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.