Today is the day to love on someone special. Back on Wednesday, December 3rd we had you brainstorm a person and a way you would like to love on them.

Today, we are encouraging you to do that, put the card in the mail, bake the brownies, drop off the special craft, what ever you decided together…go and do! Share God’s great love with someone that you love!

Today we want to focus on a specific prayer. You can pray this now, or you can pray right before bed.

We know prayer can be hard sometimes because you have to be quiet and focus, but prayer is important because it is an opportunity for us to talk to God! There isn’t a right way to do this or a perfect formula, you are simply talking to God, giving Him praise, and asking for His help!

Use the prayer below as we continue thinking about the night the angels visited the shepherds praising, “Glory to God in the highest heavens and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rest.”

God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus. Remind me that you already love me just like I am and remind me of the gift that Jesus is. Amen.

Reminder, this week’s verse is “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 NIrV

Make sure you have it memorized because when you go to Tsunami, if you can recite the verse from memory there is a special prize for you! You make get free pizza, you may get candy, or you may even get to play the game on stage!

GO MEMORIZE THIS WEEKS VERSE!!!

Wilmington- find Brett or Caroline TONIGHT and recite the verse!

Leland- find Matt on Sunday and recite the verse!

New Bern- find Jonathan on Sunday and recite the verse!

The shepherds weren’t on anyone’s guest list. They were the guys you avoided at parties, if they even got invited. They smelled like sheep. They lived outside the city. They were considered unclean by religious standards and unreliable by legal standards. They were nobodies in a society obsessed with status.

And God chose them first.

READ

Let’s take a moment to read Luke 2:8-20:

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

REFLECT

The first announcement of Jesus’ birth doesn’t go to kings or priests, it goes to shepherds. There were people considered lowly and often overlooked. This shows us something profound about God’s heart: He reveals His glory to ordinary, humble people in a bold, powerful way. An angel with the glory of the Lord comes to share the news. Of course fear is the shepherds’ first response until joy interrupts their fear. 

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

Great joy. For all people. Advent reminds us that God’s good news isn’t reserved for the powerful or the perfect; it’s for everyone, especially those who feel unseen. Including you. Including me.

The angel uses “Savior”, “Messiah”, and “Lord” to describe the baby in the manger. I think that’s interesting because although Jesus hasn’t “done anything” up to this point, He is still deserving of those titles because that’s His identity. 

Even as a newborn lying in a manger, Jesus is already the Savior because He embodies God’s plan of salvation. The title isn’t earned by His later actions; it’s declared from the start. Mary and the shepherds celebrated Him as Savior before He performed miracles or died on the Cross. They believed during the waiting and tension. 

Jesus as Savior means He came to rescue us from sin and brokenness that we cannot rescue ourselves from. That’s a message of freedom and hope.

“Messiah” (or Christ) means “Anointed One,” the promised King God’s people had been waiting for. This title connects Jesus to centuries of longing and prophecy. For the shepherds, hearing “Messiah” meant that God’s plan was finally happening. The King who would bring justice, peace, and restoration had arrived. This reminds us that God keeps His promises, and Jesus is the fulfillment of them.

Finally, the angel calls Jesus “Lord.” That means He’s not just a rescuer or the promised king, He’s actually God Himself. The ultimate authority. The baby lying in the manger was the Creator of the world, worthy of worship. For the shepherds, this meant they weren’t just meeting a special child; they were standing before God. Jesus is gentle and humble, but He’s also the ruler of all, and He deserves our respect, loyalty, and obedience.

When the angels leave, the shepherds don’t hesitate. They don’t say, “We should probably finish our shift first” or “What will people think?” They go immediately. They find Mary, Joseph, and the baby, just as they were told. And after seeing Jesus, they become the first evangelists, spreading the word about what they’d seen and heard.

They didn’t wait before they had a clear-cut formula to share the good news. They didn’t wait till they felt perfectly confident in themselves or had no fear. They didn’t wait till they completely understood the situation. They shared it because joy like this can’t be contained. Good news demands to be told.

Think about the last time you got really good news. Maybe your team finally beat its rival, you passed your driver’s test, your favorite artist just dropped a new album, or you got asked to the dance. Could you keep it to yourself? Probably not. You’d be texting your friends, telling your parents, or posting about it online. Good news naturally spreads, it’s the kind of thing that pushes outward and makes you want to share it with everyone.

