Isaiah 40:1-11 English Standard Version (ESV)
Comfort for God's People
40 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare[a] is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:[b]
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
The Word of God Stands Forever
6 A voice says, "Cry!"
And I said,[c] "What shall I cry?"
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty[d] is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
The Greatness of God
9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;[e]
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;[f]
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
"Behold your God!"
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
What a wonderful word is that word "comfort". It brings peace to all who hear it. When you think of comfort, what comes to mind? Is it not physical comfort? Especially on a cold day like today, we are thinking of a warm house, even getting on the couch or the lazy boy and covering up with a nice warm blanket. We think of comfort food, food that just makes us feel good.
The only trouble is that these kind of creature comforts, these physical comforts are only temporary and they provide no real comfort for the soul. The real, lasting, and full comfort that we really need and desire doesn't come from anything on this earth or from a human being. Real lasting comfort comes from Almighty God! It comes from a real, living Lord Jesus! Jesus is alive forever, and one day he will come down from heaven again and bring his eternal life with him to all who believe! He will bring salvation! He will gather all of his people to himself and give them the everlasting comfort of his love!
Trust in the comfort of Jesus! Trust in His promises of life and salvation! Trust in His everlasting mercy and grace. Trust in the incarnate son of God, born in Bethlehem for you! Trust in Him and rest in His grace!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me the comfort I really need. Amen.
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CALENDAR:
Tues- Board of outreach 8am; Quilting 9-2
Wed- Ladies Aid Christmas party at Denny's noon; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30; Choir 7:15
Thurs- Alzheimer's Support group; Confirmation make up 6; No karate
Fri- Sunday school Christmas program practice 5:30-8
Sat- Basement reserved 4-8pm; Worship- 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Adult Bible class and Sunday school 9:45; Stephen Ministry 9:45; Choir practice 9:45; Elders noon; Little Lambs Christmas program 1 and 3
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Acolyte- Wed- Cierra Figura; 8:30- Addie Hoelscher; 11- Loren Howard
Ushers- Wed- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure; Sun- Bob Linke, Tom Linke, ????, ????
Altar- Wed candles- Don Hance; Sun, Set up- Jodi Baldwin Clean Up- McKenzie
Elder- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Steve Robine
Greeters- 8:30- Dave and Hope Tinnin; 11- Marv and Molly Hendershot
Lay Reader- Sat- Sandra Perricone; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Karen Benton
Pianist Sat- Kathy Barrow
Projectionist- Sat- Perricone; 8:30- McKenzie; 11- Dulci Rahn
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Apollos? A learned Jew and Christian convert of Alexandria, who became a preacher and friend of
Paul. Acts 18, 1 Cor.3, and Tit.3
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TODAY'S QUIZ: Who was Titus?
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NEWS:
OUR FIRST ADVENT DINNER WILL BE TOMORROW AT 5:30! EVERYONE IS INVITED!!!
All in elder groups 1-3 are responsible for bringing either a side dish or salad and a dessert! Fried chicken will be the main course for all three meals! Worship will begin at 6:30! We'll hear different voices proclaim the coming of Jesus! Zechariah (The Benedictus), Gabriel (the announcement to Mary), and Mary (the Magnificat) will proclaim the birth long foretold!
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LADIES AID CHRISTMAS PARTY WILL BE AT DENNY'S TOMORROW AT NOON!
Please sign up on the sign up sheet on the counter in the narthex or call Terry to rsvp!
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SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM SPECIAL PRACTICES ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
Friday, Dec. 8 5:30-8pm
Sat, Dec. 16, 9-Noon
All parents and kids should plan on being there for these practices! VERY IMPORTANT STUFF!
THE PROGRAM WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 at 6:30 during our regular midweek Advent service!!
If you would like your children to be in the program, they need to be at Sunday school!
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SIGN UP SHEET TO BUY A POINSETTIA FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY IS ON THE COUNTER IN THE NARTHEX! COST IS $13.50
It is a wonderful way to honor the memory of someone or just someone you love!
