An Unexpected Place / The Unexpected King

Devotional

Day 1: God chooses humble, unexpected places for His work

Luke 2 shows that God's plans often unfold through ordinary, inconvenient circumstances rather than in the places people expect. The decree, the long trek to Bethlehem, and the manger birth remind that the arrival of the Savior took place where most would never look, and yet God made that small place the setting for salvation. This invites trust that God can and will use overlooked moments and locations to do mighty things on behalf of humanity. [04:50]

Luke 2:1-7 (ESV)
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Reflection: What small or inconvenient place in your life might God be preparing to use for His purposes? What one concrete step (a phone call, a prayer, a visit) will you take this week to be available there?

Day 2: Jesus welcomes children and the ordinary to come

Jesus' response to those bringing children reveals the heart of the kingdom: accessibility and welcome for the least and the ordinary. He rejects barriers, takes children in his arms, and blesses them, showing that closeness with Jesus is not reserved for the polished or powerful. The kingdom belongs to those who approach with simple trust and openness. [22:39]

Mark 10:13-16 (ESV)
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Reflection: Who are the "ordinary" or overlooked people in your life you tend to avoid or ignore? What one practical action will you take this week to welcome or bless someone like that?

Day 3: Prophecy fulfilled through humble, surprising means

The promise that a virgin would bear a son points to God's tendency to fulfill grand purpose through humble, unexpected ways. Expectations about a conquering king were real, yet the fulfillment came quietly and vulnerably—showing that God's methods often defy human imagination. This calls for trusting God's surprising faithfulness rather than insisting on how He must act. [26:17]

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Reflection: How do your expectations about how God should act limit your recognition of His work? Identify one belief you can release this week to better see God's surprising ways.

Day 4: Come to Jesus as you are—no pretense required

Jesus' invitation is to the weary, broken, and burdened, not to those who are already put together; rest and transformation begin where people are, not after they clean up. The church becomes a place where people meet Jesus in their mess, and change follows the Spirit's work within, not human perfection. This is an open call to bring honest needs and to find gentle guidance and rest in Christ. [23:33]

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Reflection: What is one area of sin, fear, or failure you've been hiding from the church or from God? What specific first step will you take this week to bring that before Jesus (a prayer, a conversation, or a practical action)?

Day 5: God uses pain to shape and strengthen character

Difficult seasons and unexpected inconveniences often become the places where growth and deeper faith are formed, not because God delights in suffering, but because He redeems it for good. Trials can expose need, prompt change, and open the way for dependence upon God's guidance and healing. Rather than seeing hardship as punishment or a pawn move, one can trust God to work through brokenness to produce endurance and hope. [12:07]

James 1:2-4 (ESV)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Reflection: Recall a painful season that later strengthened your faith. What specific habit or spiritual practice (daily prayer, journaling, seeking counsel) will you begin this week to walk with God through the trial you face now?

Sermon Summary

I walked us through Luke 2:1-7 to show how God loves to work in places and situations we’d never choose—often through decisions we didn’t make and discomfort we didn’t want. I started with a simple contrast: chains and predictable menus versus tiny, unknown spots where you have to read the menu because you’ve never seen it before. Those unexpected places often serve the best food. In the same way, God didn’t pick Jerusalem’s center stage for Jesus’ birth, but a small, out-of-the-way Bethlehem and a manger in a cave. He took a pagan emperor’s census—an administrative decision—and used it to move Joseph and Mary into the right place at the right time, without turning people into pawns.

I named the tension many of us feel: if God is sovereign, are we just pieces on a board? Scripture tells us God is fully in control of everything God does, yet he dignifies us with real choice and responsibility. He doesn’t author evil or pain, but he certainly redeems it. We reflected on how pain and inconvenience become invitations—my cracked hands, old injuries that flare up, Paula’s thyroid cancer, even a friend called from a comfortable life here to a hard assignment in Zambia. These aren’t the spaces we’d design for ourselves, but they can become holy ground when we walk them with God.

Mary and Joseph’s journey pictures this—ninety miles, on foot and donkey, with Mary near delivery. No lodging. A manger. That’s how the King arrived: not on a platform, but in humility and approachability. No velvet ropes. No security detail. He welcomed children when others tried to push them away. He keeps meeting the ordinary, the poor, the broken—before they clean up, not after. That’s why the place isn’t the point; presence is the point. The spot in Bethlehem is not magic; the Holy Spirit dwelling in willing hearts is what makes any place holy.

