Victory Groups

English

God with Us

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • Tell us about someone or something that helped you in a time of loneliness. • Name two people you can call true friends. What made you good friends? • Recall a difficult situation you had to face. Who helped you go through it? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 “𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘭” (𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴). 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟮𝟯 (Read also 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟭𝟴–𝟮𝟮.) The nativity story is familiar to many. But just imagine being there while it was happening. Joseph, in the center of the story, was afraid and must have been confused and shaken to discover that Mary, his betrothed, was already pregnant. An angel appeared to him in a dream, saying this pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit. In fact, Mary had become pregnant to fulfill a prophecy spoken by Isaiah: that the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us”—God had come down to mankind. Joseph’s story shows us three ways that we can still experience Immanuel today. 𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, “𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩, 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥, 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵.” 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟮𝟬 In the time of Joseph and Mary, a betrothal was legally binding. As far as Joseph knew, Mary was an adulterer and could be stoned as punishment for adultery. Instead of exposing her to public disgrace and physical harm, Joseph considered divorcing her quietly. But God drew near to Joseph in this time of anxiety, quieting his fears and assuring him that all of this was part of God’s plan for him and Mary. In the midst of fear and uncertainty, God was with Joseph. Describe one time that God calmed your fears and gave you assurance of His sovereignty. 𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀. “ 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴.” 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟮𝟭 In the dream, the angel told Joseph that Jesus, the son Mary was carrying, would 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴. This was Immanuel—God sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us, so that our sins would not separate us from Him and so we can live in His righteousness. Until today, this is how we know without doubt that God is with us. How have you started seeing God’s forgiveness and sanctifying work in your life? How has your life changed since you put your faith in Christ for salvation? 𝟯. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮: 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 . . .𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟭:𝟮𝟰 Joseph obeyed the Lord, and he and Mary raised Jesus from childhood to manhood. This is one small picture of God being with us, day after day. In fact, He is the 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 (Revelation 22:13). Today, God is with us through the Holy Spirit, day after day, listening, comforting, and teaching us to live holy lives in His grace and mercy. In what ways do you experience God’s presence daily? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • We can take comfort in God’s continuous presence in our lives. How can you pause daily to listen for God’s voice? • Was there a situation where you felt God was not with you? Ask God to revisit the moment with you and remind you that He has been there with you all along, even when you could not sense Him. • How has God’s presence in your life changed the way you live daily? How is this visible to those around you? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God that we can experience His presence with us even today. Pray to hear clearly from Him as you seek Him daily. • Pray that, like Joseph and Mary, you will obey when you hear God’s voice. Pray for His grace to respond in the right way. • Ask God to show you a friend or family member that you can encourage with the truth about God’s presence this week.

The Light to the World

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • What is the light that is most used in your home? Why this light? • Have you had glow-in-the-dark items growing up, or for your kids? Tell the group about them. • What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘐𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵. . . . 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 . . . 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟰–𝟱, 𝟭𝟮 The life in Jesus is eternal life. We normally only view eternal life as the afterlife, or life after death; our existence beyond life on earth. However, eternal life here also describes the quality of life we can live on earth. This life lived in Jesus is the kingdom of God on earth. 𝟭. 𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀. 𝘐𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟰 The kingdom of God on earth is God’s kind of rule, not like worldly governments. The King is caring, yet righteous and just. Within this kingdom, there is forgiveness of sins, salvation, restoration, healing, and freedom from the bondage of the enemy. This is the abundant life God wants for us (John 10:10)—life to the full, a quality of life lived on earth that can only be experienced in Christ. This life in Jesus is the light of men. How is this related to our being the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13–14)? 𝟮. 𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟱 This abundant life in Jesus is the 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵. What does this mean for us? The light that is Jesus helps us navigate this dark world. And better yet, it cannot be overcome! On this earth, there will be uncertainty, anxiety, poverty—but none of these can overcome the light we have in Jesus. How have you experienced Christ’s influence in dark moments? 𝟯. 𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 . . . 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟮 How can we get this eternal life? In his Gospel, John wrote that all who receive Jesus and believe in His name have 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 (John 12:36). As children of light, how can we also bring light to dark places? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • All who receive Jesus and believe in His name have the right to become children of God. Have you received Christ and put your faith in Him for salvation? Ask someone to pray with you to receive eternal life. • Are you in a dark moment in your life right now? Jesus is the light that cannot be overcome by darkness. Pray for God to show you His view of the situation and ask for Him to turn it around. • Think of a friend, family member, or member of your community that is going through a dark time. Ask God what He would like you to do to be a light to this person. 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for the eternal life that is His kingdom on earth. Thank Him for the Church and those around you that have received this light. • Pray to see the kingdom of God on earth lived through His people. Thank God for His grace that empowers us to live according to His word. • Pray for strength and grace as children of light to spread His light to those around you. Ask God for specific ways to be salt and light on earth.

