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.”
It will change the way you respond.
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6. The Gospel Through Joseph’s Story
Joseph’s story doesn’t just teach us how to handle uncertainty.
It reveals something astonishing about God:
He comes close.
God steps into the mess, the confusion, the disappointment, the plans-that-fall-apart.
That’s the heart of God’s Good news.
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1. Jesus came because our plans fall apart
The truth about you and me? We are broken, messed up, imperfect.
Not only are we broken – we can’t fix ourselves.
No amount of planning or self-improvement can put us right with God.
But that’s why Jesus came:
• not to improve us but to save us
• not to patch us up but to make us new
• not to give us advice but to give us life
The angel told Joseph:
“He will save His people from their sins.”
That’s the real miracle of Christmas.
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2. God is not waiting for your life to be tidy
Joseph’s life was anything but neat — and God still chose him.
And God chooses to come close to you today.
You don’t need to fix yourself before coming to Him.
You don’t need to understand everything.
You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need to say,
“Lord, I need You.”
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3. Emmanuel means God with you — personally
This isn’t just a Christmas word.
It’s the heartbeat of the gospel.
God with you in your failures.
God with you in your fears.
God with you in your doubts.
God with you in your imperfect story.
If you’ve never trusted Jesus personally, or if you’ve drifted far from Him, today can be your moment to come home.
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4. A simple invitation
Maybe today you realise you’ve been trying to build your life around your own plans — and they haven’t quite held together.
Maybe life has taken you somewhere unexpected.
Maybe you’ve drifted from God and feel far from Him.
But the good news is this:
He has come to be with you, to forgive you, to guide you, and to give you new life.
If today you want to trust Him — or come back to Him — why not pray this simple prayer?”
The message of Joseph’s story is this:
Even when the plan changes, the promise remains.”
God has a purpose for you.
Be open to that purpose.
Try not to be fixated on your plan, on having Christmas, the New Year all packaged up. Because neatly packaged lives have a habit of unravelling.
Better to trust in God’s purpose and promises . . . then our “world” won’t fall apart when our package falls on the floor.
