A single thing you do today can affect dozens of people, or even hundreds. This is the ripple effect, and it started with the Christmas story.

In this message from our "Go Tell It" Advent series, discover how the shepherds' response to Jesus's birth created a ripple that continues today. Through the timeless parable of the Good Samaritan, we explore what Jesus really means when He calls us to love our neighbors—and why it's about being, not just knowing.

In This Episode:

• The shepherds' unstoppable response to good news
• Why Jesus told the Good Samaritan story
• The difference between compassion and action
• Simple acts that create powerful ripples
• Why we need a Savior to love perfectly
• Christ's higher command: love as He loved

Key Scriptures: Luke 2:8-20, Luke 10:25-37, John 4:39, John 13:34

Show Notes:

The Christmas story has a ripple effect, starting with shepherds who couldn't keep the good news to themselves. After encountering Jesus, they spread the word throughout their neighborhoods. They didn't need a program or training—they just shared what they had seen and heard.

Jesus teaches us through the Good Samaritan that being a neighbor isn't about proximity or knowing who lives next door. It's about who we are and how we engage with those we encounter. The Samaritan didn't just feel compassion—he acted, investing his time, money, and energy to help someone suffering.

The ripple effect of Christmas occurs when the good news of great joy is proclaimed and when we're neighborly enough to engage with people around us instead of just driving by.

Simple Ways to Create Ripples:

• Pay someone a compliment
• Comfort someone having a rough day
• Visit a sick friend
• Call someone you haven't spoken with in a while
• Express sincere gratitude

The foundation of it all? If we could love perfectly, we would be perfect. Since we can't, we need a Savior. That's why the angel's message is such good news: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you" (Luke 2:11).

Loving your neighbor as yourself has been elevated to an even higher command: "As I have loved you, so must you love one another" (John 13:34).

Next Steps:

• Identify one person you can be a neighbor to this week
• Perform one simple act of kindness that creates a ripple
• Share the good news of Jesus with someone in your life

Connect with Grand Point Church:

Website: www.grandpoint.church

Instagram: @grandpointchurch

Facebook: /grandpointchurch

YouTube: Grand Point Church

Connect with us at www.grandpoint.church/nextsteps
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What if the hardest person in your family this Christmas is your opportunity to be a hero? In this second week of our Advent series "Go Tell It," we explore how Joseph's incredible response to Mary reveals the supernatural power available to us for navigating the most complicated family dynamics.

Discover why Joseph—a righteous man who could have destroyed Mary under Jewish law—instead chose to protect her at great personal cost. Learn how God handpicked this carpenter from Nazareth to be the earthly father of His Son, and what that choice teaches us about mercy, grace, and family leadership today.

In This Episode:

• Joseph's impossible situation and his righteous response (Matthew 1:18-25)
• Why God's presence in you isn't meant to be entirely private
• How Christ transforms marriages when both partners are surrendered to Him
• The greatest contribution you'll ever make: who you raise
• Navigating difficult family gatherings with supernatural love
• Practical tips for spiritual conversations with family members

Key Scriptures:

• Matthew 1:18-25
• Luke 2:8-20
• Deuteronomy 22:23-24

Reflection Questions:

1. What would be different if we were as forgiving and sensitive to others as Joseph was to Mary?
2. How does Christ's presence in you shape the environment of your home?
3. Who in your extended family might benefit from your relationship with Christ this Christmas?
4. What does it mean to love someone with "supernatural ability"?

Next Steps:

→ Identify one difficult family relationship where you can be a "hero" this Christmas season

→ Pray for supernatural love and grace in your upcoming family gatherings

→ Consider having a spiritual conversation with a family member (remember: make it private, address any elephants in the room, speak graciously, pace yourself, never give up)

→ Join us next week for week 3 of "Go Tell It"

Connect with Grand Point Church:

🌐 Website: www.grandpoint.church

📱 Instagram: @grandpointchurch

👍 Facebook: /grandpointchurch

📺 YouTube: Grand Point Church

Listen & Subscribe: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and 46+ podcast platforms worldwide. Search "Weekend Messages at Grand Point Church"

Share This Episode: Know someone navigating difficult family dynamics this holiday season? Share this message of hope and supernatural love with them.

Connect with us at www.grandpoint.church/nextsteps
Watch online on YouTube
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This Advent season, we're rediscovering the power of the gospel—not just as the means to heaven, but as the driving force behind every moment of your life.

In this opening message of our Advent series, we explore one of the most profound truths of Christmas: God's good news is for ALL people. When angels announced the birth of Jesus, they appeared to shepherds—society's outcasts and the ultimate failures of first-century culture. But this wasn't an accident. It was God making a statement.

Discover why you need to understand the bad news before you can truly appreciate the GOOD news, what modern homelessness reveals about the Christmas story, and how you can move from being a receiver of God's blessing to a carrier of it.

In This Episode:

• Why negative news captures our attention (and what that means for sharing good news)
• The theological significance of shepherds as first witnesses
• A pastor's eye-opening experience living homeless on Newark streets
• How the gospel reverses every curse wherever it's found
• Why "all people" really means YOU
• The call to GO TELL IT everywhere

Scripture References: Luke 2:8-20, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 8:1, Matthew 2:6, Acts 13:47, 1 Corinthians 1:27-28, 1 Timothy 2:5, Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:8

Next Steps:

• Reflect: When have you felt invisible or forgotten? How did God reach you?
• Pray: Ask God to show you someone who needs to hear the good news
• Share: Move from being a receiver to a carrier of the blessing
• Join Us: Continue with our Advent series each week

Coming Up:

• Go Tell It to Your Family
• Go Tell It to Your Neighbors
• Go Tell It to Your City
• Go Tell It to the World

Connect with Grand Point Church:
Website: www.grandpoint.church
Instagram: @grandpointchurch
Facebook: /grandpointchurch
YouTube: Grand Point Church

Listen to Weekend Messages at Grand Point Church wherever you get your podcasts.

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Connect with us at www.grandpoint.church/nextsteps
Watch online on YouTube
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