A warm evening on a rooftop in the Dominican Republic, a long-awaited conference about to begin, and phones suddenly glowing red with notifications from the night of 24 February. From that memory the sermon turns to Joseph of Nazareth, a man whose plans collapsed and who heard in a dream: do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife (Matthew 1). It shows how God often steps into our lives in ways we cannot make sense of, in circumstances that at first look nothing like good news, and how faith and obedience belong to that relationship from the very start. Listen if your year has not turned out the way it was meant to.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The sermon explained that Joseph had three options: expose Mary to public disgrace, stay with her and share the shame, or quietly divorce her. What does his choice reveal about him as a righteous man?
- The angel tells Joseph the child will be named Jesus, meaning "the Lord saves," and calls him Immanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:21-23). What do these two names tell us about who Jesus is?
- When Joseph wakes up, he does what the angel commanded, even though he probably understands very little. What helps you obey God when His way seems harder than your own sensible plan?
- The sermon opened with the words "this is not how we imagined this year." In what unexpected or difficult situation from recent times can you now see God at work?
- The speaker stressed that everyone who meets Jesus has to decide: believe and obey Him, or live their own way. In what specific area of your life is that decision hardest for you right now?
- Gift packages with conversion stories were delivered to addiction recovery centers. Who could you tell this week about what God has done in your life, and how will you go about it?
