[Friends] FW: [Members] Scripture and News Updates

[Rev. Christian D Boyd]

Dear friends of New Creation Presbyterian Church,

 

Happy Advent and Christmastide. Below is this week's e-newsletter. If you
are able, we would love to see you all Sunday or Christmas Eve. . . or
anytime in the New Year.

 

Remember to also check the website out often for news, new pictures, video
clips, and coming soon a blog and a once a month 'live' chat with me. If you
are on Facebook, join the New Creation Presbyterian Church group.

 

May the Peace of the Christ child be with you all and all whom you love, and
you are in our prayers.

 

 

Your bro.,

+ Christian

 

 

From: members-bounces at newcreationpc.org
[mailto:members-bounces at newcreationpc.org] On Behalf Of Rev. Christian D
Boyd
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:31 AM
To: members at newcreationpc.org
Subject: [Members] Scripture and News Updates

 

NEWS

 

Xmas party was a success! The Way of Lights were cool. Many thanks to the
planners, especially Robbie and Jessie.

 

Xmas Eve Vigil - Franklin's home (1365 Bossler Ln) for a simple Christmas
Eve service of scriptures, carols, and prayers. Gather at 5, service is from
6 to 7 pm. All are welcome, and  feel free to invite people (remember, we
are a missionary society of the one Church of Jesus Christ. . . even if
folks have a church home, we follow Jesus and invite as we are called).

 

Recycle Printer Cartridges - After you print out your Christmas letters and
you have a number of ink cartridge on hand, don't forget to pick up postage
paid envelopes from the table on Sunday or from Gerry. This benefits our
environment and the city of O'Fallon. One simple way to enrich our community
through Christ centered relationship, one life at a time.

 

Advent Bible Study - Last session this Wednesday at Hart's Starbucks, 7 pm.

 

 

 

SCRIPTURE for the 4th Sunday of Advent, the Season of Preparing for the
Christ

 

Isaiah 7.10-16

10-11God spoke again to Ahaz. This time he said, "Ask for a sign from your
God. Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!" 

 12But Ahaz said, "I'd never do that. I'd never make demands like that on
God!"  13-17So Isaiah told him, "Then listen to this, government of David!
It's bad enough that you make people tired with your pious, timid
hypocrisies, but now you're making God tired. So the Master is going to give
you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get
pregnant. She'll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us). By the time
the child is twelve years old, able to make moral decisions, the threat of
war will be over. Relax, those two kings that have you so worried will be
out of the picture. But also be warned: God will bring on you and your
people and your government a judgment worse than anything since the time the
kingdom split, when Ephraim left Judah. The king of Assyria is coming!" 

 

 

Matthew 1.18-25

18-19The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged
to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph
discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know
that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things
quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.  20-23While he was trying to figure
a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of
David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived.
God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and
when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus-'God saves'-because he will
save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic
sermon to full term: 

   Watch for this-a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; 
   They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us"). 

 24-25Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the
dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had
the baby. He named the baby Jesus. 

 

Meditation: "A Sign"

 

 

WATCHWORD FOR THE WEEK

Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. - Isaiah 35:4

 

 

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

"Hurry means that we gather impressions but have no experiences, that we
collect acquaintances but make no friends, that we attend meetings but
experience no encounter. We must recover eternity if we are to find time,
and eternity is what Jesus came to restore. For without it, there can be no
charity." 

- D. T. Niles, The Preacher's Calling to be a Servant. 

 

(note: I have found that if we replace 'preacher' or 'pastor' in a number of
books with 'disciple' or 'baptized', it opens a whole new world of
possibilities and a corrective turn for the Church universal. . . we might
do the same with the title of Niles' book).

 

 

Peace of Christ Jesus be with you all!

 

cdb

 

 

Rev. Christian Dominic Boyd

 

Pastor, New Creation PC(USA) in O'Fallon, IL

& Staff, Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy

Mob: 618.292.8583

www.NewCreationPC.org

Enriching our community 
through vibrant, Christ-centered relationships...
one life at a time.

(2 Cor 5:17)

 

"God is personal, not private. . . so is discipleship in Christ"

 

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