December 16, 2025
Matthew 1:18-25 (HCSB)
The Nativity of the Messiah
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
Noah Leighton
A few years ago, I never imagined I’d be planting a church. I had a plan, a good one I thought. I was serving in ministry, had stability, and felt settled. But then God began stirring something unexpected in my heart. It didn’t make sense on paper, and honestly, it felt inconvenient and uncertain. Yet the more I prayed, the clearer it became: this interruption wasn’t a mistake; it was an invitation. Joseph had plans for his life. He was engaged, working, and preparing for what he thought was a normal future. Then came the news that Mary was pregnant. Everything Joseph thought he knew about his story was suddenly interrupted. But God was doing something bigger. Through an angel, Joseph learns that this child is from the Holy Spirit, that His name would be Jesus, and that He would “save His people from their sins.” Joseph’s obedience in this moment is stunning. He doesn’t argue, delay, or demand more proof. He simply does what the Lord commands. When life doesn’t go according to plan, we can panic or we can trust. Church planting has reminded me that God’s interruptions are often His invitations to trade our plans for His purpose and to experience Immanuel, God with us, in new and deeper ways. God’s greatest work often begins in life’s greatest interruptions. What unexpected place might God be asking you to trust Him today?
The Nativity of the Messiah
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
Noah Leighton
A few years ago, I never imagined I’d be planting a church. I had a plan, a good one I thought. I was serving in ministry, had stability, and felt settled. But then God began stirring something unexpected in my heart. It didn’t make sense on paper, and honestly, it felt inconvenient and uncertain. Yet the more I prayed, the clearer it became: this interruption wasn’t a mistake; it was an invitation. Joseph had plans for his life. He was engaged, working, and preparing for what he thought was a normal future. Then came the news that Mary was pregnant. Everything Joseph thought he knew about his story was suddenly interrupted. But God was doing something bigger. Through an angel, Joseph learns that this child is from the Holy Spirit, that His name would be Jesus, and that He would “save His people from their sins.” Joseph’s obedience in this moment is stunning. He doesn’t argue, delay, or demand more proof. He simply does what the Lord commands. When life doesn’t go according to plan, we can panic or we can trust. Church planting has reminded me that God’s interruptions are often His invitations to trade our plans for His purpose and to experience Immanuel, God with us, in new and deeper ways. God’s greatest work often begins in life’s greatest interruptions. What unexpected place might God be asking you to trust Him today?
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