Order, Words, & Voices 02.09.25

02.09.25, Depth Width Length Height of Love, Luke 7:1-17

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close, 

Rick lights Christ candle/Billy softly plays first song

Songs Cornerstone   6158927 Billy/Linda

Once Again  1564362

Passage/Prayer Luke 7:1-17 Musgrove

Song How Deep The Father’s Love  1558110 Billy/Linda

Message Depth Width Length Height of Love Rick

Song   Once Again  1564362 (abb) Billy/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music Faith  5469291 Billy/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – 
  • Leave space above Speaker’s head 

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

Cornerstone   6158927

Verse 1

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name

(repeat)

Chorus

Christ alone cornerstone

Weak made strong in the Saviour’s love

Through the storm He is Lord

Lord of all

Verse 2

When darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

My anchor holds within the veil

Interlude

He is Lord Lord of all

Verse 3

When He shall come with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone

Faultless stand before the throne

Chorus

Christ alone cornerstone

Weak made strong in the Saviour’s love

Through the storm He is Lord

Lord of all

Once Again  1564362

Verse 1

Jesus Christ

I think upon Your sacrifice

You became nothing

Poured out to death

Many times I’ve wondered

At Your gift of life

And I’m in that place once again

I’m in that place once again

Chorus

Once again

I look upon the cross

Where You died

I’m humbled by Your mercy

And I’m broken inside

Once again I thank You

Once again I pour out my life

Verse 2

Now You are

Exalted to the highest place

King of the heavens

Where one day I’ll bow

But for now

I marvel at this saving grace

And I’m full of praise once again

I’m full of praise once again

Chorus (x2)

Once again

I look upon the cross

Where You died

I’m humbled by Your mercy

And I’m broken inside

Once again I thank You

Once again I pour out my life

Passage (Slides) Luke 7:1-15   Musgroves

A centurion heard that Jesus was in Capernaum. His beloved ill slave was close to death so he sent some Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his slave. 

The elders went to Jesus and earnestly appealed to him saying, “The centurion is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” 

When Jesus was not far from the house, the centurion sent word to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you.” 

“Only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers and slaves under me.” 

Jesus was amazed at the words, and said, “Not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the centurion/s messengers returned home, they found the slave in good health.

Jesus then went to a town called Nain, as he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. The man was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd accompanied the woman. 

Jesus was moved with compassion for her and said to her, “Do not cry.” He said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us   1558110

Verse 1

How deep the Father’s love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Verse 2

Behold the Man upon a cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

Verse 3

I will not boast in anything

No gifts no pow’r no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close] 

[Message Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer] 

I received 6 challenge responses this week. Among them were personal thoughts about the main point of the passage, speculation about the after impacts of the event of the two stories, some questions, and an obvious investment in consideration of the passage. All of which were not only encouraging to me but also, helpful in the sermon process. I’ve decided to not share the contributions with you this week, but I believe that I will address, or attempt to address, these contributions. I also believe that some of my thoughts may not end up being your final answers, or THE final answers. For, this, and most passages, hold not only the obvious but often they hold a specific answer directed only at you and possibly your situation. So, don’t stop considering this passage even as you move on to the passage for next Suday. Great job and again, thanks!

[Slide] Elephant in the Room – Slavery

We do not like to envision the presence of slaves in scripture or in history. It is unseemly and counter to our fantasy thinking of the primary characters in the Bible. We minimize the horror of slavery by redefining them as servants, or possibly even ‘employees’ – none of them, in a general manner, are treated like humans which is probably the easiest way to state the boundaries of slavery. That, probably, greatly expands the numbers of those who were, as well as those who are, slaves in this world.

We don’t want to hear that our founding fathers had slave, we stick our heads into the sand at the thought that our biblical heroes having slaves, and we hide our own acts of slavery in our family trees.

Slavery existed and slaves still exist. They may not be titled that. They may be transported on the highways and roads that run through our nation, state, and even our cities and towns. 

In the time of Jesus there were slaves in Isreal and in Rome, and around the globe. It was an accepted practice but, even then, an unholy accepted practice does not make it acceptable. Israel did recognize the institution of slavery. They had 2 sets of laws, one for slaves that were Jews, and the other for ‘aliens’, non-Jews, Gentiles, slaves. 

Jewish slaves did have protections against abuse, they were also seldom life time slaves. Sometimes slaves chose to be slaves, escpecially if it advanced their state of existence and their masters were kind, or at least tolerable. The ‘Alien’ slaves, gentiles enslaved by the Jews, were usually slaves to the goverment, and could be life long slaves. They, too, had protections to guard against brutal abuse.

Still, there was slavery in the Bible, and everyone was guilty of it even if it was acceptable.  Years ago my son Isaiah came across the obituary and will of one our very distant ancestors. He was a slave holder – one slave.  In his will he gave the slave the freedom to chose their next master as long as that new master paid a suitable price. Then, one generation later, his son, was a slave runner, until he ‘found Jesus’, released his slaves, and, became a preacher. I like to think that there can be some progress found in that evolution of the family name. However, the truth is, there were slaves and there are still slaves, and there are those who are treated so inhumanly that they are invisible slaves. 

[Slide] The Stories, or, Story

Our passage today gives us 2 stories, which, depending on the way you perceive them, are actually just 1 story. Luke, the writer of the gospel of Luke, uses this method of dual story placement often. Strategically putting events in the life of Jesus with other stories to let us catch that what we think is the main point, is not really the message of either of the stories – or it is not the only, or even most important lesson of the passage.

Think of the story of Jesus heading to the house of the religious leader named Jairus whose daughter was dying. Yet, intertwined in the story, is the story of the woman with a decades long issue of blood, who had pushed through the crowd to toubh Jesus’ cloak, immediately healing her. This healing, while Jesus was heading to another healing, stopped Jesus in his tracks to engage briefly with the woman.

Both of uur stories today stories have key characters/character groups. 

[Slide for each of the following points]

  • A Dying Slave – A treasured dying slave of a Roman oppressor 
  • A Dead Son – An only son who was now dead. 
  • Jewish Leaders – Who recognized the worth of the Centurion by what he had done for them, the Jews. Also worth noting is their act of going to Jesus, who may/may not been considered enemy by this.
  • Funeral Crowd – A large crowd that were part of the funeral procession of the young man who had died. They were either doing this due to their own grieving for the young man, or to support his grieving mother, or they automatically did this as a Jewish practice and an expected act of hospitality.
  • Centurion – A Roman Centurion, which meant he was over at least 100 solders and, that his primary job was to assure the Roman military leadership that he was oppressing the Jews so that they would not rebel and become a problem to the Romans (in his case his 100 soldiers controlled 1,000 people). His act of building the synagogue for the people had been a key reason the Jewish leaders saw him a ‘loving the Jesus.” This may have been an act on his part because of his love or it may have been to keep them calm. Either way, his job was to subjigate the people.
  • Mother – A now widowed woman who had no sons and was about to be devastatingly poor. No male heir meant she would not inherit even her home.

(continue to next page for final character)

  • Jesus – Jesus, in both of these stories, heals the people. He acts out the love of God regardless of the acts, worth, or agendas of these who experienced this miracle. Love pushed Jesus past the human barriers to bring healing.
  1. [Slide] Jesus headed to the home of the Centurion, a gentile, considered unclean, going into this ‘unclean’ person’s house which would have made Jesus seen as unclean. (probably before Syrophoenician, gentile woman engagement) 
  2. Jesus, uninvited but at the funeral of the young man, Jesus touched the cart that carried the dead body – also an act that would, and did, cause him to be seen as unclean. 
  3. Jesus revealed that God’s Love Has No Bounds, Conditions, Limits, or Bias/Predjudice

I am still confounded by the presence of a Roman Centurion in this story. His main job was to subdue and control the Isrealites, which he did, otherwise he would have not remained in his position. Regardless of if his motivations were sincere and loving, still he led an army of 100 soldiers to control and oppress an entire city of Jews. 

[Slide] In 1947, after the end of WWI, former Nazi Major Karl Plagge, stood trial for his role in the occupation of Vilnius, Lithuania, where 100,000 Lithuanian Jews were murdered. Surprisingly, at the trial, Jewish survivors traveled to testify in Plagge’s defense—just as Jewish elders once advocated for the centurion. Plagge had disagreed with the anti-semitism of the Nazis but still served to advance the cause conquering Europe and beyone – also, much like the centurion. The Jewish witnesses that spoke up for Plagge, much like the Jewish elders speaking up for the Centurion, spoke of the 1,000 Jews saved by Plagge during the war. 

(continue to next page for story continuation)

Even though Plagge served on the side of the Nazis in the war, these Jewish survivors noticed that he also, subtly, risked his own life by finding ways to save as many Jews as was possible. At the trial, Plagge was classified as a ‘follower’ who had served as ordered by the Nazis but had also acted out of his own conscience and worked to save lives of the Jews. He was found guilty of being a ‘follower’ but his sentence was light thanks to the Jews who noticed his actions of love. Like the Centurion, his story was complicated.

[Slide] In the end, today’s passage is not about the centurion, it is about Jesus and the love of God. A love that the Jews saw lived out in the life of the Centurion – regardless of the details. Even though he was a Roman oppressor, God still did a work of love through him. A love that was deep, wide, long, and high. A love that is not stopped at barriers, predjusices, or labels. A love that easily moves beyond the limits placed on it. 

[Slide] So, we continue to act like Jesus. We take Jesus’ love to the Centurion’s house, even though our religion may say we cannot do that. We continue to join the funeral procession to grieve with the dismissed and unvalued, even though our world says they are not worthy of love. We continue to not allow hatred to dictate God’s love in us. And we never, never, fail to recognize the miracle of God’s love for us as seen on the cross.

[Slide] Our challenge is not only to love all others but also in all circumstances. To look for God’s love coming through unexpected places in all circumstances. We are not necessarily challenged to expect it, but to look. Trust God in your looking even if we never see it. 

[Slide] Looking for love in the worst may be what opens our eyes to seeing God’s love in the best.

Prayer

God, may we see your love, be your love, and look constantly for your love. May we never forget that we are loved by you, that we have been rescued and redeemed by you. May we remember that we are called to be that love in the imperfect and to the unloveable. Above all else, may we always live cognizant of our calling to love you and all others.  Amen.

Music Slides    Billy/Linda

Once Again  1564362

Verse 1

Jesus Christ

I think upon Your sacrifice

You became nothing

Poured out to death

Many times I’ve wondered

At Your gift of life

And I’m in that place once again

I’m in that place once again

Chorus

Once again

I look upon the cross

Where You died

I’m humbled by Your mercy

And I’m broken inside

Once again I thank You

Once again I pour out my life

Community (Slides) Rick

  • 02.16.25, Just Checking, Luke 7:18-35 
  • Weekly Bible Challenge
  • Weekly Prayer Challenge

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Billy/Linda

By Faith  5469291

Verse 1

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation’s grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

Verse 2

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

Chorus

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward

Till the race is finished and the work is done

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

Order, Words, & Voices Luke 6:1-11

02.02.25, Slaves to the Sabbath, Luke 6:1-11

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close, 

Rick lights Christ candle/Billy softly plays first song

Songs 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) 6016351 Billy/Linda

Sanctuary 24140

Passage/Prayer Luke 6:1-11 Musgrove

Song Faith  5469291 Billy/Linda

Message Slaves to the Sabbath Rick

Song   It Is Well With My Soul  25376 Billy/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music Faith  5469291 Billy/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – 
  • Leave space above Speaker’s head 

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

10,000 Reasons (Bless Lord) 6016351

Chorus

Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before O my soul

I’ll worship Your holy name

Verse 1

The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning

It’s time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

Verse 2

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger

Your name is great and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Verse 3

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

 I’ll worship Your holy name

Ending

Sing like never before O my soul

I’ll worship Your holy name

Worship Your holy name

Worship Your holy name

Sanctuary  24140

Lord prepare me

To be a sanctuary

Pure and holy

Tried and true

With thanksgiving

I’ll be a living

Sanctuary for You



Passage (Slides) Luke 6:1-11   Musgroves

On a sabbath day, Jesus walked through a field. His disciples were rubbing heads of grain in their hands to get rid of the chaff, and eating them. 

Some Pharisees said to Jesus, “They are breaking a Sabbath rule!”

Jesus said. “Have you not read what David and those with him did when they, and their companions, were hungry? How they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread that was designated for the priests only?”

Jesus said, “The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; he is in charge.”

On another Sabbath Jesus went to the meeting place and taught. There was a man there with a crippled right hand. 

The religious scholars and Pharisees were watching Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in another Sabbath violation. 

Jesus knew what they were up to but he spoke to the man with a crippled hand anyway. “Get up and stand.” The man stood.

Jesus said to the religious leaders, “Let me ask you: What action best suits the Sabbath? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?”

