If you have a prayer request and would like it added to the Prayer Chain, call the church at 913-299-4406 or email the Church Email Address: Hillviewchurchofgod@gmail.com
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Good morning: I came up with a rule last week I want to implement. The rule is, “you must greet the pastor either before service starts or when the service is over. I want to make sure I shake your hand or give you a hug and thank you for worshipping with us. I’m going to have minister Morris give the benediction allowing me to be in the foyer as you leave.
Last week I preached on forgiveness verses unforgiveness. We had a good discussion on the zoom call on Wednesday evening. Many of the storms we face in our lives, not the rain, thunder, and lightening kind of storms, but storms of disagreement and unrepented sin are the result of a root of bitterness that is growing in us because of unforgiveness. If we are not forgiving others, God is not forgiving us. The result of our disobedience are the storms we face.
Hillview Family and Friends!
Ushers and greeters. We can create an alternate schedule. If anyone is interested, please see LaTanya Dunn.
Children’s Ministry will be with the Ministry leader during worship time starting in the fall. Pray with us in our transition. Sis Debbie.
Youth ministry will meet in the fellowship hall at 9:30 am. Youth Ministry will be meeting every 1st Sunday of the month at 9:30 am.
Happy Birthday and Wedding Anniversary to all family and friends celebrating in the month of December.
Sis. Debbie will be having Children’s ministry 1st through 4th Sundays. On the 1st Sunday the children will do special projects. Please text Sis. Debbie if your child will not be in attendance. 5th Sunday no children’s ministry.
Nov 30th First Sunday of Advent. If you would like to participate in the Advent Readings , please sign up on sign up sheet.
Hillview will be adopting a family from Stony Point North. The list of the family and their needs is located at the events table. Gifts need to be delivered to the school by Dec. 18th.. In a spirit of giving, Hillview has Angel Ornaments available for a $5.00 donation. All proceeds will go towards our Adoptive family of Stony Point North.
Hillview will be contributing to The McKinney Vento efforts to support homeless children and their families in our area. The goal is to collect personal items for both girls and boys (i.e.: deodorant , shampoo’s, body lotion etc.). There is a box in the foyer for you to drop off your donations. The deadline is Sun Nov 16th, so we can present our “gift of love” for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Dec 7th 2nd Sunday of Advent- Love.
Dec 10th Pastor Dexter White Birthday.
Dec 20th Board Management Meeting 9am.
Dec 21st Christ Birthday Offering.
Dec 24th Christmas Eve.
Dec 24th Candlelight Service 6pm at Hillview. A chili dinner will be served after service.
Dec 25th Christmas Day.
Dec 31st New Years Eve.
Jan 1 New Years Day.
Offering Envelopes are located on the wall outside of the sound booth.
Church of God News
Good morning, many of us watch preachers on TV. I’ve recently started watching on You Tube the televised services of Pastor Loran Livingston. He pastors Central Church of God in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has pastored there for 48 years. On one broadcast as he walked out on the platform to greet the congregation he said, “I’m excited about being at church today. I wanted to come to worship with you. Furthermore, I have a Word to share with you.
A few years ago, I picked up a little girl, she was probably in the second or third grade and transported her to school on my bus. As she boarded the bus she would say, “I’m excited about going to school.” As we got closer to the school, my aid would tell her, we’re almost at school, are you excited? She would respond, “I’m so excited.”
Do you get excited when you wake up Sunday morning knowing you’re going to church? I’m excited about this opportunity to worship God with you today. We could be in a lot of different places right now, doing who knows what, but we’ve decided to come here today to worship God. Amen! Nobody held a gun at your head forcing you to go to church. If you are going to come, you might as well be excited.
The love candle was lit this morning on the Advent reef. Yes, I’m going to talk about love this morning.
Topic: God’s Love in Action
Text: Mt 1:18-25 (Amplified Version)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been [j]betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit.
19 And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been [k]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will [l]save His people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the [m]prophet [Isaiah]:
23 “Behold, the [n]virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife,
25 but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).
I was curious if Joseph’s relationship with Mary was anything like the relationship Karen and I had leading up to our marriage. For those who don’t know, Karen and I grew up living in the same neighborhood, on the same street. We were part of a large group of children made up of a mixture of families. I remember walking home one day, passing Karen’s house wondering who was going to marry Karen. Where did that question come from? I was probably in my early teens. It was a fleeting thought, then it was gone. Did God plant that question in my mind to resurrect later in our lives? God knew something that we had to discover, and fortunately we did.
I researched Joseph and Mary’s courtship and marriage. Had they fallen in love over time like Karen and me? Did Joseph propose to Mary like I proposed to Karen? No!!! Research informs us that most marriages of that period were arranged. Joseph was betrothed to Mary. Betrothal was a legal binding contract, equivalent to a modern marriage. At this stage Mary was considered Joseph’s wife, though a formal marriage ceremony had not taken place nor had the marriage been consummated. That is why he would have had to divorce her to end the relationship.
