The Little Town Of Bethlehem

This Weeks Announcements and Events

Please join us for our Christmas Services: December 24 @ 6:30 pm

                                                                     December 25 @ 10 am

                                                                     December 26 @ 9:30 am

If you were not able to check out the link for Grace in Action last week, here it is: https://grace-in-action.com/cliftonstrengths-coaching/. Please check it out and give the council your thoughts on whether you might be interested in participating.

Prayer Requests for this Week:

Ted Johnson – health issues

Sarah Sauer – health issues

Mike Knicker – health issues

Evie Schroeder – Recovering from stroke

Amy Pauers

Dan Kelley – health issues

Mel Murray – Fractured Vertebrae

Tiffany (Dan Kelley’s daughter in law) – healing and thanksgiving for successful surgery

Brianna (Mike and Alexis Wolosz’ granddaughter) – dealing with health issue

On Our Calendar this week

Sunday December 19
9:30 am – Worship

11 am –Sunday School

Friday December 24
6:30 pm – Christmas Eve Service

Saturday December 25
10 am – Christmas Day Service

Sunday December 26
9:30 am – Worship with Communion

11 am – Sunday School

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. (Micah 5:2)

I grew up just outside of a little village called Bittern Lake. We had a post office, and a greenhouse, and a town hall. There was only about 100 people who lived in the village. And everyone knew everyone else. Nothing exciting really ever happened in Bittern Lake.

That’s how Bethlehem was. It was a small city just outside of Jerusalem. Many of it’s residents were shepherds and farmers. And nothing exciting happened in Bethlehem in a long time. The last exciting thing to come from Behtlehem was King David. But God told the prophet Micah that that would change. Because out of Bethlehem would come the Messiah, the promised eternal ruler of Israel. God would once again exalt the humble town of Bethlehem to bear his Son.

Do you ever feel like nothing exciting ever happens to you? Like you just live a boring life and it’ll never change? Well, dear friend, something exciting has happened to you and can come from you. You have received the greatest news ever, that your sin has been washed away, that you have been reconciled to God, that you have eternal life. And you can trust in those promises. But you can also share those promises. You can share them with everyone you see, like the shepherds on that first Christmas night. Your life isn’t boring. Your life is filled with lasting joy. You have a savior that loved you and humbled himself so that you might be lifted up to serve him with joy in this life and the next. Jesus is your lasting joy. Amen.

The song for today is “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” performed by Josh Groban featuring Lili Haydn

Josh Groban - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (feat. Lili Haydn) (Official Audio)