Jesus looked at each of them in the eye and said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man’s hand was as good as new! The leaders were angry, and started plotting how they might get rid of Jesus.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

By Faith  5469291

Verse 1

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation’s grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

Verse 2

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

Chorus

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward

Till the race is finished and the work is done

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

Verse 3

By faith the prophets saw a day

When the longed-for Messiah would appear

With the pow’r to break the chains of sin and death

And rise triumphant from the grave

Verse 4

By faith the church was called to go

In the pow’r of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news

In ev’ry corner of the earth

Verse 5

By faith the mountain shall be moved

And the pow’r of the gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible

For all who call upon His name

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close] 

[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer] 

Challenge

This week week we had 3 great questions upon which our sermon was built.

  1. Why did Jesus heal the man with the crippled hand while knowing that he was being watched ?
  2. Why did Jesus heal the man in the open and not take him somewhere private?
  3. Why did the Pharisees care?

Context

Today we watch the journey as Jesus, with his disciples, are literally following Jesus, and are very hungry. As they walk through a field, they pluck the heads off the grain, rub them with their hands to remove the chaff, and then eat.

Explanation

The Law

The law was God’s gift to humanity telling us how to live with each other, with God, and with God’s creation. It, according to many Jewish teachers, was offered to all nations but only the Israelites accepted the law. It was a gift, a how to, a how to that sometimes said, ‘Do Not,’ and ‘Don’t even think of it,’ which most nations did not want to hear – which is why it was not accepted by most nations. However, it also contained phrases like ‘here comes the promise’, and, ‘this is how to be ready for the promise.’ But, at it’s core, the Law was about God’s love and his desire that we would live out that love.

Humanity primarily only knows the law as the 10 commandments …

  1. No gods before beside the one true God.
  2. No worship of idols.
  3. No taking the Lord’s name in vain.
  4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
  5. Honor your father and your mother.
  6. No murder.
  7. No adultery.
  8. No theft.
  9. No lying about another person.
  10. No lusting for the things that belong to another person.

But these were just the tip of the iceberg. God and Moses’ time together on the mountain was a 40 day engagement.The two spent 40 days and nights…(times 2 because of the golden calf debacle). The time was spent in deep discussion, much of which was probably details of each of the commandments, how to define human actions in regard to the commandments, and how to treat others in light of these commandments. 

These discussions were not documented like the 10 commandments. Instead,  they were orally shared by Moses and then, the details, spread to others. Jewish scholars still study those oral details and continue to pass them down through to the generations.

The Sabbath

The boundaries and definitions of the Sabbath would have come from these oral traditions passed down for centuries since Moses. The idea that feeding yourself when you are hungry would have surely been an action discussed many times by Jewish scholars as well as the average person. 

This means that, Sabbath laws for instance – interpretations (laws)  that set limits on acceptable travel on the Sabbath and defined what acceptable work is on the Sabbath, were all open to continued debate

Jesus pointed this out when he mentioned the time when King David’s men were also hungry on the Sabbath. David, spoke to Ahimelech, the priest, and asked for food, Ahimelech then offered David and his men the bread on the altar for them to eat. Jesus was citing a precedent for what is acceptable on the Sabbath. He was arguing his perspective against bad interpretation of the discussions of God and Moses centuries before.

The Sabbath, quite simply, was one of the 10 commandments because intentional resting was what God did on the seventh day of creation. It was to a people who, during their enslavement in Egypt, had been over worked and permitted no rest. The commandment to rest on the Sabbath was/is a matter of spiritual, physical, and mental health for all of humanity. 

The Pharisees

Most scholars agree that the bias of Jesus followers against the Pharisees is an unfounded caricature of a passionate group of men dedicated to preserving Judaism. Of course they were human and could often be guided more by their own defensiveness, and… could, like all of humanity, were sometimes prone to get stuck in flawed and outdated perspectives and traditions.

We non-Jews discount the role and foundational reasoning of the Pharisees. Our tight grip on seeing the Pharisees as enemies, blinds us to deep concerns which often obscure truth.

In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were burdened by what was going on around them in society, in politics, and in religion. They were oppressed by the Romans as the Roman surrogates had begun to infringe on Jewish religion. This was a huge threat to Judaism leading Jewish leaders to extend their reach to all Jews in all places. Their calling was to remind the followers of the true God of their calling to ‘be a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (see Exodus 19:6)

The pharisees would have probably kept up with the latest rabbis’ debates and updates. They, too, acknowledged the oral tradition and the rabbinical debates about how to set boundaries that keep us within the law. And, since Jesus would have been considered a Rabbi at that time, we see them respectfully ask Jesus ‘Why are your disciples working on the Sabbath?’

In addition to these threats against Judaism, the Pharisee recognized the political trends and the fact that the politicians were attempting to control the church. They were aware there would be false teachers among those claiming to be rabbis under the thumb of the politicians and others determined to undermine the church. The Pharisees, in general, were sincere and passionate about their vocation of protecting Judaism. 

Understandably, the leaders had deep concerns which led them to investigate all the teachings within Judaism that were taking place across Israel…including teachers such as Jesus. And, again, the Pharisees were human so when things got a bit too uncomfortable, or, in Jesus’ response they did was humans do, what the religious leaders did in Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, they went on the defensive and began to plot against Jesus. However, it is doubtful that this was an official stance of Pharisees as a whole.

Remember the passion of the apostle Paul who had been a persecuted of followers of Christ until Jesus, post crucifixion, confronted him. Paul was open minded, he, too, considered the different developing views and, when presented with Truth he accepted it. 

The fact that the Pharisees asked Jesus ‘why’ was a sign that they saw an intellectual worth in Jesus. If they had not thought this they would have begun the plotting to get rid of Jesus immediately.

Challenge

With this in mind let’s take a look at our challenge questions;

Why did Jesus heal the man with the crippled hand while knowing that he was being watched? 

Healing, like praying, is a personal moment and usually we see Jesus step away from others when he prays, and, in the ministry of the prophets they always go to a private place to heal. Jesus probably was not afforded such a private moment with the crowds when he healed. However, it is possible that Jesus heals the man all the while knowing he is being watched because this was a not about the healing as much as it was a lesson to the crowds, the disciples, and even the Pharisees – a lesson that our faith is not based on the institution of the church, not a person, not on philosophy or agenda, not on preacher, politicians, or any person, it is on God. Remember, the oral traditions of the practice of the law was always up for debate.

Why did Jesus heal the man in the open and not take him somewhere private?  See response to question #1. 

Why did the Pharisees care? 

The Pharisess sincerely were aware of the possibilities that their long held interpretations of ‘WORK’ on the Sabbath were constantly in need of reconsideration and debate. When this group of Pharisees (which may have just been 2 or 3 Pharisees) became angry it is not because of Jesus’ challenge about Sabbath laws but because Jesus stepped on their toes like he had done in Nazareth. The Pharisee, without realizing it, had allowed their sincere passion to protect the faith, become more focused on protecting their institution.

Takeaway

With this under our belt let’s concentrate on Jesus’ statement about the Sabbath.

Jesus said, ‘I am Lord of the Sabbath.’ 

Jesus’ words probably were not offensive to the Pharisees anymore than Jesus’ similar words to the religious leaders in Nazareth. However, the Pharisees probably did not hear them in the manner we hear them. We hear the word LORD and equate it to Messiah and automatically think that others heard that as a statement of Holiness – that he was/is God. This was probably not how the Pharisees heard the words of Jesus. This was probably not what ruffled the feathers of the leaders.

What they probably heard was similar to Eugene Petterson’s interpretation, ‘I am not a slave to the Sabbath.’ Which, in the Pharisees hearing, was ‘YOU (the Phariseee) are a slave to the Sabbath, YOU have forgotten God, YOU have become false teachers,in YOUR unholy tradition.’

Jesus still says that to us today – confronting us when we become more loyal to a religious institution, or a politician or a political agenda, or a person or religious leader. Jesus reminds us that our calling it to Love God, Love Others, and go out into our world and teach that truth through the entirety of our lives…not through legalism, not through words of persuasion, but through true and sincere love.

Prayer

Music Slides    Billy/Linda

It Is Well With My Soul  25376

Verse 1

When peace like a river

Attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot

Thou hast taught me to say

It is well

It is well with my soul

Chorus

It is well with my soul

It is well

It is well with my soul

Verse 2

Tho’ Satan should buffet

Tho’ trials should come

Let this blest assurance control

That Christ hath regarded

My helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood

For my soul

Verse 3

My sin O the bliss

Of this glorious tho’t

My sin not in part but the whole

Is nailed to the cross

And I bear it no more

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord O my soul

Verse 4

And Lord haste the day

When the faith shall be sight

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll

The trump shall resound

And the Lord shall descend

Even so it is well

With my soul

Chorus

It is well with my soul

It is well

It is well with my soul

Community (Slides) Rick

  • 02.09.25, Depth Width Length Height of Love, Luke 7:1-17
  • Weekly Bible Challenge
  • Weekly Prayer Challenge

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Billy/Linda

By Faith  5469291

Verse 1

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation’s grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

Verse 2

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the pow’r of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

Chorus

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward

Till the race is finished and the work is done

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

Order, Words, & Voices 01.26.25

01.26.25, Try Again, Luke 5:1-11 

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close, 

Rick lights Christ candle/Lynn softly plays first song

Songs Standing on the Promises CCLI Song # 31803 Lynn/Linda

I Will Trust in You  CCLI Song # 106659

Passage/Prayer Luke 5:1-11 Cricklins

Song Do it Again Lynn/Linda

Message Try Again Rick

Song   Lord I Give You My Heart   CCLI Song #1866132 Lynn/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024 Lynn/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – 
  • Leave space above Speaker’s head 

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Standing On The Promises (Promises) CCLI Song # 31803

Verse 1

Standing on the promises of Christ my King

Through eternal ages let His praises ring

Glory in the highest I will shout and sing

Standing on the promises of God

Chorus

Standing standing

Standing on the promises of God my Savior

Standing standing

I’m standing on the promises of God

Verse 2

Standing on the promises that cannot fail

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail

By the living Word of God I shall prevail

Standing on the promises of God

Chorus

Standing standing

Standing on the promises of God my Savior

Standing standing

I’m standing on the promises of God

Verse 3

Standing on the promises I now can see

Perfect present cleansing in the blood for me

Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free

Standing on the promises of God

Chorus

Standing standing

Standing on the promises of God my Savior

Standing standing

I’m standing on the promises of God

I Will Trust In You  CCLI Song # 106659

Verse 1

When I can’t see You I know You’re here

When I can’t feel You I will not fear

I will trust in You  and I will not be afraid

Verse 2

And when the battle  is close at hand

I know You’re with me  to help me stand

I will trust in You  and I will not be afraid

Chorus

I will not be afraid

I will not be afraid

I will trust in You

I will trust in You

Verse 3

And when the darkness  is closing in

And I am running  against the wind

I will trust in You  and I will not be afraid

Verse 4

‘Cause when I’m standing  upon that shore

And all the battles  they have gone before

I will trust in You  and I will not be afraid

Chorus

I will not be afraid

I will not be afraid

I will trust in You

I will trust in You

Passage (Slides) Luke 5:1-11   Cricklins

Once while Jesus was standing beside the Sea of Galilee and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 

Jesus got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 

Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 

When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Simon, and all who were with him, were astounded at the catch of fish. 

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When Peter and the others with him had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Do It Again   CCLI Song # 7067555

Verse 1

Walking around these walls

I thought by now they’d fall

But you have never failed me yet

Waiting for change to come

Knowing the battle’s won

For you have never failed me yet

Chorus

Your promise still stands

Great is your faithfulness

Faithfulness

I’m still in your hands

This is my confidence

You’ve never failed me yet

Verse 2

I know the night won’t last

Your word will come to pass

My heart will sing your praise again

Jesus you’re still enough

Keep me within your love

My heart will sing your praise again

Chorus (x 2)

Your promise still stands

Great is your faithfulness

Faithfulness

I’m still in your hands

This is my confidence

You’ve never failed me yet

Ending

You’ve never failed me yet

I never will forget

You’ve never failed me yet

I never will forget

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close] 

[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer] 

Basics

Live Like Jesus Lived…. In our quest to see, know, and understand, the inner foundation, motivations, intentional steps, and even frustrations of Jesus. We have watched as Jesus, post nativity, has grown into his own skin experiencing all that being human means. 

  • [Slide] At the age of 12 we witnessed Jesus take responsibility for his own faith; choosing to learn about God and humans through seeking and searching truth, all the while asking questions.
  • [Slide] At the age of 30, we have seen Jesus, with 18 years of seeking, searching and asking questions under his belt, step into the baptismal waters in order to please God.
  • [Slide] Jesus intentionally faced temptation head on, then he went home where he was rejected by his own people
  • [Title Slide] Today, we find Jesus cornered on the beach.

