Connect

Stepping Through Christmas - Week Five

December 27, 2026 0 0

 

The New Creation Reality — Heaven Coming to Earth

 

Using the insights of Tom Wright, this final week shifts the focus from "escaping to heaven" to God's grand design of New Creation. “Jesus's resurrection is the beginning of God's new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord's Prayer is about.” (Tom Wright, Surprised by Hope) Eternal life and resurrection life start right now when the Spirit awakens our hearts. Our ultimate home is a renewed universe where God dwells with us. The adventure of new life with Christ doesn’t start in heaven – it starts right now on earth!

 

1. Encountering Heaven, a New Adventure -- Matthew 2: 1-12

Theme: Encountering heaven changes our lives forever.
 

Context: When the Magi encounter Jesus their life is transformed. Their adventure doesn’t end, it’s just getting started!
 

Discussion Questions:
 

  • Where the wisemen see wonder, Herod sees a threat. How can we, like the wisemen, show solidarity with Christians facing oppression from powerful forces?
     
  • When the Magi travel home they travel literally and metaphorically on ‘another road’. This year what are the new roads we are travelling with Jesus, both literally and metaphorically?
     

Personal Reflection: Gold, frankincense and myrrh are highly symbolic gifts pointing to Christ’s kingship (gold), priesthood (frankincense) and burial (myrrh). As we start a new year how are recognising Christ’s leadership, spiritual direction and renewal of our lives?

 

2. No Longer Strangers — Ephesians 2: 19–22

Theme: We belong to one another.
 

Context: Just as stones become more than the sum of their parts we become something greater when we join together — we become a home for God! In our loving relationships we ‘house’ God!
 

Discussion Questions:
 

  • Part of the significance of a cornerstone is not simply that it holds up the walls but that historically it’s the first stone placed. What difference would it make when starting a new group or activity to consciously start with Jesus as the first element?
     
  • How can our transformed relationships with others in this new year bring heaven to earth through the Holy Spirit?
     
  • Personal Reflection: How can our transformed relationships with others in this new year bring heaven to earth through the Holy Spirit?

 

3. The Door Standing Open — Romans 8: 31-39

Theme: No barrier can get between us and God.
 

Context: We close the year with a vision of a door standing wide open between heaven and earth. Through Christ's resurrection, the barrier is permanently removed, inviting us to live with open access to God’s throne room right now!
 

Discussion Question:
 

  • When we think of Christmas, we often think of a baby born to rescue us from earth so we can eventually go up to heaven. But the scriptural reality — and the true heartbeat of the Incarnation — is that God in Christ came down to us now. Resurrection life starts the moment the Spirit opens our hearts. We haven’t just been practicing a countdown to a holiday; we are living as 'resurrection people' in a world God is actively redeeming now. The door is open. Heaven is meeting earth, not in our future, but now! What does it look like for us to live out that new creation reality today? In our own lives but also in the lives of the Connect group and all the communities we are a part of!
     

Personal Reflection: Sometimes we bring a lot of burdens and obstacles with us that we think must get between us and God. This Hogmanay what are the things we are letting go of, that we realise are no longer holding us back?