We are having a guest preacher this Sunday, Dr. Stephen Presley, who also preached last summer at Founders. He will be dealing with two narratives that follow the birth of Christ (in keeping with the season!): Sunday Morning: The Christmas Effect Part 1: Matt 2:13-23 Sunday Night: The Christmas Effect Part 2: Luke 2:21-40 Songs that we will sing this week include the following, provided in a playlist here: 1. Come Thou Almighty King 2. Our Great God 3. You Are Worthy 4. In the Name of God 5. There is a Fountain.

The New Year is here. For many this means personal reflection and renewed commitment: what can I do to help better myself for my new year? Can I implore parents to stave off personal New Years resolutions for a moment and concentrate on their kids? In thinking about this we can look to one of the central texts of the Old Testament—if not the central text—which is Deuteronomy 6:4-6:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, The Lord is one. You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And theses words shall be on your heart.

No doubt, most Christians know this verse very well. But have you ever stopped there without reading on to verses 7-9?

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The natural outflow of loving God with heart/soul/strength is telling others about this love, or about the object of that love. For those with young children in their families, is it too much to ask Christian parents to imbibe the the notion of teaching their children about God and his way? Indeed, is it too much to ask them to do it in the home and with regularity? Many parents work late into the night, and so making it their daily routine to read and teach the Bible to their children is more difficult (though not insurmountable). But too many parents are just lazy, too lazy to take 15 minutes of time before bed to pass the truth on to their children because they are more interested in TV and iPhone time free from distraction. We should be chided for our laziness. I want to encourage you to renew your commitment to your family this year. Let the Word be part of your daily routine. Let it be like an aroma in your house, and part of every full day: when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Our text this week is from Luke 17:22-37, which you can read here. Songs we will sing this week include the following, provided in a playlist here: 1. Come Thou a Almighty King 2. The Solid Rock 3. 10,000 Reasons 4. O Great God.

The sermon text for this week is from Luke 17:11-19, which you can read here. This is the last Sunday of 2013. Isn't that hard to believe? Each year seems to go by so quickly, and the biblical notion that "life is a vapor" comes into focus at every years end. In terms of your bible intake, how would you rate yourself in 2013? While I'm not trying to elicit a canned or pitiful response, it's a fair question that we should consider often—"examine yourselves," as Paul says. I would encourage you to consider making "daily bible intake" your goal in 2014. There are a number resources to help motivate you to do this with regularity and persistence. Justin Taylor has provided a lot of these at this link. Let it be your goal in 2014 to "bleed bibline," as Spurgeon would say. Songs we will sing this week include the following, provided in a playlist here: 1. God Undefeatable 2. It is Well with My Soul 3. All I Have is Christ 4. Trust You 5. Sovereign Over Us.

It is a joy to be in a worship service around Christmas time. All of the sights, sounds, and smells of the season converge when God's people gather and sing with gusto, "Joy to the world! The Lord is come!", or, "Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ the newborn king!" There are two opportunities in the coming days to gather for worship and sing about the Savior's birth. This Sunday evening at 6:30pm the Children and Adult Choirs will be leading the congregation in Christmas songs. Then, on Christmas Eve at 5:00pm we will hold a candlelight service in which we will focus the person and work of Christ in typical "carols and lessons" format. Both services should be encouraging to you and your family! The sermon text for Sunday is Psalm 32, which you can read here. Songs that the choir will lead in the evening service can be found in a playlist here: 1. Joy to the World (Shout for Joy) 2. Hark the Herald Angels Sing (King of Heaven) 3. Prepare Him Room 4. Christmas Offering 5. This is Love (Come Thou Long Expected Jesus) 6. O Come All Ye Faithful (We Adore You).

The sermon text for this week is from Luke 17, which you can read here. There are a number of core Christian truths that are found in the first 4 verses. Jesus uses one of his "better than" sayings (cf. Matt 5:29-30; 18:6-9; 26:24; Mark 9:42-47; 14:21) to make the important point that if a person causes a brother or sister to sin, he is no better than the rich man in the previous parable (16:19-31). "Woe" to the person through whom the temptation comes! Temptations to sin are a given, which is part of living in a fallen and broken world. True disciples of Jesus, therefore, should be supporting one another, and helping one another overcome sin. How might one support a brother or sister who is tempted to sin? Jesus gives an example in verses 3-4. If he/she sins, we should rebuke them, which is the most loving thing we can do in that situation. And if he/she exhibits true repentance, Jesus says to forgive them. How many times? Everytime. Genuine faith will manifest itself in genuine repentance. It is hard not to think about some of Jesus' final words on the cross when we read Luke 17:1-4. Forgiveness was on his heart even as he as dying: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Therefore, we should be like Christ, lovingly forgiving those who fall into sin or even sin against us. Songs that we will sing this week include the following, provided in a playlist here: 1. Come Praise and Glorify 2. God of Wonders 3. Lord of Lords 4. Your Love, Oh Lord 5. Shine Into Our Night.

The Christmas season calls for believers to focus not only on what is in thepast but also what is in thefuture. Jesus' incarnation is certainly past—Jesus came to earth! ButChristmas is also a time for patient waiting and hopeful expectation—Jesus will come again! This idea is expressed perfectly in the song, "A Day of Glory," which reflects on the "day of promise" of which the OT prophets looked forward (i.e., the day when Jesus arrived in his first advent), and also on the "day of glory," when God will establish his eternal kingdom on earth with Jesus at its head. Isaiah wrote about both advents: a first, inaugurated advent (advent means "coming"), and a second, end-of-time advent. In Isaiah 9:6, the prophet writes,

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And yet in Isaiah 60:1-3, he writes about a future advent:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

So in thinking about both advents, let us keep Jesus as the center and greatest treasure of this season. Let us look back on what he has done in his first coming, and look forward to what he will do when he comes again. The sermon text this week is from Luke 16:10ff., which you can readhere. Songs we will sing this week include the following, provided in a playlist here:

1. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
2. O Come All Ye Faithful
3. You Are Worthy
4. In the Name of God
5. Abide with Me

Josh Philpot Pastor for Worship.