Passage

  • As Jesus had traveled through the region of Galilee he had gained a following that grew larger each day. 
  • Even after his heart breaking experience in Nazareth he still grew in his popularity. 
  • Now, he was stuck between the sea and the crowd. Stuck in the sand with no place to go except into the water. 
  • Trapped by the crowd, Jesus walked over to the boats of some fishermen and climbed into one the boats asking the owner of the boat, a man named Simon who will later be known as Simon Peter, to row the boat out into the water so he could speak to the entire crowd. 
  • Note: earlier, Simon’s mother-in-law had been one of the people Jesus had healed which explains why Simon was willing to follow this and another request from Jesus.

[Slide] When Jesus was finished speaking to the crowd he requested Simon to “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon respectfully tells Jesus about their fruitless attempts to catch fish the night before.

[Slide] Eventually, Simon said “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 

Jesus told Simon to try again. Even though they had previously had no success, still, they were to try again. 

Simeon and his crew threw the net back into the water and as they lifted the overflowing net immediately having to call for help from the other boats and fishermen.  Simon broke down in his realization of the moment, that this was God and that he, just like the prophet Isaiah before him, recognized his own unholiness. 

[Slide] Simon recognized that this was a holy moment.

[Slide] Jesus told Simon to not be afraid, and then told Simon and some of the other fishermen, saying, “From now on you will be a fishers of people.”

Insight – Catching

Last week’s challenge

  • ‘Catch’/’Fishing’
  • Zōgrōn, zogreal
  • Roman understanding – capture, enslave, own
  • Fishermen – catching, vocation, sustenance

“You will be fishing for men’

  • Purpose/personal, Core being
  • Investment, not in supplies and equipment, not a fight or argument, but in personal life investment just like the disciples will be come investors in the lives of others.
  • Catching people with life which is then verified through words. Possibly 2 dimensional word, allowing them to ‘Catch up’
  • It is about life, Jesus will be showing these men his beliefs\faith through his life, 24/7/365. Current day discipleship has become about controlling.
  • Showing people what it is to follow God through his life rather than through verbal persuasion and argument.  They will catch up with Jesus’ understanding of what Jesus understood about God’s love.
  • [Slide] ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have taught you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28)

Jesus was ‘catching’ these men’s hearts and minds in order  to sacrifice his life for them. The life of Jesus they would witness over the days ahead would catch them. Actions verified by words.

Jesus was going to challenge their institutional faith, he was going to push the limits of how they saw their faith in the long run.  Jesus would soon be saying things like.

[Slide] Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those who are persecuted, blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you. 

[Sermon Title Slide]

What was Jesus teaching? He was not building a church. He was not creating a new religion called Christianity. Jesus was still speaking in the purview of the Jewish religious institution. He was defining, pushing, expanding, perfecting and completing their faith. He was telling a community, and beyond, that God loves them by showing them God’s love, so they could tell all the nations that God is Love, so that we can show all peoples that God loves all people. 

Prayer

Music Slides    Lynn/Linda

I Give You My Heart  CCLI Song #1866132

Verse

This is my desire

To honour You

Lord with all my heart

I worship You

All I have within me

I give You praise

All that I adore is in You

Chorus

Lord I give You my heart

I give You my soul

I live for You alone

Ev’ry breath that I take

Ev’ry moment I’m awake

Lord have Your way in me

Community (Slides) Rick

  • 02.02.25, Slaves to the Sabbath, Luke 6:1-16
  • Bible Study Interest Survey 
  • Weekly Challenge

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Lynn/Linda

Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024

Verse

Show me Your ways

That I may walk with You

Show me Your ways

I put my hope in You

Chorus

The cry of my heart

Is to love You more

To live with the touch

Of Your hand

Stronger each day

Show me Your ways

Order, Words, & Voices 01.19.25

01.19.25, Jesus at Nazareth, Going Home, Luke 4:14-30 

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close, 

Rick lights Christ candle/Lynn softly plays first song

Songs Sing to the King CCLI License #1294761 Lynn/Linda

O Worship the King  CCLI Song #4010902

Passage/Prayer Luke 4:14-30 Cricklins

Song Made for More   CCLI Song # 7207758 Lynn/Linda

Impact/Message Going Home Rick

Song   How Deep the Fathers Love #1558110 Lynn/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024 Lynn/Linda

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Sing To The King    CCLI License #1294761

Verse 1

Sing to the King 

Who is coming to reign

Glory to Jesus the Lamb 

that was slain

Life and salvation 

His empire shall bring

And joy to the nations 

when Jesus is King

Chorus

Come let us sing a song

A song declaring 

that we belong to Jesus

He is all we need

Lift up a heart of praise

Sing now with 

voices raised to Jesus

Sing to the King

Verse 2

For His returning 

we watch and we pray

We will be ready 

the dawn of that day

We’ll join in singing 

with all the redeemed

‘Cause Satan is vanquished 

and Jesus is King

Chorus

Come let us sing a song

A song declaring that 

we belong to Jesus

He is all we need

Lift up a heart of praise

Sing now with voices raised 

to Jesus

Sing to the King

Chorus

Come let us sing a song

A song declaring 

that we belong to Jesus

He is all we need

Lift up a heart of praise

Sing now with 

voices raised to Jesus

Sing to the King

O Worship the King (Lyons)  CCLI Song #1486

Verse 1

O worship the King all glorious above

And gratefully sing His power and His love

Our Shield and Defender the Ancient of Days

Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise

Verse 2

O tell of His might O sing of His grace

Whose robe is the light whose canopy space

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm

Verse 4

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite

It breathes in the air it shines in the light

It streams from the hills it descends to the plain

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

Verse 5

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail

In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail

Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end

Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend

Passage (Slides) Luke 4:14-30   Cricklins

In the power of the Spirit, Jesus returned to Galilee and news spread about him. He taught in the synagogues and was praised by all.  

Jesus came to Nazareth, his hometown and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood to read the scroll of Isaiah which was given to him. 

He read  “The Spirit of God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus returned the scroll and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was looking at him as he began to speak, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at his gracious words. They asked among themselves, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 

He said, “You will say to me, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ and, ‘Do what you did at Capernaum.” because no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” 

He continued, “There were many widows in Israel through the severe famine, yet Elijah was sent to the gentile widow instead of the Jews.  

There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except the gentile leper.” 

The leaders heard Jesus’ words and were filled with rage. They drove Jesus out of the town leading him to the brow of the hill to hurl him off the cliff. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Made For More   CCLI Song # 7207758

Verse

I know who I am ’cause I know who You are

The cross of salvation was only the start

Now I am chosen free and forgiven

I have a future and it’s worth the living

Chorus

I wasn’t made to be tending a grave

I was called by name

Born and raised back to life again

I was made for more

So why would I make a bed in my shame

When a fountain of grace is running my way

I know I am Yours

And I was made for more

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close] 

[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer] 

Understanding Basics

Live like Jesus lived…. In our quest to see, know, and understand, the inner foundation, motivations, intentional steps, and even frustrations of Jesus, we find Jesus going home, back to Nazareth – the city in which he spent most of his formative years. 

After the nativity, we first saw Jesus at twelve years old, making a choice to take responsibility for his faith. He was listening, seeking and searching, and questioning everything, especially everything about God. That is what grows and stabilizes faith. 

Then, in Luke’s inspired perspective, we move eighteen years later to see Jesus part of a public baptism. The crowd that were baptized along with Jesus were there for cleansing and forgiveness – Jesus needed neither. Jesus had prepared for his baptism since he was twelve years old – his purpose for baptism was to please the Father, to delight the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Following the baptism we know that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for a time of intense temptation. His strengthened faith, and intentionality in pursuing his calling, served him well in this time.

Today’s passage follows Jesus’ as he returns to his home region of Galilee. Throughout the region Jesus spoke in the synagogues, and performed miracles on the hillsides. Jesus was warmly embraced and, his good news from God, was heard and embraced.  

This is important to note, those who listened and watched Jesus in the towns of Galilee embraced Jesus, we hear of no outrage but only positivity. This is true until Jesus spoke in his home town of Nazareth, where things were different.

[Sermon Title Slide] Jesus Returns Home

We do not know how long it had been since Jesus was last in Nazareth. We also do not know if he still had family there. We do know that there were some in the synagogue who knew and remembered Joseph. 

Upon his arrival, Jesus received the same warm welcoming response that he experienced in other communities throughout Galilee. Even after Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. 

[Slide] “The Spirit of God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Amazingly even at this point we don’t hear an antagonistic response. The people are still impressed with him. Except for a few that begin to ask, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

[Sermon Title Slide]

Jesus may not have heard their words but he did recognize their hearts. He understood they were beginning to doubt him because he was one of them.

When Nathaniel heard about Jesus, before he became a disciple, his first words were, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) The public perception, and judgement, of Nazarites was similar to someone referring to a group of people as ‘Hillbillys’. There was a judgement in the mind of Nathaniel, and the religious leaders of Nazareth, that nothing good could come out of Nazareth. 

At this point, even though they had been accepting of Jesus’ words up to this point, the realization that Jesus was one of them discredited Jesus in their minds.

Jesus’ response was to confront their prejudice. He knew that they wanted to SEE miracles performed before their eyes but, since they had now invalidated the credibility of Jesus due to his roots being also THEIR roots, they now could not even consider his statement regarding the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic statement. They wanted spectacle more than they wanted truth.

Our Lesson

Now, look at how Jesus confronted, and corrected, them – he began by putting a mirror of themselves, forced them to at least see what they were allowing to take place in their hearts and minds. He said to them the things they were thinking and then saying to each other. “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Then, he does not reprimand them, instead Jesus tells them a story that they already know. A story from their own religious history. A story of two others who are their prophets.

[Slide] “There were many widows in Israel through the severe famine, yet Elijah was sent to the gentile widow instead of the Jews.” And, “There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except the gentile leper.”

Two stories about God that they knew, two truths about God that they could not deny. One story in which the Isrealites were in famine and starving, and another story in which a skin disease has inflicted the Israelites. In both stories God sent the prophets to the rescue… but, not to the Isrealites. In both stories God sent the prophets to the rescue of gentiles.

One rescue was of a gentile woman, and the other rescue was of a wicked gentile man.

[Slide] Upon hearing Jesus remind them of these moments in history the passage tells us, “The leaders were filled with rage. They drove Jesus out of the town leading him to the brow of the hill to hurl him off the cliff. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way.”

The response of the leaders can be, and is, perplexing. When a meaning is confusing it is best to search and consider all possible meanings.

[Slide] 2 viewpoints of Jesus’ point, neither is received by the leaders in Nazareth. 

  • That God did not help the Isrealites but instead helped gentiles – one who was very wicked. Indicating God’s displeasure, at that time, of the Isrealites who had turned from God, and failed to love others.
  • God was preparing the people to understand that God also loved and cared for those outside of the Israelite bubble. A warning of what was to come through Jesus and the Apostles. The tent was about to expand beyond them, the table was about to be lengthened. 

[Slide] ‘When Jesus reminds the leaders that God’s love extends beyond their borders, they quickly conclude that his good news is really bad news. In order to truly hear and accept Jesus’ teaching, they would have to change their attitudes toward outsiders. They would have to include people they religiously excluded. They would have to believe that God’s salvation is really for all people, and not just for them.’

[Slide]‘This transformation was more than the hearers could handle. In their angry desire to make God’s salvation serve their own purposes, they try to kill Jesus. After the scene in Nazareth we see Jesus live this out, he frees a man from the demons, he reaches out to others who are excluded to touch, heal, and free everyone who comes to him for help. Jesus heals the broken and welcomes the crushed and downtrodden people – tax collectors, hemorrhaging women, prostitutes, the beggars and the homeless.’

[Slide]‘Jesus forgives and frees them, he welcomes them and transforms them. Jesus was called to to bring freedom from sin and freedom from sinful structures. He was anointed to create a new community that would break down the barriers between insider and outsider, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor. In him, all flesh shall see God’s salvation.’

VicarJudith Jones, St. Stephen & St. Luke by the Sea Episcopal Churches, Waldport, Ore., United States

[Slide] Change is difficult, change is hard. Change that challenges us can be impossible. The Jewish religion had taken God’s gift of the Law and made it be a tool of oppression and separation. Much like segments of Christianity have made the Bible a tool of attack. The Jews were called to change and transformation then, just as Christians are being called to change now. 

[Sermon Title Slide]

Illustration of Steve Jobs and Computer Speakers, 1990s

Illustration of FSBC Sunday night time change for volleyball

Illustration of Isrealites reaction to second temple

When the prophet Isaiah was speaking for God in the effort to transform the Isrealites from being a people of religious practices without heart – a people who, outwardly appeared to be religious but inwardly had turned away from God, Isaiah warned them. 

[Slide] God says, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)

We exist in a time that is much the same. Church attendance is low, Church buildings are a shell of what they were, Churches who are bucking this trend seem to be turning out Jesus followers who have failed to assume the tool of compassion, mercy, and love.  Those who claim to be followers of Jesus in the USA are outnumbered by those who do not. And, we, like the folks that were upset with the second temple, we mourn what was, instead of looking out, forward, and for God’s new thing. 

