Luke 1:46-56  (HCSB)Mary’s Praise 46 And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, 48 because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation...  Read More

Luke 1:39-45 (HCSB)Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth 39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “You are the most blessed of women, and your child will b...  Read More

Luke 1:34-38  (HCSB)34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?” 35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth mo...  Read More

Luke 1:26-33 (HCSB)Gabriel Predicts Jesus’ Birth26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of ...  Read More

PREPARRING FOR THE MESSIAHGod can overcome any obstacle to accomplish His purposes.KEY TRUTH: God Promised to Send John to Prepare His People for the Messiah (Luke 1:5–25)KEY TRUTH: We Can Place Our Faith in God and His Promises (Luke 1:57–80)...  Read More

1.  What goals or dreams did you have in your life that didn’t happen? Were you chasing the wrong dream? How did God set you on a better path for His glory?2.  Has God called you to action only to be met with “I’m too old, I don’t know how, why me?” as your response? What would happen if you said yes to God’s calling and trusted Him to prepare you to meet the calling?3.  How has an encounter with ...  Read More

Luke 1:67-80  (HCSB)Zechariah’s Prophecy 67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, 70 just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times; 71 salvation from our enem...  Read More

Luke 1:57-66  (HCSB)The Birth and Naming of John 57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No! He will be ...  Read More

Luke 1:18-25  (HCSB)18 “How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my wor...  Read More

Luke 1:8-17  (HCSB)8 When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 ...  Read More

Luke 1:5-7  (HCSB)Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and ...  Read More

IS FIGHTING EVER RIGHT?Treat soldiers and law enforcement personnel with honor and respect as they fight to save and protect the lives of others.KEY TRUTH: War and Fighting Are Sometimes Necessary to Protect and Defend the Innocent (Genesis 14:1–24)KEY TRUTH: God Sometimes Uses War and Fighting to Implement Justice (Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 20:1–18; 9:4–5; 18:9–14)KEY TRUTH: A Final War Will End...  Read More