SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

1. When you think about Christmas as a child versus now, what feels most different—what you imagine, what you expect, or how you experience it?

2. The sermon emphasized how unimaginable the Christmas story really is. Which part of Jesus’ story still feels hardest for you to imagine or fully believe?

3. Herod was “disturbed” by the idea of another king. When you feel threatened, corrected, or challenged, what is usually your first internal reaction?

4. The sermon suggested that Herod is not just a villain, but a mirror. In what ways do you see tendencies of control, self-protection, or fear showing up in your own life?

5. The wise men bowed before a child, not a throne. What do you think it looks like to truly worship Jesus as King in everyday life, not just in belief but in posture?

6. Fear escalated Herod’s behavior when he lost control. Can you think of a time when fear shaped your decisions in a way that cost someone else?

7. Jesus rules through love rather than power. Why do you think love often feels like the least practical option, even though it’s central to Jesus’ way?

8. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Which is harder for you personally—loving when you’re wronged, loving when you’re afraid, or loving when it costs you something?

9. The sermon contrasted trusting Jesus in crisis versus following Him in consistency. What area of your life is easiest to trust Jesus with? Which area is hardest to surrender?

10. This week, where do you sense God inviting you to choose the way of love instead of control or self-protection—and what is one specific, obedient step you will take?