Prayer

Music Slides    Lynn/Linda

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us  CCLI Song #1558110

Verse 1

How deep the Father’s love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Verse 2

Behold the Man upon a cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

Verse 3

I will not boast in anything

No gifts no pow’r no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Community (Slides) Rick

  • Large Fish Catch/Peter Fish for Me, Try Again    Luke 5:1-11 Bible 
  • Study Interest Survey 2 Sundays beginning today
  • Weekly Challenge

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Lynn/Linda

Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024

Verse

Show me Your ways

That I may walk with You

Show me Your ways

I put my hope in You

Chorus

The cry of my heart

Is to love You more

To live with the touch

Of Your hand

Stronger each day

Show me Your ways

Order, Words, & Voices. 12.12.25

01.12.25    Stepping In, Jesus’ Baptism, Luke 3:1-22 

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close, 

Rick lights Christ candle/Billy softly plays first song

Songs Build My Life   CCLI Song # 7070345 Billy/Linda

Goodness Of God    CCLI Song # 7117726

Passage/Prayer Luke 3:1-22 Cricklins

Song Made For More   CCLI Song # 7207758 Billy/Linda

Impact/Message Stepping In Rick

Song   Our God Will Go Before Us   Song # 7218329 Billy/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024 Billy/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head 

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

Build My Life  CCLI Song # 7070345

Verse 1

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

Chorus

Holy there is no one like You

There is none beside You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

Verse 2

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name

Jesus the only one who could ever save

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

We live for You

Chorus (x?)

Holy there is no one like You

There is none beside You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

Bridge

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

Chorus (x2)

Holy there is no one like You

There is none beside You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

Goodness Of God    CCLI Song # 7117726

Verse 1

I love You Lord

Oh Your mercy never fails me

All my days

I’ve been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

I will sing of the goodness of God

Chorus

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God

Verse 2

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In darkest night

You are close like no other

I’ve known You as a father

I’ve known You as a friend

I have lived in the goodness of God

Chorus (x2)

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God

Passage (Slides) Luke 3:10-22   Cricklins

The crowds asked John the Baptizer, “What, should we do?” John said, “If you have two coats share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 

Other groups began to ask John what they should do. Jesus said to the tax collectors, “Only collect the amount you are told to take.” 

To the soldiers John Said, “Do not extort money by threats or false accusation, be satisfied with your wages.”

The excited people were wondering whether John might be the Messiah, 

John said, “I baptize with water, but one who is more powerful is coming; I am unworthy to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” 

“He is ready to clear his threshing floor, to gather the wheat into his granary, and burn the chaff.”

After Jesus was baptized, he was praying as the heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. A voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

John proclaimed the good news to the people while Herod the ruler, who John had rebuked because of all the evil things the ruler had done, put John in prison in an attempt to shut him up.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

Made For More   CCLI Song # 7207758

Verse

I know who I am ’cause I know who You are

The cross of salvation was only the start

Now I am chosen free and forgiven

I have a future and it’s worth the living

Chorus

I wasn’t made to be tending a grave

I was called by name

Born and raised back to life again

I was made for more

So why would I make a bed in my shame

When a fountain of grace is running my way

I know I am Yours

And I was made for more

Bridge

Hallelujah You called out my name

So I’ll sing out Your praise

Hallelujah You buried my past

I’m not going back

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close] 

[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer] 

New Series “Live Your Life Like Jesus Lived Life” Not WWJD.

L. L. Stanfield writes of Jesus’ baptism with the words, 

[Slide] His toes, his feet, his knees, his chest —
bowing into the water, answering his call.
Publicly surrendering, as the water enveloped
every muscle, bone, tendon, and ligament. Consuming the sinew binding them together.

[Slide] His heart, his mind, his life followed suit, guided by faith, belief, conviction, and calling.
Not a fleeting decision or emotional surge,
but a deliberate choice—to bear every pain,
suffer every humiliation—for pain and suffering
are a common weave in God’s call.

[Slide] Stepping in was preceded by holy anguish,
as the three pondered redemption.
Stepping in followed deep human contemplation.
Three decades and all eternity past exalted his choice.
Three decades and all eternity to come felt the ripples of this steps.

[Slide] Ripples in a stable.
Proclaimed by an angel.
Heard by shepherd.
Confirmed by Anna and Simeon.

[Slide] Ripples that would consume a cross,
Empty a tomb,
Comfort the grieving,
Encourage the doubtful, frustrated, and isolated.

[Slide] He stood upright.
He stepped forward.
He climbed out of the water.
God was well pleased.

[Slide] Empowered by God’s presence.

Unmovable before evil.

He fed the hungry, strengthened the weak, healed the brokenhearted.


He called the world to love.

He showed us how to live. 

He brought truth to a world entrenched in lies.

[Slide] All Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—share a common call to love all people. This call extends beyond faith traditions, reminding all humanity of our collective responsibility to seek truth. In a world that often resists truth and love, this pursuit can be challenging. Recently, platforms like Facebook and Instagram announced they would cease fact-checking content, joining other social media platforms in this decision. This serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and critical thinking, urging us to question the credibility of the information we encounter. The pursuit of truth is not only a responsibility but also an act of faith. In an age of widespread misinformation, discerning truth from deceit is essential. Our shared commitment to truth and our call to love influences our ability to fulfill our individual responsibility.

[Title Slide] The last time we saw Jesus, he was twelve, sitting in the temple, engaged in the pursuit of truth. Today we encounter the adult Jesus publicly stepping into his specific calling. 

Last Sunday, we saw a key thread woven through Luke’s gospel highlighting the continued adherence and faithfulness of the Jewish practices of Jewish Jesus followers (Jesus’ parents and the disciples/apostles) for his Jewish congregation in Jerusalem to see.

Another prominent theme in Luke’s narrative is the contrast between the powerful and the marginalized. From the Nativity story, where the powerful emperor’s decree burdens poor powerless families like Mary and Joseph, to the shepherds— the first, yet lowly, messengers of the Messiah’s birth—Luke consistently highlights the powerless. This theme continues with John the Baptizer, a humble desert recluse, juxtaposed against powerful leaders like Herod who, by the end of this passage, have arrested John the Baptizer because he risked proclaiming truth that Herod did not want to be proclaimed.

Understanding these threads is crucial for comprehending Luke’s gospel’s message. Luke’s deliberate contrast between the powerful and the marginalized reflects the experiences of his audience —Jewish believers, at the time of Luke’s writing, were facing persecution and marginalization. By emphasizing these contrasts, Luke encourages us to notice and value the often-overlooked marginalized, a theme central to Jesus’ teachings and actions.

In Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism we see some of the same storyline as in the other three gospels (this story is not told in the gospel of John). All or most of the three share reference to Isaiah’s prophesies, the self proclamation of unworthiness of John the Baptizer, and the confrontation of some of those in John’s audience are all in all or most of the other three gospels. 

There are, however, several notable differences in Luke’s baptismal account and the accounts of the other gospels.

  • [Slide] Introduction of Powerful Leaders: Luke opens by referencing the political and religious authorities, continuing the contrasts of the powerful and the powerless.
  • [Slide] Confrontation of Corruption and the Corrupt: In a striking shift, Luke attributes the bold accusation, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” not just to the leaders but addresses it to the entire crowd. This brings up the questions of ‘Did John know that Jesus was in the crowd?’ and ‘If John did know that Jesus was present, was he speaking prophetically to, and about, Jesus taking on the sins, the corruption, of all mankind?’
  • [Slide] The Crowd’s Struggle: The Jewish crowd’s question, “What should we do?” reflects an internal struggle of judgement and condemnation versus grace. A struggle that will be confronted through Jesus’ upcoming teachings on faith rooted in heart and love, rather than mere legalism and hatred.
  • [Slide] Quiet Confrontation: Jesus directly, and maybe subtly, addresses the most despised members of the crowd—tax collectors and soldiers—offering them guidance while challenging societal judgments.
  • [Slide] Omission of Jesus-John Interaction: Luke notably excludes any personal engagement between Jesus and John before the baptism, focusing instead on the baptismal act itself.
  • [Slide] Order: Luke presents the narrative in a unique sequence, adding to the distinctive nature of his gospel. Luke mentions the arrest of John the Baptizer before the mention of Jesus’ baptism – and even then, Luke has Jesus being baptized as an ‘also’. There is no mention of John performing the baptism.

[Slide] These elements highlight Luke’s intentional focus on contrasting power and marginalization, the internal struggles of faith, and the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ ministry.

[Slide] The Unavoidable Question: Why Did Jesus Need to Be Baptized?

[Slide]  Jesus’ baptism was an offering to the Father, an act of devotion meant to please. It acknowledged God not only as Father, but also the Son, and Spirit along with the Almighty—Creator, Provider, Healer, Encourager, and the source of mercy, grace, compassion, and redemption.

[Slide]  The Father’s response to this act was clear in His words: “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus did not walk out from the waters… 

[Slide]  Smarter, he had already begun a life long pursuit of pursuing truth. 

[Slide]  Needing to impress the bystanders, this moment was not for them.

[Slide]  More holy and therefore more able to engage with God, he was already righteous, he already had God’s heart and ear.

[Slide]  Redeemed, forgiven, or washed clean, he did not need those acts. 

[Slide]  Called, he was already aware of, and had already privately stepped into, God’s calling.

[Slide]  Jesus did not proclaim his faith, nor did he surrender to his calling, at his baptism, he had already done that by the time he stepped into the water. 

[Slide]  Jesus had already made the conscious decision and stepped into his calling, fully aware of both its divine and earthly implications.

[Slide]  We show our faith not in our baptism but in what happens as we step out of the literal and metaphoric baptismal waters.

[Slide]  We do not show our faith by attending church or any religious practice but in our actions, mercy, and compassion, after we leave the place or complete the action.

[Slide]  We show our faith not in our words, but in lives to which a world asks for words of explanation.

[Title Slide] 

At the baptism, Jesus was fully aware of what he was stepping into, not just in an eternal sense but also in a human and earthly sense. 

All are called to love God and others so, even if we do not discern a specific individual calling we all have a huge calling nonetheless.

[Slide] Our faith, like Jesus’ faith, is shown in a life of mercy and compassion, and in grace-filled, and shared, lives. We all share the calling to love God and others. Even without a specific individual calling, we still carry the profound mission to embody God’s love and compassion into our world. 

We all are called to step out of the water in order to love as God loves us.

Music Slides    Billy/Linda

Our God Will Go Before Us   CCLI Song # 7218329

Verse 1

Our God will go before us

And guide us by His presence

What confidence this promise is

We will never walk alone

Verse 2

Through unknown paths through shadows

Our hearts fear not tomorrow

For every step His faithfulness

Is the truth that lights our way

Chorus

Our God will go before us

The Lord of Hosts is with us

O praise the One who leads us on

For His grace will bring us home

(For His grace will bring us home)

Verse 3

Though evil forms against us

All heaven will defend us

The gates of hell shall not prevail

For the battle is the Lord’s

Chorus

Our God will go before us

The Lord of Hosts is with us

O praise the One who leads us on

For His grace will bring us home

(For His grace will bring us home)

Verse 4

Now send us with Your presence

And lead us on to heaven

Where songs of sorrow strain no more

And our every breath is praise

O let our every breath be praise

Chorus

Our God will go before us

The Lord of Hosts is with us

O praise the One who leads us on

For His grace will bring us home

(For His grace will bring us home)

Community (Slides) Rick

  • 01.19.25, Jesus at Nazareth, Going Home, Luke 4:14-30 
  • Bible Study Interest Survey next 2 Sundays

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Billy/Linda

Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024

Verse

Show me Your ways

That I may walk with You

Show me Your ways

I put my hope in You

Chorus

The cry of my heart

Is to love You more

To live with the touch

Of Your hand

Stronger each day

Show me Your ways

Order, Words, & Voices. 01.05.25

01.05.25    Jesus at Temple, ‘’Knowing/Knowing”, Luke 2:41-52

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close, Rick lights Christ candle/Billy softly plays first song

Songs Here I Am To Worship CCLI Song # 3266032 Billy/Linda

Living Hope  CCLI Song # 7106807

Passage/Prayer Luke 2:41-52 Mitch

Song Lord I Need You   CCLI Song # 5925687 Billy/Linda

Impact/Message Knowing/Knowing Rick

Song   Living Hope  CCLI Song # 7106807 Billy/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024 Billy/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head 

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Here I Am To Worship CCLI Song # 3266032

Verse 1

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes let me see

Beauty that made

This heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

Chorus

So here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You’re my God

And You’re altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

Verse 2

King of all days

Oh so highly exalted

Glorious in heaven above

Humbly You came

To the earth You created

All for love’s sake became poor

Chorus (X?)