So I called us to press into our “manger moments”—the small, unseen, inconvenient places—trusting that God is at work behind the scenes. Do the next right thing. Offer a willing heart. The King who chose a manger still delights to show up where no one expects him.

Key Takeaways

1. God works through unlikely places God moved the story through a census, a backroads town, and a manger. Holiness is measured by presence, not address. Expect God to turn overlooked corners of your life into meeting places with him. Ask where your ordinary might quietly be becoming sacred. [28:43]
2. Sovereign yet not a chessmaster God is never outmaneuvered, yet he does not treat us like pawns. He honors human agency even as he weaves redemption through history’s mess. That means evil isn’t authored by God, and still nothing is beyond his reach to repurpose. This tension gives both comfort and responsibility. [06:15]
3. Discomfort can become holy ground Mary and Joseph’s inconvenient journey became the setting for God’s arrival. Our own disruptions—moves, diagnoses, dashed plans—can become formative spaces where character deepens and faith sharpens. Don’t rush past the pain; meet God in it, step by step. Openness can turn hardship into encounter. [16:01]
4. Humility makes Jesus accessible to all A cave, cloth strips, no room—Jesus began low so anyone could draw near. He removed the barriers we love to build, even welcoming children others dismissed. If that’s his way, accessibility is our way too: proximity, simplicity, and presence. Humility is not weakness; it’s the doorway to real power. [21:59]
5. Willing hearts matter more than place God can call from Hilton or Jerusalem, Zambia or your cul-de-sac. The zip code isn’t the limiting factor; surrender is. When we offer a willing yes, ordinary ground becomes a sanctuary. Keep doing the next right thing, and watch God make it holy. [28:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:49] - Known chains vs unknown gems
[02:07] - Dogtown story and unexpected places
[04:50] - Luke 2 and God’s plan
[06:15] - Not pawns: sovereignty and agency
[07:34] - Census and Bethlehem’s obscurity
[10:37] - God’s purposes amid chaos
[12:07] - When pain becomes a teacher
[14:36] - Mary and Joseph’s hard trek
[17:06] - Calling to uncomfortable places
[19:23] - Born with no lodging
[21:59] - Humble, accessible King
[23:33] - Come as you are
[28:13] - Willing hearts over perfect places
[30:08] - Prayer: trust the next right step

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Observation questions (3–4)

What concrete details in Luke 2:1-7 explain why Jesus was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger rather than a palace or prominent house? Which detail surprised you most in the passage?
How does the census and travel requirement shape the circumstances of Jesus’ birth (the political move that put Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem)? [04:50]
What everyday examples of “unexpected places” were given that help illustrate the point that something ordinary can become extraordinary (for instance, the small restaurants and hole-in-the-wall places mentioned)? [02:07]
What facts from the story point to Jesus’ accessibility and humility (the manger, no lodging, simple arrival)? [21:59]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

How does the presence of an imperial census in the birth story show God's sovereignty without reducing human choices to mere moves on a chessboard? [06:15]
In what ways does being born in a manger inform an understanding of Jesus’ mission—his humility, approachability, and how he relates to the poor and broken? [21:59]
How can physical hardship or inconvenience function as a means of spiritual formation rather than simply as random suffering? What does the text and the sermon imply about God’s use of hard things? [12:07]
What difference does it make theologically to say “place isn’t the point; presence is the point”? How does that affect how a believer thinks about vocation, location, and calling? [28:13]

Application questions (4–7)

Identify one current “manger moment” in your life—something small, inconvenient, or unexpected. What is one concrete “next right thing” you can do this week to offer a willing heart there? [28:43]
Where have you felt like circumstances treated you like a pawn (something decided for you)? What practical step can you take to assume responsibility and trust God’s sovereignty at the same time? [06:15]
Think of a pain or disruption you’ve recently faced (health, job, move, broken relationship). How might that situation be an invitation to change or to deeper faith? What specific habit or action will you begin to respond well to that invitation? (example: make an appointment, start a small support group, journal, meet with a mentor) [12:07]
Is there a place you’re resisting because it feels low-status, hard, or humbling (a new ministry, a neighbor, an awkward conversation)? What would saying “yes” look like in practical terms over the next month? [17:36]
Who in your sphere is “ordinary” or overlooked and needs welcome as they are (a child, a neighbor, someone with messy life)? What step will you take this week to draw near—visit, invite for a meal, listen, or serve? [21:59]
What daily practices will help you keep offering a willing heart so ordinary ground becomes holy (brief daily prayer, asking the Spirit for openness, a weekly check-in with a friend)? Pick one to start tomorrow and say how you will keep it simple and sustainable. [28:13]