NEW YEARS CELEBRATION ON NEW YEAR'S EVE MORNING!!
We will have one service on New Year's Eve with a potluck afterward! Our main dish will be sloppy joes and we'll have chips there as well. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share! Bring all your leftover cookies!! There will be a sign up sheet to let us know you're coming on the counter in the narthex, but even if you don't rsvp, please come!! We'll have plenty of food!
We're going to plan our personal "goals" for 2018!!
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LITTLE LAMBS IS SELLING CANDY BARS AND COULD USE YOUR HELP!
If you'd like to help sell a box or two of candy bars as a fundraiser for Little Lambs preschool. Let Terry or one of the preschool ladies know. They'll hook you up right quick!
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VOTER'S MEETING RESULTS FROM LAST SUNDAY
- The voters nominated President Lee Hagan for district president and VP Ron Rall for another term.
- The voters voted to keep the same mission project, Rev.. Micah and Dorothy Glenn in North County, for 2018.
- Larry Schulze, Jim McRae, and Teresa Brockfeld all volunteered to be on the board of trustees! Thank you to these three volunteers!
- We are still in need of two board members for the board of education, and four members for the board of elders.
- The voters approved the budget for 2018. Thanks to Alan Hofeldt for putting it together.
- Since we continuously have trouble filling our boards and committees and since things could be done a whole lot better and more efficiently with a different structure, the voters approved the appointing of a task force to study changes to our governance structure so that we can tap into all the unused potential, so that people who want to do good in the congregation don't have to commit to boards and committees for 9 years, and so that the work of the church can be disbursed among those who actually want to do it! PRAISE THE LORD!!
- The voters approved changing the overflow accordion door to a permanent wall with doors and windows in it to convert the overflow to a cry room.
- The voter's also approved a budget of $450,000 for our building project so that we can move forward with hiring an architect.
As you can see, a lot is getting done in and around St. John's. It may be slow going at times, but God is definitely moving! I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2018!! It's gonna be a great year watching A LOT of people come to Christ and become members of St. John's! If you'd like to volunteer for our task force to look into structure changes, please reply to this email. Please look for lots of wonderful stuff to be happening in the near future, and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY for St. John's that we can grow in making disciples in, out and together!!
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SUNDAY SCHOOL MEMORY VERSE IS: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
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DO YOU HAVE A THRIVENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNT OR POLICY?
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OPERATION BACKPACK DONATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED SNACKS AND PACKETS OF OATMEAL.
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PRAYERS:
For PEGGY TALBERT who is having knee replacement surgery today.
For TONI MAUCH who is having hip surgery next Wednesday, Dec. 13.
For RON HEITGERD, son of Donna Heitgerd, who is hospitalized after a fall, but is also dealing with many other health issues.
THANKSGIVING for the birth of a grandson to the Burmeisters. He was born three weeks early so is spending a few days in the NICU, but is doing well.
For our CHURCH, as we begin to make some big changes to both our governance structure and our building, and as we move forward to make disciples of all nations.
For JENNIFER RAHN, who is recovering from heart valve replacement surgery at home.
For LINDA CALLIES, who is recovering from infection at home.
For GEORGE HOELSCHER, BUCK HAMPTON, DENISE HOOKER (betty Tameler's daughter) as they continue to deal with cancer.
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PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL:
For COLTON FIGURA deployed to Turkey, SAM HARGROVE deployed in Kuwait and DAN DREYER deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, that the Lord would keep them safe from harm during their service and bring them home safely.
For DAVID TATE stationed in Japan, and ALEX WALTERS, stationed in Tennessee. That God would bless their service to our country and keep them safe as they all await possible deployment.
For CALEB FIGURA AND VINCE MASTERS who are both serving our country in the National Guard and take time out of their lives, jobs, and families to go on duty several times a year.
