Immanuel: The Season of Expectancy

Christmas invites us into more than celebration. It invites us into expectancy. This season we are stepping into our new Immanuel series at Calvary Orlando, discovering how God meets us in the waiting and shapes us through it. The season leading up to God’s promise is often just as sacred as the moment it arrives.

Mary’s Faith-Filled “Yes”
In Luke 1, Mary receives a promise she does not fully understand, yet her response reveals deep trust:

“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as You have said.”

She did not bring qualifications, credentials, or clarity. She simply brought availability. God chose to work through a willing heart, reminding our church that He still moves through ordinary people who choose to say yes.

Growing What God Has Placed Inside You
Pastor Kevin shared that every promise from God has a spiritual development process. Some dreams form quickly. Others take time, stretching our patience and strengthening our character. This spiritual “gestation” is where faith grows and where we learn to carry what God has spoken long before we see it fulfilled.

In this tension filled space of stretching, praying, and trusting, God builds something divine within us.

Living With Expectation This Christmas
As we step deeper into this season of expectancy, ask yourself:

1. What is God growing in me right now?
2. Does my spirit respond to His presence the way Mary’s heart responded to His word?
3. Am I trusting God with the timing of His promise?

This Christmas, may our hearts be open to Immanuel, God with us, guiding us, shaping us, and reminding us that He is faithful to complete every promise He begins.

PASTOR KEVIN'S SERMON NOTES
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