Becoming Hope For Others

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

December 7th Sermon, Day 5

The Christmas story reminds us that God didn't wait for us to get our act together before He reached out to us. While we were busy, distracted, and even resistant to His love, He stepped into our world. This is the foundation of our hope - not that we finally found God, but that He found us first. Now we get to be part of extending that same hope to others.

Every time we welcome someone, we're reflecting God's heart. Every act of kindness, every moment of genuine attention, every gesture of hospitality becomes a way of saying to someone else what God said to us: 'You matter, you're seen, you're loved.' The world around us is full of people who feel invisible, overwhelmed, and disconnected. They're wondering if anyone notices their struggles or cares about their story.

You have the incredible opportunity to be the answer to that longing. You can be the person who sees them, who makes room for them, who offers them hope. This doesn't require grand gestures or dramatic changes to your life. It happens through small, consistent acts of love - a listening ear, an encouraging word, an invitation to coffee, a helping hand. These simple moments can become profound experiences of God's love for someone who desperately needs it.

As you go through this week, remember that your welcome isn't just kindness - it's God's mission. You're not just being nice; you're participating in the same work that brought Jesus to earth. You're helping hope find a way into someone's heart, just as hope found its way into yours. The same God who made room for you can work through you to make room for others.

Bible Verse

'In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.' - Luke 2:1-7

Reflection Question

How can you intentionally position yourself this week to be an instrument of God's hope and welcome in someone else's life?

Quote

One small welcome may be the doorway through which hope enters somebody's heart.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for reaching out to me first and making room for me in Your family. Now help me extend that same welcome to others. Open my eyes to see people who need hope, and give me courage to be Your hands and feet in their lives. Use me to help hope find a way into someone's heart this week. Amen.

The Power of A Simple Welcome

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

December 7th Sermon, Day 4

Hospitality doesn't require a perfect home, gourmet meals, or elaborate preparations. The family in Bethlehem who welcomed Mary and Joseph didn't offer luxury accommodations - they simply shared what they had. Their lower level, probably shared with animals, became the most significant birthplace in history.

In our image-conscious world, we often hesitate to open our homes or lives to others because we feel unprepared. We think we need the right furniture, the perfect meal, or more time to clean. But true hospitality isn't about impressing people; it's about making them feel seen and valued.

Sometimes the most powerful welcome is simply asking, 'How are you really?' and then actually listening to the answer. It's offering a cup of coffee to a neighbor, inviting someone to sit with you at lunch, or sending an encouraging text to someone who's struggling. Every act of welcome, no matter how small, reflects God's heart. When we open our lives to others - our homes, our tables, our time, our attention - we're demonstrating the same love that God showed when He made room for us in His family.

The people around you are carrying burdens you can't see. They're dealing with loneliness, stress, and uncertainty. Your simple gesture of welcome might be exactly what they need to experience hope again. You don't need to have all the answers or solve their problems; you just need to be present and caring. Today, look for one small way to welcome someone. It might be the doorway through which hope enters their heart.

Bible Verse

'In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.' - Luke 2:1-7

Reflection Question

Who in your life might be waiting for a simple gesture of welcome from you, and what small step could you take to reach out to them this week?

Quote

Hospitality doesn't require perfection. It just requires presence.

Prayer

God, help me see the people around me who need to experience Your love through my welcome. Give me courage to reach out, even when I feel unprepared. Use my simple gestures to bring hope to someone who needs it today. Amen.

Making Room In Busy Lives

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

December 7th Sermon, Day 3

Bethlehem was packed. Everyone had come to register for the census, and there simply wasn't abundant space for a young couple expecting a baby. People weren’t being cruel; they were just overwhelmed with the demands of a crowded season.

Sound familiar? Our lives often feel like that crowded Bethlehem. Our schedules are full, our minds are racing, and we're managing countless responsibilities. In the busyness, it's easy to miss the sacred moments happening right around us. We can become so focused on our to-do lists that we overlook the people God places in our path.

Yet even in that crowded, chaotic environment, room was made. Someone offered their lower level, their humble space, and it became the birthplace of hope. The lesson is powerful: we don't need perfect circumstances or unlimited time to make room for what matters most. Making room isn't about having more space or fewer responsibilities. It's about choosing to slow down long enough to notice. It's about being present in the moment instead of rushing to the next thing. It's about seeing people as more than interruptions to our plans.

