Gentle Spirit Christian Church
Sunday, December 4, 2022,
10:30 AM.
Facebook Live
And
Candler Park
Second Sunday in Advent
Gathering
As you prepare to worship pray for those taking part in leadership roles and for a blessing to be upon those who sit next to you. Ask God, as well, to help you to worship in “spirit and in truth” and to speak a special word to you or touch you in some way. What we ask for and expect in faith almost always will be what happens!
Lightening of the Advent Candle:
Day by day, Oh Dear Lord Three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly; Love thee more dearly; Follow thee more nearly, Day by day. From Amazon Music: Day by Day Lyrics – Godspell musical (allmusicals.com)
Second Sunday of Advent: Peace
VOICE – Today is the Second Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Peace.
VOICES – Our peace is found in God and in his son, Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, and all the prophets remind us, that to receive peace we must be prepared for it.
VOICE – We light this candle today to remind us that Christ is
the Prince of Peace, the one promised from the beginning
of the world. We thank God for the hope he gives us and
for the peace he bestows.
Light the First and Second Candles
VOICES – Let us pray: O God of Peace, Emmanuel, we pray you to send your light into our hearts currently. Help us to be ready for the day and the hour of Christ’s appearing. Work in our hearts currently and help us prepare ourselves for the peace that he brings — the inner peace that tells us that we are united with you and the outer peace which will come when he returns to judge the world. Bless our worship that it may be pleasing unto you, and bless us that we may prove to be your faithful servants. Amen
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
FIRST SCRIPTURE LESSON: Isaiah 11:1-10 (The MSG)
A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stump,
from his roots a budding Branch.
The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,
the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,
the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.
Fear-of-God
will be all his joy and delight.
He won’t judge by appearances,
won’t decide on the basis of hearsay.
He’ll judge the needy by what is right,
render decisions on earth’s poor with justice.
His words will bring everyone to awed attention.
A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.
Each morning he’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,
and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.
The wolf will romp with the lamb,
the leopard sleep with the kid.
Calf and lion will eat from the same trough,
and a little child will tend them.
Cow and bear will graze the same pasture,
their calves and cubs grow up together,
and the lion eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens,
the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent.
Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill
on my holy mountain.
The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive,
a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.
On that day, Jesse’s Root will be raised high, posted as a rallying banner for the peoples. The nations will all come to him. His headquarters will be glorious.
SECOND SCRIPTURE LESSON: Romans 15:4-13 (MSG)
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
So reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God’s purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance:
Then I’ll join outsiders in a hymn-sing;
I’ll sing to your name!
And this one:
Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together!
And again:
People of all nations, celebrate God!
All colors and races, give hearty praise!
And Isaiah’s word:
There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse,
breaking through the earth and growing tree tall,
Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!
Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
Prayer, Praise and Offering:
TODAY’S MESSAGE: “Repent” –Pastor Paul Matthew 3:1-12 (MSG)
Sermon Verse VS 1-2 “While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptizer,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
Sermon Passage:
While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptizer,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
John and his message were authorized by Isaiah’s prophecy:
Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!
John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life.
When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It’s your life that must change, not your skin! And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and flourishing? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.
“I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”
Holy Communion
Benediction
OWN YOUR FAITH,DON’T RENT IT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Church office is open. In-person appointments available. Call the church. Dana will set up an in-person meetings or you have the option of Zoom or Facebook Messenger.
- Worship in Candler Park will continue to be live streamed via Facebook messenger each Sunday morning at 10:30 AM.
- Bible Study meeting December 5th at 7:30 PM on Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3833663154?pwd=K2hsWHdjRi80ZkF4L3daTEtRcTVUdz09
- Pastor Paul’s office time Monday-Wednesday 10:00 AM till 3:00 PMThe Pastor will be off on Thursday’s. Friday’s will be a study day and Saturdays the Pastor will be available as needed or by appointment. For now, Dana’s office time or church time is Tuesday through Thursday 10 AM till 3 PM. She is available via e-mail or text on Monday’s and Friday’s.
- We thank you for going to the church website to take care of your tithe, gifts, donations and offering. Just go to gentlespirit.org and click on the donate button and follow the instructions. Or if you are more comfortable with the US mail then send your tithe, gifts, donations and offerings via a check or money order to GSCC 601 West Ponce de Leon Decatur, GA 30030
- November 20th after Church we will be going to First Christian Church of Decatur to help un-load Christmas Trees
- We are looking for a person to coordinate our Hygiene Kit Ministry, if you can help please contact Pastor Paul 404-604-8124.
- March 15, 2023, Gentle Spirit Christian Church will be 25 years old! Stay tunes for celebration announcements.
- Gentle Spirit Christian Church is in search of a musician for Sunday morning services in the park. If you are interested or know someone who might be please contact the Church office at 404-604-8124