About This Guide
The online groups guide is designed as a teaching series companion to foster discussion, study, and prayer, especially in a group setting.
Join a weekly group for a meaningful way to connect to our community.
pdf download
Download this PDF to help you make a plan to follow Jesus in your everyday life, including diagnostic questions to help get you started.
Pickup a print version at our weekly in-person Sunday gatherings.
more Resources
Explore a curated online collection of recommended practices and resources to pursue presence, formation, and love in your life.
Questions about the series or looking for a way to get involved? Contact us.
Love
Teaching Text: Luke 1: 26-56
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. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 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. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Themes
Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:
Though it linger.
Presence
Watch or listen to the sermon. Then take a moment of silence and think about these questions:
Ask God to open your heart and mind to understand Ephesians anew as we start this season.
Thank Him for the blessings He has given you already, even those you might be unaware of.
What emotion would you say God feels when He thinks of you?
In Zephaniah 3:17 The prophecy speaks of the restoration of God that will be realized through Christ:
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love, He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Can you for a moment meditate on this as God’s posture and emotion over you?
It may seem contradictory to how you feel He should feel about you, but this is the reality - because of Christ - that we have, no matter our failures, or feelings. Also not because of our accomplishments, good works, or triumphs.
Formation
Thoughts and notes you can use for discussion:
As we consider this on the Advent morning I want to ask a straight forward question this morning.
What has your attention?
What does your mind go to during the day?
Political conflict
News Headlines
World cup
Family drama
Christmas plans
State of your relationships
Financial challenges?
Health?
“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. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you”.” – Luke 1 v 26 -28
Luke is locating us and each of those details tell us a story.
I think it is important for us to remember this is how we are invited to also witness these world changing events. Enmeshed in the every day. Barely recognized at first. Seen by only a few.
This is how God is Born
How Joy is Sparked
How Worship is Shaped
See how much identity is in this and then how much surrender…
Identity - the connection between surrender, identity, and names
Mary is told she is highly favored.
She is told that God is with her
She is told, Do Not Be Afraid
She is also told the identity of Jesus
Jesus - The Lord is Savior or Salvation is from the Lord - Yeshua
He will be the Son of God
He is the awaited Messiah
Surrender - God is born in the world when "no Word from God will ever fail" meets "may your word to me be fulfilled”
There is a compounding God-life that is flooding the world because of this surrender.
Joy is sparked …
When we take action on what God has spoken to us - Mary got ready and hurried
Obedience
When we share the experience of God's in-breaking - when we dont try to do this alone - at their meeting they are met by the Holy Spirit
Community
When God fills us with His Spirit
- Father Cantalamesa - Alpha - Even This Week - when God shows up in a place it is astonishing
The forerunner and The Messiah - both long promised by God and the Spirit is filling and their is joy
The world can do pleasure. But its most often in diminishing returns, which creates a scarcity mindset and irritation even among the wealthy. The world doesn't really do joy. Joy is a gift from God. It can be experienced as a gift by anyone, but it becomes the inheritance of His Children by faith.
But if you want a secret of accessing places of Joy, You can try gratitude.
Gratitude is one way to make a practice of joy.
What has your attention?
What are you cooperating with? Surrender to God’s promise?
Where do you need a journey or obedience?
What are you worshiping? Attention, affection, devotion? Our own comfort?
Love
Read these notes and discuss the questions below:
How can you practice practical gratitude This Christmas?
Who has God placed in your life that has been a gift of grace on your life’s journey? Make some time to show gratitude to those people.
Who has God placed in your life that has brought challenges to your journey? God uses even these people to shape our character and journeys. Which hard circumstances can you still find crumbs of gratitude in?
