Virtual Nativity: Shepherds

Series: Virtual Nativity

Shepherds by John Burke, December 23, 2007


1. Merry Christmas! Since this is a Christmas message, we'll talk about both the first Christmas and our own Christmas experiences. So, what HAVE your own Christmas' been like. Take some time to share each of your faviorite Christmas memory/memories: anticipations, preparations, traditions, feelings, events... whatever you think of as something special and good about Christmas. (10 minutes)

2. So often Christmas can stir up both good and bad memories- but since we are focusing on the good - think about your own "favorite" for a minute and then think about why that "feeling" never lasts. The theme of this week's Cristmas message was coming home. John pointed out that even when things are good, we all often have a persistent longing for real home. In what ways can our homes in this life can be different from what we think real "home" SHOULD be like? Do you long for that kind of home? (10 minutes)

3. As part of the service, we heard from some "shepherds" who had gotten the message about the Messiah's birth from the angel. They talked about feeling like they had arrived "home" when they came to the stable where Jesus had just been born, but being afraid to really go "home". First, discuss the message from the angles and the whole story of what, who, when, and where of that first Christmas. There are a LOT of surprising things about this call to come home. What are the surprising things you see? Discuss this for a while and then talk about WHY you think God may have set up these surprising events in the way He did. (10 - 15 minutes)

4. John talked about how Jesus came here to allow us to come home to our Father God. While we can't really have all our perfect home in this life, discuss different ways that our life here can be like being "home" when we are connected to God. Then take some time to reflect individually on any ways you think God is calling you to experinece more of his home... or maybe for you to open the door to his family by commiting to be "adopted" through Jesus. End by giving God thanks for His surprising way of calling us home. (10 minutes)

Bible verses from the message:

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time…to bring you safely home to God.
1 Peter 3:18

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity…He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.”
Micah 5:2, 5

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him…We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’
Luke 15:20-24

Get more - go further:

You can search for related books on-line at the Gateway Bookstore or look for books at the "reality" bookstore in the "Garage".

Remember - each Sunday's message is available by 5 PM on the day of the message. Past messages are also available for listening and download. Just go to Gateway's Sunday Messages. Free CD's of the messages will be available after the services at Gateway the following Sunday.

Virtual Nativity: Wise men

Series: Virtual Nativity
Wise Men by Ted Beasley, December 16, 2007

1. This Virtual Nativity series has challenged us to think about the Christmas story with new eyes. One of the things Ted challenged us with at the beginning of his message is to be real about our doubts. So before we get into a discussion of the wise men, let’s talk about doubts. Often it is in asking questions that we get new eyes to see things differently, and questions also can be a route to greater faith. Think for a minute about your own doubts. What do you have questions about… particularly anything about the Christmas story? If you are in a group, see if you can identify what are any common questions/doubts people have? (And please remember, that it’s OK to have questions – and OK to respond to them, but don’t get de-railed into trying to ask or answer every question. The point here is to understand what are ours and other’s common issues – not to silence or answer them. There will be more discussion about doubts later.). (5 – 10 minutes)

2. Ted gave us a very different look at the Magi than we typically see. Let’s do some more re-imaging of our picture of the wise men. Take about 5 minutes to make a list of different impressions you’ve had of the Magi. Next, go through the list and note which are “fact” (at least from a historical or biblical perspective) and which are “fiction”. If there are any “facts” that are particularly surprising, be sure to note that. (5 – 10 minutes)

3. Ted gave an amazing explanation of the “star of Bethlehem” that guided the wise men to Jesus (for anyone who did not get to hear the message – It would be worth 5 minutes to explain the details to them about the three convergence of planets that took place in 7 B.C.). For some people, getting answers to confounding questions about the Bible and faith is something that strengthens their willingness to trust. What about you? Have you had an issue with something in the Bible that you struggled with, but then had resolved with new/more information? Take some time to talk about that… particularly any that are related to some of the questions/doubts raised in Question #1. (15 minutes)

4. Take some time to think more about the Maji. What might have been their motivation? What might have been their thoughts and emotions at different stages in the journey? What made them take a large journey across the desert? It’s just speculation, but try to get different perspectives on what was motivating these “seekers”. (10 – 15 minutes)

5. Ted challenged us at the end to think about how WE respond to information about the birth of Jesus. He used the examples of the King Herod, the Jewish religious leaders, and the Maji, noting how each responded.

