DEVOTION: Mark 1:1-8 English Standard Version (ESV)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.[a]
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,[b]
"Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare[c] the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,'"
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
John the Baptist is a strange and mysterious character. We just learned about his miraculous birth to two people, Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were about three times the age of childbearing. We know how he lived out in the wilderness, ate locusts and wild honey, and wore camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist. He preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. What's the deal with John the Baptist? Why is he so strange, and why is he even there?
While so much about him remains a mystery, one thing we do know is that he was filled with the Holy Spirit from being in his mother's womb. When someone is filled with the Holy Spirit, he cannot help but proclaim what the Holy Spirit has for him to proclaim. He will proclaim God's Word and God's Word will work through him.
It shouldn't surprise us that so many people, the whole city in fact, went out to listen and to be baptized by him. That's what happens. The Word works through regular, albeit odd in the case of John the Baptist, people who have the Holy Spirit in them. His Word has power to do great things including bring people to repentance and faith.
This should be an encouragement and relief to you. If God's Word can do the work it did through a strange man like John, imagine what it can do through a "normal" person like you. Haha. You aren't normal and neither am I. I encourage you to be a vessel of the Gospel! Share the good news of the birth of Jesus this Advent and Christmas season! Share God's Word and the Holy Spirit will do His work through you!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for working in me, through me, and sometimes even in spite of me. Amen.
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CALENDAR:
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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WORSHIP WORKERS:
Acolyte- 8:30- Addie Hoelscher; 11- Loren Howard
Ushers- Sun- Bob Linke, Tom Linke, ????, ????
Altar- 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
Organist- Ned Quest
Projectionist- Sat- Perricone; 8:30- McKenzie; 11- Dulci Rahn
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Philemon?
He was a Christian convert at Colosse in Phrygia, to whom Paul wrote an epistle during his captivity in Rome. Thus the book of Titus in the new testament.
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TODAY'S QUIZ: Who wrote Romans and when did he write it?
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NEWS:
SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM PRACTICE IS TOMORROW (Friday) NIGHT 5:30-8PM!!!:
The other one is the following Saturday, 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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OUR NEXT ADVENT DINNER IS WEDNESDAY AT 5:30! EVERYONE IS INVITED!!!
All in elder groups 4-6 are responsible for bringing either a side dish, salad or dessert! Fried chicken will be the main course for all three meals! Worship will begin at 6:30!
Next week we'll hear from Mary Magdalene and she proclaims that her "soul now magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior".
Week three will be our Sunday school Christmas program at which we will hear about the coming king with the program "Unfrozen". Supper will be at 5:30 and program at 6:30.
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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?
You may be eligible to receive money for Little Lambs or Good Shepherd!! Go to www.thrivent.com/choicedollars to check it out!
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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 recovering from knee replacement surgery.
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.
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