The marriage was not consummated until after Jesus was born.
Mary was selected by God to become the mother of Jesus.
Luke 1:34, 35
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
At this point the angel had spoken to Mary, but nobody had spoken to Joseph. How many men that were engaged to be married and found out that the bride was pregnant by someone else would still marry her?
I believe God preordained for Karen and me to get married. He knew she was the one for me before I realized it. In the same way I believe God preordained for Joseph to marry Mary. Betrothals usually lasted one year. God knew that Joseph would do the right thing in regard to Mary’s condition.
Love is not merely a feeling; it is faithful obedience to God even in hard places. Joseph’s willingness to stay, protect, and believe reflects the divine nature of love.
For the church, there has only been one virgin birth spoken of. Israel was told by the prophet Isaiah that the virgin birth would be a sign from God.
Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.
700 years passed between Isaiah’s prophecy and the birth of Jesus. How often do you think a discussion of pending virgin birth was spoken of in Joseph’s hearing? I’m going to suggest it was a rare topic, and Joseph may have never heard it spoken of. It is believed Joseph had not been a student of a rabbi, though he probably did attend the local synagogue school between the ages of 5 and 10. If a boy did not show exceptional promise in his synagogue studies, he would typically enter his father’s trade, as Joseph did with carpentry. It appears God picked an ordinary man to carry out an extraordinary responsibility.
I’ve found out that the love I had for Karen in the beginning was limited in so many ways. I thought I was in charge when it came to my love for Karen or anybody else. God has opened my eyes over the almost 50 years of marriage to what his love is about. People ask me what our secret is that has kept us together and I always tell them it’s being in a relationship with God.
Why did Joseph stay with Mary under the circumstances? One thing we learn about God’s love is that it requires sacrifice and surrender on our part. You just can’t have it your way. God’s love sacrifices, shelters, and stands firm.
Joseph is described in today’s text as being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly. What was the reasoning behind Joseph’s planned action? The penalty for adultery was stoning to death. He was trying to figure out how to protect Mary even if he had to divorce her.
Most of us are familiar with the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery that was brought to Jesus.
John 8:3-11
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
The men that brought the woman to Jesus were more concerned about trapping Jesus than stoning the woman. The love of God shown strong in this situation.
God’s love has you listening to the voice of God regardless of the opinions of others. Joseph had a dream as he pondered Mary’s fate.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been [k]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will [l]save His people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the [m]prophet [Isaiah]:
23 “Behold, the [n]virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife,
Last year Karen and I attended the Christmas story at the Sight and Sound theater in Branson. In the play, the men of the town wanted to stone Mary, but Joseph against his parent’s wishes said he would still take Mary as his wife. This prevented her stoning, and it shows us listening to the voice of God is better than the opinions of people.
Finally, God’s love makes room for the miraculous, even in the face of being misunderstood.
24 Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife,
25 but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).
Jesus wasn’t just any baby. He was the result of God’s love for his creation. Jesus’ birth was miraculous and expected.
Luke 2:25-35
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
God’s love requires sacrifice and surrender, it requires us to listen to God’s voice over the voices of others, and God’s love makes room for the miraculous.
The Advent message of love is clear: God loves us so much He chose to come through scandal, struggle, and sacrifice all to bring us salvation. In Joseph, we see a picture of the good love that chooses obedience over reputation, purpose over perception, and God’s will over his own plans.
Study Questions
- Has your understanding about love changed over the years?
- Can you name a change you made?
- Our information about Mary and Joseph is limited. We can accept the fact that God brought the two together. Was God instrumental in your marriage?
- Has God ever sent you a message that was difficult to follow? Why?
- Have you ever had a thought that didn’t make sense, but years later see the hand of God fulfilling a chapter in your life?
- When making decisions, do we seek God or his representative, or do we make decisions then hope God approves and blesses us?
- Is God still in the miracle working business?
- What sacrifices have you made because of God’s love?
- Who do you listen too because of God’s love?
Topic: Being Thankful
Text: Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
11 For he knew who was going to betray him,and that was why he said not everyone was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Support Hillview’s Greeting Card Ministry – We have anniversary, birthday, and get-well cards on the table by the front entrance for you to send to others to let them know you are thinking of them. A donation of $1.00 will help cover the cost of cards and postage.
Continue to pray for the sick and shut-ins and their caregivers. Prayer is needed for our entire congregation as we are all dealing with spoken and unspoken needs and requests.
Weekly Events
Sunday School: 9:30am
Worship Service 10:45 am Sermon live stream 11:15 am You tube http://www.youtube.com/@HillviewChurchofGod-u3m
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