the gathering of San Antonio

Core Lesson (Aaron Hufty)

Congratulations: Your life Is Going to CHANGE
(aka Expecting the Unexpected)

Luke 1:26-56

I.  Similar Announcement/Different Response

Mary’s initial reactions to Gabriel’s visit are shock and question. Even before fully understanding the “how” and “why,” Mary cherished this gift.

Mary did have some questions for the angel, but she did not let her limited understanding hinder her obedience and trust in the Lord.

II. Life is Like a Musical

Mary’s song is filled with what the world would consider complete opposites.

Mary quickly realized that with God impossible is possible, and her song reflects the way he ultimately reveals his plan.

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Venture Lesson (Blake Coffee)

Carrying Jesus

Luke 1:26-56

For anyone who has ever had an encounter with God before, there are certain elements of Mary’s story which we find a little familiar.

Where He finds us: Encounters with God change us, making where we were seem meaningless or obscure compared to where we are now going.

How we respond: Like Mary, our responses to God may cover the spectrum from being troubled to being excited, but ultimately there is only one meaningful response: surrender.

Who we are drawn to: Our new identity naturally draws us to others with the same identity so that we can encourage each other.

Who we become: When we are carrying Jesus, we have a whole new identity based NOT on who we were or waht we did, but based entirely on who we are carrying.

Our need to worship: It is impossible to encounter God and to then suppress the need to worship, i.e., to openly express our gratitude and our amazement to Him.