Here's a 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the themes from the sermon on Sunday, December 21, 2025:
5-Day Advent Devotional: Saying Yes to God's Interruptions
Day 1: When God Rewrites Your Plans
Reading: Luke 1:26-38
Devotional: Mary's life was perfectly planned—engaged to Joseph, living in Nazareth, preparing for a normal marriage. Then God showed up with an angel and a world-changing announcement. Her response wasn't immediate understanding but surrendered obedience: "I am the Lord's servant."
God has a habit of interrupting our carefully laid plans. That promotion, that relationship, that timeline you've mapped out—God may have something entirely different in mind. The question isn't whether God will disrupt your plans, but whether you'll trust Him when He does. Like Mary, we don't need to understand everything; we just need to say yes. What "impossible" invitation is God extending to you today? Your willingness to be interrupted might just change everything.
Day 2: The Cost of Obedience
Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Devotional: Joseph faced an impossible choice: believe Mary's incredible story or protect his reputation. Choosing faith meant social ridicule, business consequences, and whispered gossip throughout Nazareth. Yet when God spoke through a dream, Joseph chose obedience over comfort.
Following Jesus always costs us something—reputation, security, convenience, or control. The real question is whether God's approval matters more than others' opinions. Joseph teaches us that righteousness isn't about maintaining appearances; it's about faithful obedience regardless of the cost. What is your obedience to God costing you right now? Perhaps it's a difficult conversation, a financial sacrifice, or standing alone in your convictions. Remember: God's promises are always worth more than what we surrender. Your yes to God today might require sacrifice, but it positions you for His supernatural work.
Day 3: Embracing the Unexpected Path
Reading: Luke 2:1-7
Devotional: After nine months of trusting God's promise, Mary didn't deliver in a comfortable birthing suite but in a stable, surrounded by animals. The King of Kings made His entrance in the humblest circumstances imaginable. God's fulfillment rarely looks like our expectations.
We want God's promises wrapped in comfort and convenience, but His methods often confound our logic. The 90-mile journey to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant, the rejection at the inn, the manger as a cradle—none of this matched the grandeur of "Son of the Most High." Yet every detail fulfilled ancient prophecy perfectly. God's ways are higher than ours. When your obedience leads to uncomfortable places, remember that God's presence matters more than your comfort. Emmanuel—God with us—doesn't promise easy roads, but He promises to walk them with you.
Day 4: Persevering in the Waiting
Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9; Lamentations 3:22-26
Devotional: Mary waited nine months between promise and fulfillment. Joseph endured months of gossip and raised eyebrows. Both had to trust that God's timeline was perfect, even when it felt painfully slow. Waiting doesn't mean God has forgotten; it means He's working.
God's promises often require perseverance before we see their fulfillment. His thoughts are higher than ours, His ways beyond our understanding. What He's building in the waiting season—character, dependence, faith—is just as important as the promise itself. Don't give up on what God has called you to do simply because you don't see immediate results. Great is His faithfulness. The same God who kept every promise to Mary and Joseph is faithful to you. Keep walking. Keep trusting. Keep obeying. The breakthrough is coming.
Day 5: Your Yes Matters
Reading: 1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Devotional: God chose a teenage girl from an obscure village and a small-town carpenter to bring the Savior into the world. He didn't select religious elites or powerful rulers. He chose ordinary people willing to say yes. Your availability matters more than your ability.
God still chooses "the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." He's not looking for perfect people with flawless plans; He's looking for obedient hearts willing to trust Him. Your yes to God—whether it's starting a ministry, having that difficult conversation, giving sacrificially, or forgiving someone who hurt you—matters eternally. Stop debating with God. Stop offering reasons why it can't work. Say yes and watch Him do immeasurably more than you can imagine. Ordinary obedience in God's hands becomes extraordinary impact for His kingdom.
5-Day Advent Devotional: Saying Yes to God's Interruptions
Day 1: When God Rewrites Your Plans
Reading: Luke 1:26-38
Devotional: Mary's life was perfectly planned—engaged to Joseph, living in Nazareth, preparing for a normal marriage. Then God showed up with an angel and a world-changing announcement. Her response wasn't immediate understanding but surrendered obedience: "I am the Lord's servant."
God has a habit of interrupting our carefully laid plans. That promotion, that relationship, that timeline you've mapped out—God may have something entirely different in mind. The question isn't whether God will disrupt your plans, but whether you'll trust Him when He does. Like Mary, we don't need to understand everything; we just need to say yes. What "impossible" invitation is God extending to you today? Your willingness to be interrupted might just change everything.
Day 2: The Cost of Obedience
Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Devotional: Joseph faced an impossible choice: believe Mary's incredible story or protect his reputation. Choosing faith meant social ridicule, business consequences, and whispered gossip throughout Nazareth. Yet when God spoke through a dream, Joseph chose obedience over comfort.
Following Jesus always costs us something—reputation, security, convenience, or control. The real question is whether God's approval matters more than others' opinions. Joseph teaches us that righteousness isn't about maintaining appearances; it's about faithful obedience regardless of the cost. What is your obedience to God costing you right now? Perhaps it's a difficult conversation, a financial sacrifice, or standing alone in your convictions. Remember: God's promises are always worth more than what we surrender. Your yes to God today might require sacrifice, but it positions you for His supernatural work.
Day 3: Embracing the Unexpected Path
Reading: Luke 2:1-7
Devotional: After nine months of trusting God's promise, Mary didn't deliver in a comfortable birthing suite but in a stable, surrounded by animals. The King of Kings made His entrance in the humblest circumstances imaginable. God's fulfillment rarely looks like our expectations.
We want God's promises wrapped in comfort and convenience, but His methods often confound our logic. The 90-mile journey to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant, the rejection at the inn, the manger as a cradle—none of this matched the grandeur of "Son of the Most High." Yet every detail fulfilled ancient prophecy perfectly. God's ways are higher than ours. When your obedience leads to uncomfortable places, remember that God's presence matters more than your comfort. Emmanuel—God with us—doesn't promise easy roads, but He promises to walk them with you.
Day 4: Persevering in the Waiting
Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9; Lamentations 3:22-26
Devotional: Mary waited nine months between promise and fulfillment. Joseph endured months of gossip and raised eyebrows. Both had to trust that God's timeline was perfect, even when it felt painfully slow. Waiting doesn't mean God has forgotten; it means He's working.
God's promises often require perseverance before we see their fulfillment. His thoughts are higher than ours, His ways beyond our understanding. What He's building in the waiting season—character, dependence, faith—is just as important as the promise itself. Don't give up on what God has called you to do simply because you don't see immediate results. Great is His faithfulness. The same God who kept every promise to Mary and Joseph is faithful to you. Keep walking. Keep trusting. Keep obeying. The breakthrough is coming.
Day 5: Your Yes Matters
Reading: 1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Devotional: God chose a teenage girl from an obscure village and a small-town carpenter to bring the Savior into the world. He didn't select religious elites or powerful rulers. He chose ordinary people willing to say yes. Your availability matters more than your ability.
God still chooses "the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." He's not looking for perfect people with flawless plans; He's looking for obedient hearts willing to trust Him. Your yes to God—whether it's starting a ministry, having that difficult conversation, giving sacrificially, or forgiving someone who hurt you—matters eternally. Stop debating with God. Stop offering reasons why it can't work. Say yes and watch Him do immeasurably more than you can imagine. Ordinary obedience in God's hands becomes extraordinary impact for His kingdom.
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