Sunday, December 7, 2025
The Joy of God’s Preference | Brian Ebel
Series: Joy
Scripture: Luke 1:26-33
Big Idea
God’s preference flips the world’s logic, He chooses the overlooked, the underestimated, the “last picked” and calls them to His greatest purposes. Joy is found not in worldly status, but in knowing that you have been specially chosen by God.
Key Points
1. God’s Preference Is Personal
“Every single person sitting in this sanctuary has been specially chosen by God… It’s God’s preference. It’s God’s will. It’s God’s plan” .
Mary, a poor, teenage girl from a town with “low religious character” (Nazareth), was the one God chose. His favor isn’t based on resume, social circle, or status, but it is based on the heart .
2. Joy Comes from Being Chosen Even When You’re “Last Picked”
“We’ve all been there at some point in our lives… What if you could take joy in that?… Because joy isn’t a feeling… joy is a state of being” .
Even if the world sees you as insignificant, God’s calling brings deep joy, not because of who you are in the world’s eyes, but who you are in God’s.
3. God Gives Impossible Missions On Purpose
“God will not call you to anything that you can do on your own” .
“He’s going to show you… that with Him, nothing is impossible” .
God calls us beyond our comfort zones, just like Mary, Moses, David, and Jonah. His preference includes giving us assignments that reveal His power, not ours.
4. Our Response Unlocks Joy
Mary’s humble response shows the posture of joy: surrender and trust in God’s plan, even without a map.
Application Questions
- Have I ever felt “last picked” or overlooked? How does it change things to know that God has specially chosen me?
- Where in my life is God asking me to trust Him with something that feels impossible?
- Am I trying to qualify myself by the world’s standards or am I trusting that God looks at the heart?
- How would my week look different if I fully believed “nothing is impossible with God”?
- What does it mean to say, like Mary, “Let it be to me according to your word”? Where do I need to surrender this week?
