Summary of this week's sermon
Every week we want to have a 5 day devotional recapping our previous sermon so we can grow deeper together.
This Sunday Pastor Colt began our series for Christmas entitled, "Through the Eyes of." This is week we are looking at Mary and Joseph.
Day 1: When God Interrupts Your Plans
Devotional
Life has a way of throwing curveballs when we least expect them. You've mapped out your year, maybe even your next five years, and then something happens that completely derails everything you thought you knew about your future. A job loss, a health diagnosis, an unexpected opportunity, or a calling that seems impossible to fulfill. Mary understood this disruption intimately. She was a young woman with plans - likely preparing for marriage, dreaming of a simple life in Nazareth. Then an angel appeared with news that would turn her world upside down. She would carry the Son of God, facing potential death by stoning in her culture for appearing to commit adultery. Yet in that moment of complete disruption, Mary discovered something profound: God's interruptions aren't accidents. They're invitations. When our carefully constructed plans crumble, it's often because God has something far greater in mind than we could ever imagine. The beautiful truth is that God doesn't waste our disruptions. He uses them to position us for His purposes. That unexpected change in your life might feel like chaos, but it could be the very thing God wants to use to bring hope and redemption not just to your story, but to others around you. Today, instead of fighting the disruption, what if you asked God to help you see it through His eyes? What if this interruption is actually His invitation to trust Him in a deeper way?
Bible Verse
'In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.' - Luke 1:26-27
Reflection Question
What current disruption or unexpected change in your life might actually be God's invitation to trust Him in a new way?
Quote
Christmas didn't begin with these lights and songs and nativity scenes we see out everywhere. It actually began with a disruption of their plans, fear and God asking two ordinary young people to trust him. In an extraordinary way.
Prayer
Lord, when my plans get interrupted and my world feels turned upside down, help me to see Your hand at work. Give me the courage to trust that Your interruptions are actually Your invitations to something greater. Help me to surrender my need for control and embrace Your perfect timing. Amen.
Day 2: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Calling
Devotional
Have you ever felt like God couldn't possibly use someone like you? Maybe you look at your background, your mistakes, your limitations, and think you're too ordinary for God to work through. If so, you're in good company with Mary and Joseph. Mary wasn't a princess or a priest's daughter. She was a teenager from a small, insignificant town. Joseph was a carpenter - a blue-collar worker with calloused hands. Neither had theological degrees or impressive resumes. They were as ordinary as they come. Yet God chose them for the most extraordinary task in human history: raising His Son. This reveals something beautiful about God's character - He doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called. He doesn't look for perfection; He looks for availability. Your ordinariness isn't a disqualification; it's your qualification. God loves to use regular people because when extraordinary things happen through ordinary lives, everyone knows it's God at work, not human achievement. Maybe you're a student wondering if God could use you. Perhaps you're a parent feeling overwhelmed by daily responsibilities. Or you might be someone who feels forgotten in the crowd. God sees you. He knows your name. And He has extraordinary plans for your ordinary life. The same God who chose a teenage girl and a carpenter to change the world is still choosing ordinary people today. The question isn't whether you're qualified enough - it's whether you're willing to say yes.
Bible Verse
'But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus."' - Luke 1:30-31
Reflection Question
In what ways has God already been working through your 'ordinary' life that you might have overlooked or taken for granted?
Quote
God calls ordinary people to extraordinary obedience.
Prayer
Father, thank You for choosing ordinary people like me for Your extraordinary purposes. Help me to see myself the way You see me - not as inadequate, but as perfectly positioned for Your plans. Give me the confidence to step into the calling You have for my life, knowing that You will equip me for everything You ask of me. Amen.
Day 3: Questions Don't Offend God
Devotional
When the angel told Mary she would conceive and bear a son, she didn't just nod and smile. She asked a very practical question: 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?' Mary's honest inquiry reveals something crucial about faith - it doesn't mean the absence of questions. Too often, we think that having questions means we lack faith. We worry that our doubts will disappoint God or that asking 'how' or 'why' shows weakness. But Mary's story teaches us the opposite. Her question wasn't born from unbelief; it came from a desire to understand how she could participate in God's plan. God welcomes our questions because He knows that wrestling with Him often leads to deeper trust. Think about the questions you've been afraid to ask: 'God, why did this happen?' 'How can You use this mess?' 'Where are You in my pain?' These aren't signs of weak faith - they're signs of a relationship that's real enough to be honest. The difference between Mary's question and doubt is the heart behind it. She wasn't questioning God's ability or goodness; she was seeking understanding about her role in His plan. When we bring our questions to God with humble hearts, seeking to understand rather than to challenge, we often find that the process of questioning actually strengthens our faith. Your questions matter to God. He's big enough to handle your doubts, strong enough to withstand your wrestling, and loving enough to meet you in your uncertainty. Don't let unanswered questions keep you from moving forward in faith.
