision or conversation each day?
God knows where you are looking—and He meets you there. He placed a star before the wise men, guiding their steps toward Jesus, and filled their hearts with joy as they followed. Creation still speaks: skies, soil, seasons, and even the beauty of your craft can become signposts. Pay attention to the wonder around you and ask, “How is this pointing me to Christ today?” Let what you see awaken worship and movement toward Him [41:08]
Matthew 2:9–10
After meeting with the king, the wise men set out, and the star they had seen earlier led them on, stopping right above where the child was. Seeing it again, they were overwhelmed with joy.
Reflection: Step outside for five quiet minutes this week—what in creation catches your attention, and how might it be inviting you to move one step closer to Jesus?
Those who walk closely with God learn the tone of His voice. Like Simeon, the Holy Spirit can nudge you at the right time and lead you to the right place, and then your simple, faithful words can bless others. God’s work in you is meant to flow through you, just like the shepherds who shared what they had seen. You don’t need a title or a platform—just a willing heart and a clear, honest story. Ask the Spirit to lead you today, then speak about Jesus with the courage that comes from relationship [44:24]
Luke 2:27–28
Moved by the Spirit, Simeon entered the temple at just the right moment. When Mary and Joseph arrived to present Jesus to the Lord, Simeon took the child into his arms and began to praise God.
Reflection: Who is one person you could encourage this week by briefly sharing how you’ve recently sensed the Spirit leading you, and when will you reach out to them?
I started by thanking our deacons and our church family, then we blessed Pastor Bob as he heads to the Philippines to serve at a seminary for a few months. From there, I invited us to look at the Christmas story through a different lens: how God communicates. Just like that quick word-search exercise where everyone saw different words, God spoke in many ways around Jesus’ birth—and he’s still using those same ways to speak today, always leading us to his Son.
We walked through seven patterns in the Christmas story: God spoke through the supernatural (angels to Mary and the shepherds), and God also spoke in quiet, personal ways (dreams to Joseph and the wise men). He spoke through Scripture and the prophetic (Mary’s song is saturated with the Old Testament), through creation (a star guiding the wise men), through the Holy Spirit (Elizabeth and Simeon discerning what no one told them), through circumstances (a census redirecting Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem), and through people (the shepherds spreading what they’d seen and heard).
Each of these isn’t just history; they are familiar pathways God still uses. Sometimes he speaks with unmistakable clarity when he asks us to step into something beyond ourselves. Often he comes quietly, while we’re finally still enough to listen. Scripture remains the tuned instrument that trains our ears for his voice. The Spirit whispers and leads in the ordinary moments. And even detours—those interruptions we didn’t choose—often put us exactly where his promise is being fulfilled.
So I challenged us to make room to listen this Christmas: wake a bit earlier, coffee and Bible in hand, and simply say, “God, I’m here to meet with you.” Pay attention to dreams; look for peace, not panic, and share them with trusted believers. Let creation’s wonder lift your eyes beyond yourself. And when God does speak, tell someone. Good news is meant to move. All these ways—different as they are—carry one crystal-clear purpose: this is who my Son is; find him.
so maybe tonight when you lay down in your bed what if you did a couple of things what if you stopped for a moment you thanked god god thank you for this amazing day what if you what if you just prayed about the day that's getting ready to come and then what if before you fell asleep you said god if there's anything you want to speak to me i'm your servant and i'm listening this and just see what god does who knows who knows what god will do i have no idea [00:34:59] (31 seconds) #PrayBeforeSleep
now we can on this side of christmas look back and we can see that there are many many different scriptures that we're talking about and god was prophesying in the old testament through his prophets and through those who wrote and he was prophesying about jesus coming in fact theologians agree that there are 12 key passages in the old testament you can go google it yourself and find them but you can there's 12 key passages in the old testament that clearly defineand depict what it was about what's getting ready to happen when jesus was coming to be born and why it's so important and what it was fulfilling [00:36:07] (34 seconds) #ProphecyFulfilled
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