December 7, 2025

Second Sunday of Advent

December 7, 2025

(Bethlehem/Faith)

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering the Family Together

The Lord Be with You

Leader:     The Lord be with you__ __.

All:           And also with you __.

The Lord of heaven and earth __ be worshiped in this place.

The covenant of grace be renewed __ __ __.

The Lord __ be with you.

Leader:     Lord, open our lips __ __,

All:           And we’ll sing your praise __.

O Lord, your unfailing love __ and mercy will endure __

as fresh and bright and sure as morning sun __ __ __.

We bless you, Three in One!

Text © 2005 Reformed Church Press · Hymn Text © 1999 Ron Rienstra CCLI 172212

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence!

Verse 1

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.

Verse 2

King of kings, yet born of Mary, As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture, In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful His own self for heavenly food.

Verse 3

Rank on rank the host of heaven, Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish As the darkness clears away.

Verse 4

At His feet the six-winged seraph, Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence, As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Call To Worship

Scripture Reading:                                                                    Micah 5:2-4

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

³ Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.

⁴ And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.

Prayer of Invocation

Advent Proclamation

Leader:   Today we light two candles.

We light the first candle to remind us of our need for a savior.

We light the second candle to remind us of the promises

in God’s Word.

People:    O King of all nations, Jesus Christ,

               Only joy of every heart, Come and save Your people.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

(Verses 1, 2, & 4)

Verse 1

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light:

The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

Verse 2

For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth!

And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth.

Verse 4

O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!

Words: Phillips Brooks; Music ST.LOUIS, Lewis H. Redner

Declaring What We Believe

Sing We the Song of Emmanuel

1. Sing we the song of Emmanuel;

this the Christ who was long foretold.

Lo! In the shadows of Bethlehem,

promise of dawn now our eyes behold.

God most high in a manger laid, lift your voices and now proclaim:

Great and glorious, Love has come to us;

join now with the hosts of heaven.

2. Come we to welcome Emmanuel;

King who came with no crown or throne.

Helpless He lay, the invincible, Maker of Mary, now Mary’s son.

O what wisdom to save us all, shepherds, sages, before Him fall.

Grace and majesty, what humility; come on bended knee, adore Him.

3. Go spread the news of Emmanuel; joy and peace for the weary heart.

Lift up your heads, for your King has come;

sing, for the light overwhelms the dark.

Glory shining for all to see, hope alive, let the gospel ring.

God has made a way; He will have the praise;

tell the world His name is Jesus.

© 2015 Getty Music Songs, Messenger Hymns and Love Your Enemies Publishing (adm by MusicService.org and Love Your Enemies Publishing/Townend Songs (PRS) (adm. By Music Service.org in the US and Canada and by www.songsolutions.org elsewhere in the World).

We Respond to God’s Presence

Holy Child

1. Holy Child who chose the hearts of men to be His favoured home.

Leaving Heaven’s gates for Bethlehem, God came to call His own.

Now to us the highest King is born, behold, the Royal Son.

Glory kneels to bind up all that’s torn; the promised One has come.

2. Joy and pain, as man, He knew on earth; No place to lay His head.

As a servant He embraced this world and on a cross He bled.

Having borne the deepest grief of man, He rose to Heaven’s throne.

Now I’m sheltered in the Father’s hand until He calls me home.

3. May the gift of God amaze us still, the triumph of all time.

As His child, I kneel to Heaven’s will and make His purpose mine.

Though this road be scarred with trial and pain,

it’s paved with lavish grace.

Knowing Him will be my greatest gain;

His Throne, my resting place.

Copyright © 2004 Thankyou Music/Adm. by worshiptogether.com songs excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Kingsway Music. tym@kingsway.co.uk. Used by permission.

The Servant King

From heav’n You came, helpless Babe,

Entered our world, Your glory veiled;

Not to be served, but to serve,

And give Your life that we might live.

Refrain:      This is our God, the Servant King,

He calls us now to follow Him;

To bring our lives as a daily offering -

Of worship to the Servant King.

There in the garden of tears,

My heavy load He chose to bear

His heart with sorrow was torn,

“Yet not My will, but Yours,” He said.           (Repeat Refrain)

Come, see His hands and His feet,

The scars that speak of sacrifice;

Hands that flung stars into space,

To cruel nails surrendered.                            (Repeat Refrain)

So let us learn how to serve,

And in our lives enthrone Him;

Each other's needs to prefer,

For it is Christ we're serving.                         (Repeat Refrain)

by Graham Kendrick © 1983 by Thankyou Music,  ARR CCLI #172212

Children’s Lesson

Pastoral Prayer

The basket to receive His tithes and our offerings

is located on the left as you leave the Sanctuary.

We Worship Through Hearing

Today’s Message

Advent Series: What Is Christmas All About?

“Bethlehem and Faith: Who Is His Father?”

Matthew 1:18-25

Notes

I. Joseph: His __________ Father Gives _________ Authority.

(Matthew 1:18-19)

II. God: His ___________ Father Gives His _____________ Birth.

(Matthew 1:20-23)

III.       Jesus: His ___________ as God’s Son is ___________ by Joseph.

(Matthew 1:24-25)

Communion

Prayer of Contrition

Sharing of the Elements

We invite to the Lord’s Table all those who are baptized disciples of Jesus Christ and are under the authority of Christ and His body, the Church. By eating the bread and drinking the wine with us as a visitor, you are acknowledging to the elders of this local church that you are in covenant with God and an active member of a congregation in which the gospel is faithfully confessed, taught, and believed. You also acknowledge that you are a sinner, without hope except in the sovereign mercy of God, and that you are trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. If you have any doubt about your participation, please speak to the elders before or after the service.

Declaration of Forgiveness

We Are Sent Forth in Worship

to Share the Gospel

Red Hymnal #171                                                      “Joy to the World!”

Benediction