Christmas | Friday – 30 Dec 2022
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin:
Grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the same Spirit
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
For our present troubles are small
and won’t last very long.
Yet they produce for us a glory
that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 4:17)
__________
From Psalms: Psalm 20 – The Psalms Project
__________
OT Reading: Isaiah 26:1-9 (NLT)
A Song of Praise to the Lord
26:1 In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song:
Our city is strong!
We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation.
Open the gates to all who are righteous;
allow the faithful to enter.
You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always,
for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
He humbles the proud
and brings down the arrogant city.
He brings it down to the dust.
The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot,
and the needy walk all over it.
But for those who are righteous,
the way is not steep and rough.
You are a God who does what is right,
and you smooth out the path ahead of them.
Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws;
our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.
In the night I search for you;
in the morning I earnestly seek you.
For only when you come to judge the earth
will people learn what is right.
__________
Trust in the Lord | Zion Music
__________
NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)
4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
__________
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus ~ Lauren Daigle
__________
+ Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts, which no unworthy thought can drag down; unconquered hearts, which no tribulation can wear out; upright hearts, which no unworthy purpose can tempt aside. Bestow upon us understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and faithfulness that finally may embrace you. Amen.
+ Almighty God our Savior, you desire that none should perish, and you have taught us through your Son that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents: Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. May your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers, that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
__________
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 