CrossWinds Church - Spirit Lake Campus
Matthew 1:18-25 - What Does Joseph Teach Us About Courage At Christmas?
Christmas is a hard time of year. Many find themselves alone and without family. Sometimes families don’t gather because of friction between relatives. Christmas is not for cowards. It takes courage. Join us as we learn the story of Joseph and see what he teaches us about finding courage at Christmas.
Locations & Times
CrossWinds Church | Spirit Lake, IA
2805 Erie Ave, Spirit Lake, IA 51360, USA
Sunday 8:15 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
What is the background on Joseph’s life?
A. Joseph was a carpenter. (Mark 6:3)
B. The last time we heard from Joseph was when Jesus was 12 years old.
C. Joseph most likely died before Jesus’ ministry began. (John 19:26)
Mary had an unexpected change in her plans.
There were two-stages in a Jewish wedding. The Kuddushin period was the engagement. The Huppa was the marriage ceremony.
Why does it take courage to have Jesus in my life?
1. If I am going to have Jesus in my life, I must have the courage to be shamed for Jesus.
2. If I am going to have Jesus in my life, I need to have the courage to let Jesus be in control.
3. If I am going to have Jesus in my life, I need the courage to obey God’s words, even when they are hard.
Asking Jesus into my life will take courage.
- I must be willing to have the world laugh at me because of Jesus.
- I must be willing to give up control of my life and let Jesus be in charge.
- I must be willing to obey what God asks, even when it is hard.
- I must be willing to have the world laugh at me because of Jesus.
- I must be willing to give up control of my life and let Jesus be in charge.
- I must be willing to obey what God asks, even when it is hard.
Where did Joseph find the courage to take Mary and Jesus into his life?
I think that when Joseph realized Mary courageously sacrificed her life to be willing to give birth to Jesus, the one who would save him from his sin, that helped him find the courage to give up his life to care for her. In a similar way, the more we learn about how courageously Jesus gave up his life to save us, the more courage we will find to give up our lives to serve our savior.
I think that when Joseph realized Mary courageously sacrificed her life to be willing to give birth to Jesus, the one who would save him from his sin, that helped him find the courage to give up his life to care for her. In a similar way, the more we learn about how courageously Jesus gave up his life to save us, the more courage we will find to give up our lives to serve our savior.
What do Mary and Joseph teach us about what it means to become a Christian?
- We are like Mary. We are helpless, rejected, and full of shame. We need someone to save us. Jesus is like Joseph. Just as Joseph chose to give up his life to be Mary’s earthly savior, Jesus chose to give up his life to our heavenly savior. He died for our sin to bring us back to God.
- We are like Mary. We are helpless, rejected, and full of shame. We need someone to save us. Jesus is like Joseph. Just as Joseph chose to give up his life to be Mary’s earthly savior, Jesus chose to give up his life to our heavenly savior. He died for our sin to bring us back to God.
Life Group Questions
1. Review the message. What was new that you didn’t know?
2. Joseph was fearful to take Mary as his wife because he knew it would ruin his reputation for the rest of his life. In what ways did asking Jesus into your life bring shame and rejection? See Matthew 5:11-12, 1 Peter 4:14-16. What do these verses tell us are the benefits and promises for those willing to endure shame for Jesus?
3. For Joseph to have Jesus in his life, he also needed to give up control. Joseph wasn’t allowed to name Jesus because he wouldn’t have authority over Jesus. Why must we give God control for Jesus to come into our life? See Luke 22:39-42, Luke 1:34-38 (especially v. 38), John 21:15-19. What do these verses teach us about letting God be in control of our life and our future?
4. Joseph’s character was notable because he immediately obeyed God’s Word, even when it was hard. What could have happened if Joseph hesitated to obey or made excuses to avoid what God told him to do? When God instructs us from his word, why do we often hesitate to obey or make excuses? What can we forfeit when we delay obedience or avoid obedience? See John 3:36, 1 John 5:2-3. What do these verses teach us about obeying God’s Words?
5. Today we learned about the courage Joseph needed to bring Jesus into his life at Christmas. Why does everyone still need courage to ask Jesus into their lives today? See Mark 8:34-38.
1. Review the message. What was new that you didn’t know?
2. Joseph was fearful to take Mary as his wife because he knew it would ruin his reputation for the rest of his life. In what ways did asking Jesus into your life bring shame and rejection? See Matthew 5:11-12, 1 Peter 4:14-16. What do these verses tell us are the benefits and promises for those willing to endure shame for Jesus?
3. For Joseph to have Jesus in his life, he also needed to give up control. Joseph wasn’t allowed to name Jesus because he wouldn’t have authority over Jesus. Why must we give God control for Jesus to come into our life? See Luke 22:39-42, Luke 1:34-38 (especially v. 38), John 21:15-19. What do these verses teach us about letting God be in control of our life and our future?
4. Joseph’s character was notable because he immediately obeyed God’s Word, even when it was hard. What could have happened if Joseph hesitated to obey or made excuses to avoid what God told him to do? When God instructs us from his word, why do we often hesitate to obey or make excuses? What can we forfeit when we delay obedience or avoid obedience? See John 3:36, 1 John 5:2-3. What do these verses teach us about obeying God’s Words?
5. Today we learned about the courage Joseph needed to bring Jesus into his life at Christmas. Why does everyone still need courage to ask Jesus into their lives today? See Mark 8:34-38.