The gospel is the ultimate good news: God loves you so much that He became one of us to rescue us. That’s worth shouting from the rooftops, or from the hillsides where shepherds work.

The question is: Have we let this good news become old news? Have we heard it so many times that we’ve lost the wonder? The shepherds had one encounter with the angels and they couldn’t stop talking about it. We have access to the living Christ every single day, and sometimes we stay silent.

Maybe this Advent, we need to see the gospel again with shepherd eyes, as breaking news, not background noise. As great joy, not just nice thoughts. As something so good we can’t help but share it.

• Who in your life needs to hear the “good news of great joy” that you’ve experienced in Christ?

• What has caused the gospel to feel like “old news” to you, and how can you recapture the wonder of it?

PRAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for the good news of great joy that You first announced to unlikely shepherds and still announce to unlikely people like us. Forgive us for the times we've let this incredible news become routine or boring. Reawaken our wonder to Your love. Give us the courage and joy of the shepherds to share what we've experienced with others who need to hear it. Amen.

READ

The shepherds weren't on anyone's guest list. They were the guys you avoided at parties—if they even got invited. They smelled like sheep. They lived outside the city. They were considered unclean by religious standards and unreliable by legal standards. They were nobodies in a society obsessed with status.

And God chose them first.

Let’s take a moment to read Luke 2:8-20:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviorhas been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

REFLECT

While religious leaders slept in their beds and Roman officials rested in their palaces, God's birth announcement went to a night-shift crew watching sheep on a hillside. An angel appears—not gently, but with the glory of the Lord shining around them. The shepherds are terrified. Of course they are. This isn't a peaceful candlelight service; this is divine glory breaking through the darkness like a supernova.

But the angel's first words are: "Do not be afraid." That's always God's opening line when He shows up, isn't it? Because the natural human response to encountering the divine is fear. But God doesn't want fear. He wants relationship. So the angel immediately follows with: "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

Good news. Great joy. For all people—not just the religious elite, not just the politically powerful, not just the wealthy. All people. Including shepherds. Including you. Including me.

Then the angel delivers the message: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." It's the announcement the world has been waiting for, wrapped in three titles: Savior (the one who rescues), Messiah (the promised one), and Lord (the ruler of all). This baby in a manger is all of this and more.

And then—because apparently one angel isn't enough to contain this kind of joy—a whole army of angels appears, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Heaven can't keep quiet. The angels can't keep it together. It's like the universe itself is throwing a surprise party, and the shepherds get front-row seats.

When the angels leave, the shepherds don't hesitate. They don't say, "We should probably finish our shift first" or "What will people think?" They go immediately. They find Mary, Joseph, and the baby, just as they were told. And after seeing Jesus, they become the first evangelists—spreading the word about what they'd seen and heard.

Here's what gets me: these shepherds experienced good news that caused great joy, and their immediate response was to share it. Not because they had training or credentials or seminary degrees. They shared it because joy like this can't be contained. Good news demands to be told.

Think about the last time you experienced really good news—an engagement, a clean health report, a new job, a birth. Could you keep it to yourself? Of course not. You texted everyone. You called your mom. You posted about it. Good news creates momentum that pushes outward.

The gospel is the ultimate good news: God loves you so much that He became one of us to rescue us. That's worth shouting from the rooftops—or from the hillsides where shepherds work.

The question is: have we let this good news become old news? Have we heard it so many times that we've lost the wonder? The shepherds had one encounter with the angels and they couldn't stop talking about it. We have access to the living Christ every single day, and sometimes we stay silent.

Maybe this Advent, we need to see the gospel again with shepherd eyes—as breaking news, not background noise. As great joy, not just nice thoughts. As something so good we can't help but share it.

RESPOND

Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.

• Who in your life needs to hear the "good news of great joy" that you've experienced in Christ?

• What has caused the gospel to feel like "old news" to you, and how can you recapture the wonder of it?

• What would it look like for you to respond to God's good news with the same immediacy the shepherds showed?

REST

Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the good news of great joy that You first announced to unlikely shepherds and still announce to unlikely people like us. Forgive us for the times we've let this incredible news become routine or boring. Reawaken our wonder at Your love. Give us the courage and joy of the shepherds to share what we've experienced with others who need to hear it. Amen.