The Promise | Fulfilled | Drew Moore
Are you living the with-God life? When Jesus was born, he was called “Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” God promises to be with you always, and He is willing to be with anyone who is willing to be with Him. With him, you will experience a steadiness and salvation that cannot be found without. How can you make fresh space to be with God this week?
Key Verses
Matthew 1:1-18 NLT - This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of AbrahamAbraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon.Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa.Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah.Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor.Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud.Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob.Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:21 NLT - And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:23 NLT - “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Isaiah 7:3-9 NLT - Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn’t need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah.Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying‘We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah’s king.’But this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “This invasion will never happen; it will never take placefor Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed.Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”
Isaiah 7:10-14 NLT - Later, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz“Ask the LORD your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the LORD like that.”Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well?All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
Matthew 1:21 NLT - And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Isaiah 7:9 NLT - Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”
Matthew 28:16-20 NLT - Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.
Recap
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To begin the study, each person answers these questions:
What are you thankful for?
What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?
What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?
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Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.
Did you live out your response from last week?
Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?
DISCOVERING WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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One person reads the story out loud to the group.
Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.
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Read the passage again (different version if possible)
What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?
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Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.
What does this passage say about people in general?
DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?
How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?
Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.
SHARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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Take prayer requests
Pray together
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Who in your life needs to hear this story?
Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?
Become a Partner
Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.