["Pomp and Circumstance"]
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to First Works Baptist Church. Let's all make our way inside and find our seats.
When we find our seats, let's grab a song book. Open that song book up to song number 431, and we'll all stand together for our first song.
We'll stand together for our first song, which will be song number 431.
Silent night, holy night. Let's all make our way inside, find a seat, grab a song book.
Open that song book up to song number 431, all of us standing together, singing, silent night, holy night, everyone nice and strong, all together on that first verse.
Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin, mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night. Shepherds wave at the sight, glory stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night. Son of God, love's pure light, wave in peace from God with grace.
With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus Lord at thy birth, Jesus Lord at thy birth.
Silent night, holy night. Wonder star, lift high, with the angels let us sing hallelujah to our King.
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born.
Amen. At this time, we'll open our service with a word of prayer. Father, thank you, God, Lord, for allowing us, God, to be here tonight, Lord, and hear your word preached unto us, God, to allow us, Lord, to sing praises unto you, God.
Pray, Lord, that you would bless the service, Lord, feel pastored with your Holy Spirit, God, as he preaches to us, Lord, and help us tonight, Lord, to be attentive, God, and edified and leave here differently than when we came in, God. We love you, Lord, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
You may be seated. Just a page over there, Away in a Manger, song number 433.
Song number 433, Away in a Manger. Everyone nice and strong all together on that first verse.
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked out where he lay.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes. The little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky, And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
We hear thee, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay, Close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in my tender care, And take us to heaven to live with thee there.
All right, great singing. Just a few announcements here before we sing our next song, which is 421, the first Noel.
421, if you did not get a bulletin, go ahead and raise your hand and one of the ushers can get one for you.
Just a few announcements here. Of course, our Sunday morning service is at 1030. Sunday evening is at 5 p.m.
And then we have our Thursday night Bible study at 7 o'clock. You see the soul winning times and teams.
The list of expecting mothers, if you can continue to pray for them, especially Ms. Lorena.
She's due any day now. It's on the 6th, but of course the baby can come early or a little later.
But please pray for her that there would be no complications there. There'd be a safe delivery.
The baby would be okay and all would go well with that. You see the important reminders there and some of the upcoming church events.
This Saturday on December 4th, we have the Couples Christmas Lights activity at Naples.
The address is right there and I believe that's the address for the actual in and out that we're going to be meeting at.
And so luckily, in and out, regardless of what county you're in, doesn't require masks. Amen?
Or not masks, what am I thinking of? The vaccination card.
And so this one is in Long Beach, but we called ahead of time and they said they're not even requiring any of that.
And so we'll meet there for dinner. Of course, that'll be free. And then we'll head over to Naples for the Christmas Lights activity there.
Hope to see you there. I know there's a good group of people that already signed up to go.
Sunday, December 5th is the December birthday breakfast. That's this Sunday.
And then Saturday, December 11th is the Christmas caroling.
And we will meet here at the building. We will have churros and champurrado and bolillos and all that good stuff for the Christmas caroling.
Get your voice nice and messed up before you go out.
And so we're looking forward to that.
And then Saturday, December 18th is the First Works Christmas program. Of course, the orchestra is going to be playing.
And then the children have a play that they're going to be doing along with some singing, some songs they're going to be doing.
And along with that, it's not in the bulletin, but just keep in mind that on Sundays, we actually said that the Christmas team basically needs the main auditorium from 1215 to 1245.
We're actually going to extend that from 1215 to 1, so they can practice for a full 45 minutes.
And so if you are part of the Christmas team, just keep that in mind so you can find a replacement on your team for soloing or you can go out a little later.
But the soloing is still going to continue, and obviously the meeting is still going to continue, but it's going to continue in the fellowship hall.
Brother Ulysses will be heading that up at 1245 as usual, but it will be in the fellowship hall.
So 1215, everyone needs to clear out of the main auditorium, and then practice will go up until 1 o'clock to get everyone practiced up for the program.
And then Friday, December 31st is our New Year's Eve service and vision night and fellowship.
And so that will take the place of our midweek service. Typically we have it on Thursday, but for that week we're moving it to Friday.
And service will begin at 7 p.m., and we're going to basically, I'm going to be preaching until midnight.
