Worship Archive – December 22nd 2024

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Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for December 22nd 2024:

Lectionary Theme: God’s promise fulfilled in Christ

Occasion: 4th Sunday in Advent

Lectionary readings:
Psalm 80:1-7 or Luke 1: 46b-55
Micah 5: 2-5a
Hebrews 10: 5-10
Luke 1: 39-45, (46-55)

[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to read it for yourself (and/or to listen to it) 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.

Unto us a boy is born.
From the squalor of a borrowed stable.
Born in the Night.
All Heaven Declares.
Christmas isn’t Christmas.
On Christmas night.
Good Christians all rejoice.
O Come let us adore Him.

You can listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.

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Children’s Address:

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Sermon:

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Bible readings:

Psalm 80

1 Shepherd of Israel, you lead the descendants of Joseph,
and you sit on your throne
above the winged creatures.
Listen to our prayer and let your light shine
2 for the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Save us by your power.

3 Our God, make us strong again! Smile on us and save us.

4 LORD God All-Powerful, how much longer
will the prayers of your people make you angry?
5 You gave us tears for food,
and you made us drink them by the bowlful.
6 Because of you, our enemies who live nearby
laugh and joke about us.
7 But if you smile on us, we will be saved.

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Luke 1

46b With all my heart I praise the Lord,
47 and I am glad because of God my Saviour.
48 He cares for me, his humble servant.
From now on, all people will say
God has blessed me.
49 God All-Powerful has done great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 He always shows mercy
to everyone who worships him.
51 The Lord has used his powerful arm
to scatter those who are proud.
52 He drags strong rulers from their thrones
and puts humble people in places of power.
53 God gives the hungry good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing.
54 He helps his servant Israel
and is always merciful to his people.
55 The Lord made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his family forever!

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Micah 5

2 Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns
in the nation of Judah.
But the LORD will choose one of your people
to rule the nation
someone whose family goes back to ancient times.
3 The LORD will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born,
and the rest of his family returns to Israel.
4 Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep,
this ruler will lead and care for his people
by the power and glorious name of the LORD his God.
His people will live securely,
and the whole earth will know his true greatness,
5 because he will bring peace.

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Hebrews 10

5 When Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“Sacrifices and offerings are not what you want,
but you have given me my body.
6 No, you are not pleased with animal sacrifices
and offerings for sin.”

7 Then Christ said,

“And so, my God, I have come to do what you want,
as the Scriptures say.”

8 The Law teaches that offerings and sacrifices must be made because of sin. But why did Christ mention these things and say that God did not want them? 9 Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. That is what he meant by saying to God, “I have come to do what you want.” 10 So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.

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Luke 1

39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. 45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – December 15th 2024.]