More Than Perfect Plans Series

1. Introduction – When Plans Go Wrong

Have you ever had one of those perfect plans — only for it to completely fall apart?

Maybe a family dinner that turned into chaos, or a Christmas trip that went sideways.

I found a saying the other day, and it’s, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”

Joseph knew all about that.

He had a plan — a good one.

He was pledged to Mary, working hard, probably saving up for their life together…

……. and then suddenly, everything he thought he knew . . . . collapsed.

Visual idea: Hold the package up and say,

“We love things that are neatly packaged — predictable, tidy, with everything in its place.

But life doesn’t usually come like this, does it?”

[excitedly open, only to find the bits . . .].

Sometimes reality looks nothing like what we expected.

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2. Transition – When Life Doesn’t Go to Plan

Joseph’s plans are turned upside down when he discovers Mary is pregnant

— and he knows he’s not the father.

Imagine the confusion, the shock, the disappointment.

And yet… right there, in the middle of the mess, God was at work in ways Joseph couldn’t yet see.

That’s so often the way God works — not in our “perfect plans,” but in our interrupted ones.

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3. Joseph’s Dilemma – Doing the Right Thing

Matthew 1:19 says:

“Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” In Jewish custom of the time, betrothal was legally binding — so Joseph is rightly called Mary’s “husband” in Matthew 1:19 — but they had not yet begun living together or consummated the marriage.

But Joseph’s response shows compassion and integrity — even in confusion.

He wants to do what’s right and kind.

And it’s in that tension that God meets him.

The angel appears in a dream and says:

“Joseph son of David, (ancestor of) do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife… what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

When life didn’t go to his plan, Joseph discovered that God still had one.

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4. The Visual – The GPS Reroute

[Show a phone with a maps app or a satnav].

“Ever been driving, take a wrong turn, and hear that calm voice: ‘Recalculating route’?

Sometimes life feels like that — we miss a turn, or something unexpected blocks the road,

and God’s voice quietly says, ‘Rerouting…’”

But here’s the truth:

“When our plans change, God’s purpose doesn’t.”

Joseph’s plan was altered — but God’s purpose was right on track.

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5. APPLICATION: How Do We Live “More Than Perfect Plans”?

Joseph teaches us that life rarely goes according to our plans — but that doesn’t mean God has abandoned us.

Here are four practical ways we can live this out:

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Hold your plans lightly, and hold God tightly

Most of our stress comes from gripping tightly to how we think things should go.

Joseph had very clear plans for his life:

• get married

• build a home

• start a family

• live quietly and honourably

But then God redirected everything.

Sometimes the greatest freedom comes from praying:

“Lord, these are my plans — but Your plans are better. Help me trust You.”

Not everything unexpected is a problem — some interruptions are divine invitations.

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Obedience often starts small — take the next right step

Joseph didn’t receive a full blueprint.

He didn’t see the whole story.

He just got the next step:

“Take Mary as your wife.”

Obedience isn’t about knowing the whole journey.

It’s simply about doing the next faithful thing.

For us, that might look like:

• making a phone call God’s prompting you to make

• apologising where there’s tension

• choosing forgiveness

• helping someone who’s struggling

Small steps often mark the path of big obedience.

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Expect God to work in the unexpected

Joseph’s life looked messy. Scandalous. Complicated.

Yet God was right in the middle of that mess.

Some of the most significant moments in our lives come wrapped in “I didn’t expect that”, right?

Ask yourself:

• Where is God working in my disappointment?

• Where is He guiding me in ways I would never have chosen?

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Remember: God is with you, even when you don’t feel it

Joseph’s story is anchored in that one name: Emmanuel — God with us.

Not “God with the perfect.”

Not “God with the organised.”

Not “God with those who have their lives together.”

God with us.

The tired, the anxious, the confused, the overwhelmed.

This week when plans go wrong — pause and say:

“You are with me, Lord. Right here. Right now.”