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Walk in Hope

Walk in Hope

We’re going to look at 3 shafts of light from the Christmas story that will help us to walk in hope in 2021.

Luke 1:26-28

  1. You are highly favoured
    • At this point Mary had done nothing to make her worthy of the favour of God, but God chose her and this is grace in action.
    • The bible tells us that all have sinned but no matter what we’ve done we can walk in hope because of the grace of God, because of Jesus.
    • It’s always grace first, the angel tells Mary that she is highly favoured, before anything else happens in the Christmas story.
    • God says the same to us – you are highly favoured, you’re the child of the most high, you are special. Before anything else we start with the grace of God,
    • What God says matters more than what man says, Mary would have faced a lot of ridicule from those around her. But God’s words ‘you are highly favoured’, carried her through the difficulties.
    • In our life there will be people who will say one thing one day and something else another, people will let us down or only want something in return, but what God says matters more than man.
    • We walk in hope firstly by knowing we are highly favoured.

Luke 1:29-33

  1. God’s plan is the greater plan
    • Mary was engaged to Joseph, she was getting married and doing things right, but God interrupts that good plan with a greater plan.
    • The angel says to Mary don’t be afraid, though your plans have been changed God has a better plan and his name is Jesus.
    • We need to hold onto this truth, that God’s plan is greater than ours. This year, has been scary and brought uncertainty and our plans were completely thrown out the window, but we can walk in hope because God’s plan is greater and Jesus reigns and his kingdom will never end (verse 33).

Luke 1:34-35

  1. The Holy Spirit is at work
    • We see the Holy Spirit at work throughout the Christmas story.
    • This should give us great hope for 2021, he’s at work, he’s guiding, leading and making a difference.
    • The challenge is that we don’t always see this straight away, but we can have hope knowing that he is at work. We may not understand and it may be confusing, but the Holy Spirit is at work.

Let’s walk in hope, being guided by these shafts of light:

  • You are loved and highly favoured
  • God’s plan is greater than your plan
  • The Holy Spirit is at work