"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

Friendship Community Church

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"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

Sermon Series Begins November 30, 2024

December 1, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

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"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned" ~ Isaiah 9:2

There may be no better metaphor to describe our Savior coming from heaven into our world than light entering the deep darkness. In this prophecy, given over 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah declares that the region of Galilee, previously destroyed by the Assyrians, would be honored as the earthly origin of the Messiah. That's what God does - He brings blessing and life from that which appears to be cursed and dead. Even when we experience a humbling from God because of wickedness, His plan is for us to ultimately surrender to His ways and prosper. But what if you heard these prophecies your whole life and never saw them come to fruition? Could you still trust in the One who promises? Sometimes, it's more about standing firm in faith that the promise will come true than about seeing it happen. Israel went through many dark times, but by faith, they could rejoice that Immanuel, the new light that would dawn, would indeed come to them. God promised it, therefore, it would surely happen. This week at Friendship, we begin our new sermon series called SONGS OF CHRISTMAS, and we start with the beautiful lyrics of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel". Join us as we consider what it means to rejoice while we wait, and as we look at Israel's history to give us hope for the future, when Jesus will come back again to His people.

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"

December 22, 2024

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18 While we know that our reconciliation to God didn't happen until our debt was paid on the cross and the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus - He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities - we celebrate it at Christmas because God becoming flesh made this reconciliation possible. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness". Only flesh can bleed. God could not bleed for us if He did not become flesh, so we are thankful for the birth of the Messiah, born of woman yet conceived through the Holy Spirit. Because of Christmas, the crucifixion and resurrection were made possible. This week at Friendship, we continue in our SONGS OF CHRISTMAS series by looking into the meaning of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". It will be a special weekend as our young adults lead Saturday night, our junior and senior high youth lead Sunday at 9:00, and our Kids' Christmas Program takes place Sunday at 10:45. Yet, all three will have a focus on this great Christmas hymn.

"O Come All Ye Faithful"

December 15, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay'" ~ Matthew 28:5-6 As I considered how I might introduce and preview this week's topic, it dawned on me that the words spoken by the angel immediately following Jesus' resurrection were spectacularly similar to the ones spoken by the angel immediately following His birth. In both cases, the faithful and even the curious are invited to come and see for themselves. Just as the terrified women were invited to see where Jesus' body had previously been laid to prove the resurrection, so 33 years earlier the terrified shepherds were invited to come to Bethlehem and see the place where He lay as a newborn baby, His manger throne, to prove that God's promises were true. From that moment, the faithful who had held fast to the promise and anticipated the Messiah, as well as the not-yet-faithful who would become faithful with just a little evidence, have been invited to come and see, and to worship and adore Him. This week at Friendship, we will discuss the Christmas hymn "O Come All Ye Faithful" and what it means to seek Jesus with all our heart and praise God for what He's done in Him. Make sure you don't miss this chance to draw close to the Savior as you think about how He drew close to you.

"Joy to the World"

December 8, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

"For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." ~ Isaiah 55:12-13 Do you believe and trust in God? Do you find joy in your trials and victories? What is your definition of joy? Does it come from something you heard as a child growing up, or is it rooted in the Bible according to your faith now? Without joy, what would this world be? How would your life be different? God created joy because He loves us and wants us to have it. This week at Friendship, we enter into the second song in our new sermon series called SONGS OF CHRISTMAS, and we look at the lyrics of "Joy to the World". Join us as we consider what it means for the world to have joy.