[cs_content][cs_section bg_image=”https://www.stjohnsgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/David-May-18_1500x500.jpg” parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 10% 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”false” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column bg_color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5)” fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ class=”cs-ta-center” style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h1″ looks_like=”h1″ accent=”false” class=”h-responsive” style=”color: #ffffff;text-shadow: 0px 0px 10px #333333;margin-top: 0px;”] Community in the Word December 23rd @ 9:30am[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”false” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Community in the Word is our effort to be people of the Book. To read it and to let the Word of God read us, challenge us, and change us into the Image of God. Join us for this experiment in community with the Word at the center.[/cs_text][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]
This Week’s Teaching
Light – the very first created thing. The way God chose to reveal His Glory: a burning bush, a fire on top of Mount Sinai, a pillar leading the Israelites. It was no accident when Jesus taught that He was the Light of the World, the fulfillment at the festival and Feast of Lights. Those who were spiritually blind tried to extinguish the light, but it could not be done. Join us as we enter this season of Advent and prepare for the second coming of Christ. For the imagery and truth that Jesus gives us does not stop there, but tells us that we are the light of the world, a city on a hill that can’t be hidden. For at Pentecost, the glory of God has now come to reside in us, His Spirit. So we reflect the light of God into the world and are blessed to share the Good News of a Savior: “born in a manager, died on a tree.”
[/cs_text][x_line style=”border-top-width: 1px;”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”false” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ accent=”false”] Luke 1:39-56 [/x_custom_headline][x_columnize]
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
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 powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Click here for this week’s: Bible Study Questions.
[/x_columnize][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_feature_list][x_feature_box title=”Read the Teaching for the week yourself and/or with your family” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”#2ecc71″ align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ graphic_icon=”book”]Reflect on what it says and what it means[/x_feature_box][x_feature_box title=”Community in the Word” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”#2ecc71″ align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ graphic_icon=”group”]Sunday at 9:30am. Being together in the Word is central to our faith[/x_feature_box][x_feature_box title=”Worship Shaped by the Word” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”#2ecc71″ align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ graphic_icon=”plus”]While the preaching scripture for worship is different, these CITW help to shape worship each week[/x_feature_box][/x_feature_list][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_promo image=”https://www.stjohnsgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Worship-SMALL.jpg” alt=””]Connected to Worship | CITW helps to shape our Worship
Every Sunday @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am – FAMILY LIFE CENTER
Join us for CITW, a communal bible study where we learn together what it means to live our faith. Each week we’ll release a lesson, accompanied scripture. The hope is that you read and study prior to arriving on Sunday. Then stick around and see how the New Testament Scripture echos throughout our Worship service and connects to the Psalm and focus of the sermon.
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