December 28th - Small Group Guide
Small Group Guide: The Incarnation Didn’t End — It Moved In
Big Idea: God didn’t visit humanity for Christmas—He chose to live with us in the ordinary rhythms of life.
If God is with you at Christmas, He is with you on January 2nd.
GROUP GOAL
To recognize and respond to God’s presence not just in special moments, but in the ordinary spaces of daily life—after Christmas, when routines return.
Icebreaker — The Empty Living Room
Ask the group:
Ask the group:
- What’s something that feels different in your house the week after Christmas?
- When the decorations come down, does it feel like relief… or a letdown?
SCRIPTURE FOCUS “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
Read John 1:14 aloud together (consider two different translations).
Transition Thought: Christmas wasn’t a visit. It was a move-in.
PART 1 — GOD PITCHED HIS TENT
Key Truth: God didn’t come to observe your life—He came to share it.
Discussion:
Discussion:
- What stands out to you about the phrase “made His dwelling among us”?
- Why do you think it’s easier to think of God as a visitor rather than a permanent presence?
- Where do you tend to “tidy up” your life before inviting God in? How does your faith change when life gets messy?
PART 2 — GOD IN ORDINARY SPACES
God in the Kitchen
Key Truth: God meets you where life actually happens—not where it’s ideal.
Questions:
Key Truth: God meets you where life actually happens—not where it’s ideal.
Questions:
- What is your most ordinary, unfiltered moment of the day?
- Why do you think those moments are often the most honest?
- How could inviting God into those moments change your perspective?
God at Work
Key Truth: Your job isn’t where God disappears—it’s where faith is practiced quietly.
Questions:
Key Truth: Your job isn’t where God disappears—it’s where faith is practiced quietly.
Questions:
- Have you ever felt distant from God because of your work?
- What does it mean to know Jesus understands fatigue, repetition, and responsibility?
- How might faith show up at work without being loud or dramatic?
God in Grief
Key Truth: Emmanuel doesn’t rush grief—He remains present in it.
Questions:
Key Truth: Emmanuel doesn’t rush grief—He remains present in it.
Questions:
- Why do we often feel pressure to explain pain instead of sitting with it?
- How does Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb reshape how you view God in suffering?
- What does “staying present” look like in grief—for God and for us?
PART 3 — GOD IN ROUTINE
Key Truth: God often does His deepest work in seasons that feel spiritually uneventful.
Questions:
Questions:
- What routines make your life feel repetitive right now?
- Why do we assume “nothing is happening” when growth is invisible?
- How might God be forming roots beneath the surface in your life?
PART 4 — GOD AFTER CHRISTMAS
Key Truth: Christmas Eve faith is easy. January 2nd faith is formed.
Questions:
Questions:
- What makes faith feel harder after Christmas?
- How does knowing Emmanuel doesn’t leave change how you approach ordinary obedience?
- What would it look like to live fully aware that God is still with you this week?
CLOSING — DON’T MISS GOD IN THE NORMAL
Reflection:
Read aloud together:
Reflection:
Read aloud together:
- You don’t need a manger to meet Him.
- You don’t need angels to hear Him.
- You don’t need a holiday to walk with Him.
- Which of these statements do you need to believe most right now?
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
- Pray this simple prayer each morning this week: “God, show me where You are at work today—right here, right now. Where did you notice God in an ordinary moment?