Scripture for Sunday (12/30/18)

Happy New Year!

We will not be having Sunday School this Sunday; worship at 11 AM.

Scriptures for Sunday
Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV) 

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Luke 2:41-52 (ESV)  

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.  [42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. [43] And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, [44] but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, [45] and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. [46] After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. [47] And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. [48] And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." [49] And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" [50] And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. [51] And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. [52] And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. 

Scripture for Sunday (12/23/18)

• Please be in prayer for the family of Chris Heisner, the son of Brenda Murr. Chris went home to be with his Lord December 18th.
• Monday night at 6 PM, we will have our annual candlelight Christmas Eve service with communion.

Scripture 

Micah 5:2-5 (ESV) 

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. 

Luke 2:8-20

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  [10] And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.  [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."  [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14] "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

[15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."  [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 

Christmas Play this Sunday (12/16/18)

This Sunday during worship, we will have our Annual Christmas Play put on by the youth and children of the church. During the Sunday School, hour we will have a pot luck breakfast. Breakfast will start at 9:45.

Parents, please have your children at church by 9:30 AM so they have time to get dressed, eat and have a run through of the play.

Monday, December 24th we will have a candlelight communion service at 6:00 PM.  Come and join us!

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (12/9/18)

Practice for the Christmas play has begun. Please have your children at church 9:45 AM each Sunday for practice.

Scripture for Sunday
Malachi 3:1-4 (ESV)  

"Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. [2] But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. [3] He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. [4] Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Luke 3:1-6 (ESV)  

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,  [2] during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  [3] And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  [4] As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. [5] Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, [6] and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Questions for Reflection
1.    When have you participated in a meaningful outdoor worship service?
2.    What different rulers did Luke mention in giving a historical setting to John the Baptist’s ministry? (3:1-2)
3.    *What was John’s basic message? (3:3)
4.    Where did John the Baptist carry out his ministry? (3:3)
5.    What Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist? (3:4)
6.    What is repentance?
7.    When John explained repentance to people, how did it relate to the work they did in life?
8.    *When we are confronted with a call to repent, why do we tend to accept or reject the invitation strongly?
9.    What connection is there between repentance and forgiveness?

Announcements

Services for Gene Simon will be Saturday, December 8th at 2 PM at the First United Methodist Church.  A graveside service will follow at the Copperas Cemetery.

If you would like to provide Christmas for a child in need please let Jim or Laurie Barker know. 

They have the names of 4 children.