Light of Love
Joseph must have been excited to get married but crushed when he learned his fiancée was pregnant (and he was not the father). After listening to a messenger from God, Joseph was reassured that Mary was miraculously pregnant and would fulfill God’s promise by giving birth to a son who would save his people from their sins. In addition to demonstrating Joseph’s love for God, for Mary, and for her son, his story also demonstrates how God’s love guides us in making decisions for His glory and for the benefit of others.
How has your love for God and others been demonstrated in your decision-making?
How has God’s love moved you to make life-changing decisions for the benefit of others?
An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and reassured him that marrying Mary was the right thing to do (vv.20-21). Has God’s reassurance ever led you to continue moving forward when facing adversity? How did the journey and the outcome impact your faith?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation that was likely to cause you to be ridiculed and/or criticized? How did you respond? How did God’s love influence your decisions in that moment?
Joseph’s reward for being obedient to God wasn’t immediately obvious to others. How have you reacted to being rewarded by God in a way that isn’t immediately noticed or acknowledged by others?
Searching for the Generous Life
Just like modest investments can grow over time, our investment into God's kingdom generates growth and produces eternal dividends. The apostle Paul presented the Macedonian believers as an example of generous giving to the Corinthian church and to us. Let's explore...
Searching for Reconciliation
Confronting others concerning biblical/theological compromise is never easy or pleasant. Such encounters must be handled with sensitivity to the needs of others, directed by spiritual wisdom and the Scriptures, and guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul closed chapter two of...
Searching for Courage
On the surface, hearing God and following His commands seems straightforward. However, when God calls us to do something that generates fear in us and feels daunting, second-guessing His call becomes reasonable. Finding the courage to obey such a call is overwhelming....
Searching for the Abundant Life
Jesus explicitly explained his purpose when He said “…I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). He said similar things many times, and these ideas are repeated, over and over again, by those who wrote the New Testament. Yet many people,...
Searching for Real Friendship
Some relationships may imitate friendship, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Exploring the relationship between David and Jonathan in the Bible, we’ll identify some distinguishing features of friendship that are often overlooked and discover how to infuse...