Today, you have opportunities to make room - room in your schedule for a meaningful conversation, room in your heart for someone who's struggling, room at your table for unexpected guests. The question isn't whether you have enough space, but whether you're willing to create it. When we make room for others, we're participating in the same spirit that made room for Jesus. We're creating space where hope can be born.

Bible Verse

'In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.' - Luke 2:1-7

Reflection Question

What would it look like for you to slow down this week and make room for the people God might be placing in your path?

Quote

You can't welcome someone if you don't notice them. And it might be that the pace of your life, like my life, is the biggest barrier to us practicing hospitality.

Prayer

Lord, help me resist the urge to rush through life. Give me wisdom to know when to pause, when to listen, and when to make room for others. Show me how to create space in my busy life for the sacred moments You want to give me. Amen.

God Chooses The Ordinary

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

December 7th Sermon, Day 2

When God decided to enter our world, He had countless options. He could have chosen a palace, selected royalty, or made His entrance through the most powerful people of the day. Instead, He chose a young woman from a small town, a carpenter, and a humble stable.

This wasn't an accident or a backup plan. God intentionally chose the ordinary, the overlooked, and the unremarkable. He came among people who wouldn't make headlines or appear on anyone's 'most influential' list. This divine choice reveals something profound about God's heart: He sees value where the world sees insignificance. In our culture that celebrates the famous, the wealthy, and the powerful, it's easy to feel invisible or unimportant.

We compare ourselves to others and wonder if we matter. But the Christmas story reminds us that God's greatest work often happens through the most ordinary people. You don't need a platform, a title, or recognition to be used by God. You don't need to be perfect, polished, or particularly gifted. God delights in working through people just like you - people with regular jobs, normal struggles, and everyday lives. The same God who chose Mary and Joseph, who selected shepherds to receive the first announcement of Jesus' birth, wants to work through you today. Your ordinary life, your simple acts of kindness, your everyday conversations - these are the very things God can use to touch someone's heart and demonstrate His love.

Bible Verse

'In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.' - Luke 2:1-7

Reflection Question

How might God want to use your 'ordinary' life and circumstances to demonstrate His extraordinary love to someone around you?

Quote

When God came near, he didn't do it through the powerful. He did it amongst the overlooked. When God came close, he didn't select the socially significant. He came among the ordinary.

Prayer

Father, thank You for choosing ordinary people like me to be part of Your story. Help me see the value You place on my simple life and everyday moments. Use me today, just as I am, to reflect Your love to others. Amen.

Hope In The Unexpected

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

December 7th Sermon, Day 1

Christmas didn't start with comfort. It began with a government census that forced a pregnant woman and her husband to travel nearly 90 miles on foot. Mary and Joseph didn't choose this journey, yet it was exactly where God showed up in the most extraordinary way.

Life rarely unfolds according to our plans. We face unexpected detours, unwanted interruptions, and circumstances that feel anything but convenient. Yet these very moments often become the stage where God reveals His presence most powerfully. When we're exhausted from the journey we didn't choose, when we're displaced from our comfort zones, when everything feels uncertain - these are precisely the moments when hope can break through.

The same God who orchestrated salvation through a census and a crowded town can work through whatever unexpected circumstances you're facing today. Your current struggle, that unwanted change, or the path you never planned to walk might be exactly where God wants to meet you. Hope doesn't always arrive wrapped in comfort; sometimes it comes through the very situations that challenge us most. The key is recognizing that God is present even when - especially when - life doesn't go according to our script.

Today, instead of resisting the unexpected, consider how God might be preparing something beautiful through the very circumstances that feel most inconvenient. Your story of hope might be beginning right now, in the middle of whatever journey you didn't choose.

Bible Verse

'In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.' - Luke 2:1-7

Reflection Question

What unexpected circumstance in your life right now might actually be God's way of positioning you for something greater than you can imagine?

Quote

Sometimes the journey you didn't choose is the place where God shows up.

Prayer

Lord, help me trust that You are present even in the circumstances I didn't choose. Give me eyes to see how You might be working through the unexpected detours in my life. Help me embrace the journey with faith, knowing that You can bring hope through any situation. Amen.