So that

In one paragraph

This message, preached on the second Sunday of Advent, centered on the idea that God acts on time and on purpose. Pastor James worked through two Greek words for time and a grammatical thread of purpose that runs through the New Testament, showing that the Christmas story is not accidental but carried out with deliberate, stated intent. The second candle of Advent is for peace, and Pastor James...

Read together

1. Galatians 4:4-7 central Christmas text on the fullness of time and adoption as sons
2. Romans 5:6-8 Christ dying for the ungodly at exactly the right time
3. Matthew 2:7 Herod determining the exact time the star appeared
4. Luke 1:20 Zechariah struck mute until things fulfilled in their proper time
5. Matthew 1:22-23 virgin birth fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of Emmanuel
6. Matthew 2:14-15 flight to Egypt fulfilling 'out of Egypt I called my son'
7. Matthew 4:13-16 Jesus dwelling in Capernaum fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about Galilee of the Gentiles
8. Luke 1:1-4 Luke's stated purpose in writing his gospel to Theophilus
9. Luke 5:24 Jesus healing the paralytic so that all may know the Son of Man has power to forgive sins
10. Luke 18:15-16 people bringing infants to Jesus so that he might bless them
11. Mark 1:38 Jesus saying he came forth to preach the good news
12. Mark 3:2 Pharisees watching Jesus on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him
13. John 1:7 John the Baptist came as a witness so that all might believe
14. John 3:17 God sent his Son not to judge but so that the world might be saved
15. John 6:28-29 the work of God is to believe in him whom He has sent
16. John 12:36 believe in the light so that you may become sons of the light
17. John 15:11 Jesus spoke so that his joy may be in his disciples and their joy made full
18. John 16:24 ask in his name so that your joy may be made full
19. John 16:33 Jesus spoke so that in him his disciples may have peace
20. John 17 high priestly prayer full of purpose clauses including 'that they may be one'
21. Acts 16:30-31 Philippian jailer asking what to do to be saved and Paul answering to believe in the Lord Jesus
22. John 20:30-31 John's stated purpose for writing his gospel so that readers may believe and have life
23. 1 Peter 2:24 Jesus bore our sins so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness
24. Romans 15:4 scripture written for instruction so that through perseverance we might have hope
25. Romans 3:10-12 no one righteous, no not one, none who seeks after God
26. John 3:16 God gave his Son so that whoever believes should not perish but have everlasting life

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about the difference between Chronos time and Kairos time. Can you think of a moment in your own life that felt less like ordinary clock time and more like an opportune, God-arranged moment?
2. The sermon pointed to Galatians 4:4-7, where Paul says God sent His Son 'when the fullness of time came.' What does it mean to you personally that God chose a specific, deliberate moment in history to send Jesus rather than doing it at any random point?
3. The pastor walked through several places in the Gospels where God or Jesus gives the 'so that' behind what He is doing. Which of those purposes, such as redemption, adoption, forgiveness, joy, or peace, stands out most to you right now, and why?
4. Romans 5:6-8 says Christ died for the ungodly while we were still helpless. How does it affect your understanding of God's love that He acted at the right time not when we had cleaned ourselves up, but while we were still sinners?
5. The pastor said that God's purposes expressed through that 'so that' language can be thwarted by human will, and that your will in conflict with God's will can block what God intends for you. How do you respond to that idea, and what does it change about how you think of your own choices?