Joy That Breaks In
December 14, 2025
God’s presence has a way of interrupting our ordinary moments with a joy we couldn’t have manufactured ourselves. Like the shepherds, we find joy not by escaping or sorting our lives out but by discovering that God is already at work with us. This week we welcome the joy that grounds us, renews us, and calls us forward into God’s future.
READ
Luke 2:8–14
Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."
REFLECT
1. Where have you recently felt “in the fields”—overlooked, weary, or unsure—and how is God breaking in with joy there?
2. When have you experienced joy that wasn’t tied to your circumstances but to God’s presence or a sense of purpose?
3. What does it look like for you to respond to God’s joy the way the shepherds did: with movement, openness, or sharing it with someone else?
RESPOND
1. Identify a place in your life where heaviness keeps creeping in and ask: “God, where is Your presence trying to break in here?” Let that awareness move you toward hope rather than resignation.
2. Offer care to a person who lives with less choice, margin, or support—a neighbor, coworker, caregiver, or someone on the edges. Let your presence be part of the good news breaking into their day.
3. Choose one action—giving, serving, advocating, mentoring, or showing up—that bends the world a little closer to God’s peace. Small steps create real change.