Worship November 9, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
Livestream begins at 9:25 am.

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
Count Your Blessings
Goodness Of God
“Popcorn People”
Romans 5:3-4
How Great Is Our God
God's Parting Blessing:
God go before you to lead you, God go behind you to protect you,
God go beneath you to support you, God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you
Do not be afraid. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Amen
Sunday School10:45 am
1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Introduction - Therapy
I. What God wants for your life. (vv. 16-18)
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
II. Have an Attitude of Gratitude? (vv. 16-18)
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
A. Be joyful always
B. Times of Difficulty, Hurt, Distress…
C. Prayer (v. 17)
17 pray continually;
D. Consider Paul (Phil 4:12, Romans 8:35-39)
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
III. Gratitude Busters
A. Conceit
B. Critical Spirit
IV. An Attractive Witness (vv. 16-18)
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Application

BLESSed to be a BLESSing
The Nursery is staffed today. Thank you, Donna Stroup & Kinnick Brown. Please sign your child in.
Cantata will be sung on Dec. 21st during the worship service. Practice today after service.
Check out the Family Resources in the Library - Children’s Bibles, Books, Activities, Helps, etc.
Monday Night Football, Nov. 10th at 7:00 pm at church. It will be hosted by Vern P., Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers!
We are reaching that time of year when I will be working on the schedules for Nursery, Greeters, and Refreshments. This is your chance to volunteer. I have some volunteers who have asked to be removed from the list. Please consider volunteering for the next six months. The new schedule starts on January 4, 2026.
Alert! Those of you in for some fun, Dao has gifted us with a game -Guess the Number of candies in the container (you can only lift it ~ Don’t take off the top). Find the container by the kitchen serving shelf and give your guess. First prize - Candy. 2nd prize - a mystery bag. 3rd prize - a mystery bag. Have fun—good providence. The winner will be announced in three weeks, on Nov 23rd, during BLESSed to be a BLESSing.
This is the 8th year the Sunshine Project has served kids in need in the local community. Kids receive gift bags full of school supplies, food, gloves, toothbrushes & toothpaste, and much more! Through this project, we are showing the love of God by providing for kids in need and spreading the love of Jesus! We would love to have your support. Please pray for this project. If you would like to donate, checks can be written to the church with the memo "Sunshine Project!" All donations should be turned into Marques Huesman by December 7th! Thank you for supporting our mission of serving kids in our community.
Let Your Light Shine. If you're willing to set up a Christmas tree on the east lawn, please sign up at the Connection Center. We need to know how many trees there will be so we can provide enough power to light them all—more information in your mailbox.
November’s Ruby’s Pantry sign-up sheet is out at the Connection Center for Tuesday, November 11th. The Food Line Coordinator would like only a few people there at 1:00 p.m. to unload the truck. Unless you have signed up to unload the truck, please do not come until 2:00 p.m. for pre-bagging. There is also an early need for traffic control: we can use a few people early on and throughout the distribution—please see the sign-up sheet as well. Distribution will start at 4:00 pm. There will be a need for extra cookies and bars. If you can help out in this area, we’d sure love it! Thank you for volunteering! We will be serving snacks/treats, pizza, and bottled water. Please remember to wear closed-toe shoes. Thanks!
Coffee N Chat, November 19th, 9:30 -11:00 am. Guest speaker, Ron Wagenaar.
Just a reminder:
Office Hours are as follows:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: 7:30 am -2:30 pm
Wednesday: 7:30 am -2:30 pm
Thursday: 7:30 am -2:30 pm
Friday: 7:30 am - 9:30 am
Want to make our guests feel welcome? Please put on a name tag. They are available at both entrances. Thanks!
Reminder: If you are the last person leaving the church after any event or activity, Please remember to clean up; i.e. tables, chairs, and kitchen, turn off the lights, shut the windows, and lock the doors. Thank you Management
If you unhook the chairs in the sanctuary, you must hook them up again! this is a safety issue. Thank you.
Church Cancellation Policy Updated: In case of a tornado watch or warning, all church activities and church services will be canceled. This is because we do not have a basement. If school is cancelled, all activities at church will be canceled as well. The final decision to cancel a church service will be made by the Elders. The VP of Council/Elders will initiate the calls and process to other Elders for discussion. Once it is determined that the service will be canceled, efforts by the Elders will be made to contact the congregation.
Would you like access to the devotional offered by the church, please call 641-424-1369 or email the church secretary at racrcsec@msn.com.
Have you checked out Missionary Corner? There are updates from our missionaries, the Klompien's, and the Hefler's. Copies are available for reading. Please take one and see how they have been sharing Christ’s love and mission
Reminder if you borrow tables and chairs from the church, please remember to follow equipment borrowing procedures. Upon return, please make sure all items are clean and in good order.
There are activity bags available for the children, during worship service. They are located next to the coat rack in a bin.
Christian condolences to Dan and Cindy Mueller. Dan’s brothers, Bjorn and Anders Mueller, have passed away. Please pray for peace for Dan’s family. Dave Wharton, who recently had knee surgery, please pray for his recovery and healing. Pray for Al Lewerke, who is still experiencing intense back pain. Remember to keep David Lief in your prayers, as he is having trouble breathing. Pray for our Ames Korean CRC Campus Ministry, that it will effectively minister to young adults and keep them on the right path. Pray for Calvin University, that it will cultivate the next generation of servant leaders. Pray for our missionary family, the Klompien’s, as they minister to the people of Nepal. Pray for lasting peace in the Middle East.
Matthew 3:1-12
Today, we’re going to talk about what it means to be ready. To help us out, I have a bag of candy. When I ask, “Are you ready?” the kids who can show me what it means to be ready will get a piece of candy.
What does it look like when we’re ready? (Allow kids to answer.)
That’s right! Being ready means that we are patient, we wait, and we watch.
Okay, are you ready to start our lesson today? (Give a few kids who are ready a piece of candy and say things like, “I see you’re ready because you are waiting patiently,” or “I see you’re ready because you are watching me.”)
Are you ready for Christmas? (Give a few kids who are ready a piece of candy and affirm the way they’re ready.)
You will hear that question many times over the next several weeks. Let’s find out what people mean when they ask that question.
Raise your hand if your Christmas tree is up and your house is decorated.
Raise your hand if you’ve finished your Christmas shopping.
Raise your hand if you’ve been practicing for a Christmas program.
There’s another question that we should be asking ourselves today. It’s more important than "Are you ready for Christmas?" The more important question is "Are you ready for the Christ of Christmas?" (Give a few kids who are ready a piece of candy and affirm the way they’re ready.)
Many years ago, a man named John the Baptist preached about what it means to be ready for Jesus. Are you prepared to answer a question? (Give a few kids who are ready a piece of candy and affirm the way they’re ready.)
What do you think 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 his waist. His diet was somewhat 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 Judean wilderness. His message to the people was to get ready for Jesus. John would shout, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Are you ready for Jesus? (Give a few kids who are ready a piece of candy and affirm the way they’re ready.)
Many people were ready for Jesus. So they came to John the Baptist. 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."
Are you ready for Jesus this Christmas? (Give a few kids who are ready a piece of candy and affirm the way they’re ready.)
During this special season of the year, as we get ready for Christmas, you and I need to make sure we’re prepared for the coming of the Christ of Christmas. We need to look into our hearts and ask God to make us clean so we can walk with Jesus each day of our lives. Let's ask him to do that now.
Dear God, we want to be ready for the Christ of Christmas. Prepare our hearts for his coming. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.