Scripture reading
Sermon text
Matthew 1:18–25
¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). ²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵ but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Advent: Devotionals & Liturgies
This Advent, pastors, staff, and members of Coram Deo have put together a collection of devotionals and liturgies to help orient us towards the birth of Christ as we prepare for Christmas. There are two for every week and the ones that are written for the Lord’s Day will align with the sermons that are being preached on Sundays.
The Lord's Day devotional for this week titled "The Sons of Christmas" is available now on our blog.
We hope that these will be encouraging and helpful as you seek respite from the holiday busyness. May the joy of every longing heart be fulfilled by the coming of the King.
Call to Worship
Psalm 27:7–10
⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
⁹ Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
¹⁰ For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.
Prayer of Confession
God of mercy, You sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost. We confess that we have strayed from You and turned aside from Your way. We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained, and great when we are small. We have failed in love, neglected justice, and ignored Your truth. Have mercy, O God, and forgive our sin. Return us to paths of righteousness through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
December Memory Verse
1 John 4:9
⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
Resources for Parents
Every Sunday, the children's ministry team creates lessons that cover the scripture and concepts from a recent sermon. The teachers ask simple questions to help the kids learn to understand and apply what God says in the Bible.
We want to equip parents to talk to their kids about what they're learning. The following is the content that the children's classes taught this week. We encourage parents to use this resource at home to help you and your kids grow as you learn from God's word together.
Children's Lesson from Sunday, December 8
Scripture:
Matthew 1:18-25
The Main Point:
Jesus is our promised Rescuer.
Questions:
Q: What did God promise Adam and Eve?
A: To send a Rescuer to save the world from sin.
Q: What were the sneak peaks God gave about the promised Rescuer?
A: He would be a baby from an unexpected family.
Q: Who was Mary and Joseph's baby?
A: Jesus, God's promised Rescuer!
New City Catechism Question #20
Q: Who is the Redeemer?
A: The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Note: All of our classes work through one question per month from the New City Catechism. You can download the New City Catechism app with all the questions and children's songs for free.)
