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.