Lock-In

This Tuesday is our New Years Eve Lock-In!

Come to the church at 6pm and we will have food and play the wii and many other things till midnight.  At midnight we will watch the ball drop and then have more fun till 8am!

No van to pick up but we will be giving van rides home.

Advent Week 2

Since we are unable to be together today, I wanted to share with you the second week of Advent!

Lighting of the Advent Wreath:

The Second Sunday of Advent: LOVE

The second Advent candle reminds us of the light of God's love. If this Christmas season is anything, it is an opportunity to experience love: the love of friendship, the love of family and the love of God. At Christmas, we are reminded that God's love is revealed to us in the giving to the world of the Son of God, who came as a child in the manger of Bethlehem.

Scripture: John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Light two purple candles

We light the second candle of Advent to celebrate the love of God that freely embraced a fallen and rebellious world. The light and the warmth of this candle are symbols of the love with which God loves us, and by which we are able to love others.

Let us pray:
Eternal and loving God, pour out in our hearts this day the light of your love, warming us to one another, enlightening our understanding of others, and revealing the path of charity upon which you have called us to walk.

Advent Hymn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzW_PmW-LzE

Scripture Reading for Today:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[a]

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Sermon for Children and Adults alike:

"Are you ready for Christmas?" You will hear that question many times over the next several weeks. What do people mean when they ask that question? Well, they usually mean is your Christmas tree up and your house decorated? Or have you finished your Christmas shopping? Perhaps they mean have you written your annual Christmas letter or sent out your Christmas cards? There are many things that come to our mind when someone asks, "Are you ready for Christmas."

There is another question that we should be asking ourselves today. It is more important than, "Are you ready for Christmas?" The more important question is, "Are you ready for the Christ of Christmas?"

Many years ago, a man called John the Baptist preached about what it means to be ready for Jesus. John the Baptist was a different kind of man. He wore clothes made of camel's hair with a belt around the waist. His diet was rather unusual as well. He ate a diet of locusts and wild honey. Do you know what a locust is? Many of us today might call it a grasshopper. I'm not sure I would want to eat grasshoppers and honey. How about you? John the Baptist traveled throughout the wilderness of Judea. His message to the people was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Do you think people would listen to someone dressed in camel skins and eating locusts and wild honey? Well, they did! People came to John the Baptist from all over the entire area. They confessed their sins to God and were baptized by John in the Jordan River.

After John baptized the people, he told them, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But there is one coming who is more powerful than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Who do you think he was talking about? Right! He was talking about Jesus. John the Baptist wanted the people to repent of their sins so that they would be ready for Jesus.

During this special season of the year, as we get ready for Christmas, you and I need to make sure that we are ready for the coming of the Christ of Christmas. We need to look into our hearts and ask God to make us clean so that we can walk with Jesus each day of our life. Let's ask him to do that now.

Dear Father, we want to be ready for the Christ of Christmas. Prepare our hearts for his coming. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

http://www.sermons4kids.com/

Advent Hymn

Advent is Here!!

We have lots going on during the month of December.  Keep your eyes on the Facebook page, here on the blog, website and the bulletin.