So here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You’re my God

And You’re altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

Living Hope  CCLI Song # 7106807

Verse 1

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

Verse 2

Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

Chorus

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

Verse 3

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

(X2?)

Chorus (X2?)

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hop

Passage (Slides) Luke 2:41-52   Mitch

Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast; 

After they had spent the full number of days required they headed home. However, they were unaware that their son, Jesus, had stayed behind in Jerusalem. 

Jesus’ parents assumed that he was somewhere in the caravan. After a day’s journey they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him. 

After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard Jesus were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 

When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were bewildered; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!” 

Jesus said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” Mary and Joesph did not understand the statement which Jesus made to them. 

Jesus went down with his parents to Nazareth, and he continued to be subject to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

Jesus continued to increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.

And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Lord I Need You CCLI Song # 5925687

Verse 1

Lord I come I confess

Bowing here I find my rest

And without You I fall apart

You’re the one that guides my heart

Chorus 1

Lord I need You oh I need You

Ev’ry hour I need You

My one defense my righteousness

Oh God how I need You

Verse 2

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more

Where grace is found is where You are

And where You are Lord I am free

Holiness is Christ in me

Where You are Lord I am free

Holiness is Christ in me

Chorus 2

Lord I need You oh I need You

Ev’ry hour I need You

My one defense my righteousness

Oh God how I need You

My one defense my righteousness

Oh God how I need You

Message Draft  Rick [Screen Share until close] 

[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer] New Series “Live Your Life Like Jesus Lived Life” Not WWJD.

[Title Slide] A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Jesus did not arrive at the stable preprogrammed to know everything there was to know. Just like each of us, the Son of God was born a blank slate, ready to consume and consider every nugget of truth and fact about God and human reality. Jesus came to humanity, to us, with a passion which was ready to be fed and nourished.  Just like us. A passion that, as we grow and recognize this in ourselves, we have the option to feed this passion to know truth, to know God, or we can ignore it let it harden and shrivel up and die.  

As we look at the temple story we find an adolescent whom we have not heard from since his parents quickly packed him up and moved him to Egypt to protect Jesus from murder.

You may disagree with my ‘blank slate’ understanding of Jesus. That is okay, in fact it is more than okay as long as you do something with that disagreement. You, yourself, consider it, meditate on it, take your time and think on it, pray about it. Let this, and other questions, become your journey.

This is the crux of this story. Jesus at the temple, possibly for the first time, at least this is the first time Jesus in a significant way, engages. He listens to what is being said, he seriously considers what is taught, and, with what he has learned so far in life, he asks questions. 

Eventually Jesus reunites with his parents taking his questions and the answers he was given to those questions, and adds that to quest for truth, his quest to not just Know Of God, but his determined journey to Know God  

[Slide] We must ask a ‘WHY’ question. Why did Luke, as he wrote the Gospel of Luke, choose to tell this story in a depth we see no where else?  Why did Luke find it necessary to tell this story of Jesus as an adolescent when we do not see the other gospel writers feel a need to share this, or anything about Jesus after the nativity and before Jesus’ baptism?

[Slide]  Ronald J. Allen attempts to answer this question saying, “Luke’s story of Jesus in the temple at the age of 12 is the only time in the gospels about the life of Jesus between infancy and the beginning of his ministry. Luke’s theological purposes for recalling Jesus’ growth in this frame of reference is twofold — to assure the listener, [us], that Jesus fully understands the depths and heights of the [our] human experience and to use Jesus’ growth/understanding as a template.”

Ronald J. Allen, Professor Emeritus of Preaching/Gospels/Letters, Christian Theological Seminary

Cecil Frances Alexander, David Willcocks, & Henry Gauntletthe wrote the Christmas hymn, “Once in David’s Royal City,” confirming this learning process of Jesus,

Jesus is our children’ s pattern,

Day by day like us he grew.

He was little, weak & helpless,

Tears and smiles like us he knew.

Thus he feels for all our sadness,

And he shares in all our gladness.

Cecil F. Alexander, CCLI Song # 4756015

[Slide] Later, the apostle Paul added to this explanation in his letter to the Hebrews, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” 

(Hebrews 4:15-16)

[Slide] Jesus learned from his imperfect parents and imperfect family and imperfect community, the imperfect rabbis and priests, the imperfect teachers, and the imperfect world leaders. He learned the same way that we learn – a lifetime process of learning all things only with an increasing depth and understanding, as we, at the same time, take into account the complicated realities of reality, earth, relationships, and eternity. 

[Slide] We consider the story of the 12 year old Jesus at the moment when Jesus’ brain, just like our brains, was ready to process all that had been learned. He adds to his learning journey with questioning, filtering out the imperfections and grasping the holy perfections.  Along the way, Jesus begins applying that truth to every step of the lifetime journey into his behaviors, responses, engagements, relationships, disagreements, actions of love, acceptance, rejection, forgiveness, and grief.

[Title Slide] 

Ill – My story of arriving at that point in doubting, questions, and learning. ‘I need to be asking questions.’

Historical aspect of the time period of Luke’s writing. Conflict between Luke’s Jesus believers congregation and the Jewish institution. Luke points out the moments when Joseph and Mary observe the practices of their faith. Circumcision, Purification, Education, and we will see next Sunday – Baptism.

This journey to Jerusalem when Jesus is 12 and about to turn 13,  the age when there would have been a recognition of Jesus reaching the age of Bar Mitzvah. Jewish religious ritual and family celebration commemorating the religious adulthood. The Jewish tradition was to declare that child responsible for knowing God at 13. 

[Slide] So, we return to the ‘WHY’ question. Why did Luke, as he wrote the Gospel of Luke, choose to tell this story in a depth we see no where else?

[Slide] So We Will Learn A Lesson About

Jesus is stating, at this age of 12, that he is, and has, taken on the responsibility of his own faith. He is now declaring that he is, not only going to discover truth, but that he will also, now, be questioning what is and is not truth. Jesus is not immersing himself in Knowing God. Next Sunday we will see Jesus declare that He is immersing himself into God’s calling on him. He has reached the life moment, like us, when we take responsibility (different ages).

[Slide] So, We Will learn a lesson about Jesus’ understanding of God the Father.

This word Father, in the greek is a somewhat generic word, a title. In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of “father” carried significant weight, including multiple roles of authority, provision, and leadership within the family unit. The father was seen as the head of the household, responsible for the welfare and education of his children. In Jewish culture, the term also held deep spiritual connotations, as God was often referred to as the Father of Israel, highlighting a covenantal relationship. But, the word ‘Father’ never has a universal connotation in the old or the new testament. The use of the title of God as Father is not the same as our mythical referral to creation as being ‘Mother Nature.” God is the creator, the father, but is not boundarired in that definition. Being father is a role for God, not the definition. We pray, ‘Our Heavenly Father’, but this is a role, a sacred and personal role, but not a definition. God is too big, and all in compassing, to have a title that in any way limits God. 

So, we do not really know Jesus’ understanding of Father in regard to himself (Jesus) – possible he did not fully grapes this as well. Did he know it was different when he said ‘father’ than when others say father? We cannot say for sure, but we can be sure that, either way, Jesus, just like us, will grow into a deeper and more personal understanding.

[Slide] So We Will learn a lesson about Intentionality in our Faith

Jesus makes a gut choice about staying in the temple. It was not an act of disobedience but instinct. He followed his thirst that had obviously been nurtured up to this point. His determination and intentionality about taking advantage of this opportunity in the temple is a presentation of his decision to follow up on his education. Even though he was just 12 years old, he recognized this moment as an opportunity he needed to take advantage of.

[Slide] So That We will Recognize that Jesus learned a lesson about Being Human and Being Subject

Following up on his intentionality, he also learned a lesson about being human. Even though he stayed for a noble and holy cause, he learned a lesson of being subject to another, to recognize his position in regard to his parents, Mary and Joseph.  


[Title Slide]

Pray.

Music Slides    Billy/Linda

Living Hope  CCLI Song # 7106807

Verse 1

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

Verse 2

Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

Chorus

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

Verse 3

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

(REPEAT)

Chorus

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

Community (Slides) Rick

  • New Series ‘Live Like Jesus” Continues Next Sunday, 
  • 01.12.25    Stepping In, Jesus’ Baptism, Luke 3:1-22 
  • Bible Study Interest Survey next 2 Sundays

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Billy/Linda

Show Me Your Ways  CCLI Song # 1675024

Verse

Show me Your ways

That I may walk with You

Show me Your ways

I put my hope in You

Chorus

The cry of my heart

Is to love You more

To live with the touch

Of Your hand

Stronger each day

Show me Your ways

Order, Words, & Voices 12.29.24

Order, Words, & Voices – 12.29.24, Joshua 1:1-18;  Forward in Hope, Peace, Joy, & Love

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close

Opening Response/All Candles begin lit before service ?

Songs Be thou my Vision Lynn/Linda

Battle Belongs-Phil Wickham

Passage/Prayer Joshua 1:1-18 Beth

Song Great is thy faithfulness Lynn/Linda

Impact/Message Forward in Hope, Peace, Joy, & Love Rick

Song   It Is Well-Bethel Music Lynn/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music O Come All Ye Faithful CCLI Song # 31054 Lynn/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head 

Opening  (Slides)    ?

– Candles prelit

Leader: Moses said to the people, “I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has told me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’” 

Response: “The Lord your God will go before you. He will destroy the nations before you. Joshua will lead you.” 

Leader: “The Lord will do to the nations the same as he has done to those who have opposed you. The Lord will give them over to you.” 

Response: “Be strong and bold; do not fear or dread them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

Leader: Response: “The Lord goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Response: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Be thou my Vision  CCLI Song # 30639

Verse 1

Be Thou my vision

O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me

Save that Thou art

Thou my best thought

By day or by night

Waking or sleeping

Thy presence my light

Verse 2

Be Thou my wisdom

Be Thou my true Word

I ever with Thee

And Thou with me Lord

Thou my great Father

I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling

And I with Thee one

Verse 3

Be Thou my shield

And my sword for the fight

Be Thou my dignity

Be Thou my might

Thou my soul’s shelter

And Thou my high tow’r

Raise Thou me heav’nward

O pow’r of my pow’r

Verse 4

Riches I heed not

Nor man’s empty praise

Thou mine inheritance

Now and always

Thou and Thou only

Be first in my heart

High King of heaven

My treasure Thou art

Verse 5

High King of heaven

When vict’ry is won

May I reach heaven’s joys

O bright heaven’s Sun

Heart of my own heart

Whatever befall

Still be my vision

O Ruler of all

Battle Belongs  CCLI Song # 7148126

Verse 1

When all I see is the battle

You see my victory

When all I see is a mountain

You see a mountain moved

And as I walk through the shadow

Your love surrounds me

There’s nothing to fear now

For I am safe with You

Chorus

So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees

With my hands lifted high

O God the battle belongs to You

And every fear I lay at Your feet

I’ll sing through the night

O God the battle belongs to You

Verse 2

And if You are for me

Who can be against me

For Jesus there’s nothing

Impossible for You

When all I see are the ashes

You see the beauty

When all I see is a cross

God You see the empty tomb

Chorus

So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees

With my hands lifted high

O God the battle belongs to You

And every fear I lay at Your feet

I’ll sing through the night

O God the battle belongs to You

Bridge

(An) Almighty Fortress You go before us

Nothing can stand against

The power of our God

You shine in the shadows

You win every battle

Nothing can stand against

The power of our God

Chorus

So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees

With my hands lifted high

O God the battle belongs to You

And every fear I lay at Your feet

I’ll sing through the night

O God the battle belongs to You

Tag

O God the battle belongs to You

Passage (Slides) Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18    Beth

After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, saying, “Proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses.” 

“No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall lead this people to possess the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.” 

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go.”

”This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.” 

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for in three days you are to cross over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.”

The people answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your orders and disobeys your words, whatever you command, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.

And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Great is thy faithfulness  CCLI Song # 18723

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning

New mercies I see

All I have needed

Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness

Lord unto me

Verse 1

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Verse 2

Summer and winter

And springtime and harvest

Sun moon and stars, In their courses above

Join with all nature, In manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness

Mercy and love

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Verse 3

Pardon for sin

And a peace that endureth

Thy own dear presence

To cheer and to guide

Strength for today

And bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine

With ten thousand beside

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close]

[Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer]

At the age of 120 years old, Moses stood before the Isrealites one last time. Moses spoke the law, ordinances, and other words of life, all to remind the people of how they were to live their lives in abundance. Words that encouraged them to keep faithful hearts and minds and to not turn to the false gods. 

The significance of this moment was that the people were to finally, after 40 years of wandering, about to enter the promised land. And, even more significant, this act of moving forward into this promised land, a move that their parents had been unable to do, would not be under the leadership of Moses but now under his successor Joshua.

