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Message & Sermon Notes
December 21, 2025
God With Us in the Ordinary
God With Us
God is not just with us in the extraordinary moments, He is with us in the ordinary ones.
Luke 2:1–3 – At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All returned to their ancestral towns to register for this census.
God often works through interruptions we didn’t ask for.
Luke 2:4–5 – 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
Luke 2:6–7 – 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
Luke 2:8–12 – 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:15–16 – 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 1
Luke 2:17-20 – After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Next Steps:
1. Invite God Into Your Everyday Moments
2. Obey God in the Small Things
- Proclaim Jesus in your ordinary moments.
Discussion Questions
1. What does “ordinary” mean to you?
How is God be with us even in those everyday moments?
2. Why do you think God chose to send Jesus during an ordinary time and place?
Mary and Joseph were traveling. The shepherds were working.
What does that tell us about who Jesus came for?
3. Where do you need God’s help this week?
This could be something big or small, a test, a meeting, a friendship, or feeling worried.
4. How can our family obey God in small ways this week?
Talk about simple acts of obedience:
*Kind words
*Forgiveness
*Helping someone
*Spending time with God
5. What is one way we can remember that God is with us every day?
Ideas:
*A short prayer before school or work
*Reading one verse together
*Saying “Thank You, God” before meals
It is the good news of salvation!
God
God is both our sovereign Creator and our righteous judge.
Therefore, we are doubly accountable to Him for all our behavior – word, thought, and deed. (Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 98:9)
Man
Man was created by God, in God’s image, to glorify God and enjoy
Him forever, but man sinned against God by disobeying his holy law. Man, therefore, separated himself from God’s holy and satisfying presence and incurred His wrathful displeasure. (Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23, Romans 1:18)
Jesus
Jesus Christ’s death is the substitute payment for the penalty that we deserve for our sin. His death is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of man’s sin and the appeasement of God’s wrath against him. (Isaiah 53:6, John 3:36, Acts 4:12)
Jesus Christ’s physical resurrection from the dead conquered death and sin. It provides hope for a future resurrection of all believers. Belief in the resurrection is an essential doctrine of Christianity. (1 Corinthians 15)
Response
We are called to respond to this good news in repentance and belief, turning away from our sin and self-sufficiency toward God, and trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as the substitute penalty that we deserved for our sin.(Mark 1:15, Romans 10:9-10)
If you would like to talk more about salvation with someone, fill out a connection card and take it to the welcome desk. Or, send us an email: office@bethanybiblechurch.com
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office@bethanybiblechurch.com
LEAD PASTOR
Seth Westmoreland | seth@bethanybiblechurch.com
WORSHIP DIRECTOR
Jake Losen | jake@bethanybiblechurch.com