Grace Community Church
BIG IDEA: The message of Christmas is a message of hope: that Christ is bigger than every difficulty, has overcome every obstacle, and uses us to re-gift that same hope to others.
Luke 2:9-11 (NLT)
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Luke 1:11-13 (NLT)
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
Luke 1:67-70 (NLT)
67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
from the royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
Luke 1:76-78 (NLT)
76 “And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.
Psalm 130:5 (NLT)
5 I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word.
For My Personal Time With God This Week:
[#1] Read Psalm 33:13-22. Identify the "false hopes" that exist in our world today. How do these false hopes fail us?
[#2] Reflect on your typical morning. What do you hope for each day? What happens when the things you hope for fail to happen? How might filling your life with God’s words from the Bible help counteract those feelings of hopelessness when they come?
[#3] Consider signing up to read through the New Testament with us in January and February. Go to www.gracetucson.org/cbe for more details.