• King Herod: Did not want to give up his control to a new King
• Religious leaders: Were too preoccupied with their religious practice go to a real, living King
• The Maji: Would go to any lengths to find the this King

What about you? What is your reaction to the new born King this Christmas? If you are hearing God speak to you about this, write down what you hear, and then ask for His help in following and finding. (5 minutes)

Have a blessed Christmas!

Bible verses from the message:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, / are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; / for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2: 1 – 12

The oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”
Numbers 24: 16 – 17

Get more - go further:

You can search for related books on-line at the Gateway Bookstore or look for books at the "reality" bookstore in the "Garage".

Remember - each Sunday's message is available by 5 PM on the day of the message. Past messages are also available for listening and download. Just go to Gateway's Sunday Messages. Free CD's of the messages will be available after the services at Gateway the following Sunday.

Virtual Nativity: Joseph

Series: Virtual Nativity
Joseph by Ted Beasley, December 9, 2007

In this message, Ted painted a picture of a “life interrupted”: In so many ways, Joseph’s life did not turn out as he had probably planned it. That will be the theme for this discussion too: How have our lives been interrupted and how do we respond?

1. Start by getting Joseph into better focus. What is our “typical” view of Joseph? DO we even HAVE much of a view of Joseph? Talk about that and talk generally about what he might have been like. (5 – 10 minutes)

2. As Ted said, Joseph was real flesh and blood… a very young man who surely had ideas about the kind of life he would live and build for himself. Life sure turned out differently. Ted focused on three areas where Joseph’s plans tanked: His plan for love, his plan for comfort, and his plan for vocation. Take a look at these and then think about your own life. Think about the point where you felt like your “adult” life was just about to start (you were likely a bit older than Joseph, since people “grew up early” then). What did you think your life would be like in terms of love, comfort, and/or work… or something else that you had a plan for?

a. If you are in a group, pair off and take some time to describe to each other a few of the key features of your plan/life vision at that point. (10 minutes)

b. Still in pairs, take a minute to select one aspect of your “plan” that turned out differently than you thought, and then describe what happened and why. In addition to the events, describe how you thought/felt about the change of plans, both then and now. (10 minutes)

c. Next, look back at that one aspect of your plans and see whether you can see God’s hand in the change of direction – either in the change of direction itself or in the outcome. Talk about that with your discussion partner. How/why do you think God was involved? When did you see it that way? (10 minutes)

3. If you’ve paired off, discuss this next question in the group as a whole. Given that things did not turn out as Joseph planned, what might he have said about how it DID turn out? Do you think he would say the interruption was “worth it”? (Clearly Joseph would have thought it was worth it, but try to use your paired discussion about your own life as a basis to talk about the different ways God worked through the interruptions in Joseph's life.) How about most of us… how do we humans typically respond when our plans get detoured by life? What is different between Joseph and most of the rest of us? (5 – 10 minutes)

4. Close by bring it up to the present and reflect individually on some of Ted’s questions from the message. Have you had an interruption in your life this past year? Are you in the middle of one now? Do you think God might be trying to say something to you in this? Do you want to hear? These are tough questions, but think about them and try to write a short list ways you can view your own interruptions differently. Thank God for what He can do through this – or if that doesn’t feel real, ask Him to help you see and appreciate His purposes. (5 minutes)

Bible verses from the message

Those who love their life will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:25

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
John 12: 27 – 29

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.
Matthew 1:18 – 21, 24 – 25

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:2 – 4

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world . . . And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1, 3 – 7

Get more - go further:

You can search for related books on-line at the Gateway Bookstore or look for books at the "reality" bookstore in the "Garage".

