Christmas | Friday 26 Dec 2025
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening prayer:
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.
“But the believers who were scattered
preached the Good News about Jesus
wherever they went.”
(Acts 8:4)
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From the Psalms: Psalm 148 | Sons of Korah / duntymolly
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Reading from Apocrypha: Wisdom 4:7-15 (NCB)
Better To Die Young than To Die in Wickedness
4:7 But the righteous man, even if he dies prematurely, will be at rest.
+ For the honor that comes with age is not due to the length of life
or determined by the number of years.
+ Gray hairs for anyone consists in understanding,
and ripe old age consists in a blameless life.
+ He has sought to please God, so God has loved him;
while living among sinners, he has been taken up.
+ He has been snatched away so that evil would not pervert his understanding
or guile deceive his soul.
+ For the spell of wickedness beclouds what is good,
and the swirl of desire corrupts the simple heart.
+ Having achieved perfection in a short time,
he attained a lengthy span of years.
+ Since his soul was pleasing to the Lord,
he quickly removed him from the midst of wickedness.
People observed this yet failed to comprehend,
nor did they reflect on this fact,
+ that grace and mercy are reserved for God’s holy ones
and he shows concern for his elect.
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Almost Home | Matt Papa & Matt Boswell / KeithandKristyn Getty
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NT Reading: Acts 7:59-8:8 (NLT)
7:59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
8:1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
8:4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
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Go Tell It On The Mountain | Josh Turner
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O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God our Savior: 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 