It was a new season, it was exciting, they were going to finally have a home, but, at the same time, it was understandably scary.

So, shortly before Moses finished his very long message from God, Moses said the words from God to the people..

[Slide] “I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.” 

[Slide] “If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I have reminded you today, 

  • to love the Lord your God
  • to walk in God’s ways
  • to observe God’s commandments, decrees, and ordinances, 

then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live a life loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him, for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

[Slide] “I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity…. Choose Life.”

It seems like a no brainer, ‘Choose Life.’ Who would choose otherwise?

Why would anyone need to be encouraged to choose life?

[Slide] The answer lies in the hebrew word, ‘eth’. In our bibles, ‘eth’ is translated as ‘and’. This may be correct, but it is probably partially incorrect. As we have seen in the past, punctuation in Hebrew is  problematic because punctuation relies on speculation. Plus, in the case of the word ‘eth’, there are no adequate greek or english, translations. 

Let me use an example to explain.

[Slide] In a letter to the Isrealites enslaved in Babylonia, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Live, build your houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Take your wives and have sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be increased there, and not diminished.” 

[Slide] “And seek the peace of the city in which I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for the success and peace of the city; for in the peace shall ye have peace.”

In other words, Jeremiah was instructing the exiled Isrealites to live their lives to the fullest even though they were not in their homeland and even though they did not live in freedom. He is telling them to not only live but to not let their situation keep them from living life but to live life even though they do not want to live where they are.

[Slide]

Life and/eth Prosperity.

Life and Prosperity.

Life with Prosperity.

Life of Prosperity

[Slide] Full life. Not riches, Not stuff, not fame or celebrity, Not even comfort. – 

[Slide] But, Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.

[Slide] Regardless of what we see or feel.

Another example of this use of ‘eth’, ‘and’, is

[Slide] Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and/eth have it abundantly.” (John 10:01 NRSVU)

[Slide] “My purpose in life is to give life in/eth all its fullness.” (TLB)

[Slide] Fullness, Abundance, Prosperity. Life and Prosperity.

Moses told the people to truly live their lives. To live their lives in the way God teaches us to live. This is the God who created humans, and knows every aspect of how creation, and us, the created, to live and flourish, God is telling them, ‘this is how creation and the created successfully work.

In doing so Moses assures the Isrealites who are about to move forward into the promised land. A journey that will involve war, battle, and the unknown. 

The Isrealites had wondered for 40 years. They had been attacked by people who wanted to stop them from moving forward. People who were an excellent example of the people who would  attack them as they move forward into the promised land. 

[Slide] This people who were facing the unknown, fear would have been natural and expected. They were entering a New Season with a New Leader, New insecurities, New Fears, New Doubts, New(?). To this fear Moses assured the people that God not only would go with them, but, that God had already gone ahead of them. They were not, and would not be, alone or isolated.

They were on the cusp of a new year. They stood looking out at this new year wondering what it held. Politics, wars, relationships, health, jobs, money, etc. Everything new, but also, everything familiar.

[Slide] We, too, stand on the cusp of a New Season, a New Year, with a New Leader, New insecurities, New Fears, New Doubts. Everything new, but also, everything familiar. To this fear God has not only promised to go with us, but, God has also promised to have already gone ahead of us. We are not, and we will not be, alone or isolated.

God calls us with an ‘eth’, to choose to live, fully, continuing to live with that ‘eth’ a ‘and’ which defines our life, our path, which calls us to full lives regardless of our circumstances or situations. Our choice to live life as God calls us to live, allowing God to guide us.

We are not alone, and we continue to not be alone even when we feel alone, maybe even abandoned. God is with us, but, even more importantly, God has, at the same time, (another ‘eth’), God has gone before us, ahead of us. 

[Slide] In other words, we are going to be okay, whatever that means, whatever that looks like. We can move forward, to continue on, not allowing fear or exhaustion, or even the unknown, to define what and how we live fully.

[Slide] The late preacher, Tim Keller, said, “God doesn’t give guidance on the path, God does guidance in the path, 

and you are, we are, on and in the middle of the path.”   

Isaiah speaking to the exiled Isrealites after Babylonia has been conquered by the Persians. Some of the Isrealites had been allowed to return home which was a huge question to those returning home. What would they return to? What would their freedom in the midst of oppression look like? And also, there were many Isrealites still in Babylonia, which was now Persian, they were hesitant to move out of slavery and to take step forward because of the questions about their future. To them the prophet Isaiah said the words of God…

[Slide] “ I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

[Slide] To us, at the beginning of a New Season, God still says that “he is about to do a new thing, in fact, truth is, God is already doing the New Thing.  Can you, can we, see it?”

Music Slides    Lynn/Linda

It Is Well (Bethel) CCLI Song # 7021972

Verse 1

Grander earth has quaked before

Moved by the sound of His voice

Seas that are shaken and stirred

Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Chorus

Through it all through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all through it all

It is well

Through it all through it all

My eyes are on You

(1st) And it is well with me

(2nd) And it is well it is well

Verse 2

Far be it from me to not believe

Even when my eyes can’t see

And this mountain that’s in front of me

Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Bridge

So let go my soul and trust in Him

The waves and wind still know His name

(REPEAT)

The waves and wind still know His name

Ending

It is well with my soul

It is well with my soul

It is well with my soul

It is well it is well with my soul

(REPEAT)

It is well it is well with my soul

It is well it is well with my soul


Community (Slides) Rick

  • New Series begins Next Sunday, 01.05.25, ‘Live Your Life the Way Jesus Lived Life’
  • 01.05.25    Jesus at Temple/‘Father’s House, ‘’Knowing/Knowing”, Luke 2:41-52 (Psalm 2:7-8)

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Lynn/Linda

O Come All Ye Faithful   CCLI Song # 31054

Verse 1

O come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the King of angels

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 2

Sing choirs of angels

Sing in exultation

O sing all ye bright

Hosts of heav’n above

Glory to God all Glory in the highest

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 3

Yea Lord we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Be thou my Vision

Battle Belongs-Phil Wickham

Before message: great is thy faithfulness

After: It Is Well-Bethel Music

Order, Words, & Voices 12.22.24

Order, Words, & Voices – 12.22.24, Luke 2:21-38; Advent Four – Love

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close

Lighting of Advent Love Candle (Christ/Hope/Peace Candles prelit) Sharon

Songs Joy to the World Lynn/Linda

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Passage/Prayer Luke 2:21-38 Beth

Song O Holy Night Lynn/Linda

Special: Hope Is Alive Lynn/Linda

Impact/Message Love Rick

Song   O Come All You Unfaithful Lynn/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music O Come All Ye Faithful CCLI Song # 31054 Lynn/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head 

Christ Candle  (Slides)    Sharon

– Christ/Hope/Peace/Joy Candles Already Lit as Sharon lights the Love candle

Leader: The angel instructed Joseph and Mary to name the child Jesus.

Response: Jesus’ name declares that God Saves.

Leader: Eight days after his birth, Jesus was named and circumcised, marking the child as Jewish.

Response: A covenant relationship with God established with Abraham.

Leader: Forty days after his birth, Joseph and Mary brought their child to the Temple for Mary’s purification and Jesus’ presentation.

Response: The holy firstborn child set aside to God.

Leader: Jesus opened eyes to a new understanding of God’s relationship with humanity. Jesus was the presence of God for all of humanity. 

Response: “Good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day the Messiah, the Lord.”

Leader: This is the consolation of Israel. This is the peace of humanity.

Response: This is our Joy. This is the overflow from God’s Love.

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Joy To The World (Antioch)

Verse 1

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room

And heav’n and nature sing

And heav’n and nature sing

And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing

Verse 2

Joy to the earth the Savior reigns

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods

Rocks hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat repeat the sounding joy

Verse 3

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse is found

Far as far as the curse is found

Verse 4

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders wonders of His love

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Hyfrydol)

Verse 1

Come Thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free

From our fears and sins release us

Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel’s strength and consolation

Hope of all the earth Thou art

Dear desire of every nation

Joy of every longing heart

Verse 2

Born Thy people to deliver

Born a child and yet a King

Born to reign in us forever

Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone

By Thine all sufficient merit

Raise us to Thy glorious throne

Special Music (Title Slide only)  Lynn/Linda

Hope Is Alive

Passage (Slides) Luke 2:21-38    Beth

When the time came for Mary’s purification, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord), and they offered a sacrifice “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

There was a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem named Simeon; he was looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. The Spirit guided Simeon into the temple. Jesus’ parents brought Jesus into the temple as was customary under the law, 

Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “God, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner evil of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”

Also in the temple was a prophet named Anna. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. Anna never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. Anna came and began to praise God and spoke about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.

And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.


Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

O Holy Night

Verse 1

O holy night the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Chorus 1

Fall on your knees

O hear the angel voices

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night O holy night

O night divine

Verse 2

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming

Here came the wise men from Orient land

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger

In all our trials born to be our Friend

Chorus 2

He knows our need

To weakness is no stranger

Behold your King

Before Him lowly bend

Behold your King

Before Him lowly bend

Verse 3

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

Chorus 3

Christ is the Lord

O praise His name forever

His power and glory

Evermore proclaim

His power and glory

Evermore proclaim

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close]

[Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer]

Dad asking how Santa gets large item on the sleigh and into house.

Red One, unanswered questions asked and answered. Different views

Different views and perspectives of Santa like different views and perspectives of God and of Jesus

Christmas and Humanity Question unanswered, “Equality” 

[Slide] David Kinnaman, president of Barna Research Group, says, “There isn’t much argument about whether Jesus Christ actually was a historical person, but nearly everything else about his life generates enormous, and sometimes rancorous, debate.”

[Slide] Jesus born into a world that we were born into – Jesus lived in the world that we live in. It looked different, but the foundation and backgrounds are the same. Inequity, injustice,  unfairness, and oppression existed then as it exists now, – abuse of power, disrespect and disregard for some and favor for others, disproportionate distribution of resources and riches, and hatred and brutality existed then as it exists now.  

  • [Slide] And, people needed Jesus then, &, all people need Jesus now.
  • [Slide] And, God loved all people then, &, God loves all people now.
  • [Slide] And, God called all people to love all people then, &, God calls all people to love all people now.

[Title Slide] 

So, as we begin with the story of Jesus, we find a fully vulnerable human, born to imperfect but faithful parents who, too, were touched personally by the brokenness of humanity. A child whose life, at this point, did not come with options or choices. A child who was at the mercy of those tasked with caring for and protecting this helpless child.

Just like each of us at birth. 

It is here, at this early existence of God in the flesh, that we begin to see the first first evidence of this child Jesus, evidence that we will recognize through the entirety of his life. Evidence that, for the first time in human existent, reveal the character and heart of God in such a first person manner that had never happened before.

[Slide] Let’s begin with the blaring human reality that Jesus is born into – Jesus was poor, his family, and he was a victim of poverty.

Jesus was intentionally and purposely born into an upper lower class family. Joseph was a carpenter, he had a skill that brought some income. Not an excess but, in usual circumstances, enough. Evidence of this is in the fact that Joseph and Mary took the journey to fulfill the orders to go to Bethlehem to be counted. This would have been at least a six day journey, they undoubtedly would have needed money at times. Joseph and Mary were confident enough to know they had enough to take the journey and to not have to risk ignoring the orders of the emperor as many others did. Mary and Joseph were also aware that they sometimes would be at mercy of others to provide hospitality. Many nights were surely spent sleeping on the ground under the stars, but, to give birth they knew they would need a sheltered place, even if it was just a stable.

Poverty, or at least an existence of barely getting by, is the first reality we see of Jesus’ life. An opening reality that would be a constant reality throughout Jesus’ adult life. Jesus would always be at the mercy of others for earthly sustenance.

[Slide] ‘The issue of poverty and the gospel is much more than simply a “cause” that Jesus champions. The location and experiences of the poor, is the experience of Jesus from his infancy. From Luke’s perspective, when Jesus talks about the poor, he is talking about himself. Readings about the birth story of Jesus and his youth, should also include recognition and wrestling with Luke’s narrative portrayal of Jesus’ beginnings being rooted in the economic margins of his own community.’ 

Shively Smith, Assistant Professor of New Testament, Boston University School of Theology, Boston, Massachusetts

[Slide] Our judgement on the poor, or on anyone that has a derogatory label is a judgement on Jesus.

[Slide]  The second reality see about Jesus’ life is that his parents were practicing Jews, therefore his ancestors were practicing Jews. This prepares him, this child, to become a practicing Jew as well. 

[Slide] Jesus born an infant just like we were born as infants. To understand the significance and necessity of Jesus’ birth we must dispel an unconscious flawed way of processing Jesus’ life. The flaw is that we often think Jesus came to us preprogrammed – knowing everything. Just as we are born we a blank slate in regard to knowledge, Jesus was born a blank slate. This means, everything we will ever know, every time we have to reconsider what we think we know, and anything we still need to know will eventually be our responsibility. 

