What About The Sheep?

I walked us back into Luke 2 and asked a question I’ve never really asked out loud: what about the sheep? We always talk about Mary, Joseph, angels, and wise men—but the shepherds had flocks that represented their livelihood, identity, and security. Scripture says they were guarding those sheep when heaven interrupted their routine. In a moment of holy disruption, fear rose—but the angel reframed it as an invitation to joy. The part that won’t leave me: they left. They didn’t know who’d watch the sheep. They didn’t know what would be there when they returned. They simply trusted that the invitation was worth the risk.

I pressed us on how we’re counting this time of year—losses, gains, disappointments, even people who left or stayed. The shepherds stopped counting sheep and started trusting a Savior. Joy isn’t something you chase; it’s Someone you receive. I defined joy as obeying Yahweh—responding to Jesus’ invitation—even when it disrupts your well-guarded field. Then we named joy’s order: Jesus, Others, You. Joy starts when Jesus is central, not supplemental. He’s not a helpful add-on; He’s the center you orbit. And joy grows when it overflows to others—the shepherds couldn’t keep quiet. Everyone who heard was astonished.

We also grappled with favor. Favor doesn’t always feel fair or convenient. Mary’s timing, Elizabeth’s years, the shepherds’ interrupted shift—none of it felt efficient. But favor is God’s presence with you, not ease for you. The shepherds went back to the same fields, but they weren’t the same people—praising and glorifying God. Sometimes the miracle isn’t a changed circumstance; it’s a changed you.

Finally, I shared how Jesus later names Himself: the Good Shepherd. The story isn’t just about shepherds who left; it’s about who they became—sheep who know the Shepherd’s voice. That means the One you followed cares about what you left, more than you do. He lays His life down for the flock. So yes, go back to your field—but go back different. Before anything around you changes, decide that your response will. Count it all joy—not because everything is tidy, but because Jesus is with you in every season, inviting you into a deeper trust and a wider love.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Stop counting sheep; start trusting joy. Joy frays when it depends on what you can guard. The shepherds released their metrics, their math, and their control to receive a Person. Joy isn’t the outcome of management; it’s the fruit of surrender. Let Jesus be received, not chased. [16:57]
• 2. Baby faith risks the familiar field. They left security, provision, and identity to pursue a promise they couldn’t verify. Faith often looks reckless to the part of you that worships predictability. The invitation of heaven is too costly to calculate, and too precious to miss. Risk what you know to meet who you need. [14:41]
• 3. Joy starts when Jesus is central. We tend to add Jesus to our field; the shepherds re-centered their lives around Him. Joy deepens when Christ is not an accessory but the axis. Make Him the organizing principle of your calendar, choices, and hopes—not an inspirational upgrade. [20:04]
• 4. Share joy so others are astonished. The shepherds didn’t hoard the news; they spread it until wonder awakened in others. Joy grows by expression, not preservation. Someone’s living on artificial joy, waiting for your story to open their eyes to the real thing. Speak what you’ve seen. [21:19]
• 5. Go back the same place, different. They returned to their flocks, praising. Sometimes God doesn’t change the field; He changes you for the field. Worship before outcomes reframes work, worry, and waiting into witness. Go back with a new song. [32:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:47] - Luke 2: The sign given
• [04:55] - Prayer and setting the tone
• [07:21] - How joyful are you really?
• [09:34] - Counting sheep and security
• [12:28] - Fear of what following costs
• [14:41] - Baby faith risks the familiar
• [16:57] - From chasing joy to receiving
• [20:04] - JOY: Jesus at the center
• [21:19] - Others: joy that overflows
• [24:02] - When favor doesn’t feel fair
• [26:15] - From shepherds to sheep
• [29:26] - Meet the Good Shepherd
• [30:38] - Believing is the hardest part
• [32:41] - Go back different, praising

1. In Luke 2:8-9, what were the shepherds doing when heaven interrupted them, and how does the text describe their first reaction?
2. What exact “sign” did the angels give, and what did the shepherds actually find when they arrived in Bethlehem (Luke 2:12, 16)?
3. After seeing Jesus, what two things did the shepherds do before and after returning to their fields (Luke 2:17, 20)?
4. “What about the sheep?” If the shepherds left their flocks, what practical risks would that have posed to their livelihood, security, and identity? ([09:34])

1. If encountering God can feel terrifying because it disrupts what we hold dear, why might God allow that kind of holy disruption when we’re guarding our “fields”? ([09:34])
2. “Joy isn’t something you chase; it’s Someone you receive.” What shifts when joy is received in relationship with Jesus rather than managed by counting or controlling outcomes? ([16:57])
3. If joy begins when Jesus is central, not supplemental, what does it practically mean to make Him the “organizing principle” of a life rather than an add-on? ([20:04])
4. If favor is God’s presence with you, not ease for you, how should that reshape expectations when timing feels late or the assignment feels inconvenient? ([24:02])

1. Name your “sheep.” What are you currently guarding for livelihood, identity, or security (money, reputation, routine, relationships)? What is one small, concrete risk of obedience you sense the Lord inviting you to take this week? ([12:28])
2. Where are you chasing joy by managing outcomes or tracking metrics (approval, numbers, dollars, likes)? What would it look like to posture yourself to receive joy each morning this week—choose one simple practice (open-handed prayer, releasing a metric, 5 minutes of silence before your phone)? ([16:57])
3. Re-center your week: looking at your actual calendar, what is one meeting, habit, or plan you will rearrange to put Jesus at the center rather than an add-on? Be specific about the change and when you’ll do it. ([20:04])
4. Overflow to others: who is one person living on “artificial joy” that you can share your Jesus story with? What will you say, and when will you reach out? Put a name and a time. ([21:19])
5. Favor reframed: where does God’s favor not feel fair or on time in your life (family, health, career, timing)? How will you practice trusting His presence over convenience this week—what short prayer of release will you carry into that space? ([24:02])
6. Go back different: identify one “field” you need to return to this week (work, home, a strained relationship). What “new song” of praise or gratitude will you carry into it before anything changes? Write the actual words you’ll say to the Lord when you step back into that field. ([32:41])
7. The Good Shepherd cares: what have you been afraid to leave unattended because it feels too costly? How will you entrust that to the Good Shepherd who knows and cares more than you do? Write one sentence that names the fear and one sentence that names your trust. ([29:26])