Episode 118 – Christmas Hope in 2020

The Teaching Series with Brad Gray

Episode 118 – Christmas Hope in 2020i.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-37{ color: #515151;}i.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-37:hover { color: #e00400;}i.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-37.icon-hover-animation-pulsate:after {-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #101018, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);-moz-box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #101018, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #101018, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);}Key Passage(s): Hebrews 12:1-2Christmas is a season of hope. 2020 has been a season of grief. How do we hold hope and grief in creative tension? Because when things get hard, we feel overwhelmed. And when we’re overwhelmed, our tendency is to check out, numb out, and wish the moments or seasons away. But in our confusion, heartache, and disorientation, God is working in subtle and often unseen ways. By the end of this episode, you’ll be inspired to hold the gratitude and grief of 2020 in tension so that you don’t numb out, but instead embrace this season and the God who is with us in it. Discussion Questions What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching? In Brad’s story about Larry, God orchestrated details in such a way that Larry and his family were aware of God’s presence in a challenging time. What’s one story from your life where you felt God doing the same thing for you? Our human tendency is to only see God in the big, booming, and obvious. But the Christmas story requires us to see God in the small but significant aspects of life. How have you seen God in small but significant ways this year? What have been some of the highs from 2020 you need to name and celebrate? What have been some of the lows from 2020 you need to name and lament? What does it look in your life when you check out and numb out? What might it look like during this holiday season for you to stay tuned in? How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching in this Christmas season? For Further Study Teaching Series 013 – Grounded in Gratitude – this episode explores the significance of allowing gratitude to permeate our lives and serve as a foundation for how we live. Teaching Series 014 – Blessing God 100 Times a Day – this episode explores a helpful practice for fostering gratitude and awareness God’s involvement in our everyday lives. Teaching Series 103 – Grapes in the Desert Pt 3: Lament the Loss – this episode explores the importance of naming the disappointments and losses we experience.