Bible Verse
'"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"' - Luke 1:34
Reflection Question
What honest questions have you been afraid to bring to God, and how might sharing them with Him actually deepen your relationship?
Quote
Questions don't offend God.
Prayer
God, thank You for being big enough to handle all my questions and doubts. Help me to bring my uncertainties to You with an open heart, seeking understanding rather than demanding answers. Give me the courage to be honest about my struggles while maintaining trust in Your goodness and plan. Amen.
Day 4: One Step At A Time
Devotional
We live in a culture that demands five-year plans, detailed roadmaps, and clear outcomes before we're willing to take the first step. But God rarely works that way. When He called Mary and Joseph into His plan, He didn't give them a complete blueprint - just the next step. Mary knew she would have a baby, but she didn't know about the journey to Bethlehem, the flight to Egypt, or watching her son die on a cross. Joseph knew to take Mary as his wife, but he couldn't see the challenges ahead. God gave them just enough light for the next step, and that was enough. This is how God often works in our lives too. We want to see the whole staircase, but God only illuminates the next step. We want guarantees about the outcome, but God asks us to trust His character instead. This isn't because God enjoys keeping us in the dark - it's because walking by faith, one step at a time, develops the kind of trust that can weather any storm. When we demand to see the whole plan before we obey, we're essentially telling God that His trustworthiness depends on our understanding. But faith means trusting God's heart when we can't see His hand. It means saying yes to what we can see while trusting Him with what we can't. Today, instead of waiting for complete clarity about your future, ask God to show you just the next step. That's all you need to move forward in faith. One step of obedience often reveals the next step more clearly than hours of planning ever could.
Bible Verse
'The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."' - Luke 1:35
Reflection Question
What is the one next step God is asking you to take, even if you can't see the complete path ahead?
Quote
God only gives us one piece of his plan at a time.
Prayer
Lord, help me to trust You one step at a time. When I'm tempted to demand the whole plan before I move forward, remind me that Your ways are higher than mine. Give me the courage to take the next step You're showing me, trusting that You'll provide the next step when I need it. Amen.
Day 5: Surrender That Changes Everything
Devotional
Mary's response to God's impossible plan has echoed through history: 'I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.' In that moment, a teenage girl's surrender changed the course of human history. Her 'yes' made room for Jesus to enter the world. Surrender isn't passive resignation - it's active trust. Mary wasn't giving up; she was giving in to something greater than herself. She was choosing to trust God's character over her circumstances, His plan over her preferences, His timing over her timeline. We often think surrender means losing something, but Mary's story shows us that surrender actually makes room for God to do the impossible. When we stop clinging to our own plans and open our hands to God's purposes, we create space for miracles. Maybe you're carrying something heavy today - a burden you didn't ask for, a responsibility that feels overwhelming, a calling that seems impossible. What if that very thing is where God wants to birth hope? What if your surrender to His plan, even when it's scary and unclear, is exactly what He wants to use to bring redemption to your story and others? Surrender doesn't guarantee an easy path, but it guarantees God's presence on the journey. When we say 'yes' to God before we understand everything, we position ourselves to experience His power in ways we never thought possible. Your surrender today could be the very thing that makes room for Jesus to work in and through your life in extraordinary ways.
Bible Verse
'"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her.' - Luke 1:38
Reflection Question
What area of your life is God asking you to surrender to Him, and what might He want to birth through your 'yes'?
Quote
What if your surrender is actually just to make room for Jesus in your life?
Prayer
Father, like Mary, I want to say 'yes' to Your plans even when I don't understand them completely. Help me to surrender my will to Yours, my plans to Your purposes, and my fears to Your faithfulness. Use my surrender to make room for You to work in ways I never imagined. May Your will be done in my life. Amen.