Leader note (brief)
Start by reading Luke 2:1-7 aloud. Keep conversation focused on concrete examples and personal steps. Encourage honesty about pain and resistance, and close by inviting one or two specific commitments from group members for the coming week.

Sermon Clips

How do we believe in a God that moves us around like pawns and makes the decisions for us?It's truly unbiblical.And this is why and how God uses some of the most odd places to fulfill his plans.God is in full and entire control of everything that God does.But God allows us, his children, he allows us to make decisions for ourselves. [00:06:32] (39 seconds) #FreeWillAndSovereignty

And God sees that opportunity and he uses that opportunity.Even our political leaders are subject to the sovereignty of God.Oftentimes what feels chaotic and the last five years of life, if you're with me, have felt chaotic in some way, shape, or form.But even in the midst of the deepest amounts of chaos and uncertainty of the world, it's never outside the control of God.It's never outside and he can always use those places that we find ourselves in. [00:11:06] (49 seconds) #SovereignInChaos

He's going to go over to Africa, and he's going to build and be the one who's overseeing some of the things going on there.It's going to be inconvenient.It's going to be uncomfortable.It's going to be unexpected.They don't have dog town there.It's not always the ideal plan that we have put in place, but it's a place that God is calling us.Sometimes it feels very inconvenient, but God's preparing you for something. [00:18:23] (45 seconds) #CalledToTheUncomfortable

That picture of the barn, and we know that the barn life is rough as it is.If we know the barn life stinks, literally smells, is dirty, this is a cave dug into the rocks, just a place to provide a little bit of shelter.This is not the biggest and most prominent thing.Jesus is not lifted up on pride rock like Simba.He's not pointed out with a huge celebration for everyone to come and bow down to Him.He is born where literally almost nobody knows, nobody hears, nobody sees.Not in the place that we would all expect the most important divine human ever to walk this earth. [00:20:31] (67 seconds) #HiddenNativity

The manger shows us, and we see it from the beginning of His life all the way through the entirety of His life.Jesus is humble.He is accessible.There are no barriers around Him.We know the shepherds came and the star was above, and there wasn't a team of security outside keeping them away.Jesus came, and He came in a way that is simple.He lived His life in a way that was simple, that was approachable. [00:21:38] (52 seconds) #JesusIsHumble

He comes to us in a place, and He calls us into His family.Not after we get everything figured out and cleaned up.That's what the table is an opportunity of.It's not that once you figure things out, you're allowed to come in through these doors.It's not that once you remove the sin, you're able to come inside.It's the cliche thing that churches all say, and some of them believe it and some don't.But you come to Jesus as you are.You come to the church as you are.And when you accept Him into your life, when you accept the Holy Spirit into yourself, that's where the change comes from. [00:23:21] (50 seconds) #ComeAsYouAre

Yet, he was the kid who certainly had his times where he fell away from Christ.Where he walked into doing the things that he wanted to do.But he's always found his way back to Christ.And he's had some of the most impactful ministries that I've seen.Not because he's very polished.I've worked with him.He's not always the most polished person.But because he has a huge heart.To show people who Christ is. [00:24:59] (34 seconds) #RedeemedAndUsed

God shows up in unexpected places, and he transforms them into holy places.The spot in Jerusalem, there's now a giant church built over top of it, and there's a silver star on the very spot that Jesus was born.And a lot of people travel back to see that place at Christmastime, and there's really nothing wrong with doing so.But that individual spot is no more special than anywhere else.The place that is the most special is choosing to believe in the Son that was born there.The place that is the most special is when Jesus indwells inside of us.The Holy Spirit living inside of us. [00:28:43] (61 seconds) #GodInUnexpectedPlaces

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