Remember - each Sunday's message is available by 5 PM on the day of the message. Past messages are also available for listening and download. Just go to Gateway's Sunday Messages. Free CD's of the messages will be available after the services at Gateway the following Sunday.

Virtual Nativity: Mary - Humility

Series: Virtual Nativity
Mary - Humility by John Burke, December 2, 2007

As we begin this series on the birth of Jesus, John focused on Mary. Often we don’t look at her as a real person… but let’s try to do that. What was it like for Mary to get such a big surprise? Clearly it must have come as a shock to Mary to hear that she would become pregnant and that God’s plan was that she be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. Let’s take a look Mary and then how we deal with the unexpected in our own lives. In this discussion, you’ll be doing some switching back and forth between Mary’s life and your own. (There are more questions here than usual – but they all have the same theme and many will build on one experience in your life – so the discussion of later questions may not take as long as the early ones. It will be helpful to glance through the questions before you begin.)

1. Start with Mary. Try to put yourself in her sandals: an unmarried teen-ager in a Jewish town, engaged to a really nice guy. Now, as Mary, who are the different people you are going to have to deal with over this new development in your life? Your mother? Your father? Your extended family? Joseph? Your Rabbi? The lady next door? Pick one of these or others who as Mary, you might have to tell your news to. How are you going to tell them? What do you think will be their reaction? (If it would be helpful, read the passage in the Bible that gives some details about what happened to Mary in Luke 1 and 2.) (10 minutes)

2. Next, explore your own surprises. Think back at your life: Have you ever gotten some really big new that would genuinely change your life? Did it seem like a “good thing” or a “bad thing” at the time? What kinds of things went through your mind? What were your emotions? Share about this in the group as you are comfortable. (10 minutes)

3. In Mary’s case, things did not turn out the way she might have expected when Gabriel came with the news that her life would change. What were differences in what she might have expected and what actually happened? (5 minutes)

4. Now, looking back at your own event from Question 2, did things turn out differently than you expected at the time? If so, in what ways? Briefly share your “outcomes”. (10 minutes)

5. What things happened during this challenging part of Mary’s life (her pregnancy and the time around Jesus’ birth and infancy) that indicate that God was taking care of her?. (If you know more about Mary’s story, and time allows, go ahead and consider other ways that God “cared” for her during other troubled times in her life?) (5 – 10 minutes)

6. As you look back to the point that was a change in your life, can you see any signs that God was caring for you? In what ways? Again, share any thoughts/insights in the group. (10 – 15 minutes)

7. Close by looking at Mary’s reaction to big news, and your own. As John said in the message, Mary was amazingly open to what God had in mind for her. So often we don’t respond with such willingness. Take some time to reflect on this personally. Based on Mary’s experience and your own, how would you like to respond to the unexpected in your life? Is there anything in your life, right now – whether big or small, that you can view differently as you think about the way God cared for Mary and for you? Ask God to give you the perspective you want on this and any other current events in your life and think of a way to help keep that perspective. Share about this as time permits. (5 – 10 minutes)

Bible verses from this message:

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses…since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Luke 1:1-4

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you…Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38

“In the future [God] will honor Galilee…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
Isaiah 9:1, 6-7

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months.
Luke 1:46-56

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him… He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited…the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
Isaiah 11:1-4, 10

[Lord] I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”…Then he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Luke 2:31-35

See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up…his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness… He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering …he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 49:13-53:5

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it infants who live but a few days.
Isaiah 65:18-20

Get more - go further:

You can search for related books on-line at the Gateway Bookstore or look for books at the "reality" bookstore in the "Garage".

Remember - each Sunday's message is available by 5 PM on the day of the message. Past messages are also available for listening and download. Just go to Gateway's Sunday Messages. Free CD's of the messages will be available after the services at Gateway the following Sunday.