December 18, 2022 - The Most Unlikely People who Shape our Lives - Pastor Paul Vallee

Luke 1:21-38 At the time of Jesus' birth, the people of Judea looked down with contempt upon those who lived in Galilee. Even though they were all Jews, they felt that the Galileans were 'not kosher,' meaning they were considered unclean. They felt this way because of their proximity and intermingling with the Gentiles in their area. Many cities in Galilee were predominately Gentile in makeup. Not only did the Jews from Judea look down upon the Galileans, but one community was considered especially undesirable, namely Nazareth. Yet, in this insignificant and despised place, God chose a young maiden to be the mother of the Son of God. Mingled into the impossible challenge and the incredible miracle is the potential for great misunderstanding, criticism, and possibly great danger. What would you do? This doesn't just happen to a few of God's people; rather, this is a general plan for our lives. God has a plan for each of us. Incredible challenges happen to those that God chooses to use. God's appointments to serve generally go to obscure and unknown people like you and me. God works through ordinary people. How have you responded to God's call on your life? Maybe, more importantly, how will we respond to God's call today? Today, I want us to examine a very familiar story but see the story not from hindsight but rather as a present challenge to each of us. God is calling us! God wants to utilize our lives for His purposes. How will we respond? There are generally three elements to God's calling in our lives.