Fourth Sunday of Advent - Scripture Reading

Micah 5:2-5a New Living Translation

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel,

    whose origins are in the distant past,

    will come from you on my behalf.

3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies

    until the woman in labor gives birth.

Then at last his fellow countrymen

    will return from exile to their own land.

4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,

    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

Then his people will live there undisturbed,

    for he will be highly honored around the world.

5     And he will be the source of peace.

Luke 1:46-55 New Living Translation

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49 For the Mighty One is holy,

    and he has done great things for me.

50 He shows mercy from generation to generation

    to all who fear him.

51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

    He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52 He has brought down princes from their thrones

    and exalted the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

    and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54 He has helped his servant Israel

    and remembered to be merciful.

55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and his children forever.”

Psalm 80:1-7 New Living Translation

1 Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,

    you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.

O God, enthroned above the cherubim,

    display your radiant glory

2     to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.

Show us your mighty power.

    Come to rescue us!

3 Turn us again to yourself, O God.

    Make your face shine down upon us.

    Only then will we be saved.

4 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,

    how long will you be angry with our prayers?

5 You have fed us with sorrow

    and made us drink tears by the bucketful.

6 You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations.

    Our enemies treat us as a joke.

7 Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.

    Make your face shine down upon us.

    Only then will we be saved.

Hebrews 10:5-10 New Living Translation

5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.

    But you have given me a body to offer.

6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings

    or other offerings for sin.

7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—

    as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”

8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Luke 1:39-55 New Living Translation

39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Third Sunday of Advent - Scripture Readings

Zephaniah 3:14-20 New Living Translation

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion;

    shout aloud, O Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

    O daughter of Jerusalem!

15 For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment

    and will disperse the armies of your enemy.

And the Lord himself, the King of Israel,

    will live among you!

At last your troubles will be over,

    and you will never again fear disaster.

16 On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,

    “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!

17 For the Lord your God is living among you.

    He is a mighty savior.

He will take delight in you with gladness.

    With his love, he will calm all your fears.

    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

18 “I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals;

    you will be disgraced no more.

19 And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you.

    I will save the weak and helpless ones;

I will bring together

    those who were chased away.

I will give glory and fame to my former exiles,

    wherever they have been mocked and shamed.

20 On that day I will gather you together

    and bring you home again.

I will give you a good name, a name of distinction,

    among all the nations of the earth,

as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes.

    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Isaiah 12:2-6 New Living Translation

2 See, God has come to save me.

    I will trust in him and not be afraid.

The Lord God is my strength and my song;

    he has given me victory.”

3 With joy you will drink deeply

    from the fountain of salvation!

4 In that wonderful day you will sing:

    “Thank the Lord! Praise his name!

Tell the nations what he has done.

    Let them know how mighty he is!

5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.

    Make known his praise around the world.

6 Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!

    For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

Philippians 4:4-7 New Living Translation

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Luke 3:7-18 New Living Translation

7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”

11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”

14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” 18 John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.

Second Sunday of Advent - Scripture Readings

Malachi 3:1-4 New Living Translation

1 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

2 “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. 4 Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past.

Luke 1:68-79 New Living Translation

68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

    because he has visited and redeemed his people.

69 He has sent us a mighty Savior

    from the royal line of his servant David,

70 just as he promised

    through his holy prophets long ago.

71 Now we will be saved from our enemies

    and from all who hate us.

72 He has been merciful to our ancestors

    by remembering his sacred covenant—

73 the covenant he swore with an oath

    to our ancestor Abraham.

74 We have been rescued from our enemies

    so we can serve God without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness

    for as long as we live.

76 “And you, my little son,

    will be called the prophet of the Most High,

    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.

77 You will tell his people how to find salvation

    through forgiveness of their sins.

78 Because of God’s tender mercy,

    the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Philippians 1:3-11 New Living Translation

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Luke 3:1-6 New Living Translation

3 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!

    Clear the road for him!

5 The valleys will be filled,

    and the mountains and hills made level.

The curves will be straightened,

    and the rough places made smooth.

6 And then all people will see

    the salvation sent from God.’”

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - First Sunday of Advent - Hope

When we face situations that seem insurmountable, we have one thing that keeps us going from one day to the next. That “thing” is hope. We always hope that things will get better and that hope gives us the strength to not only take on the present challenges but gives us that silver lining for tomorrow. As humans, hope is one of the things we depend on to get us through the problems we face.

It doesn’t matter the size or type of problem. Our hope gets us through each moment. Think back to a particular hard and arduous problem that you faced. It seemed like it lasted for days, weeks or months. In fact, it might have lasted months or even years. We all face these types of problems. Whether they lasted for hours or years, we counted on hope to get us through each moment of what we had to endure.

For me, it was four years ago when I had to deal with an illness that nearly took my life. When the doctors finally figured out what I had, some were already telling me that I only had a twenty percent chance of living. One doctor, while working on my case early in the ordeal, said, “If you are lucky, it’s cancer. If it’s the other, we don’t have a lot of time.”