Everything that Jesus knew throughout life, comes by the life teachings of others and then by his own choice.

Jesus will be taught by his parents and community, he will gradually know and understand as he chooses to process this information. Jesus will accept the journey of seeking and searching for truth.. We see him at the temple, hearing, considering, and digesting every morsel of truth he can and this does not stop after his childhood, nor does it stop when he becomes a praised celebrity. 

So, when Jesus’ parents take him to the temple at forty days old, he does not go of an action of redemption as is the reason for other infant first born sons. Jesus is the holy son of God, is not such an act because Jesus was not in need of redemption. This trip to the temple with their newborn for Joseph and Mary is an act of dedication of Jesus. 

[Slide] They are, as parents, stating that Jesus will be “holy to the Lord” (Luke 2:23). They were saying ‘Jesus will be holy to the Lord because we will, through our own lives, live a life that is Holy to the Lord.’ 

When Joseph and Mary present Jesus to the Lord in Jerusalem, they are in effect dedicating Jesus’ life to God, which is also a dedication of themselves for in teaching their son to follow God and the practices of the faith, they will largely do this through  a continuation of their own practices and following of God. 

It is a commitment to willingly consecrate Jesus’ life to God they willingly commit to consecrating their life to God. 

Eventually, at his baptism, Jesus, will publicly commit to that consecration by his own choice.

Before Jesus is an adult, Luke’s narrative sets the stage for Jesus’ life and his decision to dedicate his life fully to his heavenly Father (Luke 2:49).

Later, we will hear the Apostle Paul speak of Jesus having been born under the law in order to redeem those who were under the law. Instead of being redeemed, Jesus himself, will redeem others which happens when Jesus takes upon himself the curse of the law by “becoming” the curse of the law. Luke’s account certainly gives credence to Paul’s claim. The dedication of Jesus to God at the temple sets Jesus on the way to his work of truth and redemption.’

Stephen Hultgren, Lecturer in New Testament and Director of ALITE, Australian Lutheran College, North Adelaide, Australia

Prompted by our God who is Love.

Music Slides    Lynn/Linda

O Come All You Unfaithful

Verse 1

O come all you unfaithful

Come weak and unstable

Come know you are not alone

Verse 2

O come barren and waiting ones

Weary of praying

Come see what your God has done

Chorus

Christ is born Christ is born

Christ is born for you

Verse 3

O come bitter and broken

Come with fears unspoken

Come taste of His perfect love

Verse 4

O come guilty and hiding ones

There is no need to run

See what your God has done

Chorus

Christ is born Christ is born

Christ is born for you

Bridge

He’s the Lamb who was given slain for our pardon

His promise is peace for those who believe

He’s the Lamb who was given slain for our pardon

His promise is peace for those who believe

Verse 5

So come though you have nothing

Come He is the offering

Come see what your God has done

Chorus

Christ is born Christ is born

Christ is born for you

Christ is born Christ is born

Christ is born for you

Community (Slides) Rick

  • Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship, December 24 @ 6:00
  • Next Sunday, 12.29.24, Joshua 1:1-18; Forward in Hope, Peace, Joy, & Love
  • New Series begins 01.05.25, ‘Live Your Life the Way Jesus Lived Life’

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Lynn/Linda

O Come All Ye Faithful   CCLI Song # 31054

Verse 1

O come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the King of angels

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 2

Sing choirs of angels

Sing in exultation

O sing all ye bright

Hosts of heav’n above

Glory to God all Glory in the highest

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 3

Yea Lord we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Order, Words, & Voices 12.15.24

Order, Words, & Voices – 12.15.24, Luke 2:1-20  You Will Find

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close

Lighting of Advent Joy Candle (Christ/Hope/Peace Candles prelit) Pettys

Songs Angels From The Realms Of Glory  # 31669 Billy/Linda

Light to the Stable CCLI Song # 1914616

Passage/Prayer Luke 2:1, 4-12, 15-16, 19-22 Beth

Song It Came Upon The Midnight Clear # 31078 Billy/Linda

Impact/Message Joy Rick

Song   Angels We Have Heard On High # 27721 Billy/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music O Come All Ye Faithful CCLI Song # 31054 Billy/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head 

Christ Candle  (Slides)  (Music softly begins to play near end) Pettys

– Christ/Hope/Peace Candles Already Lit as Pettys light the Joy candle

Leader: To a world that was hopeless, Jesus brought hope.

Response: To a world that was oppressed, God gave a deliverer.

Leader: To a world that was in chaos, Jesus brought peace.

Response: To a world that was confused, God gave order.

Leader: To a world that had given up, Jesus brought joy.

Response: To a world that had no purpose, God gave direction.

Leader: To a world that saw only darkness, Jesus brought light.

Response: To a world that was down, God lifted it up.

Leader: To a world that is concerned, God gives us grace.

Response: To a world that is in pain, God gives us mercy and compassion.

Leader: To that world, and to our world, God still gives Presence.

Response: To a world, and to our world, God meets us where we are.

Music (Slides)  Billy/Linda

Angels From The Realms Of Glory (Regent Square)  CCLI Song # 31669

Verse 1

Angels from the realms of glory

Wing your flight o’er all the earth

Ye who sang creation’s story

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth

Chorus

Come and worship 

Come and worship

Worship Christ the newborn King

Verse 2

Shepherds in the field abiding

Watching o’er your flocks by night

God with us is now residing

Yonder shines the infant light

Chorus

Come and worship 

Come and worship

Worship Christ the newborn King

Verse 4

Saints before the altar bending

Watching long in hope and fear

Suddenly the Lord descending

In His temple shall appear

Chorus

Come and worship 

Come and worship

Worship Christ the newborn King

Verse 6

Though an infant now we view Him

He shall fill His Father’s throne

Gather all nations to Him

Every knee shall then bow down

Chorus

Come and worship come and worship

Worship Christ the newborn King

Light to the Stable  CCLI Song # 1914616

Verse 1

Hail hail to the newborn King

Let our voices sing Him our praises

Hail hail to the guiding light

That brought us tonight to our Savior

Chorus

Halle hallelujah halle hallelujah

Halle hallelujah halle hallelujah

Verse 2

Come now where it shines so bright

To the knowing light of the stable

Kneel close to the Child so dear

Cast aside your fear and be thankful

Chorus

Halle hallelujah halle hallelujah

Halle hallelujah halle hallelujah

Verse 1

Hail hail to the newborn King

Let our voices sing Him our praises

Hail hail to the guiding light

That brought us tonight to our Savior

Chorus

Halle hallelujah halle hallelujah

Halle hallelujah halle hallelujah

Passage (Slides) Luke 2:1, 4-12, 15-16, 19-22    Beth

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Everyone journeyed to their ancestral towns. Joseph, and his fiance’ Mary, went from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because Joseph was descended from the house and family of David. 

While Mary and Joseph were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. After Mary gave birth to her firstborn she wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them anywhere in Bethlehem.

In that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared and the shepherds were terrified. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, I have good news of great joy for all people: to you is born this day in Bethlehem a Savior, the Messiah,the Lord. You will find him wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 

When the angels left, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this which the Lord has made known to us.”So they went and found Mary and Joseph, with the child, lying in the manger. 

Mary treasured the shepherds’ words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

When it was the eighth day after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary took the child to a special rabbi, a Mohe, for the naming and circumcision. Then, forty days after his birth, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for Mary’s purification and Jesus’ presentation. 

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.

And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.


Music (Slides)  BIlly/Linda

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Carol) CCLI Song # 31078

Verse 1

It came upon the midnight clear

That glorious song of old

From angels bending near the earth

To touch their harps of gold

Peace on the earth good will to men

From heaven’s all gracious King

The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angels sing

Verse 3

And ye beneath life’s crushing load

Whose forms are bending low

Who toil along the climbing way

With painful steps and slow

Look now for glad and golden hours

Come swiftly on the wing

O rest beside the weary road

And hear the angels sing

Verse 4

For lo the days are hastening on

By prophet bards foretold

When with the ever-circling years

Comes round the age of gold

When peace shall over all the earth

Its ancient splendors fling

And the whole world give back the song

Which now the angels sing

Message  Rick [Screen Share until close]

Bishop Craig A. Satterlee writes, ‘For years I have wondered whether Christmas sermons are of any consequence. I have grown in my suspicion that preachers are better off just reading Luke’s biblical account of the Nativity, and then leaving the rest of the sermon to the carols and candles allowing these more traditional elements of the service to recount the angels’ message of the “good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord”.   (paraphrase)

And then, Bishop Satterlee writes from a more personal standpoint saying, “I find myself hungering for a message that will startle me in the same way the angel’s announcement startled the shepherds.”

Satterlee was not speaking of wanting a message of fear and guilt that would bring him to tears and action that would last to at least this Wednesday. No, he was talking about a truth that would shake him to the core. A message that would rearrange his priorities and a state of being that would only grow with age. He was speaking to a message that didn’t bring about emotion that touched his heart and his mind, that would all begin by being startled like the shepherds were startled or that would lead to a deep consideration and evaluation like when Joseph moved from divorcing Mary to fully supporting Mary.

I think that the boldest reaction I usually see in this season is the outrage and anger that Christians exhibit when someone says the word ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’.

Around a decade ago one of the first Mega Churches in America set up a website for their members to report and business in which an employed said ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas.’ Then the all the members of that church were encouraged to boycott that business until an very strong apology was issued from the leadership of that establishment.

This past week I sat in on a small group lead by a freelance journalist was attempting to sort out the attitudes of Oklahomans in regard to the actions of our State Education Superintendent. The group was very diverse, Conservative and Progressive Pastors as well as a diverse group of other leaders. Two of the members of the group began a discussion of how ‘horrifying’ it was that High School students are not taught that that Christmas is a religious holiday. The ‘horror’ then continued as they began to recount the Norman Christmas Parade and how quick the community anger began when the private and financial organizers of the parage decided to change the name to the Norman Holiday Parade. Business owner and operators, nor just in Norman but also from the surrounding  towns outside of Norman – small towns that had their own parades began to make threats to boycott Norman businesses. So, the organizers of the parade were so hurt by the personal attacks on them that they walked away in pain. Eventually the bold and ugly Christians got their hallelujah moment and the parade name was changed to ‘The Christmas Holiday Parade largely at the insistence of our city elected officials and leaders.

In the midst of the conversation, without thinking it through, I added to the discussion by saying, “So, the Christians who wanted everyone to know the parade was about Jesus, hurt and injured others with their insistence that Jesus name be on the parade instead of showing the world how that Jesus was born in a humble setting and taught a message of love for others, even those different than you?”

That is the weird thing about our (Jesus believers’) attitudes in this season. The word ‘Christmas’ would not have been a familiar word at Jesus’ birth, nor would it have been at the crucifixion. Truth is, the God followers in Jesus’ day would have been offended by a holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. First of all, the word ‘Christians’ was not even a word, yet, and, when Christians were given that title, ‘Christians’, it was in the Roman city of Antioch as an insult to the followers of Jesus. The people would not have been open to any type of holiday or celebration of Jesus’ birth because that is what the pagans did, they declared holidays, they partook of the celebrations, for the pagan false gods they worshipped. Most were not even favorable to celebrating a birthday of a family member because it seemed to be a pagan practice making the one celebrated a god like being.

So if our celebration of Christmas is composed of getting and giving gifts, of sentiment and tradition, of forcing our celebration on those who believe differently, with no expectation of an epiphany from the story of Jesus’ birth, what are we celebrating?

I think Bishop Craig A. Satterlee was correct in thinking that we seldom hunger for a moment that startles and inspires us to get up and run to the stable. You have to wonder how many times we look for those moments in any season of our year.

I also have to consider the possibility that those moments of revelation that could startle us, are not noticed because we are not expecting them. Is it possible that they are there but not noticed?

Let’s start this by looking at who did not recognize the birth of Jesus. Those who had been faithful to their Jewish heritage and the promise of the coming Messiah. Even some of the prophets had told them that the Messiah would come as a child. But, even though they had been told repeatedly when the Jesus’ arrival took place few knew. Why, because they were not alerted. They missed it.

However, there were also those who were notified. A way past retirement age priest and his wife who had been unable to bear a child. An inn keeper who was not prepared but still compassionately found a space for Mary and Joseph. There were the shepherds, the outcast group of people who seldom observed the Sabbath due to their given jobs, intentionally sent away from humanity, who lived in the middle of livestock. There were pagan wise men who did not know God but followed an invitation written on a star in the sky. 

The stable was well over 2,000 miles from the palace of the Ceasar Agustus the all power ruler of Rome, a much shorter distance from Quirinius the regional governor – neither of these powerful men were given an invitation, The religious leaders were left our and there was no announcement made at the temple or the synagogues. But, shepherds knew, they ran to see. 

It is no wonder then that it would be the outcasts, the downtrodden, the hopeless, the rejected, the poor, the homeless, and the dismissed that this was the people who were declared blessed in Jesus’ message.

