Order Of Worship
Pre-Service Song
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
Call to Worship & God's Greeting
Bless to be a Blessing
Year In Review
Our Morning Prayers
Children's Message
Ho Hum, Nothing New
Eccles. 1:9; 12:1
Offering - Doxology (stand up) - Deaconal Prayer
Sending and God's Parting Blessing
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
Closing Song
Glorious Day
Have a Great Week!
Sunday School 10:45 - 11:30 am
Sermon Outline
“A New Year – A Voice Calling”
Isaiah 40:1-5; Luke 3:1-6
40 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 3A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6And all mankind will see God's salvation.'
Introduction
I. Where the Voice is Heard (Isaiah 40:3, Luke 3:2,4)
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert.
4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
A. Desert – A real geographical place.
B. Our lives – A real personal place.
II. Why the Voice Calls Out (Isaiah 40:3-4)
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
A. To make Preparations
- The King’s Highway
1. First level of interpretation (Isaiah 40:1, 2)
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
2. Second level of interpretation
B. To Repent (Luke 3:3)
3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
III. What the Voice Promises (Isaiah 40:5, Luke 3:5, 6)
5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'
- Matthew 25
Conclusion/Application
BLESSed to be a BLESSing
Kid's Bulletin
"Fishing for People"
Matthew 4:18-23
Summary of this sermon...
Jesus calls us to "fish for people" by sharing His love and message with others, just like He called Peter and Andrew to follow Him in Matthew 4:18-23. To do this, we need to be equipped with biblical knowledge, go where people are, and be patient. By following Jesus' example, we can bring others to Him, experiencing great joy and excitement in the process.
Do you enjoy fishing? Have you ever caught a fish?
Fishing is a great sport, and if you have ever been fishing and have caught a fish, you know that there’s a great feeling of excitement when you catch a fish. One of the things that makes fishing such a great sport is that it doesn't matter if you’re young or old...you can still be good at fishing.
What does it take to be good at catching fish? First of all, you need to be properly equipped. You can't just get a piece of string, put a hook on it, and tie it on the end of a stick and expect to catch many fish, can you? No! If you’re serious about fishing, you’ll make sure you have all the right equipment. You’ll want a nice rod and reel like this one I have this morning.
The next thing you need to know is that you have to go where the fish are to catch fish!
Finally, if you want to be good at fishing, you must be patient. Sometimes the fish just aren't biting. You have to wait patiently.
Our Bible lesson today has something to do with fishing. One day, Jesus was walking along the seashore when he saw two brothers named Peter and Andrew. Jesus knew they made their living by fishing, so He called out to them, "Follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" Do you know what they did? They laid down their fishing nets and followed Jesus.
Jesus wants you and me to fish for people, too. That means that Jesus wants us to tell others about what He has done for us and what He wants to do for them. Fishing for people is a lot like fishing for fish.
First, we need to be properly equipped. We need to know what the Bible teaches and learn how to share it with others.
Next, we go out where the people are and tell them about Jesus.
Finally, we must be patient.
If we do these things, we can really become fishers of people like Jesus wants us to be. If you think there is a great feeling of excitement in catching a fish, just imagine how exciting it must be to bring someone to Jesus!
Dear Jesus, help us become fishers of people. Help us tell others what You have done for us and what You want to do for them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
