Verse 1 Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled" Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With angelic hosts proclaim: "Christ is born in Bethlehem" Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!" Verse 2 Christ by highest Heav'n adored Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin’s womb Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!" Verse 3 Hail the Heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris'n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"
Go Deeper While we often take note of Isaiah’s prophecy around this time of year (think Isa 7:14 & 9:6-7) we most likely do so apart from Isaiah’s “Easter Time” Prophecy. This week, as you reflect on living in the anticipation of Christ’s present and coming reign, enjoying the pageants of angels and shepherds, take time to explore Isa 53 as well as 7:14 & 9:6-7. What does reading the Christmas story (Mat 1:18-2:12; Luk 1:26-38, 2:1-20) in light of Isa 53 reveal to you about who God is and how He works? And how does that influence your worship this Christmas season?
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL Verse 1 O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear Verse 3 O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from satan’s tyranny From depths of hell Thy people save And give them victory o’er the grave Verse 4 O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And deaths dark shadows put to flight (Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel)
TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS SPECIAL THANKSGIVING EDITION... Going Deeper: How does God’s Word affect your outlook on life this week? Pick one or two verses to memorize or carry around with you this week on an index card. Ps. 69:30 “I will magnify (God) with thanksgiving.” Phil. 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.” 1 Cor. 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 9:15 “Thanks be to Christ for His indescribable gift." 1 Thes. 5:18 “No matter what happens be thankful for everything for this is God’s will for who belong to Christ Jesus.” Ps. 50:14 “What I want…is your true thanks to God.” Col. 3:17 “Whatever you do or say…do it all while giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Ps. 35:18 “I will give you thanks in the great assembly among many people.” Ps. 106:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Make a list of 20 things you are thankful for and praise God for them. Why does God want us to have a constant spirit of thankfulness? Why would satan want us to stay away from thankfulness? What is one area in your life of ingratitude, that is holding you back from entering into praise? Why do you enjoy being thanked for something you did for someone? How do you think it makes people feel to be noticed and appreciated for things they’ve done for you? Who are 3 people you can reach out to in life and thank them for something specific? Practice thanking God for everything, all day long. Spend time in prayer right now and THANK Him for what He’s done, and PRAISE Him for who He is!
TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS Going Deeper: Read the following Scriptures. How does God’s Word affect your outlook on life this week? Pick one or two verses to memorize or carry around with you this week on an index card. Ps. 69:30 “I will magnify (God) with thanksgiving.” Phil. 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.” 1 Cor. 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 9:15 “Thanks be to Christ for His indescribable gift." Thes. 5:18 “No matter what happens be thankful for everything for this is God’s will for who belong to Christ Jesus.” Ps. 50:14 “What I want...is your true thanks to God.” Col. 3:17 “Whatever you do or say...do it all while giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Ps. 35:18 “I will give you thanks in the great assembly among many people.” Ps. 106:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Make a list of 20 things you are thankful for and praise God for them. Why does God want us to have a constant spirit of thankfulness? Why would satan want us to stay away from thankfulness? What is one area in your life of ingratitude, that is holding you back from entering into praise? Why do you enjoy being thanked for something you did for someone? How do you think it makes people feel to be noticed and appreciated for things they’ve done for you? Who are 3 people you can reach out to in life and thank them for something specific? Practice thanking God for everything, all day long. Spend time in prayer right now and THANK Him for what He’s done, and PRAISE Him for who He is!
Together Group Questions The word honor occurs 142X’s in the ESV. What are some of the groups of people God’s Word says to honor? (see 1 Tim 5:3, 1 Pet 3:7, Rom 12:10, 1 Tim 6:1, 1 Tim 5:17, Lev 19:32, Exo 20:12 for examples) What areas of your life do you find it the most difficult to show honor (God, Others, Self)? What are some practical steps you can take toward improving showing honor in these areas this week? Isaiah 29:13 says that some people honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from him. What is the difference between honoring with our lips and honoring with our actions? We just came out of a tumultuous political season. What are practical ways you can honor those with whom you disagree politically? Think of two or three people who are in a position of authority in your life. How are you honoring those people? How could you honor those people in a way that would be meaningful to them? As your group closes, spend some time reflecting on this: Is there a situation or relationship which you need to restore your expression of honor in? Pray and ask God to give you the strength, courage, and opportunity to begin that restoration.
TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS Read Matt. 25:14-30. What stands out in this passage? What is God’s heart wanting to communicate to us through this Scripture? What is the difference between tithing and giving, and what are the godly benefits from doing both? Read Malachi 3:6-12. The Lord tells us to test Him in tithing. Why do you think the Lord put such a strong emphasis on this? According to the sermon, in what specific ways does giving make you more like God? What kinds of things will change and produced in you when you give? Why should we be generous? List as many ways as possible that God has been generous to you. What actions or attitudes would be bad while giving? What actions or attitudes would be good while giving? What things can I do this week to make generous lives a lifestyle? Further Scriptures for study: Mark 12:41-44, Deut. 14:22-23, John 3:16, Matt. 6:21, Phil. 2:3-4, Prov. 3:5, Prov. 3:9-10, 1 Tim. 6:18-19, 2 Cor. 9:7
Together Group Questions What is one of the best trips you have ever been on? What stands out to you about Jesus in this narrative and how does that challenge or affirm your beliefs about Him? Have you ever felt God was delaying something? How did you respond? What kinds of things helped you? What kind of things hindered you? This isn’t the only time someone has felt God delaying in their life. In both the narrative of Jesus raising Lazarus (John 11:1-44) and the Life of King David (1 Sam 16:1-13 & 2 Sam 5:1-4: approx 15 yrs) there were delays. Read these passages and discuss; What insights can we draw from these other examples of God’s delay and how do these apply to our lives? Luke 8:40-56 ends a section of Scripture (Luke 8:22-56) which highlights Jesus’ power over nature, demons, sickness, and death. What is the value of seeing Jesus’ power over both the physical and the spiritual world? How does this demonstration of his all-encompassing power strengthen our trust in him? Close in Prayer by going around your group and answering the question: What are some areas in your life where you feel God is delaying and how can we pray for you in those areas for our good and His glory?
// What satan / demons do Bondage Uncovered and naked Isolated Lives among death / tombs Enslaved Hopeless Helpless // What Jesus does Breaks chains Clothed in righteousness Family and community Dwell with God Sets captives free Hope Salvation
TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONS Read Luke 23:32-42. What stands out in this passage? What is God’s heart wanting to communicate to us through this Scripture? What differences do you see between the 2 criminals on the cross? What kinds of attitudes did they display and where were their hearts at? (verses 39-42) In this Bible passage, while Jesus is being crucified, we see a crowd standing around watching, the religious and political leaders scoffing, and the soldiers mocking. And after this we see one of the criminals join in with judging and mocking. Like that criminal, do you think that Christians do this kind of thing still today? Why or why not? In what areas of your life are you currently displaying a “skeptical mockery,” or find yourself being a “reactive fool?” Why is it so hard for us to admit, confess, own, and repent of our sin? Talk about how Jesus acted towards both of the criminals on the cross? What did Jesus’ words and heart display? Close in prayer by having everyone go around in a circle thanking and praising Jesus for what He’s done for us on the cross.
Together Group Questions (Spend some time before your group going over these!) The Big Question: What insight, principle, or observation from this week’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling? Explain. Read Acts 2:42-47 slowly. Share a list of things you notice about this group of disciples. What would it take for your group to look like this? What do you think is God’s main desire for us in our relationships? Why did He place people in our lives? And why did He place difficult people in our lives? Read Philippians 2:1-5. Why is it so hard to be other-centered? What should the basis of our love be? What is the hardest thing for you in relationships? What area could the Holy Spirit work so that you knew how to love and live with people in a more Godly way? What are the benefits of doing life together in a small group? ***Bonus individual study material: Read the following “New Testament-One-Another” Scriptures. Next to each one on separate paper, name a person or group, and one practical way, that you can live each of these out: John 13:34-35, Romans 12:10, 12:16, 14:13, 15:7, 15:14, 1 Cor. 1:10, 12:25, Galatians 5:13, 5:26, 6:2, Ephesians 4:2, 4:32, 5:21, Colossians 3:9, 1 Thes. 5:11, 5:15, Heb. 10:24-25, James 4:11, 5:9, 5:16, 1 Pet. 4:9, 1 John 4:7, 4:11-12
