December 15, 2024
When life doesn't go as planned | Chase Trimmier
Speaker:
Chase Trimmier
Message Resources
Message Summary
Chase shared how we often face unexpected moments in life, similar to Joseph's discovery of Mary’s pregnancy by the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to read through Advent passages without fully grasping the challenges these individuals faced.
Joseph, a devout Jew, likely had a clear vision of his future shaped by his upbringing, studies in the Torah, and generational trade. However, life can be unpredictable. Though Joseph was familiar with Isaiah’s prophecies, he probably never imagined playing a direct role in their fulfillment. Confronted with an impossible situation, he had a choice: to publicly disgrace Mary or to trust God’s plan. He chose faith, embracing what seemed impossible.
Similarly, when we face impossible situations, our natural reaction is often to ask, "Is this a gift or a threat?" Just as God sent a messenger to confirm the truth to Joseph, He meets us in our challenges, offering confirmation through His Word, people, or other means. Instead of resisting or reframing difficult situations, what if we received them as divine opportunities for God to work a miracle in our lives?
By trusting God, we can grow in faith, find gratitude, and recognize that even the hardest situations are part of His good plan. What if the unexpected is actually God setting the stage for something extraordinary?
Discussion
1. What unexpected situation are you currently facing, and how have you responded to it so far?
1-a. Do you see it more as a gift or a threat?
2. How might you shift your perspective to see this situation as an opportunity for God to grow your faith?
2-a. What steps can you take to trust Him in it?
Scriptures
Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 11:1-4 NIV – A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Luke 1:26-27 NIV– In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Romans 8:28 NIV – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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