W E L C O M E T O N O R T H S H O R E F E L L O W S H I P

Worship 8:30, 10:00 & 11:15 am Sunday School 10:00 am

Christmas Concerts Next Sunday!

*Nursery provided. Parking will fill up quickly, so consider arriving a few minutes early.

Youth Group Tonight - Final Regular Meeting of the Semester Middle School – 4 PM at NSF · High School 6:15 at the Stewart’s.

Youth Christmas party will be on December 17. Email rob@nsfellowship.org with any questions.

423.266.3757 nsfellowship.org facebook.com/nsfellowship

December 3

The First Sunday of Advent WELCOME SONG OF PREPARATION Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Come to earth to taste our sadness, he whose glories knew no end; by his life he brings us gladness, our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend. Leaving riches without number, born within a cattle stall; this the everlasting wonder, Christ was born the Lord of all.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne. CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: Our souls magnify the Lord! All: Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior! Leader: The mighty One has done great things for us, Holy is God's name. All: For God is our Maker and our Redeemer; from generation to generation God gives mercy. PRAYER OF INVOCATION

SONG OF PRAISE Once in Royal David’s City

Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed; Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall; with the poor, and mean, and lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

And our eyes at last shall see him through his own redeeming love; for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heav’n above, and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone. ADVENT READING Luke 1:26–38

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Open Up

You heard the cry of our hearts and you came down. Freely you gave us your love showing us how.

Make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is darkness let me shine light and may your love cause us to open up, cause us to open up our hearts. May your light cause us to shine so bright that we bring hope into the dark.

All that we do without love it means nothing. Grant us the courage to give as you’re calling.

Hope for the hopeless; your love is. Strength in our weakness; your love is. May we love as you love.

BENEDICTION

NSF CCLI No. 2662361 “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” Charles Wesley/Mark E. Hunt/Rowland H. Pritchard #31999

“Once in Royal David’s City” Cecil F. H. Alexander/Henry John Gauntlett #197156 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Latin Hymn/John M. Neale/T. Helmore #31982

“There is a Fountain” William Cowper/Lowell Mason #27707 “There’s a Light” Emmylou Harris, arr. Hess

“God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” Traditional English 18th Century Carol #39441 “Open Up” John Arndt/Rob Gungor/David Gungor

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SERMON Chris Powell COMMUNION God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen

God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day; to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!

In Bethlehem, in Israel, this blessed Babe was born, and laid within a manger upon this blessed morn; the which his mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.

From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came; and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same; how that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.

The shepherds at those tidings rejoiced much in mind, and left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind, and went to Bethlehem straight'way this blessèd Babe to find.

Leader: We light this first Advent candle to remind us to walk in the light of your glorious Kingdom. You have given to your Son the throne of David, establishing him as King over all things. Though we do not always see or acknowledge his gracious reign, we thank you that through Christ’s birth and enthronement you have spoken, “do not fear” into our hearts, as you did to Mary’s.

All: We are your humble servants, King Jesus. Your will be done in our lives today. SONG OF PRAISE O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here; until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

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.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight.

O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.

O come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be yourself our King of Peace. CONFESSION OF SIN

All: Lord God, our lives are filled with sin. We forget our neighbor's needs and do not love you above all else. We need the Savior you have provided. O come, O come, Savior of the world.

Silent Confession of Sins

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Leader: In Christ, God's salvation is at hand, and righteousness has come. All: Thanks be to God! 3 6

SONG OF ASSURANCE There is a Fountain

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins; and sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains: lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; and sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; and there have I, as vile as he, washed all my sins away: washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away, and there have I, as vile as he, washed all my sins away.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream your flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die: and shall be till I die, and shall be till I die; redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Dear dying Lamb, your precious blood shall never lose its pow’r, till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more: be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more; till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

WELCOME ONE ANOTHER 8:30 am service only: Children Pre-K – 1st Grade are invited upstairs to attend

Children’s Worship. Parents, pick up your kids in their Sunday School room at 11 am. Children’s bulletins are available in the back of the sanctuary.

PRAYER WE OFFER OUR GIFTS

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON I Timothy 2:1-6

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Leader: The people of God shall not live by bread alone, All: but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

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