Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for December 29, 2024
Pre-service Song
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Chorus
Go tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
o’er silent flocks by night,
behold throughout the heavens
there shone a holy light. (Chorus)
The shepherds feared and trembled
when lo above the earth,
rang out the angel chorus
that hailed the Savior’s birth. (Chorus)
Down in a lowly manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation
that blessed Christmas morn. (Chorus)
Music by John W. Works, Jr. Words by Traditional African-American Spiritual
©Public Domain
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Psalm 145:1-3, 10-13, 21 (ESV)
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man
your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name
forever and ever.
Our Sung Call to Worship
Joy Has Dawned
Joy has dawned upon the world,
Promised from creation—
God’s salvation now unfurled,
Hope for ev’ry nation.
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love—
Jesus born of Mary.
Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of Life
Shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother’s breast,
Vuln’rable and helpless.
Shepherds bow before the Lamb,
Gazing at the glory;
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story.
Gold—a King is born today,
Incense—God is with us,
Myrrh—His death will make a way,
And by His blood He’ll win us.
Son of Adam, Son of heaven,
Given as a ransom;
Reconciling God and man,
Christ, our mighty champion!
What a Savior! What a Friend!
What a glorious myst’ry!
Once a babe in Bethlehem,
Now the Lord of hist’ry.
By Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
© 2004 Thankyou Music
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
Psalm 25:6-8, 11, 16-18 (CSB)
Remember, Lord, your compassion
and your faithful love,
for they have existed from antiquity.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
or my acts of rebellion;
in keeping with your faithful love,
remember me because of your goodness, Lord.
The Lord is good and upright;
therefore he shows sinners the way.
Lord, for the sake of your name,
forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am alone and afflicted.
The distresses of my heart increase;
bring me out of my sufferings.
Consider my affliction and trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
Time of silent confession.
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Ephesians 2:4-10 (CSB)
Remember the Gospel!
God, who is rich in mercy,
because of his great love that he had for us,
made us alive with Christ
even though we were dead in trespasses.
You are saved by grace!
He also raised us up with him and seated us with him
in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages he might display
the immeasurable riches of his grace
through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For you are saved by grace through faith,
and this is not from yourselves;
it is God’s gift — not from works,
so that no one can boast.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Distribution Song)
It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old.
From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heaven’s all gracious King”:
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.
Still thro’ the cloven skies they come with peaceful wing unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing:
And ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low.
Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow.
Look now! For glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man hears not the love song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife and hear the angels sing.
Words by Edmund Hamilton Sears, Music by Richard Storrs Willis
©Public Domain
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
God So Loved
Come all you weary, come all you thirsty.
Come to the well that never runs dry.
Drink of the water, come and thirst no more.
Come all you sinners, come find His mercy.
Come to the table, He will satisfy.
Taste of His goodness, find what you’re looking for.
For God so loved the world that He gave us
His one and only Son to save us,
Whoever believes in Him will live forever.
Bring all your failures, bring your addictions.
Come lay them down at the foot of the cross.
Jesus is waiting there with open arms.
For God so loved the world that He gave us
His one and only Son to save us,
Whoever believes in Him will live forever.
The power of hell forever defeated.
Now it is well, I’m walking in freedom.
For God so loved, God so loved the world.
Praise God, praise God
From whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, praise Him
For the wonders of His love. (Repeat)
For God so loved the world that He gave us
His one and only Son to save,
For God so loved the world that He gave us
His one and only Son to save us,
Whoever believes in Him will live forever.
The power of hell forever defeated.
Now it is well, I’m walking in freedom.
For God so loved, God so loved the world.
Bring all your failures, bring your addictions.
Come lay them down at the foot of the cross.
Jesus is waiting.
God so loved the world.
By Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash, Scott Cash and Andrew Bergthold
© 2019 Angie Feel Good Songs; Bay19; Capitol CMG Genesis; Capitol CMG Paragon; Scott Mctyeire Cash Music; We The Kingdom Music
Thanksgiving and Petition
We Give Thanks in Prayer and Offer Petitions to God
We express our gratitude to God our Father for Christ’s work on the cross for us and bring our requests before him. In bringing our requests, we confess that we believe God truly is a good father, who cares about our needs and gives us what he knows is best.
We Give Thanks by Giving
We give financial offerings to support the work of the church because of our gratitude to God. By giving we confess we are trusting in God’s provision for us as well.
You may give electronically at gabcames.org/giving/ or place your offering in the boxes at the back of the sanctuary or send a check in the mail.
Scripture Reading
John 15:1-17 (ESV)
1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes,
that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean
because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to
be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give
it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers and the flower falls
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
John 15:1-17 – True Branches of the True Vine – Pastor Dean VanEvery
Sermon Discipleship Questions
1. What encouraged you?
2. What convicted you?
3. Is there anything in your life that needs to change?
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in both song and spoken word.
Sending Song
All Glory Be to Christ
Should nothing of our efforts stand,
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house,
In vain its builders strive.
To you who boast tomorrow’s gain,
Tell me what is your life
A mist that vanishes at dawn,
All glory be to Christ!
Chorus
All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing,
All glory be to Christ!
His will be done, His kingdom come,
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread,
Praise Him the Lord of love.
Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ! (Chorus)
When on the day the great I Am,
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain,
Is making all things new,
Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall e’re his people be,
All glory be to Christ! (Chorus)
Words by Dustin Kensure, Music by Kings Kaleidoscope
© 2012 We Are Younger We Are Faster Music
Blessing
2 Peter 3:18 (CSB)
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
Scripture text for next Sunday: Matthew 25:14-30