December 14, 2025 | Advent #3
Call to Worship
PRELUDE
RESPONSIVE CALL
“We Bow Before You” #738
PRAYER of INVOCATION
SONG of ADORATION “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” #715
ADVENT READING
The Dougherty Family
This week, we light the Candle of Love and read from Luke 1 & 2:
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Confession & Assurance
PRAYER of CONFESSION John Wesley
Pastor: O merciful Father, regard
not what we have done
against you, but what our
blessed Savior has done for us.
People: Regard not what we have
made ourselves; but what
he is made unto us, of you,
our God.
Pastor: O that Christ may be to
every one of our souls,
wisdom and righteousness,
sanctification and
redemption!
People: That His precious blood
may cleanse us from all
our sins; and that Your
Holy Spirit may renew and
sanctify our souls.
Pastor: May He crucify our flesh
with its affections and lusts,
and mortify all our
members which are upon
earth.
All: O let not sin reign in our
mortal bodies, that we
should obey its passions;
but being made free from
sin, let us be the servants
of righteousness. Amen.◆
ASSURANCE of PARDON
Hear these words of comfort, from Isaiah 9 and 53
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one make many to be counted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Amen.◆
SONG of RESPONSE “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” #723
Life of Worship
PROFESSION of FAITH 2nd London Baptist Confession
Leader: Church, let us confess
together the mystery and
glory of Christ’s incarnation.
People: We believe and confess that
Jesus Christ, the eternal
Son of God, became man
for our salvation.
Leader: We believe, with all the
church—visible and
invisible—that:
All: The Son of God, the second
person of the Holy
Trinity, being very and
eternal God, the brightness
of the Father's glory, of one
substance and equal
with Him, made the world,
and upholds and governs
all things He has made.
Leader: When the fullness of time
had come, He took upon
Himself man's nature, with
all the essential properties
and common infirmities of it,
yet without sin
People: He was conceived by the
Holy Spirit in the womb of
the Virgin Mary and born of
her, being of her substance.
Leader: This union of divine and
human natures in one
person was necessary that
He might be our perfect
Mediator, reconciling God
and man.
People: As God, He bore the full
weight of divine wrath and
rendered perfect obedience
to the law. As man, He
suffered and died in our
place, making full atone-
ment for our sins. Amen. ◆
OFFERING
DOXOLOGY
PRAYER of DEDICATION
KIDS’ SONG “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
CHILDREN’S TIME
Ministry of the Word
PRAYER for ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READING Luke 1:39-56
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
SERMON “Magnified” Pastor Zach
SONG “Lo, How a Rose. . . ” CH#720
BENEDICTION
