SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH 2025 | THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING

THE CALL TO WORSHIP

INVOCATION

L: The Lord be with you

All: And with your spirit.

L: Lift up your hearts

All: We lift them up to the Lord

L: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

All: It is right to give thanks and Praise!

L: Let us Worship God

SONGS OF WORSHIP

THE CALL TO CONFESSION

In this season of watching and waiting, we confess our sin and look to Christ for mercy. Psalm 139:23–24

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God,
as we continue in this Advent journey,
We confess that our lives are filled with sin.
We forget to give thanks.
We fail to be joyful.
We do not pray without ceasing.
We are quick to quench the Spirit
and slow to test all things.

Forgive us, O God.
Give us the joyful expectation
of your coming kingdom.
Amen.

Take a moment for silent confession

ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.

Zephaniah 3:14–15

PASSING OF THE PEACE

SONG OF WORSHIP

THE SERMON

Surrender to Peace

Pastor Keon L. Abner

Hosea 5:15-6:3

New International Reader's Version

15 I will go back to my lion’s den.
    I will stay there until they pay the price for their sin.
Then they will turn to me.
    They will suffer so much
    that they will really want me to help them.”

Israel Refuses to Turn Away From Their Sins

6 The people say, “Come.
    Let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces.
    But he will heal us.
He has wounded us.
    But he’ll bandage our wounds.
2 After two days he will give us new life.
    On the third day he’ll make us like new again.
    Then we will enjoy his blessing.
3 Let’s recognize him as the Lord.
    Let’s keep trying to know him.
You can be sure the sun will rise.
    And you can be just as sure the Lord will appear.
He will come to renew us like the winter rains.
    He will be like the spring rains that water the earth.”THE APOSTLES CREED

CATECHISM QUESTIONS

Leader: What is the Lord’s Supper?


All: The Lord’s supper is a sacrament where we receive bread and 
wine as a reminder of the
death of Jesus Christ for our sins.

Leader: How does the Lord’s Supper help us?


All: The Lord’s Supper helps us to experience the real presence of Christ while we examine our
own lives and repent of our sins.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, 
God from God, 
Light from Light, 
true God from true God, 
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father; 
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, 
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit 
and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, 
the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, 
who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. 
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

BENEDICTION