Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
The Return Address
Scripture
Micah 5:2-4 NIV
2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will each to the ends of the earth.
Luke 2:4-6 NRSV
4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
Main Idea
Some of the most important parts of every letter or package are the addresses. The to address plays a critical role in getting the letter to the intended destination but the return address plays an important role as well. You sometimes use the return address to determine what may be inside the package and where the package originally came. In order to understand the meaning and significance of the package, it is often best to look back at who the sender is and what their original intention was. We can look back at God's promises and prophecies to do the same thing.
If Amazon provides an A-Z guarantee then how much more will God guarantee the delivery of His grace to you?
Discussion Questions
- Can you share of a time where you felt you were alone and God wasn't there? How did you draw near to Him?
- How does God's promise to be wiwth you give you comfort during your hard times?
Summary
We have all become accustomed with Amazon to knowing exactly where our packages are from and where they are at in transit. This is from the time we place an order, to email confirmation, to shipping notice, to shipping updates about exact timing of delivery, and then the final notice of your camera doorbell telling you the package has arrived. The same experience is not guaranteed when you order from the Tik Tok shop or TEMU or some other vendor overseas. The dependability of what you will receive and when you will receive all depends on the sender. As we know with the Christmas story, God sent His Son Jesus to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. This was the greatest gift ever given to mankind.
When searching through the text of scripture we can see foreshadowing, prophecy, and sometimes exact locations of where God's promises will occur. Take Micah as an example. He gave a message about why God was sending His Son to us and even where He would arrive. God has given us a dependable address and you can search back to ancient times for the confirmation of His arrival. His desire was to come and meet us where we are but His plan is so much deeper. You can know some vital truths by looking back on a few scriptures where God placed His "Return Address" for our benefit.
There are many truths you can get from the return address:
- God is Knowable
- Not only is God knowable but according to Micah 5:2, His purpose in coming to earth was for you.
- One of the reasons God used a census in Bethlehem was to provide a historical record of Jesus's beginning.
- God is Accessible
- The idea that God gave us text and historical records to trace back to means He wants you to respond to Him and find Him.
- God's presence is available to you and sometimes we need to follow His directions to start moving toward Him. He has never left us!
- God is Responsible
- The return address tells you who is responsible for sending the message and when God gives us a promise we can depend on it.
Take Action
- Be obedient and spend time in church to connect to His body
- Remind someone you know who is going through a hard time that God is with them and loves them.
- Invite someone to church for Christmas eve services.
Announcements
- Kid's Christmas program - 12/21/25 for all services
- Christmas eve services - 12/23 at 7pm, and 12/24 at 3:30pm and 5pm
- Year-end offering open through 12/31/2025