“Blessed are the poor, those that mourn, the mee, those who hunger and thirst, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, the reviled, and the victims.

So what startles us? God invited the ones that needed to see and hear. Like the shepherds, the ones who had little other choice. What is the message of Christmas? Jesus appeared where Jesus was truly needed.

And, what is the angels’ message of the “good news of great joy for all the people: ‘to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord’”. 

May this be our epiphany, our startling revelation, in a possibly dark season, our moment that changes everything and sends us into God’s light – Great joy that is given to ALL people.

Music Slides    Billy/Linda

Angels We Have Heard On High (Gloria) CCLI Song # 27721

Verse 1

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o’er the plains

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

Chorus

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Verse 2

Shepherds why this jubilee

Why your joyous strains prolong

What the gladsome tidings be

Which inspire your heav’nly song

Chorus

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Verse 3

Come to Bethlehem and see

Christ whose birth the angels sing

Come adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord the newborn King

Chorus

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Verse 4

See Him in a manger laid

Whom the choirs of angels praise

Mary Joseph lend your aid

While our hearts in love we raise

Chorus

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Gloria

In excelsis Deo

Community (Slides) Rick

  • Next Sunday, 12.22.24, Luke 2:21-38; Advent Four – Love.
  • Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship, December 24 @ 6:00
  • Like Instagram and Write Google Review

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Billy/Linda

O Come All Ye Faithful   CCLI Song # 31054

Verse 1

O come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the King of angels

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 2

Sing choirs of angels

Sing in exultation

O sing all ye bright

Hosts of heav’n above

Glory to God all Glory in the highest

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 3

Yea Lord we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Order, Words, & Voices 12.08.24

Order, Words, & Voices – 12.08.24, Luke 2:1-20  You Will Find

Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close

Lighting of Advent Peace Candle (Christ/Hope Candles Already Lit) Mitch

Songs Hark the Herald Angels Sing #27738                 Lynn/Linda

The First Noel #31047

Passage/Prayer Luke 2:1-20 Beth

Special Hope is Alive #7102243 Lynn/Linda

Impact/Message You Will Find Rick

Song   Silent night with Away in a Manger? Lynn/Linda

Community/Closing Peace Rick

Closing Music O Come All Ye Faithful CCLI Song # 31054 Lynn/Linda

  • Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head 

Christ Candle  (Slides)  (Music softly begins to play near end) Mitch

– Christ & Hope Candles Already Lit as Mitch lights the Peace candle

Leader: There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the exile to the birth of the Messiah, Jesus.

Response: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

Leader: Joseph went from his town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.

Response: Joseph went to be registered with his fiancé Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

Leader: While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for Mary to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger.

Response: For there was no room in the guest house.

Leader: Shepherds were nearby in the fields keeping watch over their flock through the night. An angel of the Lord stood before the terrified shepherds. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, for I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David the Messiah, the Lord. 

Response: You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Leader: Suddenly, with the angel, there was a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

Response: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!”

Luke 2:1-14

Music (Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Hark the Herald Angels Sing #27738                 

Verse 1

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With th’angelic hosts proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 2

Christ by highest heav’n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of the Virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail th’incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with men to dwell

Jesus our Emmanuel

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 3

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace

Hail the Sun of Righteousness

Light and life to all He brings

Ris’n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 4

Come Desire of nations come

Fix in us Thy humble home

Rise the woman’s conqu’ring seed

Bruise in us the serpent’s head

Adam’s likeness now efface

Stamp Thine image in its place

Second Adam from above

Reinstate us in Thy love

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

The First Noel #31047

Verse 1

The first Noel the angel did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter’s night that was so deep

Chorus

Noel Noel Noel Noel

Born is the King of Israel

Verse 2

They looked up and saw a star

Shining in the east beyond them far

And to the earth it gave great light

And so it continued both day and night

Chorus

Noel Noel Noel Noel

Born is the King of Israel

Verse 3

And by the light of that same star

Three wise men came from country far

To seek for a king was their intent

And to follow the star wherever it went

Chorus

Noel Noel Noel Noel

Born is the King of Israel

Verse 4

This star drew nigh to the northwest

O’er Bethlehem it took its rest

And there it did both stop and stay

Right over the place where Jesus lay

Chorus

Noel Noel Noel Noel

Born is the King of Israel

Verse 5

Then entered in those wise men three

Full rev’rently upon the knee

And offered there in His presence

Their gold and myrrh and frankincense

Chorus

Noel Noel Noel Noel

Born is the King of Israel

?

Passage (Slides) Luke 2:8-20   Beth

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told to them about this child. 

All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Join me in the prayer of Jesus, 

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.

And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Special Music Duet (No Slides)  Lynn/Linda

Hope is Alive (Just Title Slide – No Word Slides)  #7102243

Verse 1

After the silence of waiting so long

We hear a baby’s first cry

And into our midnight

A heavenly song whispers that hope is alive

Oh joy to the world on this holy night

Chorus 1

So sing with the angels that fill up the sky

Heaven broke through and now hope is alive

He is right here among us our God is with us tonight

And hope is alive

Verse 2

In an old stable beneath the bright stars

A young mother is holding her son

Oh the beauty of feeling the beat of God’s heart

That tells us that we’re not alone

Oh our Emmanuel has come

Bridge

Into our aching into our breaking

Into our longing to be made whole

Your arms are reaching your love is holding us close

And into our suffering into our weeping

Into this need we have to be known

Your arms are reaching your love is holding us close

Chorus 2

So sing with the angels that fill up the sky

Those in the shadows have seen a great light

He is right here among us our God is with us tonight

And hope is alive

Message  Rick [? title slide up for entire message]

The Christmas narrative is a beautiful and simplistic story. A simple yet faithful teenage girl is told that she will be the mother of the promised Messiah. Her fiance Joseph is apprehensive, he considers a very compassionate and loving way to back out of his engagement but, after an angel visits him he is fully on board. At the same time the Roman ruler, Caesar Augustus, declared a registration, a count of all of his subjects which was most of the known world. This means Joseph and his very pregnant fiance must make the journey to Bethlehem, the hometown of his ancestors. Once there, they find there is no one, and no place, for them. An innkeeper, who has no rooms, offers them his barn, saying “it is not ideal but it is at least something”. It is there that the child is born. 

Soon, shepherds sitting on the hillside watching their sheep, are frightened by the appearance of angels. The angels tell the shepherds of the birth of the Messiah. Once the angels leave, the shepherds jump to their feet and run to the place where they can see this Child. As Mary and Joseph are holding their newborn the shepherds arrive. Mary smiles as she treasures their visit.

A beautiful and simple story. Or, is it messy, complicated, exhausting, frustrating, and probably a disgusting, aggravating, and confusing story. Let’s face it, this probably would not be human reality if it wasn’t as messy as humans actually are.

The story of the birth of Jesus is the story of God becoming man in our very real world. He wasn’t born in a palace, Mary wasn’t assisted by the finest medical minds, there was no chef, no nutritionist, no pain medications, no cameras or paparazzi, there were no admiring fans standing outside the gates, no maids and no staff, it was just two young people, scared, confused, frustrated, cold, uncomfortable and if that is not enough, there is the suffering that comes naturally with the trauma of the birth experience, and, for Joseph and Mary, the looming oppressive question of ‘What is our future going to look like’.

We are not given much information about Joesph. What he was thinking there in the stable, what was his impression of the shepherds that showed up with the news of angels. But, we do  know that he stayed, he showed up at the stable, at the circumcision, the baptism, the naming. When they were threatened by the politicians, he quickly picked up the family and moved them to safety, taking on the title of refugee with all that baggage that title carries. 

We know more about Mary however, this teenage girl, somehow, someway, was able to live in every moment. She mindfully processed and held tightly to every experience, she remained constantly mindful whether it was the intrusion of Anna and Simeon at the temple, the flight to Egypt, the words of her adult son, the crowds that praised him and then yelled ‘Crucify Him!’ And, the moment at the foot of the cross watching her son die, and then treasuring the news that he was alive. 


Somehow, Mary recognized the Holy in every moment even though the reality of those moments were often chaotic, frightening, painful, mysterious, and messy.

Mary constantly reminded herself that all the moments were the moments she had been called to by God.

And, every moment was joyous, difficult, exciting, and ultimately, excruciatingly painful.

Moments are a constant for every human and especially for every believer on God’s path. God’s path is not an airport moving sidewalk that takes us to our destination, God’s path for us often has to be found by us while we just hold on to God’s promise of the destination.

‘The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.’ (Luke 2:8-15)

SO Many questions.

One of the problems of our journey at Christmas, is that we turn our brains off and just hold to what we have always heard. This is probably the same with the Easter story as well as the eschatological passages  Even nonbelievers have a pretty good grasp of the details of the story. However, every passage, every story, and every truth, is always waiting for us to be ready to find the next layer of truth.  We never know it all, we are never experts, we always have reason to take another look, to consider and look for those treasures we have never seen before.

Illustration – Wayne

So, we ask questions to know the path.

The Shepherds were doing the same job they did every night, sitting on a hillside, or a boring pasture, and watching over their flocks. This is not a simple job, it is a job that requires the shepherd to be awake and alert. Watching for aggressive and fierce predators that pose a threat to the sheep and the shepherd. A drowsy distracted shepherd is soon to be an unemployed, or dead, shepherd.

Angels appear to the shepherds. It is a moment that each of them will tell to others forever. Others who will increasingly dismiss them.

And the angel said to the shepherds, “This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

And then….the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15)

Again, SO Many questions.

  • Did a handful of the angels stick around to watch over the sheep while the shepherds ran to town?
  • Did the shepherd wait until their shift was over, heading  into town when their replacement shepherds showed up?
  • Did the shepherds suddenly decide that keeping the sheep could take a back seat in this extraordinary moment?

On top of that, Bethlehem could have had a population of possibly 3,000 people. There were surely multiple stables scattered throughout the city. The angel gave no specifics about the stable, it was going to take a while. The angel just said, ‘you will find,’

But, we do know that the shepherds did find the correct stable. And, that they told Mary and Joseph the story of the angels, and then when they left the stable, the shepherds continued to tell others the story. They told the story of the ‘news of great joy for all the people: that on that day in the city of David the Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord,’ was born.’ (Luke 2:10).

On that night, and for the rest of their lives, I think, those shepherds were on the Jesus path. They had searched out the truth that they had been told. They searched for the stable, the truth. They found, and then they couldn’t help but proclaim for the rest of their lives. Surely they were  in the crowd of 5,000 plus who were fed, surely they listened and learned from the words of the adult Jesus, surely, they grieved at the cross and surely they rejoiced when they heard of the resurrection.

They had stepped on the path and, I believe, they continued on that path. How can I be so sure in my speculation? Because, they had believed they would find the child, and they set out and did the searching to find. 

Ironically, Sheep are not generally considered capable of finding their own way but, also ironically, Jesus would later be called the shepherd who led and told his flock, his sheep, us…

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Jesus, Matthew 7:7-8)

How? For the shepherds and for us…

  • We begin by trusting God’s promise of the destination.
  • We step onto a lifetime journey to the destination paying attention to the moments on the path that reveal to us the truth God gives.
  • We treasure, we look for and settle into God’s presence all along the way.
  • We know that God, that Jesus, that the Spirit, is the great shepherd that cares for us.

Illustation – Lady finding decades old missing brother. ‘While we were yet sinners….’

Music Slides    Lynn/Linda

Silent Night  (Stille Nacht)/Away In A Manger #38583

Verse 1

Silent night holy night

All is calm all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Verse 2

Silent night holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heav’nly hosts sing alleluia

Christ the Savior is born

Christ the Savior is born

Verse 3

Silent night holy night

Son of God love’s pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus Lord at Thy birth

Jesus Lord at Thy birth

Verse 4

Silent night holy night

Wondrous star lend thy light

With the angels let us sing

Alleluia to our King

Christ the Savior is born

Christ the Savior is born

Away In A Manger (Mueller) #38583 

Verse 1

Away in a manger no crib for a bed

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

Verse 2

The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes

But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes

I love Thee Lord Jesus look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh

Verse 3

Be near me Lord Jesus I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever and love me I pray

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there

Community (Slides) Rick

  • Next Sunday, 12.15.24, Luke 2:15-20; Advent Three – Joy.
  • Today – Advent Luncheon/Budget Vote, December 8 following worship & Advent 
  • Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship, December 24 (time?)
  • Like Instagram and Write Google Review

Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)

Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.

Response: And also with you.

Closing Music Lynn/Linda

O Come All Ye Faithful   CCLI Song # 31054

Verse 1

O come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the King of angels

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 2

Sing choirs of angels

Sing in exultation

O sing all ye bright

Hosts of heav’n above

Glory to God allGlory in the highest

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Verse 3

Yea Lord we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

Chorus

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord