Bless Ahaz’s Heart
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Stir up Your might, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we might be saved.
O Lord God of hosts,
How long will You be angry with Your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in full measure.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
Let Your face shine, that we may be saved.
But let Your hand be upon the one at Your right hand,
The one whom you made strong for Yourself.
Then we will never turn back from You;
Give us life, and we will call on Your Name.
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Let Your face shine, that we may be saved. – from Psalm 80:1-5, 7, 17-19
Today, we light the Candle of Love, as part of our Advent Celebration. We invite you to join us for Morning Worship, either in person, or via livestream, at 11:00AM. Pastor Benjamin Wines will bring the sermon, Bless Ahaz’s Heart, and we will be reading from Isaiah 7:10-17.
Turning It All Around
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord their God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers; He upholds the orphan and the widow,
But the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Our Scripture reading today comes from Isaiah 35:1-10. We will be lighting the Candle of Joy as part of our Advent Celebration. Pastor Benjamin Wines will bring the sermon entitled, “Turning It All Around“. We hope you will join us, either in person or via livestream!
A New Vision
Give your king your justice, O God,
And your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
Give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound,
Until the moon is no more.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
Who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
May his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and amen. Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent – Peace. We look forward to worshiping with you, starting at 11:00AM – either in person or via live-stream. We will be reading from Isaiah 11:1-10.
Questions for Further Reflection:
What does the word “peace” mean to you?
How does the prophet Isaiah describe peace?
What can you do to be a more peaceable person within your own life?
“The House of God”
Hanging of the Greens – First Sunday of Advent
Today, we will light the Candle of Hope on the First Sunday of Advent. We hope that you will join us for Worship at 11:00AM, either in-person or via livestream.
The King’s Judgment
Rev. Benjamin Wines
God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam, though mountains tremble.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
He utters His voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
See what desolations He has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!”
“I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. – Psalm 46:1-3, 6-11
We hope you will join us in Worship on Sunday, November 20, starting at 11:00AM. We will be reading from Luke 22:32-43. Pastor Benjamin Wines will share the message, “The King’s Judgement”.
Questions for Further Reflection:
What kind of king is Jesus? How does he use his power?
Who might King Jesus be challenging you to reach out to today?
Saints in Our Lives
Brothers and sisters,
This past Sunday, November 6th, was All Saints Sunday. We took time to remember, honor, and celebrate the lives of those Christians who came before us. We took time to remember the things they taught us and the good times we had with them. If you were here on Sunday or you tuned in to the livestream, you heard me us that phrase, “those Christians who came before us” a lot. And you also heard me talk about those saints teaching us things. But as I thought about this past Sunday, I realized that I really didn’t share many of the things I had been taught over the years from the saints within my own life. So, if you’ll indulge me for a bit, I figured I’d share a few things that Sunday got me thinking about.
The first thing that hit me after the service was when I walked back into my office and saw my certificate of ordination. I was ordained by my home church, FBC Goldsboro, and so the names of the folks on my ordination council are people I have incredibly fond memories of. My youth Sunday School teacher’s name is there—she was, and still is, the definition of warmth, kindness, patience, and hospitality. She also makes, hands down, the best sausage biscuits!
Bob’s and Bill’s names are on there. I remember the steadiness of their faith and their dedication to serving the church however they could. I worked with them a lot building handicapped ramps for folks all around Goldsboro and Wayne County. They embodied James’ belief that faith without works is dead—and their faith was very much alive! I also remember that Bob has a sweet tooth and Bill liked to “pay” me for my volunteer work with a McDonald’s cheeseburger and a Diet Mountain Dew.
There were also three pastors on my ordination council, though only two signed. Scott and Glenn’s names are there, my youth pastor and senior pastor, respectively. To write what they have meant to be personally would take far too many Illuminators to be practical. The first pastor I ever interned for, Alan, also sat on the council—he is the unsigned pastor, simply because he called in from Georgia to be a part of it. Those three taught me more about my faith, myself, and what it means to be a pastor, than I will probably ever fully understand. And since there seems to be an unspoken food theme in my recollections—Scott never turns down Thai food, Glenn loves country cooking, and Alan is a sandwich connoisseur!
Most of the folks on my ordination council are still with us. Bill has gone on to glory, but I love that I have gotten to know all of them. I am grateful for the things they taught me and the good times I’ve had with each of them. And as I sit and think about all the wonderful things God has done for each of us, I really do believe that stitching Christians together as a family is one of God’s greatest ideas.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben
Faithful Boasting
O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.
His right hand and His Holy Arm have gotten Him victory.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Make a joyful noise before the Lord.
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
The world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
Let the hills sing together for joy
At the presence of the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98:1, 4-9
We hope you will join us for Worship, in-person or via livestream, starting at 11:00AM. We look forward to seeing you there! We will be reading from 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, as Pastor Benjamin Wines brings the message, “Faithful Boasting”.
The Power at Work in Christ
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song,
His praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
Let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His Name with dancing,
Making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
He adorns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
Let them sing for joy on their couches. Psalm 149:1-5
We hope you will join us today as Pastor Benjamin Wines brings the sermon, “The Power at Work in Christ.” We will be reading from Ephesians 1:11-23.
A Wee Little Man Wasn’t He
You are righteous, O Lord,
And Your judgments are right.
You have appointed Your decrees in righteousness
And in all faithfulness.
My zeal consumes me
Because my foes forget Your words.
Your promise is well tried,
And Your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your Law is the Truth.
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
But Your commandments are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous forever;
Give me understanding that I may live. – Psalm 119:137-144
We invite you to join us as our guest speaker, Rev. Jeanell Cox, brings the message “A Wee Little Man Wasn’t He” based on Luke 19:1-10.
Jeanell Cox serves as an interfaith Chaplain at Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary. She is a Board Certified Chaplain of 20 years, and truly enjoys both her work with older adults and opportunities like today to join in leading congregational worship in a local church.