Love 
Luke 1:26-38

I. Intro                                                                                                                                         
Big Idea: God offers the burden of His love. 

II. Mary                                                                                                                                         
A. God broke into His broken creation. 
B. God trusted our salvation to a teenage girl. 

III. Favored                                                                                                                                           
A. God’s grace arrives in unexpected ways. 
B. God takes the initiative in revealing His love. 

IV. Conceive                                                                                                                                 
A. We need a perfect, infinite Savior. 
B. Jesus’ conception is unprecedented. 

V. Fulfilled                                                                                                                                         
A. Recognize you need a Savior. 
B. Respond to God’s work on your behalf. 
​
Follow-Up Questions

Why is the virgin conception of Jesus important?
How have you experienced God’s grace in an unexpected way?
How can God’s love be a burden?
In what way(s) does Mary’s example challenge or inspire you?
What’s a specific way you can respond to Luke 1:26-38 through a change of thinking, attitude, or action?

Hope
Luke 2:1-7

I. Intro Big Idea: The truth of Christmas is better than the image.

II. Providence
A. Christmas brings hope into focus. Isaiah 11:1-10; Luke 2:1
B. Christmas causes us to consider God’s timing. Luke 2:2; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 2:10

III. Bethlehem
A. Sometimes we wonder why we must do certain things. Luke 2:3
B. Sometimes we wonder why we’re in certain places. Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4

IV. A Child
A. Christmas can cause us to consider what matters most. Luke 2:5
B. In Christmas God gave us what we need most. Luke 2:6; Revelation 5:9; 13:8

V. Available
A. We can receive God’s gift to us. Luke 2:7a
B. We can make ourselves available for God’s purposes. Luke 2:7b

The Next Step Life Group Follow-Up

• What’s a holiday tradition that brings people closer together?
• What’s something from Sunday’s message on Luke 2:1-7 you hope we talk about as a group?
• How would you describe the difference between Biblical hope and wishful thinking?
• How has believing in Christ changed the way you celebrate Christmas?
• Read 1 Peter 3:15. What’s a way we can prepare to give the reason for the hope that we have in Christ?
• Read Galatians 6:10. How does this verse apply to us as we seek to live differently than those in Bethlehem who no room for Mary and Joseph?
• How can hope in Christ change your attitude and/or actions in a specific way this Christmas? Pray for one another.

Shepherds    
Luke 2:8-15

• Why would the shepherds be terrified by the angel and God’s glory?
• What changed the shepherd’s fear into joy?
• How can we know if God’s favor rests on us?
• What does this story show us about what God values?
• How do we know the shepherd’s faith was genuine?
• How might the shepherd’s next Monday at work been different?

Bethlehem
Micah 5:2-5; Luke 2:1-7

• What do we learn about the way God works from verses 1-3?
• Why Bethlehem?
• Why did Joseph take Mary with him to register for the census?
• What does the detail that there was no guest room available for Joseph and Mary teach us?
• How did Luke know these details about where and how Jesus was born?
• What does Christ’s coming into our world(s) offer us that we need more than anything?
• How can we respond to Luke 2:1-7?

Advent Challenge: 
I encourage you, if you’ve never done it before, to try to memorize the Christmas story found in Luke 2:1-20. The best way to do this, firstly, is to not get nervous. Then, don’t try to memorize it word for word – but focus on remembering the story. Read it once out loud. Then try to retell it out loud without looking. If you miss a part, who cares. Then read it again, considering the parts you forgot. Then try to recall it from memory again. If you read and recite it three times a day in one sitting (actually, standing or walking works best) – before you know it, you’ll discover details you never noticed or considered before. And eventually, you’ll have the story, or more importantly, it will have you.

Prophecy
Luke 1:26-38

• What’s the significance of God sending Gabriel to an out of the way place like Nazareth?
• Why would Gabriel’s greeting be troubling to Mary?
• What evidence from this story do we have that Jesus is unique, or God in the flesh?
• Why can’t anyone else, besides Mary, describe her baby as holy?
• How does this story help us understand about what it means to have Jesus as our King?
• What’s the difference between Zechariah’s response to Gabriel’s announcement that he would have a son, and how Mary responded?
• What was so great about Mary?
• What difference does the virgin birth make to you this Christmas? 

 
The Next Step Life Group Follow-Up

• What’s your favorite Christmas carol or song? 
• What part of Luke 1:26-38 resonates with you? 
• What’s something that distracts you from Christ at Christmas? 
• Why do you think Gabriel told Mary a couple of times that she was favored or that God was with her? What does his message help you understand about God’s grace in our lives? 
• How is Jesus, as King, different from our elected officials? 
• How can we respond to God’s Word the way Mary did?

• If you were to describe the importance of virgin birth to someone, what would you say? 

• Whose Christmas can you ruin, in a good way, by sharing Jesus with them in word or actions? Pray for them, and one another.