Series Details
When we consider the vastness of the universe, much less the seven billion souls inhabiting our planet, we can struggle to believe that God cares about our circumstances.
We can trust that God knows us, and His plans are woven in the fabric of our everyday lives. By studying the prophet Jonah and Saul of Tarsus, we will learn that even when we doubt, rebel, and display our weakness of pride, God knows what He’s about. His plans will not be thwarted.
In this five-part holiday series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the unshakable certainty of God’s sovereignty. Whether through the precise fulfillment of ancient prophecies or the dramatic transformation of a stubborn heart, these messages demonstrate that God is never surprised and never sidelined. By looking at the lives of Mary, Jonah, and Saul of Tarsus, we see that God’s plans are woven into the fabric of history and our individual lives, reminding us that even in chaos, He knows exactly what He is about.
1. God Keeps His Promises (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7; Micah 5:2)
- Overview: Examines the staggering accuracy of Messianic prophecies. It establishes that if God kept His word regarding the first coming of Christ, we can be certain He will keep every other promise in Scripture.
- Key Fact: Prophecies about Christ’s birth were given hundreds of years in advance, pinpointing the lineage, the nature of the birth, and the specific location (Bethlehem).
- Scripture: Micah 5:2 – “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.”
2. God Chooses His Servants (Luke 1:26–38)
- Overview: Focuses on the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. It highlights God’s tendency to choose the obscure and the humble to fulfill His greatest purposes.
- Key Fact: Mary’s response (“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord”) is the ultimate model of availability and trust in God’s sovereign plan.
- Scripture: Luke 1:38 – “And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.'”
3. God Sends His Son (Luke 2:1–20)
- Overview: A Christmas message detailing the “quiet entry” of the Savior. It explores how God used a Roman census and a pagan emperor to ensure the Messiah was born exactly where prophecy predicted.
- Key Fact: The “fullness of time” included the perfect political and social conditions for the arrival of the King of kings.
- Scripture: Luke 2:7 – “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger.”
4. God Bends a Stubborn Will (Jonah 1–4)
- Overview: Traces the reluctant journey of Jonah. It illustrates that while we can run from God’s call, we cannot outrun His reach or His determination to accomplish His mission.
- Key Fact: God is more interested in the transformation of His servant than just the delivery of a message to Nineveh.
- Scripture: Jonah 2:9 – “Salvation is from the Lord.”
5. God Humbles a Proud Heart (Acts 9:1–19)
- Overview: The dramatic conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. This message proves that no heart is too hard for God to break and no past is too dark for God to redeem.
- Key Fact: Saul went from “breathing threats and murder” to being a “chosen instrument” to carry God’s name before kings and Gentiles.
- Scripture: Acts 9:15 – “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings.”
Common Questions: God Knows What He’s About
1. How can I trust God’s plan when my life feels out of control? As Pastor Chuck explains in “God Keeps His Promises,” our trust is based on God’s track record. When we see how He managed the complex details of Christ’s birth through multiple world empires and centuries of time, we can rest knowing He is equally capable of managing the details of our lives today.
2. Why does God often choose “ordinary” people for extraordinary tasks? In “God Chooses His Servants,” it is noted that God chooses the humble so that His power—not human talent—gets the glory. Like Mary, our greatest “qualification” is our willingness to be available for whatever He asks.
3. Does God still “bend” wills like He did with Jonah? Yes. In “God Bends a Stubborn Will,” the series teaches that God’s “severe mercy” often involves allowing us to reach the end of ourselves (the “belly of the whale”) so that we finally look to Him. His “bending” is always an act of love to bring us back to His purpose.
4. What can the conversion of Saul teach us about difficult people in our lives? The message “God Humbles a Proud Heart” reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. If God could transform the church’s greatest persecutor into its greatest apostle, He can reach the most “impossible” person in your life.
5. How does the “sovereignty of God” help with New Year’s anxiety? The series conclusion emphasizes that because “God knows what He’s about,” we don’t have to know every detail of the future. We can enter a new year with confidence, not because we know what the year holds, but because we know who holds the year.
