[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – December 4th 2022.]
Sunday Service from Connexion for December 11th 2022:
Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for December 11th 2022:
Lectionary Theme: Be patient, the redeemer is around
Occasion: 3rd Sunday in Advent
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 146: 5-10
Isaiah 35: 1-10
James 5: 7-10
Matthew 11: 2-11
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to listen and/or read it for yourself and then click or tap on Back to top to come back here.]
Songs:
Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube.
Love came down at Christmas.
Come, they told me.
You’re the Word of God the Father.
Meekness & Majesty.
Who is He.
This is my body.
Angels from the realms.
To God be the Glory.
You can listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.
Children’s Address:
Sermon:
Bible readings:
Psalm 146
5 The LORD God of Jacob blesses everyone
who trusts him and depends on him.
6 God made heaven and earth;
he created the sea and everything else.
God always keeps his word.
7 He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free 8 and heals blind eyes.
He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls.
The LORD loves good people 9 and looks after strangers.
He defends the rights of orphans and widows,
but destroys the wicked.
10 The LORD God of Zion will rule forever!
Shout praises to the LORD!
Isaiah 35
1 Thirsty deserts will be glad;
barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers.
2 Deserts will bloom everywhere and sing joyful songs.
They will be as majestic as Mount Lebanon,
as glorious as Mount Carmel or Sharon Valley.
Everyone will see the wonderful splendour
of the LORD our God.
*3 Here is a message for all who are weak,
trembling, and worried:
4 “Cheer up! Don’t be afraid.
Your God is coming to punish your enemies.
God will take revenge on them and rescue you.”
5 The blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will be healed.
6 Those who were lame will leap around like deer;
tongues once silent will begin to shout.
Water will rush through the desert.
7 Scorching sand will turn into a lake,
and thirsty ground will flow with fountains.
Grass will grow in wetlands, where packs of wild dogs
once made their home.
8 A good road will be there,
and it will be named “God’s Sacred Highway.”
It will be for God’s people; no one unfit to worship God
will walk on that road.
And no fools can travel on that highway.
9 No lions or other wild animals will come near that road;
only those the LORD has saved will travel there.
10 The people the LORD has rescued will come back singing
as they enter Zion.
Happiness will be a crown they will always wear.
They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows
and worries will be gone far away.
James 5
7 My friends, be patient until the Lord returns. Think of farmers who wait patiently for the spring and summer rains to make their valuable crops grow. 8 Be patient like those farmers and don’t give up. The Lord will soon be here! 9 Don’t grumble about each other or you will be judged, and the judge is right outside the door.
10 My friends, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They were patient, even when they had to suffer.
Matthew 11
2 John was in prison when he heard what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers 3 to ask Jesus, “Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?”
4 Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. 5 The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. 6 God will bless everyone who doesn’t reject me because of what I do.”
7 As John’s followers were going away, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John:
What sort of person did you go out into the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? 8 What kind of man did you go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who dress like that live in the king’s palace. 9 What did you really go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was. I tell you that he was more than a prophet. 10 In the Scriptures God says about him, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you.” 11 I tell you that no one ever born on this earth is greater than John the Baptist. But whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
Text version of Children’s Address for Hillside Circuit on December 11th 2022, with Dr Christine Tenga:
Good morn friends. Today Dr. Tenga is giving you a lesson about Being patient because the Redeemer is around. Yes, you may lose patience because you haven’t met Him yet. You are advised to wait, because its a sure case, he will come. Keep having that Hope of seeing or meeting Him one day.
Let us pray. Our Heavenly and loving Father, we come before you with happiness for the gift of life. We are so thankful for these little ones who are listening to your word now and we pray they will grow in it . The road is long and needs perseverance. Walk with them Father. Give wisdom to parents and guardians to guide them. Amen.
Our topic today is: Be Patient, the Redeemer is around. The readings are taken from: Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10 and Math 11:2-11. This time as you enjoy your school holidays, you have time to read the texts.
What does it mean to be patient? It means to wait hoping for something good. The waiting may not be comfortable but you still have to wait. In the book of James, we are given an example of a farmer’s patience. He prepares his land, plants crop during rain season and waits until the time to reap what he has planted comes. You have been told of the coming Redeemer, wait fo Him like the farmer. While you wait do not keep complaining. Soon xmas is coming, if your parents promise you something, don’t keep nagging them. The day will come and you will get your gift. As Christians we are waiting for Jesus to come again. He came when He was born and He is around but when He comes now, He will be coming for those who are patient. Who are peaceful and do not fight each other. Are you someone who likes to fight, argue and cause trouble? Don’t do it because the Redeemer doesnt like it. You may be punished for that.
Who is the Redeemer? He is Jesus Christ who was born, lived among us and is still here with us through His Spirit. He died to buy us back to Him because the devil had taken us for himself through sin. Jesus therefore redeemed us. We are His again. But we must continue doing what is right in His eyes. Having been cleansed from sin, let us not sin again. Sometimes we sin when we doubt that Jesus saved us especially when we are facing problems. John the Baptist in Math passage, sent his disciples to find out if Jesus was the one they were expecting, the one he talked about. John was in prison then, suffering and thought Jesus would get him out of jail. The Redeemer is coming for heavenly things. He is coming for those who can stand hardship for the Heavenly Kingdom. The everlasting kingdom of God. When you are in trouble do not think Jesus is not there. Continue trusting Him and wait patiently for His help in your physical and spiritual nature.
In Isaiah passage, we are told about the Joy that those who are redeemed get. Remember we are all redeemed, young as you are too you are redeemed. But you need to remain without sin in order to live in the future kingdom. In that kingdom, all the suffering we see on this earth will not be there. Weakness of the body, no food , no water, no electricity and lacking of any kind will not be found there. There is a path that leads to that place called “The Way of Holiness”. You need to be clean to be without sin to walk along it. Now you have learnt what the Redeemer expects from you. While you wait for him to come do what is right. He comes to take into His Kingdom those who are obedient to His instructions. Amen.
Let us pray. Thank you Lord Jesus for redeeming these young ones. Walk with them in the path of righteousness. May they not lose track as they wait patiently to meet you face to face. Amen.
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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