The God of Peace

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • Do you recall a promise given to you as a child? How did you feel when it was fulfilled? • What traits do you admire most in a leader? Tell us why these are important to you. • Is there a time you reconciled with someone you had a misunderstanding with? Share how you felt afterward. 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯, 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳, 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘖𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮, 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘻𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝙄𝙎𝘼𝙄𝘼𝙃 9:6–7 In the midst of what’s happening around the world, it is easy to be troubled. Our minds can quickly get littered with fears, questions, and anxious thoughts. But God—through the birth of Christ—made a beautiful promise of peace (𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘮), which is more than just the absence of conflict or anxiety. It is a place of oneness, wholeness, and safety—the kind that transcends challenges and hard times. Today, we will look at how Jesus, our Messiah, is meant to restore our perfect 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘮 with God and rule over us with justice and righteousness. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯, 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳, 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛 𝟵:𝟲 At a time when there was war and continuous distress, the people of Israel received a promise of a great deliverer. Though that promise seemed distant and impossible, it was fulfilled hundreds of years later (John 1:14). That same promise is for us as well, even today. Though we live in a world that rings of confusion and chaos, Jesus came to save us and rule as the 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦. What does Philippians 4:7 say about the perfect peace of God? How has His peace filled your heart in the midst of confusion and uncertainty? 𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲. 𝘖𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮, 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘻𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛 𝟵:𝟳 Though life is fleeting, God’s kingdom is not. It will continuously grow and spread across the earth through the lives of His people. This kingdom is something we can look forward to, even now, because Jesus came not as a simple herald or messenger of peace. He came to usher in peace as the leader and ruler—the King—of this kingdom. What does Daniel 2:44 say about God’s kingdom? How can we take heart in the face of trials, knowing that we can have God’s ever-increasing peace? 𝟯. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵. "𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥!" 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟮:𝟭𝟰 When Jesus was born, a great host of angels told the shepherds of His birth. And they gave glory to God for the peace that He would bring. God loves us so much that He wants us to experience that peace. It is the peace that only He can give, regardless of the situation we are in. If we put our trust in Christ and believe in Him, His perfect peace will rule in our lives. We are justified by faith and have peace with God. We can also experience peace with ourselves and with others. What do you think true peace would look like in your community? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Is there a promise from God’s word that you are still waiting to see fulfilled? What can you do to remain steadfast in your faith as you wait? • Do you know someone who is battling with anxious thoughts? How can you help that person find peace and rest in God this week? • How have you experienced God’s peace in your life? Share this with someone this week. 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for His perfect peace that came to the earth through Jesus Christ. Thank Him that we can experience the great peace of His kingdom. • Pray for the grace to hold on to God’s promises, no matter how long it may take. Declare God’s rule and reign over your life and family. • Ask God to bring a specific person to mind who may need to experience God’s peace today. Pray for God’s peace that surpasses all understanding to guard this person’s heart and mind.

The God of Hope

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • What is one thing you look forward to every Christmas? Why? • Have you tried planting a seed? What made the waiting period easier? • Tell us about one “expectation versus reality” moment you have experienced. 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘢𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴; 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦.” 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟭𝟮–𝟭𝟯 (Read also 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛 𝟭𝟭:𝟭–𝟭𝟬.) In the face of challenges, it is easy to lose hope and fall into despair. But no matter how impossible or difficult our situations are, there is always hope in God. Isaiah 11:1–10 shows us a beautifully detailed picture of the hope that we can all have through Christ. Hope means that even though things may seem bleak and dreary, we can look ahead in confident expectation of what is to come: the hope of salvation and the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. Today we will look at how Jesus came to bring us hope—for the future, for the present, and even over our past. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘢𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴; 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦.” 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟭𝟮 It is not just the Jews who found hope in Jesus as the long-expected Messiah. His plan for salvation includes the Gentiles—those who do not have a covenant with Him and were considered unclean and unworthy. Instead of seeing a hopeless end, the Gentiles found endless hope in Christ. By extension, we can hold on to the hope that Jesus extends to us—regardless of who we are or what we have done in the past. In your life, how has the hope we have in Christ helped you get through the past year? How can you use that experience to encourage others? 𝟮. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟭𝟯 As we put our trust in God, He fills us with overwhelming joy and peace that surpass all understanding. And He gives us hope that is sure and secure. To hope in Christ is to believe in Him—to look to Him in spite of all the trials we are facing. Our circumstances may look bleaker by the day, but we can always choose to believe His promises and let His hope abound in us. How has God’s joy and peace changed your perspective on things? How have they comforted you in these times? 𝟯. 𝗕𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲. . . . 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟭𝟯 Joy, peace, and hope all come from God. And by the Holy Spirit in us, we can have abundant, overflowing hope. No matter how uncertain the future may seem, we can have hope knowing that He is with us. The hope that we have in Him is greater than whatever we have experienced in the past and whatever we are facing today. What does Psalm 62:5–6 say about the hope we have in Christ? What does Titus 2:12–14 say about your ultimate blessed hope? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Pause and give some thought to where you place your hope. If it is in some place other than God, surrender this to God and pray that He will be your lone source of hope. • What are the things you can rejoice about in your life today? What are you grateful to God for? • Think about those around you—family, friends, acquaintances—who need the hope that Jesus offers. Pray for them to have this hope in the midst of hardship. 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for the eternal hope that He has given us through Jesus Christ. Thank Him that it is for all people in all circumstances and walks of life. • Surrender the small, daily details of your life to God. Thank Him for the abundant hope He gives you through the Holy Spirit. • Thank God for the joy and peace that He makes available to us daily. Pray that you will experience these in full measure each day and share them with others.