Nah, I'm not preaching until midnight, I'm just kidding. I'm happy you agreed, brother.
So it will be like a regular service, but afterwards we're going to have food, we're going to have the Pho fellowship, we'll have desserts.
And then we're also going to have a Jenga tournament. So it will be about five or six tables in the fellowship hall, and we're going to play and do a bunch of fun stuff.
We'll probably have some inspiration as well, because we've got to fill up all that time until midnight, amen.
And so looking forward to it, it's going to be great. Hope you can make it to the vision night.
Quiet time resumes on Sunday afternoons, you see that there. And make sure you silence your phones during the preaching so it's not going to be a distraction during the service.
If you could pull out your prayer sheet there, we're going to go over that briefly.
Pray for God's favor on our church. Pray for the soul winning and the soul winning teams, the missions, spiritual numerical growth of our church, for more labors and for new people.
And of course, you see the church families there. If you could pray for those specific needs, take this home and just implement this into either your daily prayer life, or if you pray with your family, please pray over these needs here.
There's not just needs from our specific church members, but other church members as well, if you can remember them in your prayers.
And then the church of the month is Pure Words Baptist Church, pastored by Pastor Jonathan Shelley.
Pray for him, his leadership, the soul winning, the protection and success of the church, that it will continue to go forward and prosper.
If you have an additional prayer request that's not mentioned on here, but you'd like to be placed on the bulletin, please make sure you put that right there at the bottom.
Tear that off, put into the offering plate so we can make sure it gets there for the following week.
And at this time, Brother Morrie is going to come on up and pray over the needs.
Alright, let's bow our heads in a word of prayer.
Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to be able to attend our church tonight.
And Lord, we pray that you bless us as we're listening to the sermon.
And Lord, we pray that we're able to be edified by the sermon and we're able to grow thereby.
Lord, we pray that we have favor on our church here.
Lord, please continue to bless us and allowing us to be able to do the first works and serve you with all of our hearts, Lord.
Lord, I pray for mission trips. I pray that the doors remain open in places such as Cozumel and Belize.
I pray that we're able to go to these places and finish up the work in Belize and start in Cozumel.
Priest, we pray that there's no restrictions there.
Lord, we also pray for more laborers. We pray that more people are coming out and doing the first works,
going soul-winning, planting seeds, Lord.
We pray that you bless us and them as we go out.
We want to pray for the leadership in our church.
We pray that you bless Pastor Mejia and his family as he leaves our church in a way that's honoring you, Lord.
We pray that he has your favor and wisdom and, Lord, we pray that he can continue leading us in the great fashion, Lord.
Lord, I also want to pray for family salvation.
We want to pray that our family members that haven't been able to hear the gospel, you soften their heart and allow them to be able to receive the free gift of eternal life, Lord.
We also want to pray for Brother John, his safe trip or his deployment back, and he'll be coming back shortly here,
and Miss Olivia, his wife, as they come back together.
Lord, I also want to pray for some general requests that we have for our church.
We want to pray for Moses' general request and pray that you meet that need there.
And, Lord, I also want to pray for Max's friend, Naomi, Miss Allah's family for general requests,
and Michael Kasimov and Cecilia, Brother Will, Brother Tibidi and Brother Mark.
Lord, I pray that you meet these requests that we have here.
And, Lord, I just pray that your hand of healing or protection or whatever they need there.
Lord, I want to pray for pure words about this church.
I pray for Pastor Jonathan Shelley. I pray that you bless him and all of his efforts that he's doing over with the church there.
And, Lord, I pray that he has a hand of healing and protection.
And I pray that you bless his family and his soul-winning efforts and overall success for the church.
Lord, we pray that we can lay aside all distractions so that we can adhere to the word and we can grow closer to you thereby.
Lord, I pray this in the name of the Lord. Amen.
Alright, let's turn your hymnals to song number 421, song number 421, The First Noel.
Song 421, The First Noel.
Everyone nice and strong all together on that first verse.
The first Noel, the angel did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel,
And by the light of that same star,
Three wise men came from country far,
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel,
And by the light of that same star,
Three wise men came from country far,
To seek for a king was their intent,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel,
Then entered in those wise men three,
Forever and leading upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
And at this time the ushers will collect the offering.
And we will be in First Thessalonians chapter 5 tonight.
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