Waiting…

This week’s texts from Scripture are:

• Isaiah 11:1-10

• Matthew 3

Sermon Outline:

I. The Challenge and Gift of Waiting

• The longing captured in The Incredibles

• John the Baptist as the model of Advent expectation

II. The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse

• Isaiah 11 and God’s surprising work in cut-off places

• Jesus as the Righteous Branch rooted in Jesse and David

III. Waiting for the Righteous Judge

• Christ’s perfect justice and omniscience

• Why His judgment is good news for the meek and troubling news for the wicked

IV. Waiting for a Redeemed Creation

• Isaiah’s poetic vision of peace: wolves, lambs, lions, children

• Personal transformation and the already/not yet of redemption

V. How We Wait: Fasting Before the Feast

• Avoiding spiritual “snacking” on lesser stories

• Advent practices that cultivate holy longing

VI. Waiting Through Love and Service

• Romans’ call to bear with, support, and care for one another

• The example of St. Lucy and waiting with purpose

Application Questions…

Comprehension Questions

(These will help you open the scriptures and understand the text.)

1. Why does Isaiah describe Jesse as a “stump,” and what does that imagery convey?

2. How does John the Baptist illustrate the posture of waiting in Matthew 3?

3. What characteristics define Jesus as the Righteous Judge in Isaiah 11:3–5?

4. What future vision does Isaiah present through the imagery of wolves, lambs, and lions?

5. How does the sermon connect Advent waiting to the final promise in Revelation 22?

Life Application

1. In what areas of your life do you struggle most with waiting on God?

2. How might God be bringing new life out of a “stump” in your own story—something cut off, broken, or unexpected?

3. What does it mean for you personally that Jesus judges not by outward appearances but with perfect righteousness?

4. Where do you long for Christ’s justice to come and set things right—in your life, your community, or the world?

5. How does Isaiah’s vision of a redeemed creation expand your imagination for what God will do?

6. What “lesser stories” or distractions tend to fill your Advent and dull your hunger for Christ?

7. What practice could help you “fast before the feast” this Advent—silence, Scripture, Sabbath, simplicity, or something else?

8. Who might God be calling you to “bear with,” support, or serve as you wait for Christ’s return?

9. How does the example of St. Lucy challenge or inspire you in serving quietly and sacrificially?

10. What state will your soul be in as you come to the feast of Christmas?

If you have questions about this sermon, please don't hesitate to reach out to David.