Week 22 ~ The Birth of the King

Week of February 24, 2013

Weekly sermon theme:   The Birth of the King

Weekly reading:  pages 309 ~ 316

2 comments:


  1. Point to ponder…

    The journey can be adventurous, and we should enjoy it. But let’s be honest, there is something nice about finally arriving.

    From all over the United States and beyond people visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona so they can feast their eyes on one of the most amazing natural wonders on the face of this planet.

    The thing about the Grand Canyon is that snapshots and videos simply don’t do justice to its grandeur. Friends can try to describe it and artists can paint pictures, but nothing compares with actually breathing in the beauty and breathtaking majesty of it all.

    If you have made this pilgrimage you might have vivid memories of kids in the backseat asking, for the hundredth time, “Are we there yet?” Then, finally, as the moment arrives, all the hours of travel seem like nothing as you stand on the edge of the sheer drop-off and your eyes span the chasm. An almost holy hush falls over those you have traveled with…you stand in awe!

    For the past 21 chapters of The Story we have been on the journey, wondering when we will get there. Today we have arrived. We look into the manager and behold the Lord of Glory, “God with us,” the long-awaited Messiah.

    Let a holy hush fall over your heart. Look closely. This is the One who made the Grand Canyon, the heavens and the earth…and everything in them. God in a manger. We have arrived!

    Think back to a time when you traveled a long way to see someone or something. How did it feel when you finally arrived?

    The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 143.

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  2. Questions to consider…

    1. If someone asked you to explain why you believe that Jesus is both fully man and fully God, how would you draw on these passages to do that?

    2. What things did Mary know about her child even before she conceived (pg. 256)? Why was this important?

    3. In response to her situation, Mary offers a song of praise (pg. 256). Compare Mary’s song of praise to Hannah’s praise song in 1 Sam. 2: 1 – 10. How are these songs similar? Did Mary see herself as part of God’s Lower Story or part of His Upper Story?

    4. Herod was not the first evil ruler to commit, or attempt, infanticide against Hebrew babies. What other examples can you recall? What does this teach you about God’s Upper Story plan of redemption?

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