It took over a year for me to get through that horrible situation. Each day was so difficult to get through. I was taking medications that caused so many side effects. There were so many unknowns to the team of doctors and specialists who worked so hard to just keep me alive from one moment to the next.

Then, there were the times when I wondered about the next day. I thought about how I was going to get through tomorrow’s unknown. There were days when more and more problems would appear and I had to get through each of them. But, I had hope to keep me going from one moment to the next.

The noted inventor and patent draftsman, Lewis Howard Latimer, once said, while paraphrasing Alexander Pope, “”Hope springs eternal in the human breast,’ and is as necessary to life as the act of breathing.”

Hope gives us the strength to take that next hard step and prepares us for each additional step. If we didn’t have hope, we would certainly feel the hand of doom upon us daily. We would seem powerless and wouldn’t even want to go on. 

In the play, “Annie,” there is a song that sums up how we should feel about tomorrow. Annie sings, “Tomorrow”. When you listen to the lyrics of this song, you can easily see the virtues of hope. You just have to push beyond the bad and hope for the best.

As we start the Advent season for this year, we all face issues in our lives that truly seem insurmountable. I see more and more people walking with only sorrow to dog their steps. They don’t see a bright day ahead. They feel that they are doomed and have nothing to look forward to. There is only doom and gloom ahead for them. 

Have you felt that way or are you feeling that way now? We all go through these dark times. But, hope gets us through them and helps us look forward to a new day with optimism. The same holds true for us as we approach Christmas, the birthday of Jesus.   

About 700 years prior to the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah. This gave the Israelites hope and a future to look forward to. This child will grow up and provide for not only the children of Israel but also us, salvation. Jew and Gentiles alike will be given a path to redemption from God.

In chapter nine of the book bearing his name, Isaiah tells the Israelites, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

Their hope as well as our own came in the form of a small child who was born of a virgin in a stable. This child grew up like a normal child and when he grew to manhood, he began to preach the Word of God to all who would listen to him. He would teach us to love one another and, most importantly, seek the Father wholeheartedly. 

Isaiah tells the Israelites more about the Prince of Peace, “He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word,     and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.”

Our hope for salvation rests squarely on the shoulders of this man who didn't come into this world to condemn individuals. He came into it to save them from the wages of sin. The weight of all of the sins of everyone would be borne by his body as he suffers on a cross for each of us. He will become the perfect sacrifice for us and die in our place to end the grip of sin and death once and for all time. This is the hope that we have when we believe, the hope of eternal life with our Heavenly Father and His son.

Hope truly springs eternal for each of us. It gives us the strength to stand firm today knowing that God loves us and the ability to take that next step towards tomorrow. Hope gives us so much to look forward to when we face adversity.

Isaiah said it best, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

No matter what you face today, tomorrow or next week, your hope will renew your strength and allow you to remain faithful to the Lord. To paraphrase the song, “Tomorrow,” a bit, the Son will always be there with you and clear away the cobwebs and sorrow.

As you go through this first week of advent, take time out of your schedule to think about that hope you have received as a gift from Jesus. It is a very special gift that gives you the strength you need to face anything and everything that will pop up in your life. When hope becomes more than just a word and more of a way of life, you can most assuredly stand firm in it and in His grace. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Fourth Week of Advent - Scripture Reading

1 John 4:9-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Fourth Week of Advent - Scripture Reading

Psalm 24 New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 24

A psalm of David.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
    The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
    and built it on the ocean depths.

3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols
    and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing
    and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you
    and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.[a] Interlude

7 Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty;
    the Lord, invincible in battle.
9 Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
    he is the King of glory. Interlude

Footnotes:

1. 24:6 As in two Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read O Jacob.

 

Fourth Week of Advent - Scripture Reading

John 3:16-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

Footnotes:

1. 3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that he gave.

 

Third Week of Advent - Scripture Reading

 Luke 2:8-14 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Shepherds and Angels

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Third Week of Advent - Scripture Reading

Isaiah 35 New Living Translation (NLT)

Hope for Restoration

335 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
    The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.
2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
    and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
    as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
    the splendor of our God.
3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
    and encourage those who have weak knees.
4 Say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
    He is coming to save you.”

5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
    and unplug the ears of the deaf.
6 The lame will leap like a deer,
    and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
    and streams will water the wasteland.
7 The parched ground will become a pool,
    and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
    where desert jackals once lived.

8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
    It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
    It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
    fools will never walk there.
9 Lions will not lurk along its course,
    nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
    Only the redeemed will walk on it.
10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

Footnotes:

1. 35:10 Hebrew Zion.

 

Third Week of Advent - Scripture Reading

Psalm 146:5-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel[a] as their helper,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them.
    He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
8     The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

10 The Lord will reign forever.
    He will be your God, O Jerusalem,[b] throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes:

1. 146:5 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 44:4.
2. 146:10 Hebrew Zion.